The White Sox just signed MAT. Can we hope that they're on the verge of trading Robert to us for an OF of Cruz, Robert, and Reynolds with Pham as the 4th OF and the rest fighting for the 5th spot?
Frazier, Pham, IKF ... yuck! Maybe they need to tell the first two they have to compete for a job (even if they're lying) with the off chance these veterans go into operation shutdown.
Tough to see the Pirates paying $5.5 mil to Pham and Frazier just days before the early reporting date. IMO it means that Palacios and Bae need not think about getting an opportunity. Suwinski has the 2023 mark of 26 HR, so he could have a good shot to be the LH hitting RF sharing the position with Pham. I don't think Frazier has a chance to edge anyone out.
Feel sorry for Billy Cook who could have been the RH hitting option in RF opposite 'Ski, except for the $4 mil signing of Tommy Pham. Nick Yorke could also be affected if the Pirates opt to see 2B as the only option for Adam Frazier. Complicates matters for Liover Peguero also.
Good job Ben - make trades to bring players in and then hire some folks to block them before they get an opportunity to get on the field.
The same people that complain about blocking the young guys, then complain about the lack of depth as soon as the annual run on injuries occurs. Complainers are gonna complain.
I would guess that Henry Davis gets the bulk of time at the position in spring training and one more chance at MLB glory, before taking his annual walk of shame back to AAA.
Personally, I would put Davis and Delay as the Catchers, and give Bart the starts at 1B during the spring, so that he can serve as backup 1Bman. This will give him more opportunities to play and to get his bat in the lineup.
But to answer your question, in an ideal world, one of your four catchers should be able to do this. Thinking Endy and/or Bart, but I also think Endy probably needs to get regular playing time for at least a couple months before being on the MLB roster.
I think the default answer from most would be Cook. However, I don’t agree bc one of his best assets is speed and OF defense. IMO, there is nothing wrong with giving Yorke an opportunity. He’s a reverse platoon guy, then backfill with anyone who can hit LHP. Again, ideally this is one of your four catchers, but on a short-term basis it’s probably Triolo.
Cook and Yorke must seize the playing time seemingly blocked by Frazier and Tham. Either of these younger guys could play their way onto the 25 man opening day, if they play fully into their potential in spring training.
Any chance either Cook or Yorke earn a spot in the outfield? They both have played in the outfield in the minors and have a chance of being better hitters than some of the guys on this list.
There isn’t really going to be much competition. With Phamine the lineup is set. The bench is going to be Frazier, Triolo, a catcher and one other. I guess Yorke, Suwinski and Palacios could be the frontrunners. Or they may decide it has to be somebody who can play short and third. Frazier can’t play either, which is another reason why he may have been the worst signing of Cherington’s disastrous tenure.
But they're also paying him to do part of Shelton's job, to insist the players work harder. From Santana to Tellez and Grandal to Pham, Ben keeps looking for someone to fill a void in the clubhouse.
Paying $4M to a washed-up, sub-replacement 37-yr-old to motivate the other players is a truly peculiar use of resources, to put it mildly. It shows that, instead of just making a terrible signing for RF, BC has screwed up horrendously in other areas as well. If that's the reason for the signing, it makes BC look WORSE, not better.
Oh, I don't think it makes him look better. I just see this pattern where it appears that veteran leadership is being overrated and should be unnecessary anyway.
Or maybe the Pirates' FO has a projection system that deviates significantly from the publicly-available systems. But going by the systems that are out there, you'd only plan to sign and play Pham over Yorke or Cook for the "intangibles". Same thing with Tellez last year, though at least Pham has ex-teammates vouching for his clubhouse impact.
I'm not completely down on Shelton and I want to see him succeed, but I don't get the logic of Ben signing veterans to provide leadership if we have a manager doing a "great job". Let the kids play and let the leadership come from the coaches (though with Skenes, I don't think they'll be a leadership void regardless).
I don't think the Pham signing has anything to do with "veteran leadership." I think that Cherington pissed away the whole offseason, waiting for some "bargain" as spring training approached, and when the last serviceable outfielder, i.e. Grichuk, signed, Cherington panicked and signed Pham a couple of hours later. He does this every offseason. Waits until every decent player has signed and then comes in to overbid on the leftovers that no one wanted. He pissed away last off-season too, doing the same thing, and ended up with some 15 million unspent that he then poured on Chapman and MAT in spring training.
I've seen Gorski play plenty of games in Indy. He has a cannon for an arm and pretty accurate. He can get multiple hits in a game. He can hit the ball a mile. He also has the ability to strike out 3 or 4 times in a game. He can also looked confused at the plate for 3 or 4 games in a row.
Guys like this often had a roster spot as the final roster spot. In today's game, those guys are replaced by relief pitchers and utility infielders (that can also play the outfield).
Good god…wrist surgery for Horowitz!?! We can’t have nice or reasonably nice things
Yeah, wondering how this story got buried…
The worst part of it is, it might spur BC to make another idiotic move.
Hopefully only a minor injury, wrists scare the shit out of me.
The White Sox just signed MAT. Can we hope that they're on the verge of trading Robert to us for an OF of Cruz, Robert, and Reynolds with Pham as the 4th OF and the rest fighting for the 5th spot?
Frazier, Pham, IKF ... yuck! Maybe they need to tell the first two they have to compete for a job (even if they're lying) with the off chance these veterans go into operation shutdown.
