7C584C44412D0 wrote: This team is not really that far from being a very good team. There are a few things that absolutely need to happen to avoid sinking into irrelevance, and unfortunately those things are essential and in no way guaranteed to happen.
1. Polanco and Bell must be impact bats. Not just pretty good, but really good. They ain't winnin' any games with their gloves, and both have been mediocre at the plate. If Kang returns and can resume slugging at his previous .500 clip then only one of Bell and Polanco needs to come around.
2. The team needs a top of the rotation starter. Preferably a veteran who can inspire with his passion, impress with his performance and mentor the young starters already in place. In other words we need another A.J. Burnett. Who that is or where he comes from is above my pay grade.
3. There needs to be a continuing improvement of most of the young players on the roster especially the pitchers. If the majority of them can iron out their inconsistencies they could carry this team.
If all of those things happen we're in the playoffs. If 1 & 3 happen we'll be in the race until the end. If only one of the three happen we'll finish with around 73 wins.
I have to disagree that we are a pretty good team, and I think we are far from it actually. The fast start got everyone excited, but now we are coming back to reality. This team has very few above average players currently on the roster. I'm not counting potential here, I mean real above average MLB talent. I think we can only count Marte, and Dickerson so far. Meadows could be that guy. Cervelli is playing over his head currently and a regression is sure to come. On the pitching side he had Vazquez, but he seems to be lost at the moment. Other than that I can't name anyone. Maybe Taillon will be eventually but he's not there now. On paper I just don't see a very good team.
30 Wins- 30 Losses
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SammyKhalifa
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30 Wins- 30 Losses
But we're also not the disaster we're showing now.
We're an average-ish team like most expected
We're an average-ish team like most expected
30 Wins- 30 Losses
0C3E32322614373E3336393E5F0 wrote: But we're also not the disaster we're showing now.
We're an average-ish team like most expected
We're the definition of average. Until you add the way Hurdle has managed over the last 3 weeks or so. Then we are a stinking pile of garbage.
We're an average-ish team like most expected
We're the definition of average. Until you add the way Hurdle has managed over the last 3 weeks or so. Then we are a stinking pile of garbage.
30 Wins- 30 Losses
232239283E7E794D0 wrote: This team is not really that far from being a very good team. There are a few things that absolutely need to happen to avoid sinking into irrelevance, and unfortunately those things are essential and in no way guaranteed to happen.
1. Polanco and Bell must be impact bats. Not just pretty good, but really good. They ain't winnin' any games with their gloves, and both have been mediocre at the plate. If Kang returns and can resume slugging at his previous .500 clip then only one of Bell and Polanco needs to come around.
2. The team needs a top of the rotation starter. Preferably a veteran who can inspire with his passion, impress with his performance and mentor the young starters already in place. In other words we need another A.J. Burnett. Who that is or where he comes from is above my pay grade.
3. There needs to be a continuing improvement of most of the young players on the roster especially the pitchers. If the majority of them can iron out their inconsistencies they could carry this team.
If all of those things happen we're in the playoffs. If 1 & 3 happen we'll be in the race until the end. If only one of the three happen we'll finish with around 73 wins.
I have to disagree that we are a pretty good team, and I think we are far from it actually. The fast start got everyone excited, but now we are coming back to reality. This team has very few above average players currently on the roster. I'm not counting potential here, I mean real above average MLB talent. I think we can only count Marte, and Dickerson so far. Meadows could be that guy. Cervelli is playing over his head currently and a regression is sure to come. On the pitching side he had Vazquez, but he seems to be lost at the moment. Other than that I can't name anyone. Maybe Taillon will be eventually but he's not there now. On paper I just don't see a very good team.
I'm usually the wet blanket of the board, but I stand somewhere in the middle between you and him. I think we are not that far away from being good, but further away than he thinks. I have said we needed not one, but two good starters to mix with Taillon and Williams and Kuhl when he is competent. Those aren't coming anytime soon. Tallion at best is a two, probably a three. We really don't have a one or a consistent two. Bullpen has always been a crap shoot. A stud one year can turn into garbage the next.
C is always a ??? with Cervilli. Is he going to be durable to withstand the injuries or not? Diaz provides a good backup.
1B - Bell ... sophomore slump
2B - Harrison ... probably on borrowed time ... soon to be traded
SS - Mercer ... won't be resigned ... doubt it. Will be dealt by the TDL.
3b - Moran/Kang ... pretty good
OF - if everyone is doing their part, this could be a stud OF. Three of the four are.
There are some pieces ... good ones. The offense is dependent on Marte, Polanco and Bell to deliver. Two of those haven't.
The problem ... there isn't an answer in the minors to solve any of these problems and the FO won't go out and get the solutions.
1. Polanco and Bell must be impact bats. Not just pretty good, but really good. They ain't winnin' any games with their gloves, and both have been mediocre at the plate. If Kang returns and can resume slugging at his previous .500 clip then only one of Bell and Polanco needs to come around.
2. The team needs a top of the rotation starter. Preferably a veteran who can inspire with his passion, impress with his performance and mentor the young starters already in place. In other words we need another A.J. Burnett. Who that is or where he comes from is above my pay grade.
