Game thread 5/15

[Doc]

I have a question. The Bucs have a First Baseman ( Lamb) who is leading the
AAA in hitting. What does a guy have to do to be brought up. Is he on the Roster?

Great question. Bring him up to play first base, put Cruz in the DH spot (while spending his afternoons learning how to play first), promote Peguero to play SS, and move Joe to RF. Immediately the Pirates are better in four ways.

[Bobster]

I have a question. The Bucs have a First Baseman ( Lamb) who is leading the
AAA in hitting. What does a guy have to do to be brought up. Is he on the Roster?

Lamb isn't on the 40-man roster but if he was recalled, Tellez would be moved and that opens a spot. There's no good reason why that hasn't happened but I can suggest a bad reason. BC spent 3.2 million of his miserly boss's money to acquire Tellez. And another 10.5 million for the declining Chapman who's had trouble throwing strikes for 4 years now and--voila!--is having trouble throwing strokes. If BC jettisons Tellez and upgrades the position with a guy currently at Indy who will make close to minimum salary, it's an admission that BC wasted his boss's millions and had a better, cheaper option.

When asked about playing Tellez over Joe, Shelton said, "We need to get Rowdy going. That's important for us. He's a guy we signed in the off season." It was interesting that Shelton didn't cite any skills Tellez had that were important to the team. He only cited that they had signed Tellez. As if it is important that Tellez do well because they signed him. I think this is all about saving face for BC.

[Doc]

I have a question. The Bucs have a First Baseman ( Lamb) who is leading the
AAA in hitting. What does a guy have to do to be brought up. Is he on the Roster?

Lamb isn't on the 40-man roster but if he was recalled, Tellez would be moved and that opens a spot. There's no good reason why that hasn't happened but I can suggest a bad reason. BC spent 3.2 million of his miserly boss's money to acquire Tellez. And another 10.5 million for the declining Chapman who's had trouble throwing strikes for 4 years now and--voila!--is having trouble throwing strokes. If BC jettisons Tellez and upgrades the position with a guy currently at Indy who will make close to minimum salary, it's an admission that BC wasted his boss's millions and had a better, cheaper option.

When asked about playing Tellez over Joe, Shelton said, "We need to get Rowdy going. That's important for us. He's a guy we signed in the off season." It was interesting that Shelton didn't cite any skills Tellez had that were important to the team. He only cited that they had signed Tellez. As if it is important that Tellez do well because they signed him. I think this is all about saving face for BC.

You describe the very heart of the problem. Every baseball decision is rooted in money, not in winning games.

[Surgnbuck]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXE_n2q08Yw

[Ecbucs]

Topnotch slugging 1Bmen are very expensive and that eliminates them from consideration. So there's a model that Cherington looks for in first basemen. And it has to be a model that is not in high demand and therefore does not drive up his contract demands.

BC likes big 1Bmen who have power but don't get high salaries because they hit for a low average and who have been given up on by other teams either because of age or poor performance. The last few years have given us Tsutsugo (couldn't make it with LA or TB), Santana (age 37 and batted .207 over the 3 years prior to signing), Choi (acquired in trade after hitting .231 the previous 3 years) and Tellez (released by Milw after batting .219 and .215 the previous 2 years). All similar builds, all with HR potential, all hit for low average.) It's trying to catch lightning in a bottle. It's a strategy of hope. Hope that somehow, some way these guys become the player they either never were or haven't been in a long time. Somehow, the lack of production that made them available and financially attractive will turn around and make them a bargain. As long as that's the model, that's all we'll ever get.

I agree that there's much blame that rests with Cherington with regard to where the Pirates currently find themselves. He's done a lousy job in acquiring veteran position players. But how much of the blame rests with Nutting's refusal to allow him to pursue better players? We'll never know but my feeling is the restrictions placed on him are great. Where BC can get total blame is the failure in drafting and developing. So far, we've heard big promises but we haven't seen anything in the way of actual talent. This is where the Pirates have to come up big. So far, bupkis.

Totally agree, doc

I think the restrictions placed on him are just budget related. BC then chooses to spend a pool of money on players like Tellez, Perez, Gonzalez, Grandel. Low ceiling, cheap players that are shots in the dark. To me history shows that the team would be better off spending more on quality. Ben took a shot at this by signing Chapman and I think he may still turn out to be the best off season acquisition.

[Doc]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXE_n2q08Yw

I like this one. https://youtu.be/PIAXG_QcQNU?si=Hi2qQO0OhRLeQ2Aa

[Surgnbuck]

Great movie and one of the best movie scenes ever.