Pirates signed Brent Honeywell. AAA relief depth. BC making the big moves. According to the PG, the Pirates are expected to sign a new bat boy by the end of the week.
Realistically, it is too late to change directions at this point. We have done exactly what was done prior to 2023. It is not an attempt to win now - instead it is an attempt to be competitive while prepping for the quality of SP's needed to compete to mature into their roles for 2024 or early 2025. Overall, I think it is a strong team going into the season - stronger than the 2023 edition simply with the quality of the BP, the return of Oneil Cruz, and the year of MLB experience for many of our young position players of the future.
A tough decision made with CSN which gives him the chance to compete for PT as a corner OF at the MLB level. With Jack Suwinski and Bryan Reynolds leading the offense in 2023, CSN was not going to get that opportunity with the Pirates. A few others will walk that same path in 2024 as soon as trade partners are located. There's only so many positions, and many were given their tryout reps at the MLB level last year. Those that showed they could contribute were in place to finish 2023, and I fully expect they will be at those same positions to start 2024.
I'm really tired of these rumors. The Pirates are "interested" in every major league player out there, but none of them is going to take a minor league salary.
Chapman was likely in demand by other teams, but given the talk at the start of the offseason by Cherington and Shelton, I feel certain that we've been outbid on several players that we were interested in. I can't imagine that this is the offseason they envisioned.
It's funny that people are surprised. Each and every single off-season is exactly the same, without exception. The team never adds players that are available and readily affordable that could improve the roster construction and offer a chance to compete. They absolutely refuse to do it. Won't consider even a 2 year commitment to anyone. Won't spend an extra million dollars to get a player that they need. And yet, each year we think things will change. Why?
I think they had a set, and totally uninformed, amount they wanted to spend on a starter, and when nobody would go for their pennies, they did the Pirate thing and slunk away. Then they figured they'd spent their little bit that Nuttin allowed them on somebody who happened to fall within that amount, which was a reliever even though that was the team's strongest point. They're done for the offseason, unless they find somebody in bad straits willing to sign for $1-2M. This is not a serious major league team.
where might one find a list of guys around the league who are on the bubble and out of options and exposed if they dont make their team´s opening day 26 man roster?
Between Gonzalez, Olivares, and the free agents, the Pirates have spent 32 million this off-season. There is no reason at all that they could not have had Gonzalez plus a solid starter (in the 15 million price range) plus a high-quality CFer (i.e. Kiermaier), and a real MLB-caliber C (i.e. Sanchez). There is also no reason they could not have traded some of the extra weight on the 40-man for a 1B or 4th OFer. This was just awful roster management and just fly-by-night bad decision-making for 3 straight months.
This is 2 off-seasons in a row where Ben managed to completely waste 30 million dollars: 60 million dollars of riffraff to be exchanged for more quad A riffraff at the deadline. It is the same story every year.
I can’t dream up any sort of plan or strategy that would begin to explain how BC has run this team. The only thing I can say for certain is that whatever the goal is, it has nothing whatsoever to do with winning baseball games.
We'll never know how interested Ben was, but I can't help wondering if he waited to save an extra million on a potential deal and the Brewers swept in and got him. And I guess them having two good catchers didn't deter them.
Your last line should have to be written Bart Simpson-style by ever Pirate fan in the comments who couldn't fathom bringing in Sanchez because of Hank Davis.
One club, who actually wins baseball games, valued Sanchez enough to acquire him while *already having* the absolute peak version of Hank Davis we could ever dream of.
Sanchez will be a DH. Contreras is the undisputed starter for 130 games. We've got to find out once and for all if Hank can be an MLB catcher. Now if you wanted Sanchez, then you better be ready to sit Cutch, and there's only 13 roster spots.
A team that just traded their Ace (good move in my opinion) is still trying to win. I think way higher of the Brewers front office than that of the Pirates.
Traded their Ace away after losing their other Ace to injury. Haven’t replaced either one properly, yet still projected to win more games than Pirates in a year the Owner publicly claimed is one they plan on competing all year to win.
I’m sorry, but I’m long past buying what BN is selling.
As a college player, Jaden Woods will be a 22 year old this year. He pitched in the toughest college conference, starting 5 games and then pitched at Bradenton where he posted a 3.14 ERA. I would like to see him challenged starting 2024 at A+ as a RP, and after building up his innings per outing, possibly used as a SP for the second half of 2024. It's aggressive, but the Pirates already have LHSP's at the A/A+ levels such as Barco, Kennedy, and Perachi, therefore, he has to be up to the challenge.
So... what you are saying is that the Pirates' 40-man is much stronger and deeper than the Mariners in that they have room for a player that the Pirates did not. Who would have thought? 95 wins... here we come!
