Small change: If i remember correctly, coby isn't actually jonathan's nephew but that's just a fun bit he and jim callis do on the show. I could definitely be remembering that wrong though
I agree, they just consistently throw money at the problem while not actually making shrewd moves. The rest of their offseason has filled holes with little to no upside so I dont see their overall trajectory changing but this signing could be good
The Pirates have a full Rotation set to go in 2025 which is primarily the same as 2024. Skenes, Keller, and Jones are 1, 2, 3 and then which 2 of the next 4 very qualified SP's get the 4 and 5 slots - Falter, Ortiz, Chandler, or Harrington. Either way, the Pirates will have 6 SP's available for trade - picking Chandler and Harrington to fill out the Rotation gives us Johan Oviedo, Luis Ortiz, Braxton Ashcraft, Kyle Nicolas, Mike Burrows, and Bailey Falter available for trade.
Baltimore is as loaded with hitters as the Pirates are loaded with Pitchers. With Burnes leaving, it puts great pressure on B'more to secure at least a possible #3 SP in trade. Who would be adequate remuneration to get us LH hitting 1B/OF Heston Kjerstad? I'd rather have Tyler Soderstrom, but Kjerstad can hit with probably slightly less power. Six years of control at 1B, as opposed to 5 with Soderstrom.
Based on what is in front of him and behind him in Pittsburgh, he has to be a RP to get on the field. Another example like that is Mlodzinski. Another would be Ortiz who has been a SP/RP for at least the last 2 years. You go where you are needed to stay on the 40 and hope for the 26.
Add: I forgot to mention Osvaldo Bido who was a SP/RP for the Pirates last year, but was left off the 40. A team in need picked him up - the Athletics, and did a nice job for them this year.
I disagree on your Ortiz/MLod/Nicholas comparison. Ortiz was succeeding as a starter in the minors and was promoted late in the year 2022 as a starter. While the other two were not succeeding. They were moved to the bullpen (particularly Mlod) on their way to the majors IMO because they had not proven against lesser competition that they were starters. Doesn't mean in shorter stints they can't be important parts of the team, but IMO these moves were made more because they felt this was their best chance to contribute not because they were in any way blocked or had shown they could be major league starters.
Paul Skenes pitched a full season before ever being drafted 1-1 by the Pirates. Expecting a team to start him at the MLB level the following year to compete for an additional draft pick is ridiculous. The Pirates did their due diligence by giving him 27 IP at AAA to get his arm in shape in 2024, and he still ended up pitching 133 innings at the MLB level.
Hitters do not require that type of arm prep - they are 1 of 9 players on the field or in the lineup. How many careers have we seen wasted due to teams trying to get these young arms to MLB too early? The rule needs to be adjusted to allow for common sense.
I agree. Skenes was a great prospect, but no one anticipated him having arguably the greatest rookie season for a starting pitcher EVER. It’s frustrating, but I’m fine with the way things worked out. Now build a team around the guy while you have him.
Twice the Penguins got a player like Skenes, and twice the Penguins built teams around their stars. They won championships, and as a result, acquired a loyal fanbase that still shows up for every game, buys concessions, buys their merchandise, and watches their games on TV, even though the team is mostly a bunch of also-rans at this point with little to no chance of actually winning anything.
The Pirates now have the same chance to do what the Penguins did. Unfortunately, they have an owner who has been unwilling (to the present at least) to consider anything beyond the annual bottom line. For 20 years, he has been content to suck from MLB profit sharing with no regard for his brand or his customers. They also have a GM who seems well out of his depth and better suited to teaching sports management than actually making the shrewd and hard decisions that actual management requires.
To squander this opportunity would be akin to the Penguins drafting Lemieux and then trading him away after 5 seasons for Al Iafrate, Peter Bondra, and Michael Pivonka. Had the Penguins done so, where would they be today? Probably in bankruptcy and last place, playing in front of 7,000 fans in Hartford, CT. Where will the Pirates be in 15 years?
Well, Howard Baldwin and Roger Marino did spend the Penguins into bankruptcy trying to keep that team together by spending whatever it took. That's how Mario Lemieux & Ron Burkle ended up becoming owners in 1999.
Even then they were selling off players until the lockout in 2004 ushered in the salary cap era in hockey and the lottery ball dropped that got them Sid....that's when they really became a sellout machine at home.
Maybe someday there will be a salary floor and cap in MLB, but I'm not holding my breath.
If Reynolds is really moving to 1B, Luis Robert for Oviedo makes a good deal of sense and you can move Cruz to your large LF.
Small change: If i remember correctly, coby isn't actually jonathan's nephew but that's just a fun bit he and jim callis do on the show. I could definitely be remembering that wrong though
First decent signing: Kikuchi to the Angels, 3 years, 63 mil.
