OnlyBucs

Will be interesting to watch the team and see who the team expects to be part of the future.



Also will regret a little that this team isn't playing in the International League. I have no doubt it could dominate there.

I have no expectations of this team to win. I don’t expect to be able to tell much difference in the fundamental soundness of the players, not in the first summer. I fully expect Shelton will manage pretty much as Clint did.



What I will be watching:

By the trade deadline we will have an idea who the Pirates think can help the future rebuild. For example, If Reynolds is having a good year I expect the Pirates to move him. If they don’t then maybe there is a strategy to be competitive by 2022.



I’ll be watching whether accountably is reestablished. Can players take games off mentally?



I’ll be listening to the weekly radio show for Ben, to see if he is all spin or can he speak the truth?



Despite my modest ambition for the season, I’m actually looking forward to just watching baseball. I feel no angst this season. Just go and enjoy the game. Look for glimmers of a strategy and hope.

The Pirates have added a handful of major/minor league position players who have little current and no long-term value to the team; Dyson, Heredia, Liddle, Maile, et al.



However, with the exceptions of Holland (who likely will not make the major league roster) and Erlin, who likely will, the Bucs have added no depth at starting pitcher.



I don't like the most recent signings of either Dyson or Liddle, and question why more options haven't been added to at least nurse the pitching staff through what is shaping up to be a very long season.



Oh well, I guess the Pirates meet the basic qualifications of being a major league baseball team.

173A37262130276764550 wrote: The Jarrod Dyson signing has put the icing on the crap cake for me.



The Bucs are tanking this season. Their acquisitions have been organized around cheapness rather than any discernible strategy.



Yes, the new additions are expected to provide competent defense. But our offense will be at the bottom of the league, and our pitching was not improved and was at the bottom last year.



I ask myself: Why should I spend a lot of money traveling to Pittsburgh, PBC tickets, expensive hotel, etc., to watch them lose? I'm 90% sure that I'm taking the year off.
I would rather just go with young unproven guys than bottom of the barrel dumpster dives like Dyson. See what Craig or Martin or even Reyes can do. Instead we get a 35 year old guy who could never hit to block younger players in a season that won't amount to anything more than giving younger guys a chance to develop for subsequent seasons when it might matter. I thought that was the plan. But it appears BC is showing his new boss that he can operate within the dime store economics of the Pirates. 


This is what frustrates me the most. I'm all for signings like Dickerson and Cervelli that might work out and might not. But with Dyson, there's basically no chance he'll be even an average major leaguer for this season. If he's your fifth outfielder / pinch runner then fine. But he shouldn't be blocking anyone with even a slight chance of becoming a real asset.

7C787047514174535C320 wrote: The Jarrod Dyson signing has put the icing on the crap cake for me.



The Bucs are tanking this season. Their acquisitions have been organized around cheapness rather than any discernible strategy.



Yes, the new additions are expected to provide competent defense. But our offense will be at the bottom of the league, and our pitching was not improved and was at the bottom last year.



I ask myself: Why should I spend a lot of money traveling to Pittsburgh, PBC tickets, expensive hotel, etc., to watch them lose? I'm 90% sure that I'm taking the year off.
I would rather just go with young unproven guys than bottom of the barrel dumpster dives like Dyson. See what Craig or Martin or even Reyes can do. Instead we get a 35 year old guy who could never hit to block younger players in a season that won't amount to anything more than giving younger guys a chance to develop for subsequent seasons when it might matter. I thought that was the plan. But it appears BC is showing his new boss that he can operate within the dime store economics of the Pirates. 


This is what frustrates me the most. I'm all for signings like Dickerson that might work out and might not. But with Dyson, there's basically no chance he'll be even an average major leaguer for this season. If he's your fifth outfielder / pinch runner then fine. But he shouldn't be blocking anyone with even a slight chance of becoming a real asset.


I think Dyson is getting 2 million and he may have the biggest contract of anyone the Pirates signed this off season. It looks like the decision was made to not spend on free agents and just get cheap bodies to fill out the roster.

674140574151220 wrote: The Jarrod Dyson signing has put the icing on the crap cake for me.



The Bucs are tanking this season. Their acquisitions have been organized around cheapness rather than any discernible strategy.



Yes, the new additions are expected to provide competent defense. But our offense will be at the bottom of the league, and our pitching was not improved and was at the bottom last year.



I ask myself: Why should I spend a lot of money traveling to Pittsburgh, PBC tickets, expensive hotel, etc., to watch them lose? I'm 90% sure that I'm taking the year off.
I would rather just go with young unproven guys than bottom of the barrel dumpster dives like Dyson. See what Craig or Martin or even Reyes can do. Instead we get a 35 year old guy who could never hit to block younger players in a season that won't amount to anything more than giving younger guys a chance to develop for subsequent seasons when it might matter. I thought that was the plan. But it appears BC is showing his new boss that he can operate within the dime store economics of the Pirates. 


This is what frustrates me the most. I'm all for signings like Dickerson that might work out and might not. But with Dyson, there's basically no chance he'll be even an average major leaguer for this season. If he's your fifth outfielder / pinch runner then fine. But he shouldn't be blocking anyone with even a slight chance of becoming a real asset.