We should deal for or claim the pitcher they DFA'd. He had a rough year last year, but has otherwise held his own in the PCL. Going into last year, Longenhagen wrote that "McCaughan is a nice upper-level spot start option with a funky, sligin', three-quarters delivery."
CSN was claimed by the Mariners. I had this thought that the other day--would they be more likely to claim him simply because his brother stars for the Seahawks? Probably nothing to do with it, but in any case I hope he finds success there.
I was a really big fan of Woods while he was in college and was excited the Pirates drafted him. Looked good in Bradenton, actually don't mind the idea of him staying there to start 2024 so they can try him as a starter.
He was my favorite pitcher they took after Skenes last year. If he can hold his velocity deeper into games, he could be a steal. His floor is higher than most of the other pitchers they took last year and he still has nearly as high of a ceiling.
I don't remember seeing him throw a changeup while he was at Georgia, not saying he didn't. Just gives him a chance to start if he can maintain his stuff and velocity.
I tried to watch that video in slow motion and frame by frame, but I don't have the technology to do it well. Anyway, it looks like he has 2 fastballs and puts some cut on it sometimes, giving it glove-side movement. It also looks like that he is throwing a circle change (and is still in the learning stage). Hard to tell though because I lack technology (and savvy). He is a good choice though for an under-the-radar prospect.
Pirates signed Brent Honeywell. AAA relief depth. BC making the big moves. According to the PG, the Pirates are expected to sign a new bat boy by the end of the week.
Realistically, it is too late to change directions at this point. We have done exactly what was done prior to 2023. It is not an attempt to win now - instead it is an attempt to be competitive while prepping for the quality of SP's needed to compete to mature into their roles for 2024 or early 2025. Overall, I think it is a strong team going into the season - stronger than the 2023 edition simply with the quality of the BP, the return of Oneil Cruz, and the year of MLB experience for many of our young position players of the future.
A tough decision made with CSN which gives him the chance to compete for PT as a corner OF at the MLB level. With Jack Suwinski and Bryan Reynolds leading the offense in 2023, CSN was not going to get that opportunity with the Pirates. A few others will walk that same path in 2024 as soon as trade partners are located. There's only so many positions, and many were given their tryout reps at the MLB level last year. Those that showed they could contribute were in place to finish 2023, and I fully expect they will be at those same positions to start 2024.
Sanchez is a Brewer 😔
Clears the way for a Daulton Varsho trade
glad we´re over that
I'm really tired of these rumors. The Pirates are "interested" in every major league player out there, but none of them is going to take a minor league salary.
The best rumor is the one at the Gazette, he’s been pushing that a trade is coming now for months!!!
Mackey the Lackey.
Chapman was likely in demand by other teams, but given the talk at the start of the offseason by Cherington and Shelton, I feel certain that we've been outbid on several players that we were interested in. I can't imagine that this is the offseason they envisioned.
It's funny that people are surprised. Each and every single off-season is exactly the same, without exception. The team never adds players that are available and readily affordable that could improve the roster construction and offer a chance to compete. They absolutely refuse to do it. Won't consider even a 2 year commitment to anyone. Won't spend an extra million dollars to get a player that they need. And yet, each year we think things will change. Why?
I think they had a set, and totally uninformed, amount they wanted to spend on a starter, and when nobody would go for their pennies, they did the Pirate thing and slunk away. Then they figured they'd spent their little bit that Nuttin allowed them on somebody who happened to fall within that amount, which was a reliever even though that was the team's strongest point. They're done for the offseason, unless they find somebody in bad straits willing to sign for $1-2M. This is not a serious major league team.
there are a few golden nugget David Freese buys out there that we will fill those four 60 day spots with
not to mention the pick of the litter for guys without options that wont make their major league team
"pick of the litter"
I think you meant "pick up the litter."
where might one find a list of guys around the league who are on the bubble and out of options and exposed if they dont make their team´s opening day 26 man roster?
Between Gonzalez, Olivares, and the free agents, the Pirates have spent 32 million this off-season. There is no reason at all that they could not have had Gonzalez plus a solid starter (in the 15 million price range) plus a high-quality CFer (i.e. Kiermaier), and a real MLB-caliber C (i.e. Sanchez). There is also no reason they could not have traded some of the extra weight on the 40-man for a 1B or 4th OFer. This was just awful roster management and just fly-by-night bad decision-making for 3 straight months.
This is 2 off-seasons in a row where Ben managed to completely waste 30 million dollars: 60 million dollars of riffraff to be exchanged for more quad A riffraff at the deadline. It is the same story every year.
