Tanking

[2drfischer@gmail.c]

48696148636B0C0 wrote: Tanking for a draft pick seems like an incredibly stupid approach.



Draft picks, even No. 1 draft picks, are a coin flip. What's worse, they're a coin flip where you don't know the result for four or five years.



I don't know what the hell they're doing. I'd say they're "rebuilding" but if that were the case [highlight]they'd have a boatload of talent in the minors ready to take over in the next year or two.[/highlight]


That falls on Huntington, which has also helped cripple BC's ability to make changes.  He has no one to replace the lack of talent in Pittsburgh.  He has no one to trade to acquire young talent.  He has the worst team, maybe the worst organization, in baseball, with no help coming from the owner.  It's going to be three years before we see progress here, and that's if BC has a 1974 Steelers-like influx of talent.


To say he has no one to trade isn't quite accurate. I think Bell would have been attractive to a lot of teams this offseason. Frazier, maybe. Possibly Trevor Williams.



I mean, if you're going to rebuild, then rebuild, or try to, at least. My issue with this year is they decided to take a year and do nothing. Which does not bode well for their plans for upcoming years.




I'm not as sure about Bell returning much.  He had a couple of good months last year and then was less than average.  In addition, he's attractive to only half of the major league clubs because his defense is suspect at best.   And if he is good, why trade him at all?  He's young and the team's best hitter.  He's the kind of player BC would be trying to get back in a trade.



I also don't think Frazier would return much.  He'd be a nice player on a team that would surround him with better players.  I like him, but he wouldn't replace many other 2Bmen around baseball.



[highlight]Travis Williams might bring something decent back[/highlight], but he's the team's best pitcher, which isn't saying much.  But he wouldn't be any other teams' best pitcher, so I don't suspect he'd return much in a trade, either.  Besides, as we've seen from the starting pitching this year, the team is going to need him as it tries to get better over the next few years.



If they've decided to take this year to "do nothing", why would you expect them to continue to do nothing next year?  The Player's Union, not to mention the fans, would have none of it.  Nutting would come under intense pressure from the Union and the fans, who have already been showing signs of being fed up with him, would stay away in droves. 



I guess I should ask, what you mean by "doing nothing"?  What do you think BC's plan was, or has been, for this year?



I agree with your statement about rebuilding. With a new Front Office and manager, the fans would be on board with starting over and would likely be in full support.




;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D




I even laughed at myself when I typed that.

[GreenWeenie]

Re-building since 1980.



Time something gets made.