OnlyBucs

If anyone's still alive.

664047525B5740565E350 wrote: It's pointless IMHO. In all honesty, what is significant about his career anyhow with the Pirates, other than he was an above average player for a short time and he was from here? He never really did anything all that notable.




We have a winner!



Carol Merril, tell Surge what he's won!

Heck with Walker retiring, I would take him over J.T. Riddle in a second.

302B26272E222D430 wrote: Heck with Walker retiring, I would take him over J.T. Riddle in a second.


(Fill in the blank) costs money.



As in.....Neil Walker costs money.

There was talk on The Fan 93.7 as well as an article in the Post Gazette about whether the Bucs should offer a contract to Neil Walker an invite him to ST. It was mentioned an invite to ST could be a last hurrah for the Pittsburgh Kid, and repair some damage from the previous regime. It would be nice to see the Bucs invite him to ST, but I would hate to see him take a spot on the 26 man roster from a younger player who should actually come north with the team.

232F2E757C757D70776872450 wrote: There was talk on The Fan 93.7 as well as an article in the Post Gazette about whether the Bucs should offer a contract to Neil Walker an invite him to ST. It was mentioned an invite to ST could be a last hurrah for the Pittsburgh Kid, and repair some damage from the previous regime. It would be nice to see the Bucs invite him to ST, but I would hate to see him take a spot on the 26 man roster from a younger player who should actually come north with the team.


I'd be fine with him making the roster if he'd be one the best 26 players the team could bring north. His positives are that he can platoon at 1B if he hits well enough, and can play two other infield positions to give Frazier, Newman, or Hayes a night off. Plus he hits from both sides, a nice asset as a pinch hitter.

he has always been a better hitter against right handed pitchers so he isn't needed unless the team wants to have him as mostly a pinch hitter. (not really fit as a platoon with Moran).



So I can see signing him symbolically to retire as a Pirate if he wants but otherwise only as the 26th man on roster at a low salary.

A rebuilding tram can benefit from the locker room presence of a veteran. Walker could be an asset in that way even if he provides little on the field.

4C6A6B7C6A7A090 wrote: he has always been a better hitter against right handed pitchers so he isn't needed unless the team wants to have him as mostly a pinch hitter. [highlight](not really fit as a platoon with Moran)[/highlight].



So I can see signing him symbolically to retire as a Pirate if he wants but otherwise only as the 26th man on roster at a low salary.


Well, I did qualify it by saying if "he hit well enough". Moran would get the most at bats because of the number of righthanded pitchers so it would be a platoon in name only.



I agree he's been a better lefthanded hitter but most switch hitters fare better from one side over the other. Just having a switch hitter on the bench is a nice value but, again, only if he can hit well enough.

If it was agreed ahead of time, he could make the roster out of ST as a placeholder for one of the youngster whose service time they want to limit for an extra year of control and/or to avoid Super 2. When the time is right, he could announce his retirement while being given a very nice send off by the team.



Of course, if he’s really producing, that could put a monkey wrench in the works.