I've seen this type of thing said about Cruz multiple times now, that he's lazy in some sense. What evidence is there that that is true? I ask this as someone who isn't as plugged into these players' habits and personalities as a lot of people around here. I'm not trying to assume your or anyone else's intentions, but I do wince a bit when Latin players get that reputation.
The only two Latin players I can think of who've recently been tabbed with questionable ethic were Tabata and Pedro, and, well, let's be honest with ourselves.
I consider Oneil's issues to be more about maturity than laziness, but all through the minors he had a habit of taking plays/games off where his attention and effort clearly weren't there. While fans were crying about service time manipulation in 2022 he was busy being the worst player on the club through the beginning of May. He absolutely shows ability to adapt and improve, it's just never been consistent. Call it what you will.
I can’t speak to Tabata, but Pedro was not lazy. I talked with some teammates at Vandy and one from the Pirates and all three said he worked hard - at least, while with Vandy and the Bucs. He never looked in elite shape, and I don’t think he’d qualify as a Latin player, but the fact that you’ve seen him be tabbed as with a questionable work ethic makes me think the Roberto days of labeling non-American players as lazy if they don’t meet expectations hasn’t completely ended. In fact, when I think of players labeled as lazy or as a bad teammate, I think Latin players should unfairly targeted. To be fair, I think someone like Jesse Winker is considered in the same manner (and I know there are others), just my opinion on how we view failed Latin prospects.
Nope. I don’t care if he has 50 errors. To me, I want to see him healthy and see if he can truly stick at SS. It’d be great if he can. If not, he goes to RF where we have a hole anyway.
Cruz is still only 25, and missed almost a full year of competitive reps since his injury last April 9. It's just a matter of "live" reps and just glad it did not seem to affect his work in the batter's box. Great picture WTM!
By the way, when the conversation was active about where he would be best positioned to help the team, did he mention that he would not object to playing CF? For 2024 he will be the primary SS and Peguero will be the primary 2B, but I see the day in the near future where Peguero, 23, becomes the primary SS and Termarr Johnson becomes the primary 2B.
Jared Jones, still only 22 until August, with 100 mph velo w/command, and a 47.8% Whiff Rate is definitely pushing the envelope with Pirate management. With our Rotation in flux and the BP currently missing Dauri Moreta and David Bednar, something has to give. Jones, Ortiz, or both?
Liked the way Quinn Priester looked for the first 3 innings and we need to remember that he is just getting ready for his age 23 season and already has 50 innings at the MLB Level. I like the way Keller and Perez have looked so far, and hoping Marco Gonzales can also help create a solid 1, 2, 3 of the Rotation. After that it is a jump ball for slots 4 and 5, but I think we have enough pitching talent to be competitive. Contreras, Priester with Ortiz helping in the BP could very well be the path.
If it was me, I’d put Jones in the Opening Day rotation. Or if you wanna play the seevice time game, bring him up after 2 weeks. I’d go Keller, Gonzalez, Perez, Ortiz, Roansy. And if Roansy isn’t getting it done, he goes to the pen for Jones.
To me, I see Keller and Perez as 2 solid starters and hoping Marco can get you the innings as a #5 type starter. For the other 2 days of the rotation, we better have 2 guys ready at all times (out of about 6 possibilities).
At the present time, Ortiz is doing very well in only 8 IP, ERA around 3.50, 5 BB/11 K. Contreras is struggling with a high ERA (over 6.00 iirc) with a lot of Walks and very few K's. He needs to wake up fast, if he has anything left in the tank. Go with the first 4 you listed, trade or DFA Contreras, and possibly make the 5th SP a bullpen game until we decide to plug Jared Jones into the Rotation.
If Jones goes down to AAA, he is not coming back up as a SP/RP until at least May.
For me, Contreras hasn't done enough to justify being a SP. But neither has Falter or Flemming being a major league arm for the pen. Priester is looking like his 2023 major league self unfortunately (as in not good).
Funny thing is, it's kind of a mixed bag. You wait the two weeks in an attempt for Jones to not get a full year, then he goes Tanner Bibee and finishes top 2 in ROY voting, getting the full year anyways. Then if that were to happen, they wouldn't get a PPI pick because of waiting and attempting to manipulate his service time. It would make more sense just to have him open up on the roster, and send him down if he struggles.
