0919182F3939355A0 wrote: Looks like Cederlind, Ponce, Hayes, Craig and Cruz is on ...
Designated - Jerez, Agrazal, Escobar and DuRapau.
Lithuanian must have pictures of Cherrington too.
I am a little surprised that Agrazel was designated. I thought he did a decent job as a fill in starting pitcher last year.
40-Man Roster Day Today
Moderators: SammyKhalifa, Doc, Bobster
40-Man Roster Day Today
646869323B323A37302F35020 wrote: Looks like Cederlind, Ponce, Hayes, Craig and Cruz is on ...
Designated - Jerez, Agrazal, Escobar and DuRapau.
Lithuanian must have pictures of Cherrington too.
I am a little surprised that Agrazel was designated. I thought he did a decent job as a fill in starting pitcher last year.
I would have kept him over the Lithuanian. I agree.
Designated - Jerez, Agrazal, Escobar and DuRapau.
Lithuanian must have pictures of Cherrington too.
I am a little surprised that Agrazel was designated. I thought he did a decent job as a fill in starting pitcher last year.
I would have kept him over the Lithuanian. I agree.
40-Man Roster Day Today
1D0D0C3B2D2D214E0 wrote: Looks like Cederlind, Ponce, Hayes, Craig and Cruz is on ...
Designated - Jerez, Agrazal, Escobar and DuRapau.
Lithuanian must have pictures of Cherrington too.
I am a little surprised that Agrazel was designated. I thought he did a decent job as a fill in starting pitcher last year.
I would have kept him over the Lithuanian. I agree.
I wouldn't be surprised if both Agrazal and Escobar end up back with the Bucs.
Designated - Jerez, Agrazal, Escobar and DuRapau.
Lithuanian must have pictures of Cherrington too.
I am a little surprised that Agrazel was designated. I thought he did a decent job as a fill in starting pitcher last year.
I would have kept him over the Lithuanian. I agree.
I wouldn't be surprised if both Agrazal and Escobar end up back with the Bucs.
40-Man Roster Day Today
Guess Agrazal's ERA was un Pirate-like, sub 5.00.
40-Man Roster Day Today
The Pirates showed their organizational pitching bias very clearly yesterday. Guys who don't have big fastballs but get by with control, like James Marvel and Dario Agrazal, are devalued. Guys with 98 mph heaters like Yacksel Rios and Dovydas Neverauskas will get another chance.
At least Rios has a remaining option. I read somewhere that the Lithuanian did not.
Geoff Hartlieb was apparently kept for his upside, while an even younger Luis Escobar was not. That confused me.
Haven't read this anywhere else, so I'm probably wrong, but I think that Marvel has the best chance of being selected in the Rule 5. Saw him pitch at Syracuse last season. I was impressed.
At least Rios has a remaining option. I read somewhere that the Lithuanian did not.
Geoff Hartlieb was apparently kept for his upside, while an even younger Luis Escobar was not. That confused me.
Haven't read this anywhere else, so I'm probably wrong, but I think that Marvel has the best chance of being selected in the Rule 5. Saw him pitch at Syracuse last season. I was impressed.
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LumberCo
40-Man Roster Day Today
agrazal surprised me, a team needing more starters not less, to me he is at least a long reliever and spot starter in a pinch. head scratcher
40-Man Roster Day Today
Agrazal. The proverbial inexpensive depth option. He likely has little upside, but he also demonstrated that he may understand his talent limitations well enough to be able to suck up a few spots starts or two at the major league level and to get through a major league line-up once or twice before being torched.
If there is an injury at the major league level, it would be nice to keep him in the system so he could be brought up for a spot start or two and to suck up a few innings.
Then again, exposing him to the Rule V Draft likely isn't that big of concern. Most teams have one or more doses of Agrazal in their system.
If there is an injury at the major league level, it would be nice to keep him in the system so he could be brought up for a spot start or two and to suck up a few innings.
Then again, exposing him to the Rule V Draft likely isn't that big of concern. Most teams have one or more doses of Agrazal in their system.
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DemDog
40-Man Roster Day Today
4A666E696245726474070 wrote: Agrazal. The proverbial inexpensive depth option. He likely has little upside, but he also demonstrated that he may understand his talent limitations well enough to be able to suck up a few spots starts or two at the major league level and to get through a major league line-up once or twice before being torched.
If there is an injury at the major league level, it would be nice to keep him in the system so he could be brought up for a spot start or two and to suck up a few innings.
Then again, exposing him to the Rule V Draft likely isn't that big of concern. Most teams have one or more doses of Agrazal in their system.
Has Cherington found a hidden gem in you Mainer. I think that he was thinking along those same lines about Agrazal.
If there is an injury at the major league level, it would be nice to keep him in the system so he could be brought up for a spot start or two and to suck up a few innings.
Then again, exposing him to the Rule V Draft likely isn't that big of concern. Most teams have one or more doses of Agrazal in their system.
Has Cherington found a hidden gem in you Mainer. I think that he was thinking along those same lines about Agrazal.
