Even the guys on 93.7 The Fan were saying Polanco is done and should be shown the gate or at least sit down a few games. One problem with that is who plays RF if you sit him down?
Steady Freddy says:
They can move Adam Frazier to RF and call Tucker up or Todd Frazier up to help the infield. Or another option which they will never do is just start O Neil Cruz clock early age call him up and play him in RF every day. Anything is better than Polanco at this point.
Bobster says:
Evans can play RF.
I think both have some good points. If the Bucs either sit or release Polanco and Evans or A Frasier plays RF, with T Frazier as an addition at the corner IF positions where does that leave us in CF? No way do I bring up Cruz. He needs some time in AAA to continue learning. As much as he is heralded as a future star I don't want them to ruin him by throwing him in the fire too quickly. His presence will not put them over the top.
About the IF depth, when Hayes comes back and A Frazier moved to the OF who plays 2B & SS on a regular basis? Do we move Newman to 2B and have a SS by committee using whoever is hot at the moment? Then I ask, which RP goes down to make room for an extra bench bat?
For the 2021 Bucs, the cupboard seems very bare at the moment with little help on the horizon. Such is life with Bob Nutting as the owner.
What to do with Polanco
Moderators: SammyKhalifa, Doc, Bobster
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Bobster21
What to do with Polanco
7E5F577E555D3A0 wrote: Even the guys on 93.7 The Fan were saying Polanco is done and should be shown the gate or at least sit down a few games. One problem with that is who plays RF if you sit him down?
Steady Freddy says:
They can move Adam Frazier to RF and call Tucker up or Todd Frazier up to help the infield. Or another option which they will never do is just start O Neil Cruz clock early age call him up and play him in RF every day. Anything is better than Polanco at this point.
Bobster says:
Evans can play RF.
I think both have some good points. If the Bucs either sit or release Polanco and Evans or A Frasier plays RF, with T Frazier as an addition at the corner IF positions where does that leave us in CF? No way do I bring up Cruz. He needs some time in AAA to continue learning. As much as he is heralded as a future star I don't want them to ruin him by throwing him in the fire too quickly. His presence will not put them over the top.
About the IF depth, when Hayes comes back and A Frazier moved to the OF who plays 2B & SS on a regular basis? Do we move Newman to 2B and have a SS by committee using whoever is hot at the moment? Then I ask, which RP goes down to make room for an extra bench bat?
For the 2021 Bucs, the cupboard seems very bare at the moment with little help on the horizon. Such is life with Bob Nutting as the owner.
They seem to love Gonzalez so I'm sure they'd have no problem putting him at SS and moving Newman to 2B if they put Adam Frazier in the OF. That could be a solution to CF by moving Frazier to LF and slide Reynolds over to CF. As long as Gonzalez hit better than Alford or Fowler it's an improvement. As for RF, Polanco can't hit or throw and his defense was also suspect. So Evans would be an improvement there. Todd Frazier could be added to handle 1B and 3B as needed with one of the current dumpster dive CFers released to make room. That's if Polanco was exiled to the bench instead of released. When Hayes returns, either Polanco or the 2nd dumpster dive CFer goes. Problem solved!
(But I don't expect any of this to happen.)
Steady Freddy says:
They can move Adam Frazier to RF and call Tucker up or Todd Frazier up to help the infield. Or another option which they will never do is just start O Neil Cruz clock early age call him up and play him in RF every day. Anything is better than Polanco at this point.
Bobster says:
Evans can play RF.
I think both have some good points. If the Bucs either sit or release Polanco and Evans or A Frasier plays RF, with T Frazier as an addition at the corner IF positions where does that leave us in CF? No way do I bring up Cruz. He needs some time in AAA to continue learning. As much as he is heralded as a future star I don't want them to ruin him by throwing him in the fire too quickly. His presence will not put them over the top.
About the IF depth, when Hayes comes back and A Frazier moved to the OF who plays 2B & SS on a regular basis? Do we move Newman to 2B and have a SS by committee using whoever is hot at the moment? Then I ask, which RP goes down to make room for an extra bench bat?
For the 2021 Bucs, the cupboard seems very bare at the moment with little help on the horizon. Such is life with Bob Nutting as the owner.
