Huntington on fan today...

[Ecbucs]

51544350067774350 wrote: What I'm starting to believe is that he thought the season was sunk the moment the Marte suspension was announced, and that using prospects to "fix" it was a waste of resources.  And of course he won't say that in public as it would be a jerky thing to say about the current members of the team.  I think he would have been much happier had the Cubs just run away with it early as everyone had expected. 


Bingo. People are right to assume someone in Huntington's position is not always telling the truth. For this reason (and others), they can't.


I can believe he thought the season was over because of Kang, Marte and questions about Glasnow. However, when team didn't get buried he didn't adjust.



In fact I think it is a little amazing how the Bucs have not been able to develop a major league reliever through the farm system since Hughes. Watson and Hughes are only successful relievers that have come up through the Bucs farm system in NH's tenure. (sort of hoping someone names several other players that I've had a brain freeze on).

[dogknot17@yahoo.co]

4F626F7E79687F3F3C0D0 wrote: Yes, I believe the asking price was too high for players that were not better than what the team already has in place.  That is what Huntington said.  But since "we" don't like that answer, the assumption is that he is lying. 
You can't be serious. The Pirates were down to 2 actual OFers when Marte was suspended and again when Polanco got hurt. But you believe no OFer better than Jaso or Frazier was available? Or that the asking price for a reserve OFer was too high? 




Yes, I do.



No team is going to trade a big piece in April. I assumed the whole time that no one was better than what they already had in Jaso and, especially, Frazier. Calling up Osuna was the best move possible. Look at it this way, would the Pirates have traded Frazier or Jaso in April too? The Nationals didn't acquire anyone either.



I didn't think when Polanco got hurt they should or would get an outfielder. Polanco would be back and start. I expected a waiver pick up for an outfielder if the Pirates were still in it.

[SammyKhalifa]

193F3E293F2F5C0 wrote: What I'm starting to believe is that he thought the season was sunk the moment the Marte suspension was announced, and that using prospects to "fix" it was a waste of resources.  And of course he won't say that in public as it would be a jerky thing to say about the current members of the team.  I think he would have been much happier had the Cubs just run away with it early as everyone had expected. 


Bingo. People are right to assume someone in Huntington's position is not always telling the truth. For this reason (and others), they can't.


I can believe he thought the season was over because of Kang, Marte and questions about Glasnow.  However, when team didn't get buried he didn't adjust. 



In fact I think it is a little amazing how the Bucs have not been able to develop a major league reliever through the farm system since Hughes.  Watson and Hughes are only successful relievers that have come up through the Bucs farm system in NH's tenure.  (sort of hoping someone names several other players that I've had a brain freeze on).


Fair enough point.  Maybe they think they're good at going out for relievers, and therefore have been more reluctant to convert ML starters sooner.

[Bobster21]

2A2F382B7D0C0F4E0 wrote: What I'm starting to believe is that he thought the season was sunk the moment the Marte suspension was announced, and that using prospects to "fix" it was a waste of resources.  And of course he won't say that in public as it would be a jerky thing to say about the current members of the team.  I think he would have been much happier had the Cubs just run away with it early as everyone had expected. 


Bingo. People are right to assume someone in Huntington's position is not always telling the truth. For this reason (and others), they can't.
I agree. I suspect a lot of times the real answer is something like "We don't want to spend that much" or "Who are we kidding; it won't make a difference anyway." I don't envy NH being a front man for this Nutting organization. But it doesn't mean we have to buy whatever he's selling either.

[ArnoldRothstein]

6E48495E48582B0 wrote:



In fact I think it is a little amazing how the Bucs have not been able to develop a major league reliever through the farm system since Hughes.  Watson and Hughes are only successful relievers that have come up through the Bucs farm system in NH's tenure.  (sort of hoping someone names several other players that I've had a brain freeze on).


Would you take Sean Burnett? This regime stuck with him through his shoulder recovery, and though he was traded pretty rapidly he was a good reliever by the time he left and stayed one for several years.