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Bobster21
40-Man Roster Day Today
4B6A624B60680F0 wrote: Agrazal. The proverbial inexpensive depth option. He likely has little upside, but he also demonstrated that he may understand his talent limitations well enough to be able to suck up a few spots starts or two at the major league level and to get through a major league line-up once or twice before being torched.
If there is an injury at the major league level, it would be nice to keep him in the system so he could be brought up for a spot start or two and to suck up a few innings.
Then again, exposing him to the Rule V Draft likely isn't that big of concern. Most teams have one or more doses of Agrazal in their system.
Has Cherington found a hidden gem in you Mainer. I think that he was thinking along those same lines about Agrazal.
This is the 2nd time in as many seasons that Agrazal was DFA'd. Last year he cleared waivers and stayed in the system. That will likely happen again but even if it doesn't, it doesn't say much for him that he was DFA'd 2 years in a row.
If there is an injury at the major league level, it would be nice to keep him in the system so he could be brought up for a spot start or two and to suck up a few innings.
Then again, exposing him to the Rule V Draft likely isn't that big of concern. Most teams have one or more doses of Agrazal in their system.
Has Cherington found a hidden gem in you Mainer. I think that he was thinking along those same lines about Agrazal.
This is the 2nd time in as many seasons that Agrazal was DFA'd. Last year he cleared waivers and stayed in the system. That will likely happen again but even if it doesn't, it doesn't say much for him that he was DFA'd 2 years in a row.
40-Man Roster Day Today
Okay. Truth be known 
Ben and I spoke just the other day after he was hired. I didn't have much time to talk so I told him that we would need to make things quick. He did thank me up front for any advice that I could provide, recognizing that I actually watched a lot of last year's fiasco through my DirecTV subscription.
I told him that he should concentrate on moving Marte and Bell for the best return that he could get. Bargain hard, but don't be afraid to make a deal if you think if will improve the team.
If Bell is traded, I noted that Osuna should get a chance, but that he should be on a short leash. Osuna seems to produce more, particularly power, in limited opportunities, compared to being an every day ballplayer. And while it would be wise to add Craig to the 40 man roster, don't feel compelled to use him simply because he was a #1 (bad) pick.
I noted that he shouldn't believe the metrics about Frazier being a good fielder at second. I noted that he is slow at the DP and that he doesn't have the best of hands. And, on offense, he doesn't provide the power that you need from a second baseman. While Frazier likely does not have a lot of trade value, the team should not be afraid of going in a different direction.
I told him that SS could actually be a position of strength. Newman did well in his first year and there appears to be some hope that he can sustain last year's level of performance. And, Tucker appears to hold promise. I suggested that he hold onto both in the short term to see what develops. I continued by talking about Cruz for a moment, and said that Cruz now strikes me as being the best prospect in the system. While it is okay to have Cruz play SS at AA this year, if he is an offensive force, the Bucs should not be shy about moving him to either LF or RF and bringing him up when it appears that he can handle the pitching and further develop as a hitter.
At third, I noted that Moran's numbers and power didn't hold up well after both Marte and Bell went down at the end of the year. Moran appears to be nothing more than a stop gap. And, if Hayes is not the real deal, Bucs also should be willing to consider Cruz as a 3rd baseman. Bucs need power at 3rd.
The outfield. I noted that next year's outfield will be a big question mark, particularly if Marte is traded. Reynolds appears to be a decent hitter, but he is a contributor and can't carry an offense. He also is likely better suited for a corner position than playing center. And, with Marte being traded, there really is no one else to count on. I noted that Polanco will disappoint you just as he has most Pirate fans in recent years, and that it is likely past the point of thinking that he will be a cornerstone of this franchise as many envisioned. In short, next year's outfield will be marked by transition. Marte and Polanco (hopefully) gone, and Reynolds (hopefully) continues to hit and play well. Bucs will need to take some chances and live with the production of short-term free agents or minor league players who didn't work out elsewhere.
Every real fan recognizes that next year is going to be tough and that there is little likelihood of having a productive 5 man rotation. Thus, I listed the goals for next year as:
1) Help Keller to develop and become an effective pitcher.
2) See if Williams can again be an asset to the rotation.
3) Determine if Musgrove is a starter or a reliever
4) If Archer has even mediocre trade value, it may be best to trade him now rather than watch his value continue to decline.
5) Brault is likely closer to being in the minors than being a productive pitcher, particularly a starter, but hey, he is a lefty and he is still cheap, so may need to hang onto him.
6) Clay Holmes, Brubaker, Stratton and prayer are likely your only other real alternatives on the roster. In short, it could be a really long year and you may need to go find one or two free agent hurlers who are relatively cheap and who are willing to absorb getting hit and losing some games.
And, in relief, the question marks are as great or if not greater than in the starting rotation. I would shop Kela to see what value he has. Next year's team does not necessarily need an enigmatic closer who doesn't appear to want to be in the Burgh. If Santana, Kuhl and Burdi all return and be effective, many of the problems will solve themselves, but that is an overly and unrealistic hope. I doubt Feliz suddenly becomes regularly effective or that Krick suddenly regularly finds the plate, then again, next year needs to focus on growth on the more critical elements; advancement among the position players, both offensively and defensively, and starting to establish some building blocks for the rotation. Unfortunately, a good quality pen likely will need to wait, and if one miraculously develops, you need to be willing to trade away those assets for other more important assets.
