OnlyBucs

Could be. Since left field seems the open spot, I suspect it comes down to Frazier, Luplow, and perhaps Nava (or two of them). Nava has that veteranosity factor going for him.



You would think on a team with results like this team had last year that more than one or two positions would be up in the air.

LF and 3B were the holes.



A trade was made for 3B. LF has some young guys in Luplow, Frazier, and Meadows. I didn't expect am outfield starter to be brought in as a free agent. If they trade someone (Harrison, Freese), I would like a young outfielder who is ready to go. That is still a possibility.



Marte, Polanco, Mercer, Harrison, Bell, and Cervelli should all start. They are the best at their positions right now in the organization.

I think if they trade Harrison, Nova, etc. a young AAA or ML ready catcher should be the prime consideration.

Freese should be a lock to be traded. But considering what the FA market is, why would a team trade anything for a 1 b/ 3b backup?



Even with Cutch and Cole gone, you could 180 this dumb plan overnight with the FAs available and build a team that would be likely to have a winning record. They are crazy cheap and they are abundant. This is the year to BUY.



Then, after you put together a team likely to win

more than it loses...perhaps you catch some lightning and who knows what can happen?



So many talented players available for cheap...

333A32232D570 wrote: Freese should be a lock to be traded.  But considering what the FA market is, why would a team trade anything for a 1 b/ 3b backup?



Even with Cutch and Cole gone, you could 180 this dumb plan overnight with the FAs available and build a team that would be likely to have a winning record.  They are crazy cheap and they are abundant.   This is the year to BUY.



Then, after you put together a team likely to win

more than it loses...perhaps you catch some lightning and who knows what can happen?



So many talented players available for cheap...






So true! But of course ownership is apparently so intractably focused on maximizing profit that even in a year of abundant FA bargains, a few well considered signings of which (as you mention) could actually result in a team with a winning record they will not make the effort. It's frustrating as a fan to sit back and watch a team that has a current payroll of $76M (which is about 50% of league average) completely ignore a resource which they can afford , and that could provide immediate improvement. >:(

636A62737D070 wrote: Freese should be a lock to be traded.  But considering what the FA market is, why would a team trade anything for a 1 b/ 3b backup?



Even with Cutch and Cole gone, you could 180 this dumb plan overnight with the FAs available and build a team that would be likely to have a winning record.  They are crazy cheap and they are abundant.   This is the year to BUY.



Then, after you put together a team likely to win

more than it loses...perhaps you catch some lightning and who knows what can happen?



So many talented players available for cheap...






With the market, Freese isn't wanted by anyone. At least for nothing in return. That's why I said he will probably be back, with a slight chance of being traded. Of course, that was before his comments.



I said all along this was the year to add. Get that 3B (Moustakis) and some Bullpen. A surprise to me, the relief pitchers are the ones who got paid this off season.



They went in a different direction. Let's hope it works.

It's the job of TBMTIB to read the market and make the appropriate moves.   Clearly there was never any chance they were going to try to compete this year, it's obvious now they were in a predetermined sell mode when it came to Cutch and Cole.  You can't get a better FA market.  Some of us were just kidding ourselves that NH was telling the truth when he said he wasn't sure of the direction.



We actually thought there was a chance they would make a real FA addition or two and go for it this season... before having to start the inevitable rebuild. 



There was never any intent to compete, lol, come on.    I agree that NH should stop selling while he's far, far behind.  You can't sell into this headwind and I don't believe NH can sell at all, let alone in a market like this.



Maybe a market will open for JHay at the deadline, you cannot give players away. (I think the return on BOTH trades were poor, but the Cutch trade return is an embarrassment, especially)

3A31393530312A6F691E273F363131703D315E0 wrote: Freese should be a lock to be traded.  But considering what the FA market is, why would a team trade anything for a 1 b/ 3b backup?



Even with Cutch and Cole gone, you could 180 this dumb plan overnight with the FAs available and build a team that would be likely to have a winning record.  They are crazy cheap and they are abundant.   This is the year to BUY.



Then, after you put together a team likely to win

more than it loses...perhaps you catch some lightning and who knows what can happen?



So many talented players available for cheap...