They seem to love Gonzalez so I'm sure they'd have no problem putting him at SS and moving Newman to 2B if they put Adam Frazier in the OF. That could be a solution to CF by moving Frazier to LF and slide Reynolds over to CF. As long as Gonzalez hit better than Alford or Fowler it's an improvement. As for RF, Polanco can't hit or throw and his defense was also suspect. So Evans would be an improvement there. Todd Frazier could be added to handle 1B and 3B as needed with one of the current dumpster dive CFers released to make room. That's if Polanco was exiled to the bench instead of released. When Hayes returns, either Polanco or the 2nd dumpster dive CFer goes. Problem solved!
(But I don't expect any of this to happen.)-
DemDog
What to do with Polanco
6B464B5A5D4C5B1B18290 wrote: Even the guys on 93.7 The Fan were saying Polanco is done and should be shown the gate or at least sit down a few games. One problem with that is who plays RF if you sit him down?
Steady Freddy says:
They can move Adam Frazier to RF and call Tucker up or Todd Frazier up to help the infield. Or another option which they will never do is just start O Neil Cruz clock early age call him up and play him in RF every day. Anything is better than Polanco at this point.
Bobster says:
Evans can play RF.
I think both have some good points. If the Bucs either sit or release Polanco and Evans or A Frasier plays RF, with T Frazier as an addition at the corner IF positions where does that leave us in CF? No way do I bring up Cruz. He needs some time in AAA to continue learning. As much as he is heralded as a future star I don't want them to ruin him by throwing him in the fire too quickly. His presence will not put them over the top.
About the IF depth, when Hayes comes back and A Frazier moved to the OF who plays 2B & SS on a regular basis? Do we move Newman to 2B and have a SS by committee using whoever is hot at the moment? Then I ask, which RP goes down to make room for an extra bench bat?
For the 2021 Bucs, the cupboard seems very bare at the moment with little help on the horizon. Such is life with Bob Nutting as the owner.
They seem to love Gonzalez so I'm sure they'd have no problem putting him at SS and moving Newman to 2B if they put Adam Frazier in the OF. That could be a solution to CF by moving Frazier to LF and slide Reynolds over to CF. As long as Gonzalez hit better than Alford or Fowler it's an improvement. As for RF, Polanco can't hit or throw and his defense was also suspect. So Evans would be an improvement there. Todd Frazier could be added to handle 1B and 3B as needed with one of the current dumpster dive CFers released to make room. That's if Polanco was exiled to the bench instead of released. When Hayes returns, either Polanco or the 2nd dumpster dive CFer goes. Problem solved! (But I don't expect any of this to happen.)
Chance of all this happening is like a snowball's chance in hell!
Steady Freddy says:
They can move Adam Frazier to RF and call Tucker up or Todd Frazier up to help the infield. Or another option which they will never do is just start O Neil Cruz clock early age call him up and play him in RF every day. Anything is better than Polanco at this point.
Bobster says:
Evans can play RF.
I think both have some good points. If the Bucs either sit or release Polanco and Evans or A Frasier plays RF, with T Frazier as an addition at the corner IF positions where does that leave us in CF? No way do I bring up Cruz. He needs some time in AAA to continue learning. As much as he is heralded as a future star I don't want them to ruin him by throwing him in the fire too quickly. His presence will not put them over the top.
About the IF depth, when Hayes comes back and A Frazier moved to the OF who plays 2B & SS on a regular basis? Do we move Newman to 2B and have a SS by committee using whoever is hot at the moment? Then I ask, which RP goes down to make room for an extra bench bat?
For the 2021 Bucs, the cupboard seems very bare at the moment with little help on the horizon. Such is life with Bob Nutting as the owner.
They seem to love Gonzalez so I'm sure they'd have no problem putting him at SS and moving Newman to 2B if they put Adam Frazier in the OF. That could be a solution to CF by moving Frazier to LF and slide Reynolds over to CF. As long as Gonzalez hit better than Alford or Fowler it's an improvement. As for RF, Polanco can't hit or throw and his defense was also suspect. So Evans would be an improvement there. Todd Frazier could be added to handle 1B and 3B as needed with one of the current dumpster dive CFers released to make room. That's if Polanco was exiled to the bench instead of released. When Hayes returns, either Polanco or the 2nd dumpster dive CFer goes. Problem solved!
