OnlyBucs

517C71606776612122130 wrote: Darn good player Freese. Wish the Brain Thrust had valued him and kept him a Buc. He is a gamer and a vet who knows how to win. Bucs had him and sold him off for nothing in my opinion. Typical Nutting move...Beat'em Bucs
Freese is a handy player to have. But he'll be 36 next April and was due 6 million for 2019 with a $500,000 buyout. After the trade, that became LA's responsibility. They paid the buyout and renegotiated a new 1 year deal for 5 million. So Freese gets 5.5 million instead of 6 million and LA keeps him while saving $500,000. I doubt Freese would have taken a reduction to stay with the Pirates. And 5.5 million is chump change for LA, as they had the 3rd highest payroll in MLB at 199.5 mil. Pirates were 27th at 91 mil. Freese's 5.5 mil would be 2.7% of LA's 2018 payroll but 6% of the Pirates'. Freese already said last year he needed to play less due to his age. And he'll be another year older at an age most players are thru. If he fizzles out in 2019, his salary won't matter to LA. But it would hamstring the Pirates. Money rules MLB. LA has it and spends it. The Pirates can't compete with that. 


I don't mind that the Pirates traded Freese but getting somebody who is 20 and playing in the Dominican Republic seems like no return. I guess we'll know more about that after he plays this season.

Bobster, you are correct on the salary being too big for the franchise currently. It just irritates me that this franchise is so penny pinching, $$ driven in every move. Dang, it is a sad state of affairs to see former Pirates playing well on other teams and Nutting and Co. always crowing about being financially solvent. Just sad I tell you, just sad.... >:(

Yeah, LA has an extra 8 billion or so to play with.

I didn't know this, but Zach Von Rosenburg (remember him?) is the punter for LSU. They first tried him at tight end. I was pretty high on him when he was drafted.

Rick van den Hurk outdueled Kris Johnson as the SoftBank Hawks completed their Japan Series win over the Hiroshima Carp. Final score 2-0, Hawks win the Series 4-1, with one tie.

When I saw Oliver Perez (yes, he's still around) was a FA, I looked up his numbers. He put up a really good season as a LOOGY this year. 32 1/3 innings, 1.39 ERA, 0742 WHIP.

The SK Wyverns lead the Doosan Bears, 3-2, in this years Korean Series. Jamie Romak hit two homers for SK in Game 3, Josh Lindblom was the loser for Doosan in Game 1 but came back to win Game 4. SK can clinch the Series with a Game 6 win early Monday morning.

Harold Ramirez has signed a minor league contract with the Marlins. His stock has dropped considerably since he was traded by the Bucs in the Liriano deal.

333F3E656C656D60677862550 wrote: Harold Ramirez has signed a minor league contract with the Marlins. His stock has dropped considerably since he was traded by the Bucs in the Liriano deal.
OTOH Reese McGuire opened some eyes in Toronto as a September call up when he hit .290 with 3 doubles and 2 HRs in 14 games. Good for him!

614C41505746511112230 wrote: Harold Ramirez has signed a minor league contract with the Marlins. His stock has dropped considerably since he was traded by the Bucs in the Liriano deal.
OTOH Reese McGuire opened some eyes in Toronto as a September call up when he hit .290 with 3 doubles and 2 HRs in 14 games. Good for him!




well the Bucs still have Drew Hutchison - oops - the Bucs got 11 innings from him.