Many of us often criticize the Pirates for being bottom feeders and being willing to pick up other organization's cast-offs.
Last week I noted that the Pirates seem to have a lot of average ballplayers, meaning that the team has a lot of depth even if it doesn't have a lot of stars.
Well, as the Pirates have thinned out the spring training ranks, it appears that other teams may like some of the cast-offs. Brentz to the Mets, and Leathersich and Milbrath to the Indians. Also see where Gift is going north with the Jays. I imagine someone will give Seagrist a job. So --- the Pirates' 26th - 32nd rated players in springs training may be good enough to make someone else's top 25. While another team could say the same about Smoker making the Bucs' roster, it is at least encouraging to see that our excess is perceived as having value to others.
Pirate Spring Training Players Claimed By Others
Moderators: SammyKhalifa, Doc, Bobster
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CarolinaBucco
Pirate Spring Training Players Claimed By Others
My question is ... of all the other cast-offs from all the other teams, none of them could help the Pirates? I find that hard to believe. Seems like there would be a pitcher or two (or five) out there that could help this team.
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dogknot17@yahoo.co
Pirate Spring Training Players Claimed By Others
5A786B76757077785B6C7A7A76190 wrote: My question is ... of all the other cast-offs from all the other teams, none of them could help the Pirates? I find that hard to believe. Seems like there would be a pitcher or two (or five) out there that could help this team.
What pitcher(s) on the Pirates do you want to replace?
What pitcher(s) on the Pirates do you want to replace?
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CarolinaBucco
Pirate Spring Training Players Claimed By Others
I think other than Rivero, and Taillon, it's mostly a non-descript staff and pretty much everyone is replaceable ... by an above-average major league pitcher.
I'm sure some of our guys will overachieve and have good years, and others will underperform, and others will get hurt ... but all in all it seems to me to be a staff defined by mediocrity.
I wish we had signed two No. 3 caliber starters in the off-season. Let's say Cobb for example (who just signed with the O's.). If the Pirates had signed him, that would bump Musgrove from the rotation, or whichever of our 5 pitchers proves to be the weakest link ... and trust me at least one of them will perform poorly. That would have been an upgrade in my opinion.
I'm sure some of our guys will overachieve and have good years, and others will underperform, and others will get hurt ... but all in all it seems to me to be a staff defined by mediocrity.
I wish we had signed two No. 3 caliber starters in the off-season. Let's say Cobb for example (who just signed with the O's.). If the Pirates had signed him, that would bump Musgrove from the rotation, or whichever of our 5 pitchers proves to be the weakest link ... and trust me at least one of them will perform poorly. That would have been an upgrade in my opinion.
Pirate Spring Training Players Claimed By Others
Come on Carolina, there's really no way to improve the pitching staff of a MAYBE 75 win team. ::) And the lineup? Forget about it. No room for improvement there at all.
Now sarcasm aside, can the team be improved by DFA fodder? When we decided to bring Santana north and waiving leatherstich while having both options and 40 man roster spots opened, yes.
These are rather pointless moves however. If the game of baseball were determined by the quality of the bench and bullpen, we'd be WS contenders each year. It's like having a beat up car with a lousy engine, and putting great tires and wheels on it. Maybe a cold air intake. Sort of missing the forest for the trees
Our problem is that our starters , on the whole, are a week group. Both in the field and at the plate.
Our rotation, while I believe it's aboit league average with room to grow, also has alot of room to falter.
We need a better lineup first and foremost. And 2nd, we need to stop Fielding less than optimal lineups with the players we have...for instance Marte batting 6th. Over the long haul, that stupidity costs some runs
Now sarcasm aside, can the team be improved by DFA fodder? When we decided to bring Santana north and waiving leatherstich while having both options and 40 man roster spots opened, yes.
These are rather pointless moves however. If the game of baseball were determined by the quality of the bench and bullpen, we'd be WS contenders each year. It's like having a beat up car with a lousy engine, and putting great tires and wheels on it. Maybe a cold air intake. Sort of missing the forest for the trees
Our problem is that our starters , on the whole, are a week group. Both in the field and at the plate.
Our rotation, while I believe it's aboit league average with room to grow, also has alot of room to falter.
We need a better lineup first and foremost. And 2nd, we need to stop Fielding less than optimal lineups with the players we have...for instance Marte batting 6th. Over the long haul, that stupidity costs some runs