(But I don't expect any of this to happen.) Chance of all this happening is like a snowball's chance in hell!
What to do with Polanco
Polanco clearly appears to be a sunk cost.
Unfortunately, he doesn't do anything well enough to warrant keeping him around. He is a poor defender at any position (remember the short-lived LF experiment a few year's back), he has no arm, he has shown little power, he doesn't hit for average, he does not have good plate discipline, he is striking out all too frequently and swinging at and through a lot of bad pitches, he is a poor base-runner, he seems overly susceptible to injury, and no one has ever accused him of having a good feel for the game. In short, he is a poor baseball player on a bad team.
Continuing, there does not appear to be any upside of keeping him at the MLB level and hoping and praying that he will suddenly find himself and demonstrate that he has enough value to get a small bit back in a trade while shedding even a small part of his salary, and all the while suffering through his failures. Polanco's current at-bats at the ML level should go to someone who has a chance of contributing to the team.
I would consider the following approach.
1) At this point, I don't think any team would want him even if the Bucs cut him loose and all they had to pay was the MLB minimum of his salary.
2) If allowed by MLB and the Player's Union, I would send him to the alternate training site to see if the staff can try to work with him on his hitting, about the only tool he MAY be able to improve upon out of the litany of things that he does wrong or cannot do. If he doesn't show improvement within 45 days, simply release him and let him spend his salary where and how he chooses. If it looks like he can hit, MAYBE bring him back and give it a final whirl. If this type of move is not allowed, release him and give him the option of coming back as a non-roster player to play in the minors.
3) I would give his current AB's to Evans and stick Evans in RF.
While Evans may wash out with more playing time and familiarity with him around the league, he has shown some promise of finding himself in the few games he has played for Pittsburgh. While Hayes is out I would give AB's to Gonzalez at 3rd, who at least can field well and who may benefit from some regular playing time. I would consider bringing up Frazier to replace Polanco (DFA Diffo to create roster space), but I would not expect much from him. I note that no one rushed to sign him when Pittsburgh cut him loose earlier in spring training.
4) Lastly, while both may prove to be duds, I would not move on from either Alford or Fowler at this point. Alford was still working back from an injury in spring training and has yet to have more than a handful of AB's at the major league level. Fowler too may need some time, although his play in the first few games is not encouraging.
No one expected this team to do much this season, and it appears that they have a good chance of meeting that expectation. Further, there is no one in the minors who is ready to knock down the door and immediately become a good player in Pittsburgh.
Thus, move on from Polanco because you must. Give AB's to Evans, Alford and Fowler and hope for the best. Add Frazier and give him 45 days or so to see if he has anything left, but don't be afraid of moving on from him if he shows little. And, while your at it, have Feliz and Crick on very short leashes. If they are not helping in the pen, release them and go with someone like Hartleib.
Geez --- 4 games into the season and watching Polanco play is already proving torturous.
Unfortunately, he doesn't do anything well enough to warrant keeping him around. He is a poor defender at any position (remember the short-lived LF experiment a few year's back), he has no arm, he has shown little power, he doesn't hit for average, he does not have good plate discipline, he is striking out all too frequently and swinging at and through a lot of bad pitches, he is a poor base-runner, he seems overly susceptible to injury, and no one has ever accused him of having a good feel for the game. In short, he is a poor baseball player on a bad team.
Continuing, there does not appear to be any upside of keeping him at the MLB level and hoping and praying that he will suddenly find himself and demonstrate that he has enough value to get a small bit back in a trade while shedding even a small part of his salary, and all the while suffering through his failures. Polanco's current at-bats at the ML level should go to someone who has a chance of contributing to the team.
I would consider the following approach.
1) At this point, I don't think any team would want him even if the Bucs cut him loose and all they had to pay was the MLB minimum of his salary.
