2024 Off-Season Thread

[Ecbucs]

looking at the Pirate 40 man roster it is hard to believe how many marginal players are listed:

Pham
Frazier
Emauel Valdez
Josh Palacios
Bae

Pitchers:

Brett de Geus (who I had totally forgotten about)
Chase Shugert
Joey Wentz
Peter Strzelecki
Tim Mayza
Caleb Ferguson

[fjk090852-7]

Paul Skenes should place a call today to Bob Nutting and tell he's not reporting until the organization becomes as serious and dedicated as he is.

I am sure he will show up on Wednesday, but if this nonsense continues for another season or so he is going to ask to be moved. This is a disgrace, you have a star pitcher and you don't bring in a couple decent hitters to build around he and the other pitchers. I think we lost about 25 one run games in 2024. If we won 8 of those that is 84 wins.

[Possum]

Nutting only spends on marginal players hoping to find a flash in the pan guy to create some interest in the team for 2025.

[Ecbucs]

Paul Skenes should place a call today to Bob Nutting and tell he's not reporting until the organization becomes as serious and dedicated as he is.

I am sure he will show up on Wednesday, but if this nonsense continues for another season or so he is going to ask to be moved. This is a disgrace, you have a star pitcher and you don't bring in a couple decent hitters to build around he and the other pitchers. I think we lost about 25 one run games in 2024. If we won 8 of those that is 84 wins.

Skenes may be one of the better hitters on the team but won't get a chance to show it. This is not to mean that Skenes would be a good major league hitter but more of an indictment of the hitters on the roster.

[fjk090852-7]

Since the Pirates have found their corner outfielder, and they didn’t break Bob’s piggy bank to get him, I am wondering if there is any money left in the budget to sign another starting pitcher. There are several pitchers who remain unsigned before the start of ST, and possibly they could sign a pitcher to slot into the #5 hole, and not pay a lot for him. Oviedo could fill the roll, but since he is coming back from TJ surgery I wonder if he will be ready in April. Possibly he and one of the relief pitchers could pitch a bullpen game, but just in case possibly a pitcher with a pedigree of starting would be valuable as they open the season.

[fjk090852-7]

Just thinking about the 13 position players that could come north at the end of ST. It would appear 11 positions are almost locked:

Bart. C
Horowitz 1b
Gonzales 2b
IKF. SS
Hayes 3b
Triolo bench
Frazier bench
Cutch DH
Reynolds LF
Cruz CF
Pham RF


Backup catcher between Endy or Davis

Last spot between Suwinski, Palacios, Cook, Yorke, Peguero or Valdez

[Doc]

The only reason to sign Pham is to trade him at the Deadline. What a way to run a ball club!

[3pirates3]

He'll probably have to scramble to find a team that wants him then too, Doc.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/437 ... salary-cap

https://www.mlb.com/news/yoan-moncada-a ... t-contract

https://x.com/francysromeroFR/status/18 ... 7579813955

[3pirates3]

https://x.com/jjcoop36/status/1887872771838919167

https://x.com/jjcoop36/status/1887873071916404812

[Doc]

https://x.com/jjcoop36/status/1887872771838919167

https://x.com/jjcoop36/status/1887873071916404812

We've all been saying it for years that a salary cap will have no effect on Bob Nutting. He wouldn't spend up to it anyway. The answer is both a cap and a floor. Require all owners to spend up to a certain amount, but not over a certain amount. That would spread the talent around far more than free agency does now. (Technically, a floor already exists in that a team could have 26 players all making the minimum, but it's something that will never happen.)

The big market owners are subsidizing the small markets under the current system. Having a floor would force them to contribute more than they do now, which is why they have no intent to ever have a floor. The Dodgers aren't going to bankroll the Pirates only to be beaten by them in the NLCS.