And, that’s costing them almost $15m this year…no wonder why Nutting is so opposed to FA!
Tough to see the Pirates paying $5.5 mil to Pham and Frazier just days before the early reporting date. IMO it means that Palacios and Bae need not think about getting an opportunity. Suwinski has the 2023 mark of 26 HR, so he could have a good shot to be the LH hitting RF sharing the position with Pham. I don't think Frazier has a chance to edge anyone out.
Feel sorry for Billy Cook who could have been the RH hitting option in RF opposite 'Ski, except for the $4 mil signing of Tommy Pham. Nick Yorke could also be affected if the Pirates opt to see 2B as the only option for Adam Frazier. Complicates matters for Liover Peguero also.
Good job Ben - make trades to bring players in and then hire some folks to block them before they get an opportunity to get on the field.
The same people that complain about blocking the young guys, then complain about the lack of depth as soon as the annual run on injuries occurs. Complainers are gonna complain.
depth is the key word there - - that is the explanation Ive settled upon from the recent moves
Who's the backup 1st basemen? Horwitz is out with wrist surgery currently.
I would guess that Henry Davis gets the bulk of time at the position in spring training and one more chance at MLB glory, before taking his annual walk of shame back to AAA.
Personally, I would put Davis and Delay as the Catchers, and give Bart the starts at 1B during the spring, so that he can serve as backup 1Bman. This will give him more opportunities to play and to get his bat in the lineup.
But to answer your question, in an ideal world, one of your four catchers should be able to do this. Thinking Endy and/or Bart, but I also think Endy probably needs to get regular playing time for at least a couple months before being on the MLB roster.
I think the default answer from most would be Cook. However, I don’t agree bc one of his best assets is speed and OF defense. IMO, there is nothing wrong with giving Yorke an opportunity. He’s a reverse platoon guy, then backfill with anyone who can hit LHP. Again, ideally this is one of your four catchers, but on a short-term basis it’s probably Triolo.
How was this story buried for so long??
I assume Cook but it sure would be fun to see Malcolm get the at bats
Cook and Yorke must seize the playing time seemingly blocked by Frazier and Tham. Either of these younger guys could play their way onto the 25 man opening day, if they play fully into their potential in spring training.
Any chance either Cook or Yorke earn a spot in the outfield? They both have played in the outfield in the minors and have a chance of being better hitters than some of the guys on this list.
There isn’t really going to be much competition. With Phamine the lineup is set. The bench is going to be Frazier, Triolo, a catcher and one other. I guess Yorke, Suwinski and Palacios could be the frontrunners. Or they may decide it has to be somebody who can play short and third. Frazier can’t play either, which is another reason why he may have been the worst signing of Cherington’s disastrous tenure.
Think that last spot goes to the other side of the platoon in right field, at least that's how it seems to me.
That's assuming they're going to platoon Phamine, which I doubt. They're not paying him Soto money, in Bob's world, to be the short side of a platoon.
However you feel about Pham, I agree, they ain’t paying him to be a role player.
But they're also paying him to do part of Shelton's job, to insist the players work harder. From Santana to Tellez and Grandal to Pham, Ben keeps looking for someone to fill a void in the clubhouse.
Austin Hedges and Adam Frazier should be on your list as well.
Paying $4M to a washed-up, sub-replacement 37-yr-old to motivate the other players is a truly peculiar use of resources, to put it mildly. It shows that, instead of just making a terrible signing for RF, BC has screwed up horrendously in other areas as well. If that's the reason for the signing, it makes BC look WORSE, not better.
Oh, I don't think it makes him look better. I just see this pattern where it appears that veteran leadership is being overrated and should be unnecessary anyway.
Or maybe the Pirates' FO has a projection system that deviates significantly from the publicly-available systems. But going by the systems that are out there, you'd only plan to sign and play Pham over Yorke or Cook for the "intangibles". Same thing with Tellez last year, though at least Pham has ex-teammates vouching for his clubhouse impact.
I'm not completely down on Shelton and I want to see him succeed, but I don't get the logic of Ben signing veterans to provide leadership if we have a manager doing a "great job". Let the kids play and let the leadership come from the coaches (though with Skenes, I don't think they'll be a leadership void regardless).
I don't think the Pham signing has anything to do with "veteran leadership." I think that Cherington pissed away the whole offseason, waiting for some "bargain" as spring training approached, and when the last serviceable outfielder, i.e. Grichuk, signed, Cherington panicked and signed Pham a couple of hours later. He does this every offseason. Waits until every decent player has signed and then comes in to overbid on the leftovers that no one wanted. He pissed away last off-season too, doing the same thing, and ended up with some 15 million unspent that he then poured on Chapman and MAT in spring training.
We can only wish Ben & Derry had one iota of Skenes’ professionalism.
Gorski was my dark horse before Pham…. Too bad I think he outplays him given the opportunity.
I've seen Gorski play plenty of games in Indy. He has a cannon for an arm and pretty accurate. He can get multiple hits in a game. He can hit the ball a mile. He also has the ability to strike out 3 or 4 times in a game. He can also looked confused at the plate for 3 or 4 games in a row.
Guys like this often had a roster spot as the final roster spot. In today's game, those guys are replaced by relief pitchers and utility infielders (that can also play the outfield).