A very un-Pirate-like game yesterday in that it was them getting a lot of runs late to win the game going away. They seem to be playing a lot better - there will always be issues attached to both winners and losers, but for the Pirates, we at least now have hope. Fun facts -
* Under Manager Don Kelly the Pirates are now 22-24 in 46 games
* Of the 12 teams played during those 46 games only 3 are under .500 - Rangers 41-42, Braves 38-44, and Marlins 36-45 - a combined 14 games under .500. Games against the Pirates - 9 games.
* Of the 9 teams .500+ - a combined 97 games over .500. Games against the Pirates - 37 games.
* Playing good baseball against a very tough schedule.
Still much to do to become a .500 team, but they are on the right track. Seeing them play well when one of their best offensive contributors', Oneil Cruz, is struggling, magnifies that some of the other young players are making strong contributions - right now, Nick Gonzales and newly acquired Spencer Horwitz. Reynolds and Hayes have both picked it up also.
We have some needs and it will take some effort by Nutting and BC to get that accomplished - with existing game changers like Cruz, and an additional LH hitting OF with power and D. I'm still looking at the Dodgers as a team we can work with - our pitching, their young LH hitting OF's Josue DePaula, Zyhir Hope, both 20. There are others, some closer to or in MLB already, but that is always more expensive.
Great post! I know we somewhat disagree on the return for Keller, but I firmly believe the Pirates should trade him only if they can get a ML ready bat in return. They need ML talent now for the Skenes era. If they are unable to extend him, they should still get a major haul in a trade for Skenes (down the line). I would not trade much of our young prospect arms. We will need the depth moving forward. If Keller alone isn't enough maybe they can work a three team trade that would sweeten the pot for a Keller return.
This team is playing much better under Kelly. There's a different vibe. They seem more disciplined in their approach on the field and in the batter's box. They are doing a better job manufacturing runs. They are competing. For me it really stood out in the Cubs series. They lost the series, but every game was close and winnable. I love the direction Kelly is taking this team.
We do not disagree on the return for Keller. We both want the best we can get. I think we could get more of a ballplayer who is killing it at A+ or AA than we can for a kid doing the same at AAA or already in MLB. The Dodgers are at a very delicate location regarding SP's and Keller would fit perfectly. Josue DePaula could be a future rock in our OF for at least 6 years probably beginning in mid-2026, and his power is starting to get better as he matures. Read something about him working with Juan Soto and Elly De La Cruz during the off season.
I’m not convinced they’ll make any trades of consequence. (That’s apart from the very high likelihood of BC botching the deadline.). Nuttin, when he peeks out of the bunker, keeps talking about winning more this year, and BC parrots that line. He’s probably going to want to hang onto guys like Keller and Bednar in hopes of keeping his job.
If they trade known commodities like Keller, it’ll more than likely mean cherington is coming back.
I don’t care either way, probably leaning towards moving on from him. I just find it weird that we slobber all over his last 2 draft picks (Skenes & Griffin) but act like he’s the worst GM to ever GM. Those last 2 draft picks were hardly layups…it was pretty much 50/50 Skenes-Crews and Griffin had major hit tool concerns. If you’re going to bash the guy at every turn (and then some) you at least have to give him credit when he actually gets something right.
A GM makes thousands of decisions. BC has blown a huge majority of his. Getting two right doesn’t change the fact that he’s one of the worst GMs in recent MLB history. The bad has overwhelmed anything good, which should be painfully obvious from Skenes being 4-7 and Keller 2-10.
Let’s not lose the forest for the trees. The record is the record and BC’s is one of unbroken failure. The last Huntington team had a WL% of .426. BC in five and a half seasons is at .414. This year so far, .406. That’s his record, not two draft picks.
Littlefield had to be begged by his scouts to draft Cutch. Walker was the hometown pick and Marte was a lotto pick as an international free agent.
Not exactly like picking Skenes and KG in back to back drafts.
The thing that’s going to suck is they’ll retain cherington and you guys will really amp up the crying. It be really cool if we could just talk about ball, instead of armchair GMing.
I don’t think you can be one of the worst GMs in recent history if you draft Skenes & Griffin in back to back drafts. Not to mention, Gonzales is looking like a good selection as well as all the arms he drafted. But that’s just me and I’m a half glass full guy.
Sure. There’s been some bad luck to the drafting element too. NMR had a good post where he pointed out that it’s difficult to point where he could have handled the early round picks differently. We can like some of what he’s done in the draft and yet find his overall job performance lacking.
Also as NMR pointed out, the biggest failure in his rebuild was absolutely botching every trade from 2020 onwards when he was tearing it down: Bell, Musgrove, JT, and Marte yielded…Bednar? I’m too lazy to look but that’s about what I recall. Now, none of those four were stars when traded, but Musgrove and Marte were definitely plus regulars on cheap contracts. And they didn’t get squat.
And of course there's the contradiction in my and many other minds between what the Pirates need to do, and whether we want BC to be the one making the decisions on the immediate future of this team.
https://x.com/MLBPipeline/status/1939174533459779609
Griffin hittin and stealin!
The second slide was wild. Throw had him beat but he evaded the tag. Guy even has a 70 sliding tool.
.365/.461/.587 since his promotion to A+. At age 19.
Based on the highlights posted here he does something impactful every single game. He has to be a top 10 prospect.
Oh, I think the big question is #1 or not.
and if he get a cup of coffee in September?
