40-Man Roster Day Today
Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 10:46 pm
If Kuhl can pitch next year he would seem to be a better candidate for the #5 role than Holmes, Brubaker or Stratton.
Ben and I spoke just the other day after he was hired. I didn't have much time to talk so I told him that we would need to make things quick. He did thank me up front for any advice that I could provide, recognizing that I actually watched a lot of last year's fiasco through my DirecTV subscription.
I told him that he should concentrate on moving Marte and Bell for the best return that he could get. Bargain hard, but don't be afraid to make a deal if you think if will improve the team.
If Bell is traded, I noted that Osuna should get a chance, but that he should be on a short leash. Osuna seems to produce more, particularly power, in limited opportunities, compared to being an every day ballplayer. And while it would be wise to add Craig to the 40 man roster, don't feel compelled to use him simply because he was a #1 (bad) pick.
I noted that he shouldn't believe the metrics about Frazier being a good fielder at second. I noted that he is slow at the DP and that he doesn't have the best of hands. And, on offense, he doesn't provide the power that you need from a second baseman. While Frazier likely does not have a lot of trade value, the team should not be afraid of going in a different direction.
I told him that SS could actually be a position of strength. Newman did well in his first year and there appears to be some hope that he can sustain last year's level of performance. And, Tucker appears to hold promise. I suggested that he hold onto both in the short term to see what develops. I continued by talking about Cruz for a moment, and said that Cruz now strikes me as being the best prospect in the system. While it is okay to have Cruz play SS at AA this year, if he is an offensive force, the Bucs should not be shy about moving him to either LF or RF and bringing him up when it appears that he can handle the pitching and further develop as a hitter.
At third, I noted that Moran's numbers and power didn't hold up well after both Marte and Bell went down at the end of the year. Moran appears to be nothing more than a stop gap. And, if Hayes is not the real deal, Bucs also should be willing to consider Cruz as a 3rd baseman. Bucs need power at 3rd.
The outfield. I noted that next year's outfield will be a big question mark, particularly if Marte is traded. Reynolds appears to be a decent hitter, but he is a contributor and can't carry an offense. He also is likely better suited for a corner position than playing center. And, with Marte being traded, there really is no one else to count on. I noted that Polanco will disappoint you just as he has most Pirate fans in recent years, and that it is likely past the point of thinking that he will be a cornerstone of this franchise as many envisioned. In short, next year's outfield will be marked by transition. Marte and Polanco (hopefully) gone, and Reynolds (hopefully) continues to hit and play well. Bucs will need to take some chances and live with the production of short-term free agents or minor league players who didn't work out elsewhere.
Every real fan recognizes that next year is going to be tough and that there is little likelihood of having a productive 5 man rotation. Thus, I listed the goals for next year as:
1) Help Keller to develop and become an effective pitcher.
2) See if Williams can again be an asset to the rotation.
3) Determine if Musgrove is a starter or a reliever
4) If Archer has even mediocre trade value, it may be best to trade him now rather than watch his value continue to decline.
5) Brault is likely closer to being in the minors than being a productive pitcher, particularly a starter, but hey, he is a lefty and he is still cheap, so may need to hang onto him.
6) Clay Holmes, Brubaker, Stratton and prayer are likely your only other real alternatives on the roster. In short, it could be a really long year and you may need to go find one or two free agent hurlers who are relatively cheap and who are willing to absorb getting hit and losing some games.
And, in relief, the question marks are as great or if not greater than in the starting rotation. I would shop Kela to see what value he has. Next year's team does not necessarily need an enigmatic closer who doesn't appear to want to be in the Burgh. If Santana, Kuhl and Burdi all return and be effective, many of the problems will solve themselves, but that is an overly and unrealistic hope. I doubt Feliz suddenly becomes regularly effective or that Krick suddenly regularly finds the plate, then again, next year needs to focus on growth on the more critical elements; advancement among the position players, both offensively and defensively, and starting to establish some building blocks for the rotation. Unfortunately, a good quality pen likely will need to wait, and if one miraculously develops, you need to be willing to trade away those assets for other more important assets.
Ben asked me about managerial candidates and all I had left was to comment that please, no Lloyd McClendon or Jim Tracy. I also reinforced how right it was to move on from Hurdle. We need someone with a pulse who appears to really care.
It was great speaking with Ben. I believe he is that glimmer of hope that I needed to think that things could get better. Nutting is still an obstacle, but now is a time for change.
I concluded by wishing him nothing but success, and thanking him for accepting the position in Pittsburgh.
And Nutting hired Travis Williams to be team President. He should have named me that guy because I helped steer BC to you! ;D ;D