I was going to say something exactly like this. Hard to look at everything he has done this spring and say, Nah, you don't deserve to be in top 5 SP.
Odds he stays up the entire season are honestly not great, but would be great if he did. Most likely is he takes a good lesson learned on how he needs to approach major league batters and works on that in AAA
What's he done this spring other than YOLO 100 at max effort?
Going into yesterday's game against the quad-A Phillies he had as many walks as strikeouts - 3 - in as many outings. He hasn't landed his fastball for strikes more than half the time and he was 96-97 after 2 innings yesterday.
Roansy and Quinn look pretty bad, Ortiz not much better, so it wouldn't surprise me to see Jones back into a spot but man I wish one of them earned it.
QP seems to have an issue facing hitters more than 1X. Maybe it’s a problem he’ll overcome in time, but it’s definitely a problem thus far in his career.
Think the non HBP batter affected him which it shouldn't have. Batter leaned in with his elbow guard on a 1-2 pitch that may have broken in for strike three. Would have out if regular season.
That’s what I was thinking too. Weird circumstances led to a bad result. Up to that point he looked good. If he goes back out there and looks like he did inning 1-3 next time, I’d be willing to toss that GS out
Is there somewhere we can see the active camp roster?
Just for S&G:
Jackson Holliday - 28 AB, 8 H, 2 Doub/2Trip/1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 11 K; Slash 286/310/607/917 OPS
Termarr Johnson - 17 AB, 7 H, 1 Doub/0 Trip/2HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 6 K ; Slash 412/474/824/1.298 OPS
Holliday turned 20 in Dec '23; TJ will turn 20 in Jun '24
In 2023 Holliday had 53 AB in A, 207 AB at A+, 142 AB at AA, 75 AB at AAA, Holliday had 101 Walks
In 2023 Johnson had 250 AB at A, and 99 AB at A+ - Johnson had 101 Walks, missed a month injured
Competition Holiday is facing is better. Johnson gets in at the end of games vs arms primarily coming from minor league camps.
I agree, I don't know if it's a good sign that Termarr has hit the few experienced major league pitchers better than he has the minor league guys.
Eduardo Cabrera down on injuries
Are we concerned at all about cruz having 3 errors already this spring?
He tends to take the first 6 weeks or so off.
I've seen this type of thing said about Cruz multiple times now, that he's lazy in some sense. What evidence is there that that is true? I ask this as someone who isn't as plugged into these players' habits and personalities as a lot of people around here. I'm not trying to assume your or anyone else's intentions, but I do wince a bit when Latin players get that reputation.
I think the Roberto days have rightly ended.
The only two Latin players I can think of who've recently been tabbed with questionable ethic were Tabata and Pedro, and, well, let's be honest with ourselves.
I consider Oneil's issues to be more about maturity than laziness, but all through the minors he had a habit of taking plays/games off where his attention and effort clearly weren't there. While fans were crying about service time manipulation in 2022 he was busy being the worst player on the club through the beginning of May. He absolutely shows ability to adapt and improve, it's just never been consistent. Call it what you will.
Pedro who?
The artist formerly known as El Toro. ;)
I can’t speak to Tabata, but Pedro was not lazy. I talked with some teammates at Vandy and one from the Pirates and all three said he worked hard - at least, while with Vandy and the Bucs. He never looked in elite shape, and I don’t think he’d qualify as a Latin player, but the fact that you’ve seen him be tabbed as with a questionable work ethic makes me think the Roberto days of labeling non-American players as lazy if they don’t meet expectations hasn’t completely ended. In fact, when I think of players labeled as lazy or as a bad teammate, I think Latin players should unfairly targeted. To be fair, I think someone like Jesse Winker is considered in the same manner (and I know there are others), just my opinion on how we view failed Latin prospects.
Admin,
Not concerned as long as the ball is coming off his bat at 115 miles per hour.
Man, he's hitting the (twine) out of the ball.
"Oh, my stars! Monsters must lead such INteresting lives... Bobby pins please."
-Wabbit
Nope. I don’t care if he has 50 errors. To me, I want to see him healthy and see if he can truly stick at SS. It’d be great if he can. If not, he goes to RF where we have a hole anyway.