I can’t dream up any sort of plan or strategy that would begin to explain how BC has run this team. The only thing I can say for certain is that whatever the goal is, it has nothing whatsoever to do with winning baseball games.
should go heavy on Liam
We'll never know how interested Ben was, but I can't help wondering if he waited to save an extra million on a potential deal and the Brewers swept in and got him. And I guess them having two good catchers didn't deter them.
Your last line should have to be written Bart Simpson-style by ever Pirate fan in the comments who couldn't fathom bringing in Sanchez because of Hank Davis.
One club, who actually wins baseball games, valued Sanchez enough to acquire him while *already having* the absolute peak version of Hank Davis we could ever dream of.
Sanchez will be a DH. Contreras is the undisputed starter for 130 games. We've got to find out once and for all if Hank can be an MLB catcher. Now if you wanted Sanchez, then you better be ready to sit Cutch, and there's only 13 roster spots.
A team that just traded their Ace (good move in my opinion) is still trying to win. I think way higher of the Brewers front office than that of the Pirates.
Traded their Ace away after losing their other Ace to injury. Haven’t replaced either one properly, yet still projected to win more games than Pirates in a year the Owner publicly claimed is one they plan on competing all year to win.
I’m sorry, but I’m long past buying what BN is selling.
Yep, their rotation still doesn't have the questions the pirates have even after losing their top 2.
Brewers to sign Gary Sanchez
would be cool to see them sign Kyle Lewis to start in centerfield for Indy
As a college player, Jaden Woods will be a 22 year old this year. He pitched in the toughest college conference, starting 5 games and then pitched at Bradenton where he posted a 3.14 ERA. I would like to see him challenged starting 2024 at A+ as a RP, and after building up his innings per outing, possibly used as a SP for the second half of 2024. It's aggressive, but the Pirates already have LHSP's at the A/A+ levels such as Barco, Kennedy, and Perachi, therefore, he has to be up to the challenge.
Say goodbye to CSN. Mariners scoop him up for nothing.
BC thinks the new market inefficiency is having only 3 OFers on the 40-man.
So... what you are saying is that the Pirates' 40-man is much stronger and deeper than the Mariners in that they have room for a player that the Pirates did not. Who would have thought? 95 wins... here we come!
So does San Diego lol.
I thought he was bound for the Padres
Seattle is a long way from the bottom, so he went through a lot of teams before the Mariners were able to claim him.
We have a lot of infielders and even a few catchers so we have plenty of OFs
We should deal for or claim the pitcher they DFA'd. He had a rough year last year, but has otherwise held his own in the PCL. Going into last year, Longenhagen wrote that "McCaughan is a nice upper-level spot start option with a funky, sligin', three-quarters delivery."
Love it
Frustrating.
Alika Williams hits weakly enough to qualify.
CSN was claimed by the Mariners. I had this thought that the other day--would they be more likely to claim him simply because his brother stars for the Seahawks? Probably nothing to do with it, but in any case I hope he finds success there.
I can appreciate the love for possibly the most well written cartoon in TV history.
https://youtu.be/Rq338WwBUpw?si=yX6Ny9ESz0EXhztN
I like Woods pick because he throws strikes. Nothing worse than seeing a RP come in and start walking the world.
BnP, how high is sean sullivan on your top 25 and are you a fake fan if hes not top 3?
I had to do a complete separate list, as with Sabol now gone, Sullivan replaced him in the top 30 as #1 through #30. All Sullivan.
You trying to one up me?
Finally! A pitching prospect that has excellent control. Good call, let's keep following him. (Woods).
I was a really big fan of Woods while he was in college and was excited the Pirates drafted him. Looked good in Bradenton, actually don't mind the idea of him staying there to start 2024 so they can try him as a starter.
He was my favorite pitcher they took after Skenes last year. If he can hold his velocity deeper into games, he could be a steal. His floor is higher than most of the other pitchers they took last year and he still has nearly as high of a ceiling.
Any lefty with a plus changeup and any kind of velocity on his fastball has upside.
I don't remember seeing him throw a changeup while he was at Georgia, not saying he didn't. Just gives him a chance to start if he can maintain his stuff and velocity.
I tried to watch that video in slow motion and frame by frame, but I don't have the technology to do it well. Anyway, it looks like he has 2 fastballs and puts some cut on it sometimes, giving it glove-side movement. It also looks like that he is throwing a circle change (and is still in the learning stage). Hard to tell though because I lack technology (and savvy). He is a good choice though for an under-the-radar prospect.
More I read up on him, the more I liked him. Seems the change popped up to everyone lol pretty solid two-seam too