Finally got a chance to watch the game, my negative take away…Reynolds transition from an above average fielder to a below average one happened quickly. This guy play an average CF the year he was a 6 WAR guy, since then he has been close to a disaster…..with the lack of outfielders in the system…..hope he plays a better RF because he cannot handle PNC’s LF.
Probably missed this in the other threads somewhere, but Selby flipped to the royals for a guy in rookie ball. No real loss there imo and who knows, maybe the LHP lottery ticket can become something
Only 2 turns through the rotation, but I really like what I'm seeing from the 3 lefties, Marco in particular. He appears healthy and can really move the ball around. Sans, Falters first start, they appear to have a really good scouting report/game plan and they're doing a fantastic job of executing.
Yeah, Yeah, I realize it's only one day but I think it's worth pointing out that Kyle Gibson and Jack Flaherty were both lit up at home yesterday by Miami and Oakland while Marco and Martin are looking like solid pickups at much lower costs. I knock the Pirates' FO like others here but maybe they got it right this time. Time will tell.
I had no issues with Marco and Martin for what they should be: A 4 and 5 starter. They were always destined for budget options for the backend of the rotation, especially after Oviedo went down. My issue is with the wasted money elsewhere, and not stretching the budget a little further to add a solid number 3 starter.
Spending nearly $6 MM on Grandal and Tellez is highly questionable. Certainly on Grandal. And it’s not that I hate Tellez or even Grandal, or anything like that, but spending precious limited funds on two guys who are likely to be .5 WAR players when you have holes in your starting rotations isn’t a wise use of limited resources. You could’ve recreated a similar level of production through trading for a pre-arbitration player/s and/or minor league free agency at a fraction of the cost. Then you reallocate the funds, and with a little more stretch in the budget you’re outbidding the Tigers for Maeda.
I hate to rain on your parade, but you're not getting a solid #3 starter with those savings. I'll take Marco and Perez over Maeda...he looks cooked, 89 mph fb and just got pounded by the A's. ERA over 9
I don't know how anyone can look themselves in the mirror and say Ben didn't do well this off-season.
One other comment I wanted to make about the last paragraph. I have philosophical concerns with how they approached the offseason. But I’m not giving Ben a passing/failing grade as the standings do that for us. 8-2 is a great start, but some of the underlying metrics are flashing warning signs, and they have had some luck. Im going to hold off popping the champagne bottles and calling it a success until we’ve seen a little more of the season.
Projection systems like Maeda for a minimum of 1.4 WAR. And I didn’t say the savings alone get you a mid-rotation starter. I said the savings plus stretching the budget further. No reason they couldn’t have trotted out a payroll in the low to mid 90’s to accommodate some further additions.
Certainly a fair point and you may be proven right in the long run. I'm guessing they have more confidence in Falter than most of us and they believed Jones had a real shot at the opening day roster, something I wasn't expecting. Also, Skenes may be up in early May as many are predicting and they felt a top three of Skenes-Keller-Jones in early May was a better option than $12-15 million on the Flaherty types. I'm not totally absolving them yet as time will tell but the early returns are looking positive.
I think the issue with me was more along the lines of depth. If they liked Falter, that’s not insane considering the projection systems like him too. It’s more a question of having some guaranteed solid innings. Falter is a question mark in that regard, as is a lot of the rotation.
That win was the baseball gods smiling on the Bucs for sure. That was actually another failed bases loaded no out situation for the Pirates but Gunner panicked just enough to give the Pirates a win. But holding that Oriole offense to two runs for nine innings was impressive.
Pirates win 2 of 3 against one of the very best teams in baseball. They put the pressure on the O's defense and O's couldn't complete a DP. You can never assume a DP gets turned.
I'm not sure what you want here. If you want, in your mind, you can say they're 7-3 and you will sleep better tonight.
Pirates win 3-2, are in first place and have the best record in baseball.
*
That was good baseball between two good teams. In a game where above average defense and quality pitching kept runs at a premium, it was ironic that the game turned in the bottom of the ninth on what nearly was a stellar, game-ending double play... but turned out to be a two run force out.
*
Baseball. It is delicious. Belly up to the bar, friends, it's time to spread some CARROTS ON THE HOUSE!!!!