2) If allowed by MLB and the Player's Union, I would send him to the alternate training site to see if the staff can try to work with him on his hitting, about the only tool he MAY be able to improve upon out of the litany of things that he does wrong or cannot do. If he doesn't show improvement within 45 days, simply release him and let him spend his salary where and how he chooses. If it looks like he can hit, MAYBE bring him back and give it a final whirl. If this type of move is not allowed, release him and give him the option of coming back as a non-roster player to play in the minors.
3) I would give his current AB's to Evans and stick Evans in RF.
While Evans may wash out with more playing time and familiarity with him around the league, he has shown some promise of finding himself in the few games he has played for Pittsburgh. While Hayes is out I would give AB's to Gonzalez at 3rd, who at least can field well and who may benefit from some regular playing time. I would consider bringing up Frazier to replace Polanco (DFA Diffo to create roster space), but I would not expect much from him. I note that no one rushed to sign him when Pittsburgh cut him loose earlier in spring training.
4) Lastly, while both may prove to be duds, I would not move on from either Alford or Fowler at this point. Alford was still working back from an injury in spring training and has yet to have more than a handful of AB's at the major league level. Fowler too may need some time, although his play in the first few games is not encouraging.
No one expected this team to do much this season, and it appears that they have a good chance of meeting that expectation. Further, there is no one in the minors who is ready to knock down the door and immediately become a good player in Pittsburgh.
Thus, move on from Polanco because you must. Give AB's to Evans, Alford and Fowler and hope for the best. Add Frazier and give him 45 days or so to see if he has anything left, but don't be afraid of moving on from him if he shows little. And, while your at it, have Feliz and Crick on very short leashes. If they are not helping in the pen, release them and go with someone like Hartleib.
Geez --- 4 games into the season and watching Polanco play is already proving torturous.
What to do with Polanco
If the Pirates did cut Polanco loose know what the best part is? Shedman coming on to complain about salary dump for a minor leaguer.
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DemDog
What to do with Polanco
705651444D41564048230 wrote: If the Pirates did cut Polanco loose know what the best part is? Shedman coming on to complain about salary dump for a minor leaguer.
No, he could complain about it being a salary dump since it would not be that unless they got a minor leaguer who is not in their system and the acquiring team took on the rest of Polanco's salary obligations. Also, don't worry about those kind of complaints from shedman because they are old hat for him and most of us laugh at his ridiculousness under our breaths. ;D ;D ;D ;D
No, he could complain about it being a salary dump since it would not be that unless they got a minor leaguer who is not in their system and the acquiring team took on the rest of Polanco's salary obligations. Also, don't worry about those kind of complaints from shedman because they are old hat for him and most of us laugh at his ridiculousness under our breaths. ;D ;D ;D ;D
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WildwoodDave2
What to do with Polanco
547870777C5B6C7A6A190 wrote: Polanco clearly appears to be a sunk cost.
Unfortunately, he doesn't do anything well enough to warrant keeping him around. He is a poor defender at any position (remember the short-lived LF experiment a few year's back), he has no arm, he has shown little power, he doesn't hit for average, he does not have good plate discipline, he is striking out all too frequently and swinging at and through a lot of bad pitches, he is a poor base-runner, he seems overly susceptible to injury, and no one has ever accused him of having a good feel for the game. In short, he is a poor baseball player on a bad team.
Continuing, there does not appear to be any upside of keeping him at the MLB level and hoping and praying that he will suddenly find himself and demonstrate that he has enough value to get a small bit back in a trade while shedding even a small part of his salary, and all the while suffering through his failures. Polanco's current at-bats at the ML level should go to someone who has a chance of contributing to the team.
I would consider the following approach.
1) At this point, I don't think any team would want him even if the Bucs cut him loose and all they had to pay was the MLB minimum of his salary.
2) If allowed by MLB and the Player's Union, I would send him to the alternate training site to see if the staff can try to work with him on his hitting, about the only tool he MAY be able to improve upon out of the litany of things that he does wrong or cannot do. If he doesn't show improvement within 45 days, simply release him and let him spend his salary where and how he chooses. If it looks like he can hit, MAYBE bring him back and give it a final whirl. If this type of move is not allowed, release him and give him the option of coming back as a non-roster player to play in the minors.
3) I would give his current AB's to Evans and stick Evans in RF.
