Fangraphs has an interesting piece about why the bad teams are so bad. The corollary: why the good teams are so good directly relates to the Pirates: a lack of probable impact talent.
Watching Celestino play, you can see he has potential. Celestino has almost 400 mlb at bats and a .222 batting average with 4 homers and 4 stolen bases. .287 has been his highest batting average in any of his 7 minor league seasons. I would like to see him keep getting meaningful spring training at bats, prove he can be consistent in the minors, then bring him up.
This is who I have making the 26 for position players on 3/5/24. I think they go with Celestino as the 4th OF, Williams the glove first backup MI, Joe the platoon mate for Telez and Yaz as the backup C. Celestino and Williams make Bae superfluous, and he can work on regaining his stroke in AAA. Peguero needs more seasoning in the minors.
Celestino is starting to interest me. He just turned 25 and his last four years have all been disrupted one way or another. He hardly played in AA and had little healthy PT in AAA. 2020 was lost. His 2021 season was disrupted by a premature callup. He spent most of 2022 in the majors despite very little time above A ball, and didn’t hit. In 2023 he was recovering from a torn thumb ligament.
He’s easily their best OF defensive option other than Bae. They seem to be giving him a real look.
I really think sending Bae to Indy to focus on center field, hitting and baserunning (sliding) would be best for his and the teams long-term interest.
Without development in those areas he's a below average utility player. If he can improve defensively, his OBA and base running skills he could become an average to above average center fielder.
I’m saying yes. Though it could just as easily be Bae due to his OF ability. To me, it sorta depends on what the plan is at 1B behind Tellez. Joe? Triolo? Someone else?
Henry has shown enough. He’s on the team. Bae continues to be the odd man out. Palacios needs to get healthy quickly to have a chance. Everyone from Alika down would need at least one injury in front of them to make it. Celestino makes his way onto the radar. If Rowdy got hurt maybe Lamb or Perez would get a shot?
I was thinking yesterday that there will be games when we just mash with multiple no-doubters. However, there will probably be games when we can't seem to make contact. At least it's a lineup where I won't be using the 7-9 spots as a time to jump to a different game.
10 games into ST and the Pirates are looking very good. To date, it looks like Luis Ortiz is throwing well and with confidence and has probably penciled himself into the starting Rotation for the Pirates. The BP has some serious aches and pains, so guys like Hunter Stratton and Kyle Nicolas look like good options right now. I was hoping we'd see more of Alldred?
All the MLB teams have had this first two weeks of ST to evaluate their strengths and needs. If BC is going to try to trade anyone, it will probably happen in the next week or two.
Personally this is the first team that I can sit back and close my eyes and day dream they are really heading in the right direction in quite some time. Lets see how it works out and fingers crossed we can escape that injury cloud that floats around all teams and sports🙏🙏🤞🤞
Both seeing positives from the Pirates in ST. Right now the only injuries of any seriousness seem to be with Bednar and Moreta, and they are key personnel in the BP.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/mlb-farm-system-rankings-for-every-team-in-the-21st-century/
This one's pretty fascinating.
Fangraphs has an interesting piece about why the bad teams are so bad. The corollary: why the good teams are so good directly relates to the Pirates: a lack of probable impact talent.
Watching Celestino play, you can see he has potential. Celestino has almost 400 mlb at bats and a .222 batting average with 4 homers and 4 stolen bases. .287 has been his highest batting average in any of his 7 minor league seasons. I would like to see him keep getting meaningful spring training at bats, prove he can be consistent in the minors, then bring him up.
Cruz
Davis
Reynolds
Suwinski
Hayes
Cutch
Telez
Olivares
Triolo
Joe
Yaz
Celestino
Williams
This is who I have making the 26 for position players on 3/5/24. I think they go with Celestino as the 4th OF, Williams the glove first backup MI, Joe the platoon mate for Telez and Yaz as the backup C. Celestino and Williams make Bae superfluous, and he can work on regaining his stroke in AAA. Peguero needs more seasoning in the minors.
missed yesterdays thread. Is Celestino our defensive specialist RH-hitting CF?