*
@> ONE for Eddy O, who went 2 for 4 with a run and an rbi.
@> @> TWO for "The Bullpen" for three innings of one run ball. Accepting one carrot each today will be Senor Contreras and J. Hernandez for the win.
@>@>@> And Three for M. Gonzales for pitching pretty darn good. 6 innings, 2 runs on 5 hits and, crucially, ZERO bases on balls.
*
If Pitch Keller finds his mojo... dude... we're in a good place.
_________________________
"What's up, Doc?"
"Shhhh! There's a wabbit down there. And I'm tryin' to catch 'im."
Despite a tough series against the O's, the offense ranks top 6 in several categories. It's a solid lineup day to day, that can generate runs from any part of the batting order, and I do think they will hit more HRs as we get into this thing. It would be great to add an impact bat to this lineup, maybe at 1B or the OF.
Since the first inning of his first start or first 5 batters or so in that first inning of his first start, has Falter been one of the top 5 starters in baseball, again leaving out the reality of that big hiccup🤷♂️🤣🤣
I mean, to be fair, he does have promising metrics, particularly VAA on his fastball. A lot of times he's just putting it into terrible spots and just an inch or two too high at the top of the zone where it doesn't draw swings.
Not sure we can define a GB to the SS as a walkoff hit, but putting the ball in play led to the error by the SS trying to get the double play. The Pirates are playing good baseball, and taking 2 of 3 against the Orioles validates that fact. The lineup has been strong and should only get better as the season progresses.
IMO, the biggest contributors to all of this success are the 4 guys (2 FA's, 1 Trade, and 1 early draft pick) the Pirates added to Mitch Keller to form our Rotation. Perez, Gonzalez, Falter, and Jones have all started 2 games apiece, averaging 5 innings per start, and a combined ERA of 3.50. An excellent start to the season from all of them, allowing the hitting and defense a little bit of time to get it all together. And, the bullpen has also been very strong - not perfect but getting the outs when needed. Chapman was a huge add, and Roansy and Luis Ortiz have been good. Hopefully getting Hold Man back soon. Any word on Mlodzinski? Glad to see Jose Hernandez and Hunter Stratton contributing.
Yeah, no kidding. There is a very magic, Midas-touch-y thing going on early with their additions. Michael Taylor got reborn as the splendid splinter. The pitchers are pitching. Joey Bart hits a critical HR and a double on his first two swings of the bat after stepping off the plane. You could go on all day, really.
I’ll take it though, if it means the Bucs are able to bank some wins here with an 8-2 start despite Cutch, Jack and Keller all being statistically somewhere between no-show and deadweight.
Hard to root for this team until Everson Pereira is our everyday CF in waiting, kidding mate🤣, but yes, lots to like of this current configuration, specifically what you point out in your thoughtful post👏👍👏👍
Thank you. You don't want to mention Pereira - he has 2 HR's so far in AAA, but was 0-4 yesterday with 4 K's. Still hoping we find a way to get him for the PTBNL from the BRU trade. The Pirates are doing well, but they have needs - a RH hitting CF/RF/LF with pop, and a 1B also with pop, but Connor Joe is looking very good so far. BTW, Tellez going into second standing up caused some issues for the SS on the game-ending play.
Finally got a chance to watch the game, my negative take away…Reynolds transition from an above average fielder to a below average one happened quickly. This guy play an average CF the year he was a 6 WAR guy, since then he has been close to a disaster…..with the lack of outfielders in the system…..hope he plays a better RF because he cannot handle PNC’s LF.
He took a horrible route on the double over his head yesterday for sure.
Probably missed this in the other threads somewhere, but Selby flipped to the royals for a guy in rookie ball. No real loss there imo and who knows, maybe the LHP lottery ticket can become something
Only 2 turns through the rotation, but I really like what I'm seeing from the 3 lefties, Marco in particular. He appears healthy and can really move the ball around. Sans, Falters first start, they appear to have a really good scouting report/game plan and they're doing a fantastic job of executing.
Yeah, Yeah, I realize it's only one day but I think it's worth pointing out that Kyle Gibson and Jack Flaherty were both lit up at home yesterday by Miami and Oakland while Marco and Martin are looking like solid pickups at much lower costs. I knock the Pirates' FO like others here but maybe they got it right this time. Time will tell.