While Evans may wash out with more playing time and familiarity with him around the league, he has shown some promise of finding himself in the few games he has played for Pittsburgh. While Hayes is out I would give AB's to Gonzalez at 3rd, who at least can field well and who may benefit from some regular playing time. I would consider bringing up Frazier to replace Polanco (DFA Diffo to create roster space), but I would not expect much from him. I note that no one rushed to sign him when Pittsburgh cut him loose earlier in spring training.
4) Lastly, while both may prove to be duds, I would not move on from either Alford or Fowler at this point. Alford was still working back from an injury in spring training and has yet to have more than a handful of AB's at the major league level. Fowler too may need some time, although his play in the first few games is not encouraging.
No one expected this team to do much this season, and it appears that they have a good chance of meeting that expectation. Further, there is no one in the minors who is ready to knock down the door and immediately become a good player in Pittsburgh.
Thus, move on from Polanco because you must. Give AB's to Evans, Alford and Fowler and hope for the best. Add Frazier and give him 45 days or so to see if he has anything left, but don't be afraid of moving on from him if he shows little. And, while your at it, have Feliz and Crick on very short leashes. If they are not helping in the pen, release them and go with someone like Hartleib.
Geez --- 4 games into the season and watching Polanco play is already proving torturous.
I think Feliz should be the first to walk the Plank
Unfortunately, he doesn't do anything well enough to warrant keeping him around. He is a poor defender at any position (remember the short-lived LF experiment a few year's back), he has no arm, he has shown little power, he doesn't hit for average, he does not have good plate discipline, he is striking out all too frequently and swinging at and through a lot of bad pitches, he is a poor base-runner, he seems overly susceptible to injury, and no one has ever accused him of having a good feel for the game. In short, he is a poor baseball player on a bad team.
Continuing, there does not appear to be any upside of keeping him at the MLB level and hoping and praying that he will suddenly find himself and demonstrate that he has enough value to get a small bit back in a trade while shedding even a small part of his salary, and all the while suffering through his failures. Polanco's current at-bats at the ML level should go to someone who has a chance of contributing to the team.
I would consider the following approach.
1) At this point, I don't think any team would want him even if the Bucs cut him loose and all they had to pay was the MLB minimum of his salary.
2) If allowed by MLB and the Player's Union, I would send him to the alternate training site to see if the staff can try to work with him on his hitting, about the only tool he MAY be able to improve upon out of the litany of things that he does wrong or cannot do. If he doesn't show improvement within 45 days, simply release him and let him spend his salary where and how he chooses. If it looks like he can hit, MAYBE bring him back and give it a final whirl. If this type of move is not allowed, release him and give him the option of coming back as a non-roster player to play in the minors.
3) I would give his current AB's to Evans and stick Evans in RF.
While Evans may wash out with more playing time and familiarity with him around the league, he has shown some promise of finding himself in the few games he has played for Pittsburgh. While Hayes is out I would give AB's to Gonzalez at 3rd, who at least can field well and who may benefit from some regular playing time. I would consider bringing up Frazier to replace Polanco (DFA Diffo to create roster space), but I would not expect much from him. I note that no one rushed to sign him when Pittsburgh cut him loose earlier in spring training.
4) Lastly, while both may prove to be duds, I would not move on from either Alford or Fowler at this point. Alford was still working back from an injury in spring training and has yet to have more than a handful of AB's at the major league level. Fowler too may need some time, although his play in the first few games is not encouraging.
No one expected this team to do much this season, and it appears that they have a good chance of meeting that expectation. Further, there is no one in the minors who is ready to knock down the door and immediately become a good player in Pittsburgh.
Thus, move on from Polanco because you must. Give AB's to Evans, Alford and Fowler and hope for the best. Add Frazier and give him 45 days or so to see if he has anything left, but don't be afraid of moving on from him if he shows little. And, while your at it, have Feliz and Crick on very short leashes. If they are not helping in the pen, release them and go with someone like Hartleib.
Geez --- 4 games into the season and watching Polanco play is already proving torturous.
I think Feliz should be the first to walk the Plank
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2drfischer@gmail.c
What to do with Polanco
072B23242F083F29394A0 wrote: Polanco clearly appears to be a sunk cost.
