2024 Off-Season Thread

[fjk090852-7]

It is almost two months since the regular season ended, and with December approaching, baseball is about ready to enter the real Hot Stove Season. I have been thinking about some players the Pirates could consider to upgrade their offense. Here is a list of 11 players the Pirates should at least kick the tires to see if there is a free agent signing possibility or trade opportunity.

M. Conforto
Austin Hayes
Tyler O’Neill
J. Profar
A. Verdogo
Max Kepler
Joc Peterson

Trade candidates

Yandy Diaz
Lamont Wade
Taylor Ward
Ryan Mountcastle


The Pirates don’t need a player who is on their decline, they need to sign or acquire players that would complement the players currently in their starting lineup. Let’s hope during the Winter Meetings beginning in about two weeks the Pirates add some offense players who can get them to the next level.

[Surgnbuck]

We already know they aren't dipping into the deep end, or even the part of the pool where the rope separates the shallow end from the deep end, of free agency.

I'm guessing with all the new coaches and such, they'll continue to see if what they have already will improve with new direction. Can you imagine Davis and Bae hitting in the majors like they did in the minors, and Suwinski getting back into 35 HR potential guy but also a .325 OBP type and slugging in the .500 realm? Oneil Cruz finally taking off and becoming a 40/50 type guy? IKF and Gonzo up the middle and both .780 OPS types? Bart continues to show his reason for being a first round pick? Endy coming back and being the guy we hoped he would? Cutch back on another cheap deal, and pushing towards a .400 OBP?

I hope you can imagine all of that, because quite honestly, I think that's the Pirates off season plan for the offense.

[Doc]

We already know they aren't dipping into the deep end, or even the part of the pool where the rope separates the shallow end from the deep end, of free agency.

I'm guessing with all the new coaches and such, they'll continue to see if what they have already will improve with new direction. Can you imagine Davis and Bae hitting in the majors like they did in the minors, and Suwinski getting back into 35 HR potential guy but also a .325 OBP type and slugging in the .500 realm? Oneil Cruz finally taking off and becoming a 40/50 type guy? IKF and Gonzo up the middle and both .780 OPS types? Bart continues to show his reason for being a first round pick? Endy coming back and being the guy we hoped he would? Cutch back on another cheap deal, and pushing towards a .400 OBP?

I hope you can imagine all of that, because quite honestly, I think that's the Pirates off season plan for the offense.

If the past is any indication, I agree that the plan of hope for the current guys improving is what we’ll see in 2025. If so, the team will have wasted a year of having Paul Skenes in the rotation. It makes me wonder if they understand what they’re giving up by having control of him for these next handful of years.

[fjk090852-7]

We already know they aren't dipping into the deep end, or even the part of the pool where the rope separates the shallow end from the deep end, of free agency.

I'm guessing with all the new coaches and such, they'll continue to see if what they have already will improve with new direction. Can you imagine Davis and Bae hitting in the majors like they did in the minors, and Suwinski getting back into 35 HR potential guy but also a .325 OBP type and slugging in the .500 realm? Oneil Cruz finally taking off and becoming a 40/50 type guy? IKF and Gonzo up the middle and both .780 OPS types? Bart continues to show his reason for being a first round pick? Endy coming back and being the guy we hoped he would? Cutch back on another cheap deal, and pushing towards a .400 OBP?

I hope you can imagine all of that, because quite honestly, I think that's the Pirates off season plan for the offense.

If the past is any indication, I agree that the plan of hope for the current guys improving is what we’ll see in 2025. If so, the team will have wasted a year of having Paul Skenes in the rotation. It makes me wonder if they understand what they’re giving up by having control of him for these next handful of years.

I am going to be optimistic and say they will bring a legitimate hitter or two on board. They know what they have with Skenes, and they are not going to waste the opportunity of him leading the rotation. Sure, maybe Hague will help a couple of the existing players, but they will also have a backup plan.

[Doc]

We already know they aren't dipping into the deep end, or even the part of the pool where the rope separates the shallow end from the deep end, of free agency.

I'm guessing with all the new coaches and such, they'll continue to see if what they have already will improve with new direction. Can you imagine Davis and Bae hitting in the majors like they did in the minors, and Suwinski getting back into 35 HR potential guy but also a .325 OBP type and slugging in the .500 realm? Oneil Cruz finally taking off and becoming a 40/50 type guy? IKF and Gonzo up the middle and both .780 OPS types? Bart continues to show his reason for being a first round pick? Endy coming back and being the guy we hoped he would? Cutch back on another cheap deal, and pushing towards a .400 OBP?

