Off Season Roster Discussion

[Doc]

Would love to have him as well doc, but there are too many teams with the money to outbid us

The market will set his price. How high can it be? $30 million? Then the Pirates offer $32 million to show him they’re serious. That would increase the payroll to around $100 million, which is still well under the MLB average. There’s no reason this couldn’t be done.

[UtahPirate2]

Just thought I would throw this into the offseason discussion - the positions that Endy played coming up were C and 1B.

With talk coming from BC that Davis would be catching some next year, you have to wonder if Endy isn't part of our 1B options. He is not going to sit. And I just don't think Davis is an OFer.

So does a 1B approach of Triolo/Rodriguez and maybe occasionally Joe make sense? Everyone seems to want to push Davis to 1B, but it was Endy they were prepping for that spot in the minors.

Davis at C a couple of times a week and at DH a couple of times a week, sharing that role with Cutch? Is that enough ABs for Davis? His defense seems to be an issue, unless he is a better catcher than the Bucs have given us a chance to see and can catch 3 times a week, kind of splitting the dish with Endy.

I don't get very excited about the FA names at 1B, except for Santana - nor the money they would cost. And how will Santana be at 38? That seems a bit of a gamble as well. I do get excited about using Triolo there and I think Joe has proven adequate on occasion.

Given our traditional tightness with funds, I want more starting pitching as the first order of FA/Trade business.

[PooperScooper !]

I wouldn`t trust Bellenger with more than a 1 year deal and seen enough of Santana. Pirates have all kinds of inf. who can play SS that should be enough to trade for 1B. I will look around and find a player. I think Davis could be one hell of a RF but he needs to play in AAA next season hes not ready ! They dont see it ! Lets make some moves go see what Angels want for Joe Adell offer a pitcher (Priester)damn BC you suck.

[Doc]

I wouldn`t trust Bellenger with more than a 1 year deal and seen enough of Santana. Pirates have all kinds of inf. who can play SS that should be enough to trade for 1B. I will look around and find a player. I think Davis could be one hell of a RF but he needs to play in AAA next season hes not ready ! They dont see it ! Lets make some moves go see what Angels want for Joe Adell offer a pitcher (Priester)damn BC you suck.

Bellinger proved this season that his injuries are behind him. GMs will offer him contracts that will be multi-year. If the Pirates offered him a one year deal, no player and his agent would ever take them seriously again.

Yes, the Pirates have several guys who can play shortstop. None of them, except Cruz, could bring back a 1Bman in a trade who's anything but what they are: inexperienced and unproven. Bellinger offers an opportunity to fix a position that's mostly been a black hole for 25-30 years. The payroll is ridiculously low, and will be for another few years, because of all the young players. Adding a contract like what Bellinger will get will raise it to a little above $100 million. No one can convince me that the Pirates can't pay that. But most importantly, it will add a true star to the line-up, something the team desperately needs. We'd have a line-up that would have four guys (Bellinger, Suwinski, Reynolds, and Cruz) who can hit 25 or more HRs apiece.

I certainly recognize that the argument against signing Bellinger is the owner's unwillingness to allow for a contract of that size. But that doesn't mean he's not able to do it.

[Wildwoodcoach]

I wouldn`t trust Bellenger with more than a 1 year deal and seen enough of Santana. Pirates have all kinds of inf. who can play SS that should be enough to trade for 1B. I will look around and find a player. I think Davis could be one hell of a RF but he needs to play in AAA next season hes not ready ! They dont see it ! Lets make some moves go see what Angels want for Joe Adell offer a pitcher (Priester)damn BC you suck.

Bellinger proved this season that his injuries are behind him. GMs will offer him contracts that will be multi-year. If the Pirates offered him a one year deal, no player and his agent would ever take them seriously again.

Yes, the Pirates have several guys who can play shortstop. None of them, except Cruz, could bring back a 1Bman in a trade who's anything but what they are: inexperienced and unproven. Bellinger offers an opportunity to fix a position that's mostly been a black hole for 25-30 years. The payroll is ridiculously low, and will be for another few years, because of all the young players. Adding a contract like what Bellinger will get will raise it to a little above $100 million. No one can convince me that the Pirates can't pay that. But most importantly, it will add a true star to the line-up, something the team desperately needs. We'd have a line-up that would have four guys (Bellinger, Suwinski, Reynolds, and Cruz) who can hit 25 or more HRs apiece.

I certainly recognize that the argument against signing Bellinger is the owner's unwillingness to allow for a contract of that size. But that doesn't mean he's not able to do it.

[Wildwoodcoach]

Pooper Scooper's last sentence regarding BC is an indication that he
is a disciple of the long departed Shedman

[Doc]

Pooper Scooper's last sentence regarding BC is an indication that he
is a disciple of the long departed Shedman

What would the life of a Shedman disciple look like? Dazed? Confused? Wrongheaded?

[Possum]

Pooper Scooper's last sentence regarding BC is an indication that he
is a disciple of the long departed Shedman

What would the life of a Shedman disciple look like? Dazed? Confused? Wrongheaded?

[PooperScooper !]

Bellenger will get that big money but he is fools gold. These guys should all be on 1 year deals. I don`t remember Shedman? But dont usually pay attention to who posted what anyway

[Doc]

Bellenger will get that big money but he is fools gold. These guys should all be on 1 year deals. I don`t remember Shedman? But dont usually pay attention to who posted what anyway

There's always a risk signing a free agent for those big dollars. But Bellinger is only 27 and not looking for that one big contract while he coasts into retirement. He can play two positions at a high level. He can serve as a DH. The Pirates would be signing him at just the right time in his career, and at the point where they're about to become competitive with a young roster. He would do for us what he did for the Cubs this year. Imagine the difference it would make adding him and a healthy Cruz to the line-up.

The days of all the players being on one year contracts are long over. If the Pirates want to compete they have to do what the other successful clubs do. We all know what the problem here is: the owner's goals don't match with the Front Office's goals. Until they do, we'll continue to get what we've gotten over these past 25 years, very brief periods of competitiveness surrounded by years and years of embarrassment and mediocrity, with an owner awash in profits and immune to humiliation.