[highlight]Unfortunately, he doesn't do anything well enough to warrant keeping him around. He is a poor defender at any position (remember the short-lived LF experiment a few year's back), he has no arm, he has shown little power, he doesn't hit for average, he does not have good plate discipline, he is striking out all too frequently and swinging at and through a lot of bad pitches, he is a poor base-runner, he seems overly susceptible to injury, and no one has ever accused him of having a good feel for the game. In short, he is a poor baseball player on a bad team.[/highlight]
Continuing, there does not appear to be any upside of keeping him at the MLB level and hoping and praying that he will suddenly find himself and demonstrate that he has enough value to get a small bit back in a trade while shedding even a small part of his salary, and all the while suffering through his failures. Polanco's current at-bats at the ML level should go to someone who has a chance of contributing to the team.
I would consider the following approach.
1) At this point, I don't think any team would want him even if the Bucs cut him loose and all they had to pay was the MLB minimum of his salary.
2) If allowed by MLB and the Player's Union, I would send him to the alternate training site to see if the staff can try to work with him on his hitting, about the only tool he MAY be able to improve upon out of the litany of things that he does wrong or cannot do. If he doesn't show improvement within 45 days, simply release him and let him spend his salary where and how he chooses. If it looks like he can hit, MAYBE bring him back and give it a final whirl. If this type of move is not allowed, release him and give him the option of coming back as a non-roster player to play in the minors.
3) I would give his current AB's to Evans and stick Evans in RF.
While Evans may wash out with more playing time and familiarity with him around the league, he has shown some promise of finding himself in the few games he has played for Pittsburgh. While Hayes is out I would give AB's to Gonzalez at 3rd, who at least can field well and who may benefit from some regular playing time. I would consider bringing up Frazier to replace Polanco (DFA Diffo to create roster space), but I would not expect much from him. I note that no one rushed to sign him when Pittsburgh cut him loose earlier in spring training.
4) Lastly, while both may prove to be duds, I would not move on from either Alford or Fowler at this point. Alford was still working back from an injury in spring training and has yet to have more than a handful of AB's at the major league level. Fowler too may need some time, although his play in the first few games is not encouraging.
No one expected this team to do much this season, and it appears that they have a good chance of meeting that expectation. Further, there is no one in the minors who is ready to knock down the door and immediately become a good player in Pittsburgh.
Thus, move on from Polanco because you must. Give AB's to Evans, Alford and Fowler and hope for the best. Add Frazier and give him 45 days or so to see if he has anything left, but don't be afraid of moving on from him if he shows little. And, while your at it, have Feliz and Crick on very short leashes. If they are not helping in the pen, release them and go with someone like Hartleib.
Geez --- 4 games into the season and watching Polanco play is already proving torturous.
That certainly sums it up rather succinctly. He is all of what you state. He's that sunk cost you mentioned, and thus it's more than justified to simply release him outright. You've changed my mind about giving him time to produce until the Deadline to see if another GM will take a flier on him. A few might, but it's hard to imagine any of the 29 giving up any player worthwhile. The Pirates will lose a 105 games without him or 109 with him. Time to send him home.
[highlight]Unfortunately, he doesn't do anything well enough to warrant keeping him around. He is a poor defender at any position (remember the short-lived LF experiment a few year's back), he has no arm, he has shown little power, he doesn't hit for average, he does not have good plate discipline, he is striking out all too frequently and swinging at and through a lot of bad pitches, he is a poor base-runner, he seems overly susceptible to injury, and no one has ever accused him of having a good feel for the game. In short, he is a poor baseball player on a bad team.[/highlight]
Continuing, there does not appear to be any upside of keeping him at the MLB level and hoping and praying that he will suddenly find himself and demonstrate that he has enough value to get a small bit back in a trade while shedding even a small part of his salary, and all the while suffering through his failures. Polanco's current at-bats at the ML level should go to someone who has a chance of contributing to the team.
I would consider the following approach.
1) At this point, I don't think any team would want him even if the Bucs cut him loose and all they had to pay was the MLB minimum of his salary.