Won’t speak for anyone but me, but I’m not concerned yet. Spring Training is designed to work out the kinks.
And there are a lot of kinks to work out after a year off from actual live play and practice.
Cruz is still only 25, and missed almost a full year of competitive reps since his injury last April 9. It's just a matter of "live" reps and just glad it did not seem to affect his work in the batter's box. Great picture WTM!
By the way, when the conversation was active about where he would be best positioned to help the team, did he mention that he would not object to playing CF? For 2024 he will be the primary SS and Peguero will be the primary 2B, but I see the day in the near future where Peguero, 23, becomes the primary SS and Termarr Johnson becomes the primary 2B.
Jared Jones, still only 22 until August, with 100 mph velo w/command, and a 47.8% Whiff Rate is definitely pushing the envelope with Pirate management. With our Rotation in flux and the BP currently missing Dauri Moreta and David Bednar, something has to give. Jones, Ortiz, or both?
Liked the way Quinn Priester looked for the first 3 innings and we need to remember that he is just getting ready for his age 23 season and already has 50 innings at the MLB Level. I like the way Keller and Perez have looked so far, and hoping Marco Gonzales can also help create a solid 1, 2, 3 of the Rotation. After that it is a jump ball for slots 4 and 5, but I think we have enough pitching talent to be competitive. Contreras, Priester with Ortiz helping in the BP could very well be the path.
Mel with our daily dose of alternate reality. ;)
If it was me, I’d put Jones in the Opening Day rotation. Or if you wanna play the seevice time game, bring him up after 2 weeks. I’d go Keller, Gonzalez, Perez, Ortiz, Roansy. And if Roansy isn’t getting it done, he goes to the pen for Jones.
To me, I see Keller and Perez as 2 solid starters and hoping Marco can get you the innings as a #5 type starter. For the other 2 days of the rotation, we better have 2 guys ready at all times (out of about 6 possibilities).
At the present time, Ortiz is doing very well in only 8 IP, ERA around 3.50, 5 BB/11 K. Contreras is struggling with a high ERA (over 6.00 iirc) with a lot of Walks and very few K's. He needs to wake up fast, if he has anything left in the tank. Go with the first 4 you listed, trade or DFA Contreras, and possibly make the 5th SP a bullpen game until we decide to plug Jared Jones into the Rotation.
If Jones goes down to AAA, he is not coming back up as a SP/RP until at least May.
For me, Contreras hasn't done enough to justify being a SP. But neither has Falter or Flemming being a major league arm for the pen. Priester is looking like his 2023 major league self unfortunately (as in not good).
Funny thing is, it's kind of a mixed bag. You wait the two weeks in an attempt for Jones to not get a full year, then he goes Tanner Bibee and finishes top 2 in ROY voting, getting the full year anyways. Then if that were to happen, they wouldn't get a PPI pick because of waiting and attempting to manipulate his service time. It would make more sense just to have him open up on the roster, and send him down if he struggles.
I was going to say something exactly like this. Hard to look at everything he has done this spring and say, Nah, you don't deserve to be in top 5 SP.
Odds he stays up the entire season are honestly not great, but would be great if he did. Most likely is he takes a good lesson learned on how he needs to approach major league batters and works on that in AAA
Color me a fan of Jared Jones on #TeamOpeningDay
What's he done this spring other than YOLO 100 at max effort?
Going into yesterday's game against the quad-A Phillies he had as many walks as strikeouts - 3 - in as many outings. He hasn't landed his fastball for strikes more than half the time and he was 96-97 after 2 innings yesterday.
Roansy and Quinn look pretty bad, Ortiz not much better, so it wouldn't surprise me to see Jones back into a spot but man I wish one of them earned it.
Word is born!
QP seems to have an issue facing hitters more than 1X. Maybe it’s a problem he’ll overcome in time, but it’s definitely a problem thus far in his career.
Think the non HBP batter affected him which it shouldn't have. Batter leaned in with his elbow guard on a 1-2 pitch that may have broken in for strike three. Would have out if regular season.
That’s what I was thinking too. Weird circumstances led to a bad result. Up to that point he looked good. If he goes back out there and looks like he did inning 1-3 next time, I’d be willing to toss that GS out