OnlyBucs

2B3C332B3A2E373A2F375B0 wrote: I see 5th. starter with many options in Kingham, Brault, Lyles, and now Rookie Davis and if they don't work out you have them in combination with a "starter" like Liriano, etc.



The other point is Kingham and Brault are young home grown under control prospects that deserve a shot as well as Holmes and the pick ups like Lyles and Davis. I'm ok with this and not a fan of Gio.


the Bucs have numbers here as you point out. However, if they don't find someone decent before the end of spring training there is a big hole to fill. You don't want to rotate through 3 or 4 pitchers that can't get anybody out. That not only destroys the fifth spot in the rotation but kills the bullpen.



I would feel more comfortable with this approach if I trusted management and they said they were sure the spot could be filled from within. However, I think the team is in this spot because they can't/won't spend anything.



Why would management even bring in someone like Lyles if they had confidence in any of Kinghan, Brault, Holmes?

5C7A7B6C7A6A190 wrote:

Why would management even bring in someone like Lyles if they had confidence in any of Kinghan, Brault, Holmes?


Well, looking at things from the other side for a moment every team signs/needs depth, no matter what level of confidence they have in their five starters.



Still I'd rather have signed a #4 and had Kingham/Brault/Holmes be the depth. If one of those guys beat out my signee, great!, but I'm going to count on it.

As it stands right now I don't think the Pirates rotation is any better than 3rd in the division.

69687362743433070 wrote: As it stands right now I don't think the Pirates rotation is any better than 3rd in the division.


There are a lot of age/health/etc. questions of course, but I think it's difficult to place them at this stage.



So we know what were looking at here:

https://www.mlb.com/news/projected-2019 ... -303706990



Brewers:

1. Jhoulys Chacin, RHP

2. Chase Anderson, RHP

3. Zach Davies, RHP

4. Jimmy Nelson, RHP

5. Brandon Woodruff, RHP



Cardinals:

1. Miles Mikolas, RHP

2. Carlos Martinez, RHP

3. Jack Flaherty, RHP

4. Michael Wacha, RHP

5. Adam Wainwright, RHP



Cubs:

1. Jon Lester, LHP

2. Kyle Hendricks, RHP

3. Cole Hamels, LHP

4. Yu Darvish, RHP

5. Jose Quintana, LHP



Pirates:

1. Jameson Taillon, RHP

2. Chris Archer, RHP

3. Trevor Williams, RHP

4. Joe Musgrove, RHP

5. Jordan Lyles, RHP



Reds:

1. Sonny Gray, RHP

2. Tanner Roark, RHP

3. Alex Wood, LHP

4. Luis Castillo, RHP

5. Anthony DeSclafani, RHP

12202C2C380A29202D282720410 wrote: As it stands right now I don't think the Pirates rotation is any better than 3rd in the division.


There are a lot of age/health/etc. questions of course, but I think it's difficult to place them at this stage.



So we know what were looking at here:

https://www.mlb.com/news/projected-2019 ... -303706990



Brewers:

1. Jhoulys Chacin, RHP

2. Chase Anderson, RHP

3. Zach Davies, RHP

4. Jimmy Nelson, RHP

5. Brandon Woodruff, RHP



Cardinals:

1. Miles Mikolas, RHP

2. Carlos Martinez, RHP

3. Jack Flaherty, RHP

4. Michael Wacha, RHP

5. Adam Wainwright, RHP



Cubs:

1. Jon Lester, LHP

2. Kyle Hendricks, RHP

3. Cole Hamels, LHP

4. Yu Darvish, RHP

5. Jose Quintana, LHP



Pirates:

1. Jameson Taillon, RHP

2. Chris Archer, RHP

3. Trevor Williams, RHP

4. Joe Musgrove, RHP

5. Jordan Lyles, RHP



Reds:

1. Sonny Gray, RHP

2. Tanner Roark, RHP

3. Alex Wood, LHP

4. Luis Castillo, RHP

5. Anthony DeSclafani, RHP


True the Cubs rotation is getting old but it still has a very high upside. I also believe the Cards rotation has a higher ceiling than ours. I like Taillon, Archer and Williams for sure, but Williams still has plenty to prove. Musgrove has potential that so far he hasn't reached. The 5 spot looks bad. There are plenty of question marks.

4B4A5140561611250 wrote: As it stands right now I don't think the Pirates rotation is any better than 3rd in the division.


It could be the best in the division potentially if Williams duplicates his 2018; if Taillion continues to thrive ... if Archer can pitch like he did two years ago and Musgrove is healthy. Will all happen? I don't know. Williams is the biggest question to me.



The fifth slot is terrible. Brault is an AAA pitcher ... Lyles is garbage ... Liriano is another reclamation project ... who else?



Once again, Pittsburgh dumps Harrison; Mercer; Nova ... 27 million in salary and doesn't come close to reinvesting the savings. Miley would have been there for 4.5 million ... Gio ...



Today, Marwin Gonzalez signs with the Twins for 2 years at 21 million (total). The Twins have invested in the offseason (Cruz, Schoop, Gonzo and someone else). Meanwhile we get reclamation projects and a slap hitting middle infielder.

IDK...when Wacha and Wainwright are your #4-5, that's a pretty solid rotation.

4C5C5D6A7C7C701F0 wrote: As it stands right now I don't think the Pirates rotation is any better than 3rd in the division.


It could be the best in the division potentially if Williams duplicates his 2018; if Taillion continues to thrive ... if Archer can pitch like he did two years ago and Musgrove is healthy.  Will all happen?  I don't know.  Williams is the biggest question to me.



The fifth slot is terrible.  Brault is an AAA pitcher ... Lyles is garbage ... Liriano is another reclamation project ... who else?



Once again, Pittsburgh dumps Harrison; Mercer; Nova ... 27 million in salary and doesn't come close to reinvesting the savings.  Miley would have been there for 4.5 million ... Gio ...



Today, Marwin Gonzalez signs with the Twins for 2 years at 21 million (total).  The Twins have invested in the offseason (Cruz, Schoop, Gonzo and someone else).  Meanwhile we get reclamation projects and a slap hitting middle infielder.


in our favor is that the Bucs have a better gm and more committed owner than the Twinkies.

Dallas Keuchel continues to be available as well and the Pirates have the money to offer him a reasonable contract and yet want nothing to do with him. Signing a guy like Keuchel immediately makes the Pirates pitching staff that much better.

082F3E3A3F221D293E3F3F225B0 wrote: Dallas Keuchel continues to be available as well and the Pirates have the money to offer him a reasonable contract and yet want nothing to do with him. Signing a guy like Keuchel immediately makes the Pirates pitching staff that much better.


Nutting has concocted a brilliant excuse for not spending money on good players. He keeps the payroll at a minuscule level by MLB standards and then says the organization has a policy against paying too high a percentage of the total payroll to a singe player. Of course at the present payroll total, no top FA could be signed without representing at least 20% of the low total. Voila!