With the market, Freese isn't wanted by anyone. At least for nothing in return. That's why I said he will probably be back, with a slight chance of being traded. Of course, that was before his comments.



I said all along this was the year to add. Get that 3B (Moustakis) and some Bullpen. A surprise to me, the relief pitchers are the ones who got paid this off season.



They went in a different direction. Let's hope it works.






and for as much as I disagree with you here, which I would guestimate to be 70+% of the time... I agreed with you 100%. 



There were several acceptable combinations of additions that would have made me happy and gotten the 2018 Pirates into the conversation.    2018 payroll would have been about 120-125, depending on the combination of moves.     That's it



Does anyone really believe that Cole wouldn't have returned Colin Moran and Musgrove (a bullpen pitcher currently, for gods sake) on July 31st had we not been in the hunt??   I realize and agree there is possible upside with Musgrove, but he's not being traded as a starter, he's being traded to us as a pen pitcher with a possibility of being a effective starter   



I fail to see what real future we would have been "mortgaging" by holding off on Cole if THAT was the best return.   If it was going to be Andujar and Chance Adams from the yanks, I think there's alot more upside there to consider, but the Stros package is 2 marginal prospect value guys and 2 throw ins.   Barring a Cole injury or meltdown, I fail to see how that same value isn't available on July 31st.



In summary, I just really hate NH.  I used to both praise and criticize him but I openly admit he has flat out lost me since last year... and I'm biased against him now.  I can't stand him as a GM and think he's destroying our chances at being a good baseball team now and in the future.   



(the "Nutting is cheap" being an unchangeable, unfortunate fact)



    

You can disagree with me all you want, but I did predict this would happen. Once Cole is trade they all would be traded (McCutchen & Harrison). I am surprised Harrison is still on the team at this point.



I also said teams weren't high on Moustakis and that should be the target for the Pirates. I know the Pirates don't sign many free agents to make an impact, but Moustakis wouldn't be that expensive. He is still not signed.



I said the Yanees were very hard to trade with. They have a lot of talent and could use some guarantee players to win now. They didn't want to give up anyone. No team made a trade with them, not just the Pirates. I doubt the names we think should have been in the talks was ever a reality.



Not sure why you think Musgrove is a relief pitcher? The Astros did with him what you want the Pirates to do with their young players. He was put in their bullpen with some occasional starts. He's 25 years old.



Huntington is going with a young team with some experience. It's a different strategy for sure. This is his last run before I think they will move on without their GM. I hope the players show signs going forward.



I'm disappointed they didn't add for one last run with McCutchen. I don't think the division is that strong meaning the Cubs and Cardinals aren't as good as previous years. I am excited to see the young pitching develop. If they do, the Pirates will be looking pretty good in a few years.

646F676B6E6F743137407961686F6F2E636F000 wrote: You can disagree with me all you want, but I did predict this would happen. Once Cole is trade they all would be traded (McCutchen & Harrison). I am surprised Harrison is still on the team at this point.



I also said teams weren't high on Moustakis and that should be the target for the Pirates. I know the Pirates don't sign many free agents to make an impact, but Moustakis wouldn't be that expensive. He is still not signed.



I said the Yanees were very hard to trade with. They have a lot of talent and could use some guarantee players to win now. They didn't want to give up anyone. No team made a trade with them, not just the Pirates. I doubt the names we think should have been in the talks was ever a reality.



Not sure why you think Musgrove is a relief pitcher? The Astros did with him what you want the Pirates to do with their young players. He was put in their bullpen with some occasional starts. He's 25 years old.



Huntington is going with a young team with some experience. It's a different strategy for sure. This is his last run before I think they will move on without their GM. I hope the players show signs going forward.



I'm disappointed they didn't add for one last run with McCutchen. I don't think the division is that strong meaning the Cubs and Cardinals aren't as good as previous years. I am excited to see the young pitching develop. If they do, the Pirates will be looking pretty good in a few years.


In 2016 Musgrove made 10 starts and 1 relief appearance. He opened 2017 in the starting rotation and made 15 starts by mid July. But he was struggling with a 6.12 ERA. At that point he was sent to the bullpen where he remained the rest of the season making 23 relief appearances. So he was not a bullpen pitcher with occasional starts. He was strictly a starter who did poorly and then was strictly a reliever.