127 Comments

Good for you, Bryan.

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and apologies you had to face Clase as the last batter of the game.

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Of course a Cincinnati Red costs the Pirates home field advantage in the 2024 World Series /s

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That should have been Keller.

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I hope Mitch puts it in his back pocket and pitches with a chip on his shoulder all the way through to next ASG.

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Skenes looks to be such a good, high character dude. So glad he's a Pirate.

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For real. Very mature 22 year old dude. I like him and I hope they at least try to extend him. At. Least. Try.

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I’m just going to enjoy him while he’s here. If he signs longterm or not. Why concern myself with the state of the 2029 Pirates? He’s here now and for at least the next few years.

DK had a fairly good take on this topic on his pod today. Fans continually get a bee in their bonnet regarding extensions, and “Nutting won’t sign anyone!” They weren’t gonna sign Reynolds, or Keller, or Hayes. Then they did. So give it a bit of time.

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I wish they didn't sign Hayes so I'm not 100 sure how to respond!

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Skenes held his own. I'm sure he's out after that single inning though.

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These All-Star uniforms are hot garbage.

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The AL ones are ok; kind of a KC Monarchs vibe. The NL ones look like a Diamondbacks reject. All Star uniforms still aren’t as bad as 90% of the city connect jerseys.

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But I want those socks to wear with my shorts on the golf course. 😎😂😂😂

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Agreed. Just said to my wife I miss the days when they wore their teams uniform

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https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/07/rob-manfred-hints-at-changes-to-rules-on-trading-draft-picks.html

Trading draft picks coming to MLB in 2026? I wonder how GMs would value a 5th pick in the first round.

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I hope so! I don’t think any team in the top 10 would have traded their pick, do you? At least with this draft. Maybe Boston at 12? Maybe teams trade back and pick up extra picks though? It should happen and be an option.

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Yeah Boston at 12, Milwaukee at 17 and pretty much everyone 21+ would have likely been open to it for the right deal, I'm guessing. It could speed up some rebuilds for teams who know how to draft and dev. The only top 10 team who you could squint at is maybe the Royals this year.

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Teams with a bunch of picks (Arizona this year) may be more likely to deal. Or a team who ends up drafting in the top 10, but is having a surprisingly good season.

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Yeah, that's the Royals this year who I think are in the lead for the third WC.

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Maybe. Their team is in a weird place. A monster franchise player, some good veteran FA signings , and a pretty awful farm system. If you’re them do you trade that pick for an upgrade in the OF? Tough call.

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Right, big maybe. This draft? Maybe. Unless they really like Cags.

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"I thought the Pirates should explore adding a catcher during this draft"

Catcher is almost a position that you have to be constantly restocking.

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They've got a lot of catchers at the lower levels who have some chance of turning into prospects. (Catcher development may be the most iffy of all.) Not sure how serious to take Shawn Ross, but there's Planchart at GBO; Alfonzo and Plaz, and Forrester once he's off rehab, at BRD; and Ramirez and Scherrer in the FCL. This is one spot where they're in pretty good shape long-term, if they can manage to develop a couple of these guys.

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I like the depth, and Plaz sticks out as a potential MLB guy. There's no reason to take Ross seriously. That BA isn't going to look better as he goes up in levels. Short of becoming a god-king framer/receiver/defender, Ross never makes it to MLB.

Overall, you can't go wrong drafting catchers. There's no such thing as too many. And GMBC is to catcher was the Penguin's Jim Rutherford was to golies: he doesn't want to run short of guys who can play.

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OT but Nate Pearson would be a guy I'd target if I was Cherington. If they believe in their pitching dev staff he's someone you could dream on throwing back in the rotation or closing games. 3 plus pitches and—in Toronto—bad results. Won't cost much.

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Jul 16Liked by NolaJeffy(BnP)

Haven't heard that name in a WHILE.

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Can't believe there's 5 more rounds of this snoozefest.

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You're not excited to see the 2029 Altoona roster?

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Ooo, an outfielder. Who mashed at Florida Gulf Coast

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A DH mostly. Lots of Ks.

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Trying to find more, but looks like he was a starter in the outfield till he got hurt, and then DH'd rest of the season. Stole 10 bags in 14 attempts, so, he's not SLOW lol

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Jul 16Liked by NolaJeffy(BnP)

Blake Burke says "Exactly, I stole 11 bags in 13 attempts, I'm not slow! I'm big boned!"

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Oddly played 2 years at FGC, transferred to Miami for JR year and hit, then returned to FGC for SR year

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But also, 1B?

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Good size... thats all i got

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Nats take former Pirates prep pick, Yoel Tejada Jr. lol

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Jul 16Liked by NolaJeffy(BnP)

Found one report on McShane, says he throws 93-95 with a lot of effort, big pitch is a gyro slider. Reliever in college and certainly will have to go forward as one as a pro.

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We already got 4 HSs, feels like thats probably our bonus pool all used up

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Jul 16·edited Jul 16Liked by NolaJeffy(BnP)

Nobody seems to be taking overslot guys.

Really looks to me like they should cut the draft back to 15 rounds, maybe 12. Teams can sign 8-10 NDFAs instead of 2-3.

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Yeah…so far day 3 is a little disappointing. When they first changed the draft rules it seemed like round 11 was always exciting because team would float a prep or tough sign down. Do you think teams are just doing a better job on agreeing to a number and getting it done in rounds 1-10, or do you think we will see the hail Mary’s in rounds 19–20 once teams have filled out low level rosters with org guys?

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My gut reaction with 0 evidence and a similar amount of thought is probably that teams are getting good at guesstimating their pool amounts, but that could easily be wrong

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Normally, the overslot guys go in rounds 11-12. Teams maybe don't feel they can sign those guys any more.

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Maybe the sponsorship deals killed the overslot signings altogether?

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Coupled with clubs wising up.

Terrible history of success throwing $3m at any HS kid with a pulse purely to buy them out of a commitment.

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Yeah I think this is the difference…now that SEC schools will throw NIL in the hundreds of thousands at kids to go to school and be adored at a big program I don’t blame them.

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Party for a few years while playing baseball.

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Hey man I went to Auburn for grad school and knocked around with some of the baseball guys there at the time. I can attest first hand that it’s an enjoyable way to spend your early 20’s. I knew one unnamed player that was drafted after his junior year signed for 50k, and spent it entirely in the summer he signed.

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Right

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Jul 16Liked by NolaJeffy(BnP)

Although with minor league contraction there are fewer roster slots to fill these days.

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Yeah, there's been a handful, but this has largely been boring lol

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Camden Janek, college jr C

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Jul 16Liked by NolaJeffy(BnP)

College lefty senior. Jacob Bimbi.

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booooo

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