This collapse, especially right after the deadline, has got to be getting under Nutting's skin right? No warm-blooded owner would not pay attention to this. I mean it goes against fandom, but I wouldn't mind another sweep in SD to get to a nice round 10-game streak. It may be the only way to invoke change in the org.
I am firm in my belief that Nutting told the front office they couldn’t add to payroll. So I don’t see how he could be upset. This is an overachieving team reverting to the mean.
Right now, there are more position players below replacement (Bae, Triolo, Tellez and BDLC) than ones with at least one win above (the much-maligned Cruz, Reynolds and Bart). That's a really, really bad roster. The pitching staff is better, but not nearly enough to offset the dumpster fire that Cherington has created with the team's hitters. So, yeah, there's no secret formula that's going to help. It's a below-average team that's still half a roster away from being good. Everything that's happening, every last bit of it, is on the incompetent GM.
Wait, I thought all non-Olympic sports were on hold the last 16 days.....Did anyone tell the Pirates that?
Since the opening ceremonies:
-pirates pitching was by WAR / xFIP 2nd worst (Thanks White Sox). Holderman, Luis Ortiz, Marco Gonzales and Bednar all have peripherals that are absolute junk. (Holderman is on the IL so maybe that explains it)
-pirates hitters are bottom 10 by SLG and wOBA. This hasn't been isolated, they just have plain stunk outside of Joey Bart (!!!), with Cutch and Cruz delivering power but striking out a ton (even relative to them on the rest of the year)
Olympics are now closed, now we can get back to baseball guys.
Seattle Mariners are 10-4 since acquiring Randy Arozarena, who has been torching the ball (172 wRC+) since being traded.
New York Yankees are also 10-4 since acquiring Jazz Chisholm, who has also been torching the ball (190 wRC+) since being traded.
The Pirates are 1-9 since the trade deadline.
Offense obviously hasn't been the issue here, but it was plainly obvious they did nothing to improve the roster in any meaningful way. What does that say about their belief in this club? How does that impact the culture of the team?
Older I get the more credence I give to this kind of shit. Seems far too coincidental far too often.
Offense hasn't necessarily been an issue, as their backend of the bullpen has imploded, but offense (and especially defense) has still be an issue in that their hitting with RISP is atrocious. Which was one area people particularly overlooked with De La Cruz, cause "he had high RBI totals", that even with his RBI totals, he was pretty terrible with RISP.
They made 3 moves to say they made 3 moves. They accomplished this without raising payroll one cent.
The older I get the more I simply don't care.
Even if they fire Cherington, they'll just replace him with another clone. They'll never hire an AA, a Preller a DiPoto. Their modus operandi is disgusting and odd.
The "bigger" moves all came within the last hour before deadline. Would be extremely interesting to learn how they came down. Did BC settle on crumbs when the real target did not materialize? How much did Bob's $$ parameters effect this last hour? You could make another Moneyball movie out of the front office strategery.
This exactly. It’s pretty bad when trading for Billy Cook qualifies as an exciting move. The payroll situation is bad yes, but their other moves are so dull and uninspired as well. They’d never do something like Liberatore for Arozerana. Too afraid it’d bite them in the behind I’m guessing.
The losing streak is actually at 7--two series sweeps and the blown finale of the D-backs series. Our playoff odds in that stretch have dropped from about 1 in 7 to about 1 in 60. I've gone from looking at the schedule to see when I could make a game in Pittsburgh or Cincy to barely being motivated to tune in on TV.
This collapse, especially right after the deadline, has got to be getting under Nutting's skin right? No warm-blooded owner would not pay attention to this. I mean it goes against fandom, but I wouldn't mind another sweep in SD to get to a nice round 10-game streak. It may be the only way to invoke change in the org.
Should also get them into the top 5 lottery odds lol
Disgrace for Jace? Can’t think of a tank slogan for Holliday the Younger.
Plan for Can? On pace for Jace? Play for Holliday?
Winning takes a Holliday?
Unfortunately, Im not convinced that Nutting cares much at all, let alone enough to pay attention to a stretch of a few weeks
I am firm in my belief that Nutting told the front office they couldn’t add to payroll. So I don’t see how he could be upset. This is an overachieving team reverting to the mean.