2) If allowed by MLB and the Player's Union, I would send him to the alternate training site to see if the staff can try to work with him on his hitting, about the only tool he MAY be able to improve upon out of the litany of things that he does wrong or cannot do. If he doesn't show improvement within 45 days, simply release him and let him spend his salary where and how he chooses. If it looks like he can hit, MAYBE bring him back and give it a final whirl. If this type of move is not allowed, release him and give him the option of coming back as a non-roster player to play in the minors.
3) I would give his current AB's to Evans and stick Evans in RF.
While Evans may wash out with more playing time and familiarity with him around the league, he has shown some promise of finding himself in the few games he has played for Pittsburgh. While Hayes is out I would give AB's to Gonzalez at 3rd, who at least can field well and who may benefit from some regular playing time. I would consider bringing up Frazier to replace Polanco (DFA Diffo to create roster space), but I would not expect much from him. I note that no one rushed to sign him when Pittsburgh cut him loose earlier in spring training.
4) Lastly, while both may prove to be duds, I would not move on from either Alford or Fowler at this point. Alford was still working back from an injury in spring training and has yet to have more than a handful of AB's at the major league level. Fowler too may need some time, although his play in the first few games is not encouraging.
No one expected this team to do much this season, and it appears that they have a good chance of meeting that expectation. Further, there is no one in the minors who is ready to knock down the door and immediately become a good player in Pittsburgh.
Thus, move on from Polanco because you must. Give AB's to Evans, Alford and Fowler and hope for the best. Add Frazier and give him 45 days or so to see if he has anything left, but don't be afraid of moving on from him if he shows little. And, while your at it, have Feliz and Crick on very short leashes. If they are not helping in the pen, release them and go with someone like Hartleib.
Geez --- 4 games into the season and watching Polanco play is already proving torturous.
That certainly sums it up rather succinctly. He is all of what you state. He's that sunk cost you mentioned, and thus it's more than justified to simply release him outright. You've changed my mind about giving him time to produce until the Deadline to see if another GM will take a flier on him. A few might, but it's hard to imagine any of the 29 giving up any player worthwhile. The Pirates will lose a 105 games without him or 109 with him. Time to send him home.
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rucker59@gmail.com
What to do with Polanco
48646C6B6047706676050 wrote:
Geez --- 4 games into the season and watching Polanco play is already proving torturous.
I feel bad for Polanco. At the plate he looks like he knows he is overmatched and embarrassing himself.
I will forever believe that Marte was a bad influence during Polanco’s critical early development.
Geez --- 4 games into the season and watching Polanco play is already proving torturous.
I feel bad for Polanco. At the plate he looks like he knows he is overmatched and embarrassing himself.
I will forever believe that Marte was a bad influence during Polanco’s critical early development.
What to do with Polanco
033D3830233B3B301035223166540 wrote: Polanco clearly appears to be a sunk cost.
Unfortunately, he doesn't do anything well enough to warrant keeping him around. He is a poor defender at any position (remember the short-lived LF experiment a few year's back), he has no arm, he has shown little power, he doesn't hit for average, he does not have good plate discipline, he is striking out all too frequently and swinging at and through a lot of bad pitches, he is a poor base-runner, he seems overly susceptible to injury, and no one has ever accused him of having a good feel for the game. In short, he is a poor baseball player on a bad team.
Continuing, there does not appear to be any upside of keeping him at the MLB level and hoping and praying that he will suddenly find himself and demonstrate that he has enough value to get a small bit back in a trade while shedding even a small part of his salary, and all the while suffering through his failures. Polanco's current at-bats at the ML level should go to someone who has a chance of contributing to the team.
I would consider the following approach.
1) At this point, I don't think any team would want him even if the Bucs cut him loose and all they had to pay was the MLB minimum of his salary.
2) If allowed by MLB and the Player's Union, I would send him to the alternate training site to see if the staff can try to work with him on his hitting, about the only tool he MAY be able to improve upon out of the litany of things that he does wrong or cannot do. If he doesn't show improvement within 45 days, simply release him and let him spend his salary where and how he chooses. If it looks like he can hit, MAYBE bring him back and give it a final whirl. If this type of move is not allowed, release him and give him the option of coming back as a non-roster player to play in the minors.
3) I would give his current AB's to Evans and stick Evans in RF.