The Angels are going to be one of the teams in baseball this year thats for sure
I actually don’t think it’s that bad of a signing. If I remember right, Kikuchi was lights out post deadline.
I agree, they just consistently throw money at the problem while not actually making shrewd moves. The rest of their offseason has filled holes with little to no upside so I dont see their overall trajectory changing but this signing could be good
That’s fair. They haven’t really earned any benefit of the doubt.
What? The Angels actually signed a pitcher to a multi year deal?? Lol.
The Pirates have a full Rotation set to go in 2025 which is primarily the same as 2024. Skenes, Keller, and Jones are 1, 2, 3 and then which 2 of the next 4 very qualified SP's get the 4 and 5 slots - Falter, Ortiz, Chandler, or Harrington. Either way, the Pirates will have 6 SP's available for trade - picking Chandler and Harrington to fill out the Rotation gives us Johan Oviedo, Luis Ortiz, Braxton Ashcraft, Kyle Nicolas, Mike Burrows, and Bailey Falter available for trade.
Baltimore is as loaded with hitters as the Pirates are loaded with Pitchers. With Burnes leaving, it puts great pressure on B'more to secure at least a possible #3 SP in trade. Who would be adequate remuneration to get us LH hitting 1B/OF Heston Kjerstad? I'd rather have Tyler Soderstrom, but Kjerstad can hit with probably slightly less power. Six years of control at 1B, as opposed to 5 with Soderstrom.
Jones, Oveido, Holderman and Ashcraft just about gets you Mayo and Kjerstad.
Kyle is a reliever
Based on what is in front of him and behind him in Pittsburgh, he has to be a RP to get on the field. Another example like that is Mlodzinski. Another would be Ortiz who has been a SP/RP for at least the last 2 years. You go where you are needed to stay on the 40 and hope for the 26.
Add: I forgot to mention Osvaldo Bido who was a SP/RP for the Pirates last year, but was left off the 40. A team in need picked him up - the Athletics, and did a nice job for them this year.
I disagree on your Ortiz/MLod/Nicholas comparison. Ortiz was succeeding as a starter in the minors and was promoted late in the year 2022 as a starter. While the other two were not succeeding. They were moved to the bullpen (particularly Mlod) on their way to the majors IMO because they had not proven against lesser competition that they were starters. Doesn't mean in shorter stints they can't be important parts of the team, but IMO these moves were made more because they felt this was their best chance to contribute not because they were in any way blocked or had shown they could be major league starters.
I’m old enough to remember the IRS padlocking the Pens offices in 1975 bankruptcy
Paul Skenes pitched a full season before ever being drafted 1-1 by the Pirates. Expecting a team to start him at the MLB level the following year to compete for an additional draft pick is ridiculous. The Pirates did their due diligence by giving him 27 IP at AAA to get his arm in shape in 2024, and he still ended up pitching 133 innings at the MLB level.
Hitters do not require that type of arm prep - they are 1 of 9 players on the field or in the lineup. How many careers have we seen wasted due to teams trying to get these young arms to MLB too early? The rule needs to be adjusted to allow for common sense.
I agree. Skenes was a great prospect, but no one anticipated him having arguably the greatest rookie season for a starting pitcher EVER. It’s frustrating, but I’m fine with the way things worked out. Now build a team around the guy while you have him.
I did before and after we drafted him, jokingly of course.
It's definitely the time to build a team around him. Especially on offense.
Twice the Penguins got a player like Skenes, and twice the Penguins built teams around their stars. They won championships, and as a result, acquired a loyal fanbase that still shows up for every game, buys concessions, buys their merchandise, and watches their games on TV, even though the team is mostly a bunch of also-rans at this point with little to no chance of actually winning anything.
The Pirates now have the same chance to do what the Penguins did. Unfortunately, they have an owner who has been unwilling (to the present at least) to consider anything beyond the annual bottom line. For 20 years, he has been content to suck from MLB profit sharing with no regard for his brand or his customers. They also have a GM who seems well out of his depth and better suited to teaching sports management than actually making the shrewd and hard decisions that actual management requires.
To squander this opportunity would be akin to the Penguins drafting Lemieux and then trading him away after 5 seasons for Al Iafrate, Peter Bondra, and Michael Pivonka. Had the Penguins done so, where would they be today? Probably in bankruptcy and last place, playing in front of 7,000 fans in Hartford, CT. Where will the Pirates be in 15 years?
Well, Howard Baldwin and Roger Marino did spend the Penguins into bankruptcy trying to keep that team together by spending whatever it took. That's how Mario Lemieux & Ron Burkle ended up becoming owners in 1999.
Even then they were selling off players until the lockout in 2004 ushered in the salary cap era in hockey and the lottery ball dropped that got them Sid....that's when they really became a sellout machine at home.
Maybe someday there will be a salary floor and cap in MLB, but I'm not holding my breath.