OnlyBucs

Now this is a step in the right direction. A major league ballplayer to play OF for us. Attaboy Ben!!! Now keep it going and worry about the future in the future.

154355414E54444F425567404A464E4B0944270 wrote: Cherington's spending like he's running the Yankees.  The Staten Island Yankees.


Bob Nutting must cast some sort of spell on anyone that walks in his office.  How else to explain that ANYONE would choose to work for this sorry outfit?


Was the allure for another GM job so great that he was willing to work for this guy rather than wait for a real job to open?  Maybe he figured he had nothing to lose coming here.  If he fails, it's easy to blame Nutting for tying his hands.  If by some miracle he succeeds, he'll be wanted by every legit organization in baseball.


That’s true.  But I don’t understand how a competitive person can stand to work for Nutting.  How can he stomach being part of an organization that has no intention to spend money to actually compete?


Good question.  There are only 30 GM jobs so I guess he was willing to be here just to be back in that saddle again.  But how long will it be before the frustrations wear him down and he simply doesn't try?  That can happen even to the most competitive people.
I'm sure Nutting is a good enough businessman that when he interviews a GM he doesn't say, "I'm a horrible cheapskate who will never give you the resources you need." I suspect he says the Pirates have limited resources but he feels they can compete with the right people place to draft, trade for, and develop talent as TB did last year on a minimal payroll. A guy like BC wants to have one of those 30 MLB GM jobs, sees an opportunity and wants to believe Nutting. In time he'll come to realize Nutting is a lying POS who can't be trusted, just as fans learned when "we'll spend when the time is right" lie was foisted on us. But it's human nature to want to believe the best about a rare job opportunity. I don't blame BC for taking the job. But even if he is a genius at drafting and developing, he'll see those players wearing other uniforms when it's time to pay them.

If he can get the team back to being reasonably competitive, even for a short period, he can move to a better job. Like a college football coach.

So everyone likes the signing?



;D

654E5C664E53424844674449442B0 wrote: So everyone likes the signing?



;D




I mean it's a guy who can field. Hopefully gets pushed soon.

Okay, I understand the disappointment with this signing. There were other, sexier free agent options. Dyson is nothing to get excited about offensively, and might block some younger (potentially more interesting and talented) players.



But, is there a silver lining to this? The Devil's Advocate might say "yes". Let's say that MLB, as has been reported, is taking the juice out of the baseball this year. The alleged cause of the recent home run surge of the past few seasons. More balls in play as a result means that defense will be more important than it has been for a while. Is this an analytic angle that BC is hoping to exploit, and give a boost to his pitching staff? He's been consistent in going after defense-first type players. Well, I don't know the answer to that, but at least it's better to think that there might be more of a reason for the particular FA signings we've seen the Pirates make so far than the obviously depressing but true "Nutting is cheap!" axiom.

7F646968616D620C0 wrote: Now this is a step in the right direction.  A major league ballplayer to play OF for us.  Attaboy Ben!!! Now keep it going and worry about the future in the future.


I see that your standards for major league ball players have now slipped below your golf scores.

217761757A60707B766153747E727A7F3D70130 wrote: Now this is a step in the right direction.  A major league ballplayer to play OF for us.  Attaboy Ben!!! Now keep it going and worry about the future in the future.


I see that your standards for major league ball players have now slipped below your golf scores.


Oh, I wish I would have thought of that first!

I like this signing. He plays defense, which should help keep the Pirates in some games. At 2MM, he won't block anyone who is ready to play center (or which there are none right now, but hopefully before the season is over) and, in fact, can help mentor someone who does come up, so they can ease into the position. So, all things considered, not a bad signing.

Might end up worse than Chris Stynes or Akinori Iwamura