OnlyBucs

767A7B2029202825223D27100 wrote: Appears that Mets have a deal in place to sign Todd Frazier pending a physical. I would assume they no longer need Harrison.


$17 million for two years.



Moustakis is still out there too.

pretty cheap deal for Frazier. I wonder if Mets would not take him a on a one year deal.

Frazier had 3.0 war in 2017 and 2.5 war in 2016. If Frazier produces like that, the cost of a war is just over $3 million in free agency. Bucs need to go shopping in this market!

2years/17 is even less than I thought.   There's our 30hr 3bman with solid defense.



Hard to express how stupid our org is, but I always try. We pay Hudson comparable money. SRod making 2 mil less. Jeezus

6D646C7D73090 wrote: 2years/17 is even less than I thought.   There's our 30hr 3bman with solid defense.



Hard to express how stupid our org is, but I always try.  We pay Hudson comparable money.   SRod making 2 mil less.  Jeezus


This is why I wanted to buy and sell. This was the off season to do it for sure. I would have kept McCutchen this year and try a little run. They could have still traded Cole and added. Third base and the bullpen were the big holes in my opinion. The bullpen arms got paid, but the position players are well under previous market rates.



There are still some big names out there.

6E656D6164657E3B3D4A736B6265652469650A0 wrote: 2years/17 is even less than I thought.   There's our 30hr 3bman with solid defense.



Hard to express how stupid our org is, but I always try.  We pay Hudson comparable money.   SRod making 2 mil less.  Jeezus


This is why I wanted to buy and sell.  This was the off season to do it for sure.  I would have kept McCutchen this year and try a little run.  They could have still traded Cole and added.  Third base and the bullpen were the big holes in my opinion.  The bullpen arms got paid, but the position players are well under previous market rates.



There are still some big names out there.   




Exactly and I agreed with you.   The FA class met our needs.  the prices are crazy low.  Try to win, trade cole and cutch at the deadline if you're not competing.    



We need to stop waiting for the stars to align to try to win.   If everything breaks right and the market is good, and we're within 2 games, and players are over-performing expectations, and it's between 81-83 degrees, and the humidity is under 80%....



then and only then can we try to win.  otherwise, we better not mortgage that elusive future for the present

I had guessed that the payroll direction for this year would be a little less than last, maybe 90 even to 95 MM. Attendance was down and I expected some effect from that. Now I'm starting to wonder if it may be lower even than that earlier guess of mine. Frazier would have been nice (although arguably he would block that new guy and later Hayes).

292B313721440 wrote: I had guessed that the payroll direction for this year would be a little less than last, maybe 90 even to 95 MM. Attendance was down and I expected some effect from that. Now I'm starting to wonder if it may be lower even than that earlier guess of mine. Frazier would have been nice (although arguably he would block that new guy and later Hayes).


A third baseman isn't needed now with the trade acquiring Moran, but signing someone like Frazier would have had different targets if Cole was still going to be traded.



Oh well, they are in rebuild mode. It is just my opinion that they could have sold (Cole) and still buy due to the market. I think many of the small markets blew it this off season.

6E6C767066030 wrote: I had guessed that the payroll direction for this year would be a little less than last, maybe 90 even to 95 MM. Attendance was down and I expected some effect from that. Now I'm starting to wonder if it may be lower even than that earlier guess of mine. Frazier would have been nice (although arguably he would block that new guy and later Hayes).


Low payroll leads to bad team.

Bad team leads to poor attendance.

Poor attendance leads to low payroll.



How is this cycle supposed to end? It would require a good team on a low payroll which means stellar drafting and shrewd trades to compile a roster of productive, low salaried players. And then the stars have to align with good health and some good luck. And a commitment that if this can be accomplished (as in 2015), that payroll is increased as needed to get that team over the hump with 1 or 2 productive veterans to fill remaining holes. Which is what they refused to do in 2016. So while it's possible, I see no reason to trust the same people who previously failed to try again and succeed.

Winning solves everything. The Pirates had a higher attendance in 2015 than the Astros did last year. I expect the Astros to get closer to three million this year as the excitement is in the air. I expect the Pirates to have a lower attendance in 2018 than they did in 2017, since they are rebuilding.