Nick Gonzales

[Wildwoodcoach]

He is being brought up for the Phillies Series. Didn't say who will
be dropped. Hopefully Williams

[Surgnbuck]

It's Williams

[Doc]

Glad to see this finally happened. I hope he starts all six games this week.

[Bobster]

Glad to see it but it should have been done weeks ago.

[fjk090852-7]

I will admit it, but I thought Nick would have been traded this past offseason for pitching help. Since his arrival from Indy, I am glad the Pirates did not move him. He appears to be a much better hitter than he was last season. He had two good hits this afternoon, but I was really impressed with the sacrifice fly that drove in a run. There have been a few times this season when the Pirates have missed scoring opportunities because they couldn’t get the ball into the outfield to bring home the runner. That sacrifice fly was perfect!

[Doc]

I will admit it, but I thought Nick would have been traded this past offseason for pitching help. Since his arrival from Indy, I am glad the Pirates did not move him. He appears to be a much better hitter than he was last season. He had two good hits this afternoon, but I was really impressed with the sacrifice fly that drove in a run. There have been a few times this season when the Pirates have missed scoring opportunities because they couldn’t get the ball into the outfield to bring home the runner. That sacrifice fly was perfect!

Something I never quite understood is why, after choosing Gonzales (because he was the “best bat in the draft”), the Pirates took Termarr Johnson two years later (the best high school bat in the draft). It seems evident that both were/are clearly destined to play second base. Did the Pirates lose faith in Gonzales that quickly? I’m not sure why because Covid, and then some injuries, somewhat derailed his progress. It was as if he lost nearly two seasons of development. The work he did this offseason has certainly paid off as he looks like the hitter we were all told he could be.

If the Pirates gave thought to dealing him, as you suggest, perhaps they held off knowing what Gonzales was doing this past winter, coupled with Johnson’s body of work as a professional. If so, it looks like a good decision for two reasons: Gonzales’s good work in Indy and now in Pittsburgh, and Johnson’s rough start in Greensboro. One of them may ultimately be traded for a position of need but, right now, I would lean towards keeping Gonzales.

[Surgnbuck]

I think if you look at it a different way Doc, it made sense. One was a college guy, who should have been ready in a year or two, the year Johnson was selected. He'd be 3-4 years away best case scenario, sooner if he was a phenom, which he wasn't, and probably 4-6 years realistically
. By that time, if Gonzo was all that, he'd have either signed a long term deal, or would be at that point in his career with probably two years of control left, and be dealt in the offseason, because you know the Pirates weren't going to be a player if he was set on hitting free agency.

If Gonzo was all that, signs a long term deal, then they probably move him to third and deal Hayes, and Johnson comes up to play second base.

[Doc]

I think if you look at it a different way Doc, it made sense. One was a college guy, who should have been ready in a year or two, the year Johnson was selected. He'd be 3-4 years away best case scenario, sooner if he was a phenom, which he wasn't, and probably 4-6 years realistically
. By that time, if Gonzo was all that, he'd have either signed a long term deal, or would be at that point in his career with probably two years of control left, and be dealt in the offseason, because you know the Pirates weren't going to be a player if he was set on hitting free agency.

If Gonzo was all that, signs a long term deal, then they probably move him to third and deal Hayes, and Johnson comes up to play second base.

I can see what you're saying. But what I'm also reading is what appears to be a basic Pirates strategy: when they draft a guy, plan for his departure in a handful of years. It's always about the money, never about the winning.