While Evans may wash out with more playing time and familiarity with him around the league, he has shown some promise of finding himself in the few games he has played for Pittsburgh. While Hayes is out I would give AB's to Gonzalez at 3rd, who at least can field well and who may benefit from some regular playing time. I would consider bringing up Frazier to replace Polanco (DFA Diffo to create roster space), but I would not expect much from him. I note that no one rushed to sign him when Pittsburgh cut him loose earlier in spring training.
4) Lastly, while both may prove to be duds, I would not move on from either Alford or Fowler at this point. Alford was still working back from an injury in spring training and has yet to have more than a handful of AB's at the major league level. Fowler too may need some time, although his play in the first few games is not encouraging.
No one expected this team to do much this season, and it appears that they have a good chance of meeting that expectation. Further, there is no one in the minors who is ready to knock down the door and immediately become a good player in Pittsburgh.
Thus, move on from Polanco because you must. Give AB's to Evans, Alford and Fowler and hope for the best. Add Frazier and give him 45 days or so to see if he has anything left, but don't be afraid of moving on from him if he shows little. And, while your at it, have Feliz and Crick on very short leashes. If they are not helping in the pen, release them and go with someone like Hartleib.
Geez --- 4 games into the season and watching Polanco play is already proving torturous.
I think Feliz should be the first to walk the Plank
yeah, how did he even get on board this season?
Unfortunately, he doesn't do anything well enough to warrant keeping him around. He is a poor defender at any position (remember the short-lived LF experiment a few year's back), he has no arm, he has shown little power, he doesn't hit for average, he does not have good plate discipline, he is striking out all too frequently and swinging at and through a lot of bad pitches, he is a poor base-runner, he seems overly susceptible to injury, and no one has ever accused him of having a good feel for the game. In short, he is a poor baseball player on a bad team.
Continuing, there does not appear to be any upside of keeping him at the MLB level and hoping and praying that he will suddenly find himself and demonstrate that he has enough value to get a small bit back in a trade while shedding even a small part of his salary, and all the while suffering through his failures. Polanco's current at-bats at the ML level should go to someone who has a chance of contributing to the team.
I would consider the following approach.
1) At this point, I don't think any team would want him even if the Bucs cut him loose and all they had to pay was the MLB minimum of his salary.
2) If allowed by MLB and the Player's Union, I would send him to the alternate training site to see if the staff can try to work with him on his hitting, about the only tool he MAY be able to improve upon out of the litany of things that he does wrong or cannot do. If he doesn't show improvement within 45 days, simply release him and let him spend his salary where and how he chooses. If it looks like he can hit, MAYBE bring him back and give it a final whirl. If this type of move is not allowed, release him and give him the option of coming back as a non-roster player to play in the minors.
3) I would give his current AB's to Evans and stick Evans in RF.
While Evans may wash out with more playing time and familiarity with him around the league, he has shown some promise of finding himself in the few games he has played for Pittsburgh. While Hayes is out I would give AB's to Gonzalez at 3rd, who at least can field well and who may benefit from some regular playing time. I would consider bringing up Frazier to replace Polanco (DFA Diffo to create roster space), but I would not expect much from him. I note that no one rushed to sign him when Pittsburgh cut him loose earlier in spring training.
4) Lastly, while both may prove to be duds, I would not move on from either Alford or Fowler at this point. Alford was still working back from an injury in spring training and has yet to have more than a handful of AB's at the major league level. Fowler too may need some time, although his play in the first few games is not encouraging.
No one expected this team to do much this season, and it appears that they have a good chance of meeting that expectation. Further, there is no one in the minors who is ready to knock down the door and immediately become a good player in Pittsburgh.
Thus, move on from Polanco because you must. Give AB's to Evans, Alford and Fowler and hope for the best. Add Frazier and give him 45 days or so to see if he has anything left, but don't be afraid of moving on from him if he shows little. And, while your at it, have Feliz and Crick on very short leashes. If they are not helping in the pen, release them and go with someone like Hartleib.
Geez --- 4 games into the season and watching Polanco play is already proving torturous.
I think Feliz should be the first to walk the Plank
yeah, how did he even get on board this season?