I think it is not impossible he is our starting shortstop by next July.
It’ll be from Starbucks.
better cofee at Nicolas 23 Market Square
A very un-Pirate-like game yesterday in that it was them getting a lot of runs late to win the game going away. They seem to be playing a lot better - there will always be issues attached to both winners and losers, but for the Pirates, we at least now have hope. Fun facts -
* Under Manager Don Kelly the Pirates are now 22-24 in 46 games
* Of the 12 teams played during those 46 games only 3 are under .500 - Rangers 41-42, Braves 38-44, and Marlins 36-45 - a combined 14 games under .500. Games against the Pirates - 9 games.
* Of the 9 teams .500+ - a combined 97 games over .500. Games against the Pirates - 37 games.
* Playing good baseball against a very tough schedule.
Still much to do to become a .500 team, but they are on the right track. Seeing them play well when one of their best offensive contributors', Oneil Cruz, is struggling, magnifies that some of the other young players are making strong contributions - right now, Nick Gonzales and newly acquired Spencer Horwitz. Reynolds and Hayes have both picked it up also.
We have some needs and it will take some effort by Nutting and BC to get that accomplished - with existing game changers like Cruz, and an additional LH hitting OF with power and D. I'm still looking at the Dodgers as a team we can work with - our pitching, their young LH hitting OF's Josue DePaula, Zyhir Hope, both 20. There are others, some closer to or in MLB already, but that is always more expensive.
Great post! I know we somewhat disagree on the return for Keller, but I firmly believe the Pirates should trade him only if they can get a ML ready bat in return. They need ML talent now for the Skenes era. If they are unable to extend him, they should still get a major haul in a trade for Skenes (down the line). I would not trade much of our young prospect arms. We will need the depth moving forward. If Keller alone isn't enough maybe they can work a three team trade that would sweeten the pot for a Keller return.
This team is playing much better under Kelly. There's a different vibe. They seem more disciplined in their approach on the field and in the batter's box. They are doing a better job manufacturing runs. They are competing. For me it really stood out in the Cubs series. They lost the series, but every game was close and winnable. I love the direction Kelly is taking this team.
We do not disagree on the return for Keller. We both want the best we can get. I think we could get more of a ballplayer who is killing it at A+ or AA than we can for a kid doing the same at AAA or already in MLB. The Dodgers are at a very delicate location regarding SP's and Keller would fit perfectly. Josue DePaula could be a future rock in our OF for at least 6 years probably beginning in mid-2026, and his power is starting to get better as he matures. Read something about him working with Juan Soto and Elly De La Cruz during the off season.
I’m not convinced they’ll make any trades of consequence. (That’s apart from the very high likelihood of BC botching the deadline.). Nuttin, when he peeks out of the bunker, keeps talking about winning more this year, and BC parrots that line. He’s probably going to want to hang onto guys like Keller and Bednar in hopes of keeping his job.
If they trade known commodities like Keller, it’ll more than likely mean cherington is coming back.
I don’t care either way, probably leaning towards moving on from him. I just find it weird that we slobber all over his last 2 draft picks (Skenes & Griffin) but act like he’s the worst GM to ever GM. Those last 2 draft picks were hardly layups…it was pretty much 50/50 Skenes-Crews and Griffin had major hit tool concerns. If you’re going to bash the guy at every turn (and then some) you at least have to give him credit when he actually gets something right.
Littlefield got Cutch, Walker and Marte.
A GM makes thousands of decisions. BC has blown a huge majority of his. Getting two right doesn’t change the fact that he’s one of the worst GMs in recent MLB history. The bad has overwhelmed anything good, which should be painfully obvious from Skenes being 4-7 and Keller 2-10.
Let’s not lose the forest for the trees. The record is the record and BC’s is one of unbroken failure. The last Huntington team had a WL% of .426. BC in five and a half seasons is at .414. This year so far, .406. That’s his record, not two draft picks.
Littlefield had to be begged by his scouts to draft Cutch. Walker was the hometown pick and Marte was a lotto pick as an international free agent.
Not exactly like picking Skenes and KG in back to back drafts.
The thing that’s going to suck is they’ll retain cherington and you guys will really amp up the crying. It be really cool if we could just talk about ball, instead of armchair GMing.
I don’t think you can be one of the worst GMs in recent history if you draft Skenes & Griffin in back to back drafts. Not to mention, Gonzales is looking like a good selection as well as all the arms he drafted. But that’s just me and I’m a half glass full guy.
Pretty sure the measure of success in baseball is wins and losses. This glass is 0.1% full.
can add Nick, JJ, Bubba to that list
BC is good at the MLB draft
but the trading part has room for improvement
Sure. There’s been some bad luck to the drafting element too. NMR had a good post where he pointed out that it’s difficult to point where he could have handled the early round picks differently. We can like some of what he’s done in the draft and yet find his overall job performance lacking.
Also as NMR pointed out, the biggest failure in his rebuild was absolutely botching every trade from 2020 onwards when he was tearing it down: Bell, Musgrove, JT, and Marte yielded…Bednar? I’m too lazy to look but that’s about what I recall. Now, none of those four were stars when traded, but Musgrove and Marte were definitely plus regulars on cheap contracts. And they didn’t get squat.
And of course there's the contradiction in my and many other minds between what the Pirates need to do, and whether we want BC to be the one making the decisions on the immediate future of this team.