[Ecbucs]

70435F5E5D55635E4559424554585F310 wrote:



In fact I think it is a little amazing how the Bucs have not been able to develop a major league reliever through the farm system since Hughes.  Watson and Hughes are only successful relievers that have come up through the Bucs farm system in NH's tenure.  (sort of hoping someone names several other players that I've had a brain freeze on).


Would you take Sean Burnett?  This regime stuck with him through his shoulder recovery, and though he was traded pretty rapidly he was a good reliever by the time he left and stayed one for several years.


Maybe but he was drafted in first round in 2000. It seems to me that more than a couple of relievers should have come through the system since 2008.



A third one that I did forget was Justin Wilson.

[Quail]

For many years I worked in a corporate environment where the company I worked for rewarded their store managers for controlling payroll. The "carrot" used was to pay the manager a bonus based on a percentage of the amount of money below the targeted payroll goal for the store. Some managers were notorious for their obsession (greed) with getting the largest bonus possible. Of course the easiest way to accomplish this was to cut payroll at every possible opportunity. Their stores were often ones where staff shortages, long term sales decreases and employee dissatisfaction were rampant.



Eventually upper management became aware that this kind of bonus reward system was not in the best interest of the profitability of the corporation. They were forced to implement a payroll floor so that no manager could undermine the profitability of the store while lining his/her own pockets through staffing mismanagement.



It makes me wonder what "carrot" (if any) Nutting dangles in front of Huntington with regard to payroll. Our GM's lack of responsiveness this year sure reminds me of some of those old store managers.

[Bobster21]

012531393C500 wrote: For many years I worked in a corporate environment where the company I worked for rewarded their store managers for controlling payroll. The "carrot" used was to pay the manager a bonus based on a percentage of the amount of money below the targeted payroll goal for the store. Some managers were notorious for their obsession (greed) with getting the largest bonus possible. Of course the easiest way to accomplish this was to cut payroll at every possible opportunity. Their stores were often ones where staff shortages, long term sales decreases and employee dissatisfaction were rampant.



Eventually upper management became aware that this kind of bonus reward system was not in the best interest of the profitability of the corporation. They were forced to implement a payroll floor so that no manager could undermine the profitability of the store while lining his/her own pockets through staffing mismanagement.



It makes me wonder what "carrot" (if any) Nutting dangles in front of Huntington with regard to payroll. Our GM's lack of responsiveness this year sure reminds me of some of those old store managers.   
I don't think Nutting has to dangle a carrot for NH to adhere to Nutting's policy of maintaining a low payroll. It's NH's job. I expect that NH and all GMs have a payroll budget to work within as determined by the owner. I suspect the only carrot will be the offer NH gets to sign a new contract. He can be retained for 2018 with a club option and I'd be shocked if that didn't happen. But beyond 2018 there is no deal in place. I suspect NH might want to try GMing for a team without the significant financial constraints he now works under and before tying himself to Nutting with a new multi-year contract. So what might Nutting offer to keep him from leaving?

[Bobster21]

Here is the NH interview. Go to the Tuesday, August 1st section and "Neal Huntington/ Pirates GM."

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/audio/cook-and-poni/

[rucker59@gmail.com]

202B232F2A2B307573043D252C2B2B6A272B440 wrote: Yes, I believe the asking price was too high for players that were not better than what the team already has in place.  That is what Huntington said.  But since "we" don't like that answer, the assumption is that he is lying. 
You can't be serious. The Pirates were down to 2 actual OFers when Marte was suspended and again when Polanco got hurt. But you believe no OFer better than Jaso or Frazier was available? Or that the asking price for a reserve OFer was too high? 




.......



No team is going to trade a big piece in April. 



.....




That's just not true. You know the Braves made a pretty big move after Freeman went down. Just because a potential trade isn't listed in Craig's List doesn't mean Neal can't pick up the phone. Obviously GMs in Alanta and St L understands that.



Further, I haven't heard the interview (now posted by Bobster) but assuming I heard correct info, how do you treat Neal's statement that the pirates are "still contending" this season with his actions? Is he telling the TRUTH or twisting it?