I had no issues with Marco and Martin for what they should be: A 4 and 5 starter. They were always destined for budget options for the backend of the rotation, especially after Oviedo went down. My issue is with the wasted money elsewhere, and not stretching the budget a little further to add a solid number 3 starter.
Where was the $ wasted in your opinion and with that wasted $ what solid #3 starter was going to sign with the Pirates?
Spending nearly $6 MM on Grandal and Tellez is highly questionable. Certainly on Grandal. And it’s not that I hate Tellez or even Grandal, or anything like that, but spending precious limited funds on two guys who are likely to be .5 WAR players when you have holes in your starting rotations isn’t a wise use of limited resources. You could’ve recreated a similar level of production through trading for a pre-arbitration player/s and/or minor league free agency at a fraction of the cost. Then you reallocate the funds, and with a little more stretch in the budget you’re outbidding the Tigers for Maeda.
I hate to rain on your parade, but you're not getting a solid #3 starter with those savings. I'll take Marco and Perez over Maeda...he looks cooked, 89 mph fb and just got pounded by the A's. ERA over 9
I don't know how anyone can look themselves in the mirror and say Ben didn't do well this off-season.
One other comment I wanted to make about the last paragraph. I have philosophical concerns with how they approached the offseason. But I’m not giving Ben a passing/failing grade as the standings do that for us. 8-2 is a great start, but some of the underlying metrics are flashing warning signs, and they have had some luck. Im going to hold off popping the champagne bottles and calling it a success until we’ve seen a little more of the season.
Projection systems like Maeda for a minimum of 1.4 WAR. And I didn’t say the savings alone get you a mid-rotation starter. I said the savings plus stretching the budget further. No reason they couldn’t have trotted out a payroll in the low to mid 90’s to accommodate some further additions.
Certainly a fair point and you may be proven right in the long run. I'm guessing they have more confidence in Falter than most of us and they believed Jones had a real shot at the opening day roster, something I wasn't expecting. Also, Skenes may be up in early May as many are predicting and they felt a top three of Skenes-Keller-Jones in early May was a better option than $12-15 million on the Flaherty types. I'm not totally absolving them yet as time will tell but the early returns are looking positive.
I think the issue with me was more along the lines of depth. If they liked Falter, that’s not insane considering the projection systems like him too. It’s more a question of having some guaranteed solid innings. Falter is a question mark in that regard, as is a lot of the rotation.
The next time your Pirates kick a ball to loose one in the ninth just remember: it isn’t really a loss if it’s from dumb/bad luck…
Screw that. This was a terrific win because we stayed in it until the option came up to win it. If you want “fair” go into track.
If that was the Pirates, it's because of Shelton & Haines & bad baserunning & bad fundamentals. When it happens to another team, it's baseball Gods.
Thanks for the update on Oliver!
That win was the baseball gods smiling on the Bucs for sure. That was actually another failed bases loaded no out situation for the Pirates but Gunner panicked just enough to give the Pirates a win. But holding that Oriole offense to two runs for nine innings was impressive.
Can we give an Assist to Tellez for going in standing up? The SS tried to throw around him.
I have no idea how WAR is calculated, but in my mind, Tellez’s WAR increased by 1 after that play.
I don't believe a good throw gets him. That was a 22-year-old, that should've eaten it and gave his team a chance for another inning.
Seriously?
I would encourage Gunnar to keep gunning if I was his Manager. 100% physical error caused partly by Tellez, 0% mental error, in my opinion.
I'm not sure a good throw gets him either.
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx7q8iP21XvfCtTRr8lNiCEMy5zc24nVtK?si=Zf_x4TvEDwnAxLSP
Pirates win 2 of 3 against one of the very best teams in baseball. They put the pressure on the O's defense and O's couldn't complete a DP. You can never assume a DP gets turned.
I'm not sure what you want here. If you want, in your mind, you can say they're 7-3 and you will sleep better tonight.
No idea what you are talking about. Agreeing with you upsets you, lol.
My bad, Six. I'm having a day.
8 down. 73 to go.
Pirates win 3-2, are in first place and have the best record in baseball.