3. There needs to be a continuing improvement of most of the young players on the roster especially the pitchers. If the majority of them can iron out their inconsistencies they could carry this team.
If all of those things happen we're in the playoffs. If 1 & 3 happen we'll be in the race until the end. If only one of the three happen we'll finish with around 73 wins.
I have to disagree that we are a pretty good team, and I think we are far from it actually. The fast start got everyone excited, but now we are coming back to reality. This team has very few above average players currently on the roster. I'm not counting potential here, I mean real above average MLB talent. I think we can only count Marte, and Dickerson so far. Meadows could be that guy. Cervelli is playing over his head currently and a regression is sure to come. On the pitching side he had Vazquez, but he seems to be lost at the moment. Other than that I can't name anyone. Maybe Taillon will be eventually but he's not there now. On paper I just don't see a very good team.
I'm usually the wet blanket of the board, but I stand somewhere in the middle between you and him. I think we are not that far away from being good, but further away than he thinks. I have said we needed not one, but two good starters to mix with Taillon and Williams and Kuhl when he is competent. Those aren't coming anytime soon. Tallion at best is a two, probably a three. We really don't have a one or a consistent two. Bullpen has always been a crap shoot. A stud one year can turn into garbage the next.
C is always a ??? with Cervilli. Is he going to be durable to withstand the injuries or not? Diaz provides a good backup.
1B - Bell ... sophomore slump
2B - Harrison ... probably on borrowed time ... soon to be traded
SS - Mercer ... won't be resigned ... doubt it. Will be dealt by the TDL.
3b - Moran/Kang ... pretty good
OF - if everyone is doing their part, this could be a stud OF. Three of the four are.
There are some pieces ... good ones. The offense is dependent on Marte, Polanco and Bell to deliver. Two of those haven't.
The problem ... there isn't an answer in the minors to solve any of these problems and the FO won't go out and get the solutions.
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CarolinaBucco
30 Wins- 30 Losses
This team obviously has a lot of issues that have been covered here pretty well.
But to me, the one factor that is going to doom this team to failure (and 90+ losses) is starting pitching, or lack thereof.
THIS. TEAM. DOESN'T. HAVE. ANY. REALLY. GOOD. PITCHERS.
We have a lot of decent pitchers who occasionally have good games. And that's not going to cut it.
But we don't have any REALLY GOOD pitchers.
We have quantity. Not quality.
We don't have even one pitcher that when his turn comes in the rotation, everyone says "Okay, we're going to win tonight."
Look, our offensive is going to be decent, at best.
If the offense was great, maybe this pitching staff would be good enough and we could get by.
Until this franchise builds acquires QUALITY starting pitchers -- and not just a collection of No. 4 and No. 5 caliber starters -- it is not going to be a serious contender.
But to me, the one factor that is going to doom this team to failure (and 90+ losses) is starting pitching, or lack thereof.
THIS. TEAM. DOESN'T. HAVE. ANY. REALLY. GOOD. PITCHERS.
We have a lot of decent pitchers who occasionally have good games. And that's not going to cut it.
But we don't have any REALLY GOOD pitchers.
We have quantity. Not quality.
We don't have even one pitcher that when his turn comes in the rotation, everyone says "Okay, we're going to win tonight."
Look, our offensive is going to be decent, at best.
If the offense was great, maybe this pitching staff would be good enough and we could get by.
Until this franchise builds acquires QUALITY starting pitchers -- and not just a collection of No. 4 and No. 5 caliber starters -- it is not going to be a serious contender.
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dogknot17@yahoo.co
30 Wins- 30 Losses
They have a rotation of mostly high draft picks who are 25 and 26 years old. They are very young in their careers. They are building through the draft (Taillon, Kuhl, Glasnow, Kingham) and acquisitions (Musgrove, Williams, Brault).
They have to have one of the youngest rotations in baseball. They are in the middle of the pack in ERA in all of baseball, but 9th in the NL. Of course, that is counting Nova and Brault too.
They have to have one of the youngest rotations in baseball. They are in the middle of the pack in ERA in all of baseball, but 9th in the NL. Of course, that is counting Nova and Brault too.
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SammyKhalifa
- Posts: 3631
- Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2016 4:19 am
30 Wins- 30 Losses
Our starting rotation is a Beige Toyota.
30 Wins- 30 Losses
This team is being ran by selfish greedy stinking cheapskates whose only concern is enriching themselves at the expense of Pirate fans. How much money does 1 man need anyway. BOB already has enough to last his lifetime, his children's lifetimes, his grandchildren's lifetimes and their children's lifetimes. Why not spend a little to improve this team.
30 Wins- 30 Losses
54666A6A7E4C6F666B6E6166070 wrote: Our starting rotation is a Beige Toyota.
With some rust on the quarter panels.
With some rust on the quarter panels.
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SammyKhalifa
- Posts: 3631
- Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2016 4:19 am
30 Wins- 30 Losses
424358495F1F182C0 wrote: Our starting rotation is a Beige Toyota.
With some rust on the quarter panels.
sure it normally gets you to work and back but you'd really want something nicer
and let's face facts here--it's not exactly a babe magnet
With some rust on the quarter panels.
sure it normally gets you to work and back but you'd really want something nicer
and let's face facts here--it's not exactly a babe magnet