Celestino is starting to interest me. He just turned 25 and his last four years have all been disrupted one way or another. He hardly played in AA and had little healthy PT in AAA. 2020 was lost. His 2021 season was disrupted by a premature callup. He spent most of 2022 in the majors despite very little time above A ball, and didn’t hit. In 2023 he was recovering from a torn thumb ligament.
He’s easily their best OF defensive option other than Bae. They seem to be giving him a real look.
probably better than Bae.
Not by OAA, and Bae’s elite speed might give him longer term upside. Doesn’t matter, though, if he doesn’t start hitting or stop over sliding.
I really think sending Bae to Indy to focus on center field, hitting and baserunning (sliding) would be best for his and the teams long-term interest.
Without development in those areas he's a below average utility player. If he can improve defensively, his OBA and base running skills he could become an average to above average center fielder.
If Bae can hit, he'll be a valuable player. Big if, tho
Obligatory joke: we know bae can hit, just not baseballs
If he could only hit baseballs as well as he hits women...
Weekly update…….……Original…..Now
10. Henry Davis………..…..90%…..100%
11. Liover Peguero…………90%…….90%
12. Edward Olivares………90%…….90%
13. Nick Gonzales………….80%……80%
————————————————————-
14. Ji-Hwan Bae……………60%…….60%
15. Josh Palacios…………..40%…….20%
16. Alika Williams…………..10%…….10%
17. Canaan Smith-Njigba.10%…….10%
18. Giberto Celestino……….0%……10%
19. Jason Delay……………..20%……..5%
20. Ali Sanchez……………..10%……..5%
21. Jake Lamb…………………5%……..5%
22. Joe Perez………………….5%……..5%
23. Sergio Alcantara………..5%……..5%
Both nick and peggy making the team?
I think there is a less than 1% chance Nick, Peggy, and Triolo all make the opening day roster
Agreed, with triolo being a lock it has to be between peggy and nick with peggy getting my vote as of now
I’m saying yes. Though it could just as easily be Bae due to his OF ability. To me, it sorta depends on what the plan is at 1B behind Tellez. Joe? Triolo? Someone else?
Joe for sure imo
Henry has shown enough. He’s on the team. Bae continues to be the odd man out. Palacios needs to get healthy quickly to have a chance. Everyone from Alika down would need at least one injury in front of them to make it. Celestino makes his way onto the radar. If Rowdy got hurt maybe Lamb or Perez would get a shot?
Random spring training noise…
Pirates lead the Grapefruit League in home runs
I hear that means we will lead the league in homers this year
I was thinking yesterday that there will be games when we just mash with multiple no-doubters. However, there will probably be games when we can't seem to make contact. At least it's a lineup where I won't be using the 7-9 spots as a time to jump to a different game.
Correct.
Or western Pennsylvania at least.
Can anyone remember if or when they last led the Grapefruit League in HR's?
Maybe the year Mark Johnson lead the Grapefruit League in HRs...or the year Newman hit .700
I remember... and I remember how that year went....
That sliver of hope thinking maybe Andy Haines knew what he was doing....
10 games into ST and the Pirates are looking very good. To date, it looks like Luis Ortiz is throwing well and with confidence and has probably penciled himself into the starting Rotation for the Pirates. The BP has some serious aches and pains, so guys like Hunter Stratton and Kyle Nicolas look like good options right now. I was hoping we'd see more of Alldred?
All the MLB teams have had this first two weeks of ST to evaluate their strengths and needs. If BC is going to try to trade anyone, it will probably happen in the next week or two.
Personally this is the first team that I can sit back and close my eyes and day dream they are really heading in the right direction in quite some time. Lets see how it works out and fingers crossed we can escape that injury cloud that floats around all teams and sports🙏🙏🤞🤞
Both seeing positives from the Pirates in ST. Right now the only injuries of any seriousness seem to be with Bednar and Moreta, and they are key personnel in the BP.
Bednar said it was a precautionary thing.
Great, thank you.