*
That was good baseball between two good teams. In a game where above average defense and quality pitching kept runs at a premium, it was ironic that the game turned in the bottom of the ninth on what nearly was a stellar, game-ending double play... but turned out to be a two run force out.
*
Baseball. It is delicious. Belly up to the bar, friends, it's time to spread some CARROTS ON THE HOUSE!!!!
*
@> ONE for Eddy O, who went 2 for 4 with a run and an rbi.
@> @> TWO for "The Bullpen" for three innings of one run ball. Accepting one carrot each today will be Senor Contreras and J. Hernandez for the win.
@>@>@> And Three for M. Gonzales for pitching pretty darn good. 6 innings, 2 runs on 5 hits and, crucially, ZERO bases on balls.
*
If Pitch Keller finds his mojo... dude... we're in a good place.
_________________________
"What's up, Doc?"
"Shhhh! There's a wabbit down there. And I'm tryin' to catch 'im."
-Wabbit
*
Despite a tough series against the O's, the offense ranks top 6 in several categories. It's a solid lineup day to day, that can generate runs from any part of the batting order, and I do think they will hit more HRs as we get into this thing. It would be great to add an impact bat to this lineup, maybe at 1B or the OF.
Since the first inning of his first start or first 5 batters or so in that first inning of his first start, has Falter been one of the top 5 starters in baseball, again leaving out the reality of that big hiccup🤷♂️🤣🤣
Do you believe the first 5 hitters are small sample size (SSS) bad luck? Or do you believe the 10 innings or so since then are SSS good luck?
Personally I think it’s a bit of both. He’s almost certainly not as bad or good as those two stretches.
I mean, to be fair, he does have promising metrics, particularly VAA on his fastball. A lot of times he's just putting it into terrible spots and just an inch or two too high at the top of the zone where it doesn't draw swings.
Yep. They called a great game for him, primarily going with his best pitch, the 4-seamer up in the zone and inside on hitters.
The former mate🤷♂️🤣👍
For me, this morning is all about hopium and thus falter will probably just never give up a run again
Not sure we can define a GB to the SS as a walkoff hit, but putting the ball in play led to the error by the SS trying to get the double play. The Pirates are playing good baseball, and taking 2 of 3 against the Orioles validates that fact. The lineup has been strong and should only get better as the season progresses.
IMO, the biggest contributors to all of this success are the 4 guys (2 FA's, 1 Trade, and 1 early draft pick) the Pirates added to Mitch Keller to form our Rotation. Perez, Gonzalez, Falter, and Jones have all started 2 games apiece, averaging 5 innings per start, and a combined ERA of 3.50. An excellent start to the season from all of them, allowing the hitting and defense a little bit of time to get it all together. And, the bullpen has also been very strong - not perfect but getting the outs when needed. Chapman was a huge add, and Roansy and Luis Ortiz have been good. Hopefully getting Hold Man back soon. Any word on Mlodzinski? Glad to see Jose Hernandez and Hunter Stratton contributing.
Don’t shortchange the contributions of Tellez, Olivares, and Taylor. 10 games in Cherington looks like a genius at FA.
Starting to get some NH 2013 off-season here. Man, I really want to get my hopes up, but I'm not there yet.
Yeah, no kidding. There is a very magic, Midas-touch-y thing going on early with their additions. Michael Taylor got reborn as the splendid splinter. The pitchers are pitching. Joey Bart hits a critical HR and a double on his first two swings of the bat after stepping off the plane. You could go on all day, really.
I’ll take it though, if it means the Bucs are able to bank some wins here with an 8-2 start despite Cutch, Jack and Keller all being statistically somewhere between no-show and deadweight.
Hard to root for this team until Everson Pereira is our everyday CF in waiting, kidding mate🤣, but yes, lots to like of this current configuration, specifically what you point out in your thoughtful post👏👍👏👍
Thank you. You don't want to mention Pereira - he has 2 HR's so far in AAA, but was 0-4 yesterday with 4 K's. Still hoping we find a way to get him for the PTBNL from the BRU trade. The Pirates are doing well, but they have needs - a RH hitting CF/RF/LF with pop, and a 1B also with pop, but Connor Joe is looking very good so far. BTW, Tellez going into second standing up caused some issues for the SS on the game-ending play.
They already have everything you mentioned.