OnlyBucs

404941505E240 wrote: stinks the cubs won but who really cares?   we have 5 months until opening day.   5 months for dognot to keep trying to convince people that coming in bottom 3rd in payroll really doesnt matter and the playoffs are a crapshoot.



groundhogs  day


Does the Cubs victory cause you so much frustration that you need to bait a fellow poster whose opinion happens to be different than yours. Lets play nice. This is a baseball forum not a presidential forum. Please cease and desist.

4D444C5D53290 wrote: stinks the cubs won but who really cares?   we have 5 months until opening day.   5 months for dognot to keep trying to convince people that coming in bottom 3rd in payroll really doesnt matter and the playoffs are a crapshoot.



groundhogs  day


Funny how this season when the two best teams make the WS we forget about two years ago when two wild card teams made it. Or the fact that the 21st highest payroll made the WS this year. Spend that money. One anyone. Works for everyone else (Yankees, Tigers, Angels).

1A3B331A31395E0 wrote: stinks the cubs won but who really cares?   we have 5 months until opening day.   5 months for dognot to keep trying to convince people that coming in bottom 3rd in payroll really doesnt matter and the playoffs are a crapshoot.



groundhogs  day


Does the Cubs victory cause you so much frustration that you need to bait a fellow poster whose opinion happens to be different than yours.  Lets play nice.  This is a baseball forum not a presidential forum.  Please cease and desist.




Wide grins for that one! ;D ;D

634455515449764255545449300 wrote:



I agree VA the Pirates are an ink spot to a guy like Theo Epstein he isn't concerned about them at all. And why should he be?? His team eliminated the Pirates in a one and done game in their own stadium 13 months ago and beat them 16 out of 19 games this past season. This is what happens when you have an owner who would rather tread water and act like he is spending money over an owner who actually wants to win and goes out and gets players that can actually make a difference.




I don't think this (specifically) has a thing to do with "an owner who would rather tread water."  That would be an easier problem to fix.  We are basically screwed and it doesn't matter what owner owns the Pirates unless he moves the team to LA or New York or Chicago. 

2328202C2928337670073E262F2828692428470 wrote: stinks the cubs won but who really cares?   we have 5 months until opening day.   5 months for dognot to keep trying to convince people that coming in bottom 3rd in payroll really doesnt matter and the playoffs are a crapshoot.



groundhogs  day


Funny how this season when the two best teams make the WS we forget about two years ago when two wild card teams made it.  Or the fact that the 21st highest payroll made the WS this year.  Spend that money.  One anyone.  Works for everyone else (Yankees, Tigers, Angels). 




We aren't even a wild card team in 2017 unless something happens that is unforeseen like we sign a good pitcher for the rotation.

Now that the Cubs have established themselves as an MLB power, you can bet the Cardinals won't take it lying down. And they've never been reluctant to spend. And the Cards already won 8 more games than the Pirates this year. So even passing them, much less the Cubs, is going to be difficult. And the Giants, Mets and Marlins all finished ahead of the Bucs in the WC race. The Pirates have a strong lineup IF, IF, IF everyone plays up to their potential, which certainly didn't happen this year. But unless the rotation becomes strong, they have little chance of returning to the playoffs. Given Cole's bad year and arm problems, Taillon seems the only one we can reasonably expect to have a good season. Cole should rebound but you never know. Kuhl looks promising but has to show it after the league has now had time to adjust to him. Anyone else (Glasnow, Hutchison, Williams, Brault, LeBlanc) is a crapshoot. This staff is going to make or break the Pirates. That's a scary thought as it stands now.

6D404D5C5B4A5D1D1E2F0 wrote: Now that the Cubs have established themselves as an MLB power, you can bet the Cardinals won't take it lying down. And they've never been reluctant to spend. And the Cards already won 8 more games than the Pirates this year. So even passing them, much less the Cubs, is going to be difficult. And the Giants, Mets and Marlins all finished ahead of the Bucs in the WC race. The Pirates have a strong lineup IF, IF, IF everyone plays up to their potential, which certainly didn't happen this year. But unless the rotation becomes strong, they have little chance of returning to the playoffs. Given Cole's bad year and arm problems, Taillon seems the only one we can reasonably expect to have a good season. Cole should rebound but you never know. Kuhl looks promising but has to show it after the league has now had time to adjust to him. Anyone else (Glasnow, Hutchison, Williams, Brault, LeBlanc) is a crapshoot. This staff is going to make or break the Pirates. That's a scary thought as it stands now.


All great points! I would also add that the Pirates' bullpen is no sure thing. We've become accustomed (spoiled?) to having a strong closer on the roster going into each new season since 2011 (Hanrahan, Grilli, Melancon). Not so for 2017. Watson and Rivero might prove to be adequate but Watson was unimpressive in his 2 months as closer and Rivero was not a paragon of consistency.



Pitching of all sorts will be the most important variable in how successful the Pirates will be in 2017.

517561696C000 wrote: Now that the Cubs have established themselves as an MLB power, you can bet the Cardinals won't take it lying down. And they've never been reluctant to spend. And the Cards already won 8 more games than the Pirates this year. So even passing them, much less the Cubs, is going to be difficult. And the Giants, Mets and Marlins all finished ahead of the Bucs in the WC race. The Pirates have a strong lineup IF, IF, IF everyone plays up to their potential, which certainly didn't happen this year. But unless the rotation becomes strong, they have little chance of returning to the playoffs. Given Cole's bad year and arm problems, Taillon seems the only one we can reasonably expect to have a good season. Cole should rebound but you never know. Kuhl looks promising but has to show it after the league has now had time to adjust to him. Anyone else (Glasnow, Hutchison, Williams, Brault, LeBlanc) is a crapshoot. This staff is going to make or break the Pirates. That's a scary thought as it stands now.


All great points! I would also add that the Pirates' bullpen is no sure thing. We've become accustomed (spoiled?) to having a strong closer on the roster going into each new season since 2011 (Hanrahan, Grilli, Melancon). Not so for 2017. Watson and Rivero might prove to be adequate but Watson was unimpressive in his 2 months as closer and Rivero was not a paragon of consistency.



Pitching of all sorts will be the most important variable in how successful the Pirates will be in 2017.   




Agreed. This is why I think "our window" is more hope than reality. The Pirates are one of several teams that have a realistic chance at a playoff spot, but I think the Pirate's chances among this group is on the lower end - unless Neal pulls a rabbit out of his hat.



Other teams with at least as good, probably better, chance: Cubs, Cardinals, Nationals, Mets, Marlins, Dodgers, Giants. Realistically the Pirates are no better than 8th in the NL - a .500 team. Saying we have a window or a good lineup has to meet the reality of the rest of the league. This is who we are. Unless Neal hits a home run. My guess is he won't even be swinging for the fence.