I hope you can imagine all of that, because quite honestly, I think that's the Pirates off season plan for the offense.

If the past is any indication, I agree that the plan of hope for the current guys improving is what we’ll see in 2025. If so, the team will have wasted a year of having Paul Skenes in the rotation. It makes me wonder if they understand what they’re giving up by having control of him for these next handful of years.

I am going to be optimistic and say they will bring a legitimate hitter or two on board. They know what they have with Skenes, and they are not going to waste the opportunity of him leading the rotation. Sure, maybe Hague will help a couple of the existing players, but they will also have a backup plan.

I would like to be as optimistic as you are but what they’ve done in the past is more of an indication as to what they’ll do in the future. What they say they’re going to do has become meaningless. They stopped trying to win after the 2015 season. Mediocrity is the only thing they’re good at because it’s the one thing they put the most effort into being.

[3pirates3]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/m ... 556552007/

https://x.com/Jeeho_1/status/1861324023654957204

[fjk090852-7]

If the past is any indication, I agree that the plan of hope for the current guys improving is what we’ll see in 2025. If so, the team will have wasted a year of having Paul Skenes in the rotation. It makes me wonder if they understand what they’re giving up by having control of him for these next handful of years.

I am going to be optimistic and say they will bring a legitimate hitter or two on board. They know what they have with Skenes, and they are not going to waste the opportunity of him leading the rotation. Sure, maybe Hague will help a couple of the existing players, but they will also have a backup plan.

I would like to be as optimistic as you are but what they’ve done in the past is more of an indication as to what they’ll do in the future. What they say they’re going to do has become meaningless. They stopped trying to win after the 2015 season. Mediocrity is the only thing they’re good at because it’s the one thing they put the most effort into being.

My reason for being optimistic, is because they passed on giving a contract to DelaCruz. By non-tendering him they opened the right field position. I do feel they will bring in an experienced player, and not one who is on the downside of his career. Once the Winter Meetings have concluded we will have a better idea if the Pirates have added someone to fill the right field position.

[Doc]

I am going to be optimistic and say they will bring a legitimate hitter or two on board. They know what they have with Skenes, and they are not going to waste the opportunity of him leading the rotation. Sure, maybe Hague will help a couple of the existing players, but they will also have a backup plan.

I would like to be as optimistic as you are but what they’ve done in the past is more of an indication as to what they’ll do in the future. What they say they’re going to do has become meaningless. They stopped trying to win after the 2015 season. Mediocrity is the only thing they’re good at because it’s the one thing they put the most effort into being.

My reason for being optimistic, is because they passed on giving a contract to DelaCruz. By non-tendering him they opened the right field position. I do feel they will bring in an experienced player, and not one who is on the downside of his career. Once the Winter Meetings have concluded we will have a better idea if the Pirates have added someone to fill the right field position.

My initial thought as to why they didn’t offer De La Cruz a contract is that, first, they didn’t want to pay him and, second, he failed miserably here. Money was the first consideration. It always will be. Maybe you’re right, that the Pirates will sign a legit guy to play right field. But until they actually do it, I won’t be excited by the possibility. I’ve been disappointed too many times.

[Ecbucs]

If the past is any indication, I agree that the plan of hope for the current guys improving is what we’ll see in 2025. If so, the team will have wasted a year of having Paul Skenes in the rotation. It makes me wonder if they understand what they’re giving up by having control of him for these next handful of years.

I am going to be optimistic and say they will bring a legitimate hitter or two on board. They know what they have with Skenes, and they are not going to waste the opportunity of him leading the rotation. Sure, maybe Hague will help a couple of the existing players, but they will also have a backup plan.

I would like to be as optimistic as you are but what they’ve done in the past is more of an indication as to what they’ll do in the future. What they say they’re going to do has become meaningless. They stopped trying to win after the 2015 season. Mediocrity is the only thing they’re good at because it’s the one thing they put the most effort into being.

I am not sure I trust the Bucco brain trust as to what a legitimate hitter is. I think somebody like Bryan Reynolds but the Pirates think Rowdy Tellez.

[3pirates3]

We've heard the big "wait and see" talk followed by the "time to move on" lecture before.