OnlyBucs

614C41505746511112230 wrote: Assuming both Bell and Craig impress this year, the answer should depend on the direction of the team. If the team is built to contend in 2020, the proven player (Bell) should play over an unproven rookie. If the team is being constructed to be a legit contender in the next few years, Craig might be the choice. Bell is due arbitration 2020, 2021, 2022 and FA in 2023. If by 2020 Bell is seen as a power hitting, switch-hitting run producer at 1B, the market value at arbitration will be a nightmare for Nutting. And it will only increase each year. So if the future isn't now, it's doubtful they sink more and more money into Bell when they could be paying the minimum to Craig. If they feel they can contend, then Bell plays 1b and Craig can be his backup and late inning defensive replacement in 2020. Either way, Bell's time is limited. If he fails again this year and Craig is knocking at the door, Bell would be traded to an AL team as a DH. If Bell is too good, his corresponding pay increases would grease the skids to his exit anyway, so Craig would be kept as his backup until taking over 1B.



Unfortunately, the Archer trade demonstrates the randomness and lack of foresight by NH. Trading good prospects for a proven player makes sense when you're going all in to win it now. But that wasn't the case. The Pirates didn't have the hitting or defense to be a legit contender with or without Archer. And they did nothing to get better in the off season. So now they have a pretty good pitcher in Archer on a team that is unlikely to accomplish anything in the next few years while they have him while forever losing prospects who could be productive and under control beyond that time. So while we can speculate on the most rational decision regarding Bell vs Craig in upcoming seasons, NH could always do something totally random.
Yes sir!!