I think Dyson is getting 2 million and he may have the biggest contract of anyone the Pirates signed this off season.  It looks like the decision was made to not spend on free agents and just get cheap bodies to fill out the roster. 
Agreed, I'd just rather have that cheap body be Jose Osuna or Pablo Reyes or Jason Martin or Kevin Kramer. I guess something like Dyson was needed just so we have someone who can legitimately play center, but if we're punting the season I'd so much rather see the younguns.

517776617767140 wrote: The Jarrod Dyson signing has put the icing on the crap cake for me.



The Bucs are tanking this season. Their acquisitions have been organized around cheapness rather than any discernible strategy.



Yes, the new additions are expected to provide competent defense. But our offense will be at the bottom of the league, and our pitching was not improved and was at the bottom last year.



I ask myself: Why should I spend a lot of money traveling to Pittsburgh, PBC tickets, expensive hotel, etc., to watch them lose? I'm 90% sure that I'm taking the year off.
I would rather just go with young unproven guys than bottom of the barrel dumpster dives like Dyson. See what Craig or Martin or even Reyes can do. Instead we get a 35 year old guy who could never hit to block younger players in a season that won't amount to anything more than giving younger guys a chance to develop for subsequent seasons when it might matter. I thought that was the plan. But it appears BC is showing his new boss that he can operate within the dime store economics of the Pirates. 


This is what frustrates me the most. I'm all for signings like Dickerson that might work out and might not. But with Dyson, there's basically no chance he'll be even an average major leaguer for this season. If he's your fifth outfielder / pinch runner then fine. But he shouldn't be blocking anyone with even a slight chance of becoming a real asset.


I think Dyson is getting 2 million and he may have the biggest contract of anyone the Pirates signed this off season.  It looks like the decision was made to not spend on free agents and just get cheap bodies to fill out the roster. 


Syracuse, man ...



I know that the proverbial last straw for the management team was probably the Vazquez arrest. And I know that last year's pitching severely underperformed, but I remained hopeful that a few of the right kind of signings would allow us to put a somewhat interesting team on the field for 2020. Well, that's not going to happen.



I too build at least one summer escape to watch the Bucs play somewhere. The last 3 years I've spent my hard-earned money traveling to PNC. Why should I this year? Geez BC, give me a glimmer of hope. I can honestly tell you I threw in the towel for this season when they signed Riddle. WTF!



Now I get to watch the few players I did like get traded off at the deadline for some more 19-year olds. Yeah, the Burgh won't be seeing my dollars for awhile ... and my general interest in what seems like my last, barely-standing, sports passion, hasn't been this low since DL was running the ship aground.

I like some of the optimism here.



I'll be watching Keller. He is a really important player for them this year.



Secondly, I will revisit my former joy in following closely the minor leagues. I really enjoyed following Alvarez, Cole, Taillon, in that window before the winning seasons. I'm actually cool with reinvesting in watching this new wave. The pitching at A ball look really fun to follow this year. Could be special.

0B2A3F360E372C3F2A3B5E0 wrote: The Jarrod Dyson signing has put the icing on the crap cake for me.



The Bucs are tanking this season. Their acquisitions have been organized around cheapness rather than any discernible strategy.



Yes, the new additions are expected to provide competent defense. But our offense will be at the bottom of the league, and our pitching was not improved and was at the bottom last year.



I ask myself: Why should I spend a lot of money traveling to Pittsburgh, PBC tickets, expensive hotel, etc., to watch them lose? I'm 90% sure that I'm taking the year off.
I would rather just go with young unproven guys than bottom of the barrel dumpster dives like Dyson. See what Craig or Martin or even Reyes can do. Instead we get a 35 year old guy who could never hit to block younger players in a season that won't amount to anything more than giving younger guys a chance to develop for subsequent seasons when it might matter. I thought that was the plan. But it appears BC is showing his new boss that he can operate within the dime store economics of the Pirates. 


This is what frustrates me the most. I'm all for signings like Dickerson that might work out and might not. But with Dyson, there's basically no chance he'll be even an average major leaguer for this season. If he's your fifth outfielder / pinch runner then fine. But he shouldn't be blocking anyone with even a slight chance of becoming a real asset.


I think Dyson is getting 2 million and he may have the biggest contract of anyone the Pirates signed this off season.  It looks like the decision was made to not spend on free agents and just get cheap bodies to fill out the roster. 


Syracuse, man ...



I know that the proverbial last straw for the management team was probably the Vazquez arrest. And I know that last year's pitching severely underperformed, but I remained hopeful that a few of the right kind of signings would allow us to put a somewhat interesting team on the field for 2020. Well, that's not going to happen.



I too build at least one summer escape to watch the Bucs play somewhere. The last 3 years I've spent my hard-earned money traveling to PNC. Why should I this year? Geez BC, give me a glimmer of hope. I can honestly tell you I threw in the towel for this season when they signed Riddle. WTF!



Now I get to watch the few players I did like get traded off at the deadline for some more 19-year olds. Yeah, the Burgh won't be seeing my dollars for awhile ... and my general interest in what seems like my last, barely-standing, sports passion, hasn't been this low since DL was running the ship aground.






I feel your pain, Utah!

I hear the pain from a lot of you guys. Especially SyrBucco who has to travel a great distance and spend some $$s to attend a few Buccos games.



As you guys all know I have been going to games for 61 going on 62 years now. I will go to games in 2020 because of my love for the game. While the overall team performance will be bad I can enjoy the occasional big victory. And I will get to see some of the best players on other team displaying their wares.