Ben asked me about managerial candidates and all I had left was to comment that please, no Lloyd McClendon or Jim Tracy. I also reinforced how right it was to move on from Hurdle. We need someone with a pulse who appears to really care.
It was great speaking with Ben. I believe he is that glimmer of hope that I needed to think that things could get better. Nutting is still an obstacle, but now is a time for change.
I concluded by wishing him nothing but success, and thanking him for accepting the position in Pittsburgh.
Ben and I spoke just the other day after he was hired. I didn't have much time to talk so I told him that we would need to make things quick. He did thank me up front for any advice that I could provide, recognizing that I actually watched a lot of last year's fiasco through my DirecTV subscription.
I told him that he should concentrate on moving Marte and Bell for the best return that he could get. Bargain hard, but don't be afraid to make a deal if you think if will improve the team.
If Bell is traded, I noted that Osuna should get a chance, but that he should be on a short leash. Osuna seems to produce more, particularly power, in limited opportunities, compared to being an every day ballplayer. And while it would be wise to add Craig to the 40 man roster, don't feel compelled to use him simply because he was a #1 (bad) pick.
I noted that he shouldn't believe the metrics about Frazier being a good fielder at second. I noted that he is slow at the DP and that he doesn't have the best of hands. And, on offense, he doesn't provide the power that you need from a second baseman. While Frazier likely does not have a lot of trade value, the team should not be afraid of going in a different direction.
I told him that SS could actually be a position of strength. Newman did well in his first year and there appears to be some hope that he can sustain last year's level of performance. And, Tucker appears to hold promise. I suggested that he hold onto both in the short term to see what develops. I continued by talking about Cruz for a moment, and said that Cruz now strikes me as being the best prospect in the system. While it is okay to have Cruz play SS at AA this year, if he is an offensive force, the Bucs should not be shy about moving him to either LF or RF and bringing him up when it appears that he can handle the pitching and further develop as a hitter.
At third, I noted that Moran's numbers and power didn't hold up well after both Marte and Bell went down at the end of the year. Moran appears to be nothing more than a stop gap. And, if Hayes is not the real deal, Bucs also should be willing to consider Cruz as a 3rd baseman. Bucs need power at 3rd.
The outfield. I noted that next year's outfield will be a big question mark, particularly if Marte is traded. Reynolds appears to be a decent hitter, but he is a contributor and can't carry an offense. He also is likely better suited for a corner position than playing center. And, with Marte being traded, there really is no one else to count on. I noted that Polanco will disappoint you just as he has most Pirate fans in recent years, and that it is likely past the point of thinking that he will be a cornerstone of this franchise as many envisioned. In short, next year's outfield will be marked by transition. Marte and Polanco (hopefully) gone, and Reynolds (hopefully) continues to hit and play well. Bucs will need to take some chances and live with the production of short-term free agents or minor league players who didn't work out elsewhere.
Every real fan recognizes that next year is going to be tough and that there is little likelihood of having a productive 5 man rotation. Thus, I listed the goals for next year as:
1) Help Keller to develop and become an effective pitcher.
2) See if Williams can again be an asset to the rotation.
3) Determine if Musgrove is a starter or a reliever
4) If Archer has even mediocre trade value, it may be best to trade him now rather than watch his value continue to decline.
5) Brault is likely closer to being in the minors than being a productive pitcher, particularly a starter, but hey, he is a lefty and he is still cheap, so may need to hang onto him.
6) Clay Holmes, Brubaker, Stratton and prayer are likely your only other real alternatives on the roster. In short, it could be a really long year and you may need to go find one or two free agent hurlers who are relatively cheap and who are willing to absorb getting hit and losing some games.
And, in relief, the question marks are as great or if not greater than in the starting rotation. I would shop Kela to see what value he has. Next year's team does not necessarily need an enigmatic closer who doesn't appear to want to be in the Burgh. If Santana, Kuhl and Burdi all return and be effective, many of the problems will solve themselves, but that is an overly and unrealistic hope. I doubt Feliz suddenly becomes regularly effective or that Krick suddenly regularly finds the plate, then again, next year needs to focus on growth on the more critical elements; advancement among the position players, both offensively and defensively, and starting to establish some building blocks for the rotation. Unfortunately, a good quality pen likely will need to wait, and if one miraculously develops, you need to be willing to trade away those assets for other more important assets.
Ben asked me about managerial candidates and all I had left was to comment that please, no Lloyd McClendon or Jim Tracy. I also reinforced how right it was to move on from Hurdle. We need someone with a pulse who appears to really care.
It was great speaking with Ben. I believe he is that glimmer of hope that I needed to think that things could get better. Nutting is still an obstacle, but now is a time for change.
I concluded by wishing him nothing but success, and thanking him for accepting the position in Pittsburgh.