Right now, there are more position players below replacement (Bae, Triolo, Tellez and BDLC) than ones with at least one win above (the much-maligned Cruz, Reynolds and Bart). That's a really, really bad roster. The pitching staff is better, but not nearly enough to offset the dumpster fire that Cherington has created with the team's hitters. So, yeah, there's no secret formula that's going to help. It's a below-average team that's still half a roster away from being good. Everything that's happening, every last bit of it, is on the incompetent GM.
Sometimes muddling along mediocrity is worse for this reason. Easy to convince yourself you don’t need to change.
Wait, I thought all non-Olympic sports were on hold the last 16 days.....Did anyone tell the Pirates that?
Since the opening ceremonies:
-pirates pitching was by WAR / xFIP 2nd worst (Thanks White Sox). Holderman, Luis Ortiz, Marco Gonzales and Bednar all have peripherals that are absolute junk. (Holderman is on the IL so maybe that explains it)
-pirates hitters are bottom 10 by SLG and wOBA. This hasn't been isolated, they just have plain stunk outside of Joey Bart (!!!), with Cutch and Cruz delivering power but striking out a ton (even relative to them on the rest of the year)
Olympics are now closed, now we can get back to baseball guys.
Seattle Mariners are 10-4 since acquiring Randy Arozarena, who has been torching the ball (172 wRC+) since being traded.
New York Yankees are also 10-4 since acquiring Jazz Chisholm, who has also been torching the ball (190 wRC+) since being traded.
The Pirates are 1-9 since the trade deadline.
Offense obviously hasn't been the issue here, but it was plainly obvious they did nothing to improve the roster in any meaningful way. What does that say about their belief in this club? How does that impact the culture of the team?
Older I get the more credence I give to this kind of shit. Seems far too coincidental far too often.
Offense hasn't necessarily been an issue, as their backend of the bullpen has imploded, but offense (and especially defense) has still be an issue in that their hitting with RISP is atrocious. Which was one area people particularly overlooked with De La Cruz, cause "he had high RBI totals", that even with his RBI totals, he was pretty terrible with RISP.
They made 3 moves to say they made 3 moves. They accomplished this without raising payroll one cent.
The older I get the more I simply don't care.
Even if they fire Cherington, they'll just replace him with another clone. They'll never hire an AA, a Preller a DiPoto. Their modus operandi is disgusting and odd.
The "bigger" moves all came within the last hour before deadline. Would be extremely interesting to learn how they came down. Did BC settle on crumbs when the real target did not materialize? How much did Bob's $$ parameters effect this last hour? You could make another Moneyball movie out of the front office strategery.
IKF trade resembled the Chapman offseason acquisition, IMO.
Lost out on all the FA bats and SP they were hounding all winter only to surprise with the Chapman signing.
Like RPs, they could always do something with an actual decent UT guy (since all their current ones stink).
BDLC, though, I'm guessing was always their target. The price was right on him from the start.
It’s freaking boring too.
This exactly. It’s pretty bad when trading for Billy Cook qualifies as an exciting move. The payroll situation is bad yes, but their other moves are so dull and uninspired as well. They’d never do something like Liberatore for Arozerana. Too afraid it’d bite them in the behind I’m guessing.
Honestly, I don't think Ownership would sign-off.
Remember the Mike Stanton for Polanco trade that ownership nixed?
Bob needs a GM that knows his place.
I don’t recall that one. I do recall the Cliff Lee trade that was nixed.
But fair questions. Their avoidance of any sort of risk far pre-dates Cherington.
It's systematic.
The losing streak is actually at 7--two series sweeps and the blown finale of the D-backs series. Our playoff odds in that stretch have dropped from about 1 in 7 to about 1 in 60. I've gone from looking at the schedule to see when I could make a game in Pittsburgh or Cincy to barely being motivated to tune in on TV.
Lucy, this time you promised not to yank the football.
They took all the wind out of my sail. The continued hope for better days is dimming
Updated. That’s what I get for trying to count at 2 in the morning lol.