OnlyBucs

68737E7F767A751B0 wrote: IMHO the entire first off season was almost a waste because of the late hiring process. It was done in most unusual fashion and timing, which for the Pirates of late, comes as no surprise.



A truncated spring training. With my recollection, there really wasn't anyone that seemed to be busting out, they were doing pretty bad. That couldn't have helped.



But it was obvious this team had absolutely nothing with which to trade for immediate impact, which I believe I have stated on a few occasions.



Now people are questioning MARTE's trade?!?!?!?!? The guy was absolutely excoriated in every forum I was a member. You know, "all that talent, but never realized it"...."ten cent head"...."lazy".....I'm sure there were plenty of others.  Yet somehow, BC was supposed to get some immediate quality ML ready player that would satisfy the collective mindset of the fandom? For that guy? What I find amazing is that somehow, Marte suddenly got WAY better immediately after he was traded. He suddenly became a top notch Pirate talent.



Let us not forget, this past draft. Remember, the one with only SIX picks? The Pirates went pitcher and college heavy, to get guys who were closer to being ready because there really wasn't much down on the farm. They used 99.2 percent of their allotted signing money, and signed all of their picks. So, they didn't even get a normal draft for the first go around. I wonder if they even got to pick guys they really wanted due to the fewer number of picks.



Last but not least, didn't improve on ONE position? Am I the only one who noticed they had one of the better starting rotations for the last six weeks of the season?



So yeah, they were terrible. Sure would have been nice if Josh Bell, Bryan Reynolds, Adam Frazier, Kevin Newman would have shown up. You know, they guys whose names seem to be bandied about as actual trade options for really, really, really good talent?



There was nothing to trade to make the team even "one position better". There was nothing turned over. There was no way to even evaluate the players in the system. I hated this last season, but face it, that was their spring training. They did exactly what every single one of us knew was going to happen, and finish last.



Yet somehow, the expectations were, actually I don't know what for last season. 



AFAIC, the real work started with the draft, and I'll wait and see what happens from there on forward. This offseason IMHO is really this regime's first.



I'm going to actually see if they do anything for once. One thing you could count on with NH, no need to follow the transactions listing.
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So, there was absolutely no possible way to improve the worst team in all of baseball?
Yes they could have improved them to the worst team in baseball, but only slightly worse than the second worse team in baseball. Maybe they could have traded for Mike Trout, won 7 more games, and still finished three games back of the fourth place team.



I concur, they could have been improved. What ever improvement they could have made, would have been insignificant. Still wouldn't have won a championship, got them close to a championship, got them close to a playoff spot.



Simply saying the train wreck was improved because there were only 35 dead bodies instead of 40 still makes it a train wreck.

0B2D2A3F363A2D3B33580 wrote: IMHO the entire first off season was almost a waste because of the late hiring process. It was done in most unusual fashion and timing, which for the Pirates of late, comes as no surprise.



A truncated spring training. With my recollection, there really wasn't anyone that seemed to be busting out, they were doing pretty bad. That couldn't have helped.



But it was obvious this team had absolutely nothing with which to trade for immediate impact, which I believe I have stated on a few occasions.



Now people are questioning MARTE's trade?!?!?!?!? The guy was absolutely excoriated in every forum I was a member. You know, "all that talent, but never realized it"...."ten cent head"...."lazy".....I'm sure there were plenty of others.  Yet somehow, BC was supposed to get some immediate quality ML ready player that would satisfy the collective mindset of the fandom? For that guy? What I find amazing is that somehow, Marte suddenly got WAY better immediately after he was traded. He suddenly became a top notch Pirate talent.



Let us not forget, this past draft. Remember, the one with only SIX picks? The Pirates went pitcher and college heavy, to get guys who were closer to being ready because there really wasn't much down on the farm. They used 99.2 percent of their allotted signing money, and signed all of their picks. So, they didn't even get a normal draft for the first go around. I wonder if they even got to pick guys they really wanted due to the fewer number of picks.



Last but not least, didn't improve on ONE position? Am I the only one who noticed they had one of the better starting rotations for the last six weeks of the season?



So yeah, they were terrible. Sure would have been nice if Josh Bell, Bryan Reynolds, Adam Frazier, Kevin Newman would have shown up. You know, they guys whose names seem to be bandied about as actual trade options for really, really, really good talent?



There was nothing to trade to make the team even "one position better". There was nothing turned over. There was no way to even evaluate the players in the system. I hated this last season, but face it, that was their spring training. They did exactly what every single one of us knew was going to happen, and finish last.



Yet somehow, the expectations were, actually I don't know what for last season. 



AFAIC, the real work started with the draft, and I'll wait and see what happens from there on forward. This offseason IMHO is really this regime's first.



I'm going to actually see if they do anything for once. One thing you could count on with NH, no need to follow the transactions listing.
______

So, there was absolutely no possible way to improve the worst team in all of baseball?
Yes they could have improved them to the worst team in baseball, but only slightly worse than the second worse team in baseball.  Maybe they could have traded for Mike Trout, won 7 more games, and still finished three games back of the fourth place team.



I concur, they could have been improved. What ever improvement they could have made, would have been insignificant. Still wouldn't have won a championship, got them close to a championship, got them close to a playoff spot.



Simply saying the train wreck was improved because there were only 35 dead bodies instead of 40 still makes it a train wreck.






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That is #3!!!

"Padres general manager A.J. Preller said Wednesday that "it sounds like there's interest on both sides" in a contract extension for Fernando Tatis Jr."

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I wonder if Cherington has interest in signing anyone to a contract extension?

554E43424B4748260 wrote: "Padres general manager A.J. Preller said Wednesday that "it sounds like there's interest on both sides" in a contract extension for Fernando Tatis Jr."

---

I wonder if Cherington has interest in signing anyone to a contract extension?


I'm sure he would if he had a talent like Tatis. Of course, there's no player on the Pirates roster who comes close. Which player would you offer an extension to?

6F392F3B342E3E35382F1D3A303C3431733E5D0 wrote: "Padres general manager A.J. Preller said Wednesday that "it sounds like there's interest on both sides" in a contract extension for Fernando Tatis Jr."

---

I wonder if Cherington has interest in signing anyone to a contract extension?


I'm sure he would if he had a talent like Tatis.  Of course, there's no player on the Pirates roster who comes close.  Which player would you offer an extension to?


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Reynolds.

The Pirates organization is more than the major league club. It's scouting, the minor leagues, analytics etc. When the season ended Cherington began to make changes to those offices, including a search for a new farm director. In addition, he drafted Nick Gonzales and traded for Liover Peguero and Brennan Malone. The team's first, fifth and seventh ranked prospects according to MLB.com.



They also appear to actually have a plan when it comes to international signings. Signings are admittedly somewhat a crap shoot, but the current regime's process seems a lot better than just letting Rene Gayo run the show. (While skimming something off the top for himself.)



So yes, Cherington has taken concrete steps to improve the organization.

39222F2E272B244A0 wrote: "Padres general manager A.J. Preller said Wednesday that "it sounds like there's interest on both sides" in a contract extension for Fernando Tatis Jr."

---

I wonder if Cherington has interest in signing anyone to a contract extension?


I'm sure he would if he had a talent like Tatis.  Of course, there's no player on the Pirates roster who comes close.  Which player would you offer an extension to?


_____

Reynolds.
I agree I would like them to extend Reynolds, but was this season a fluke? He appears to be a natural hitter, but he never got out of the funk this season. I would delay an extension just to make sure this season was out of the ordinary for him. He doesn’t have to hit .300 each year the high .280s is fine with me.

5E5253080108000D0A150F380 wrote: "Padres general manager A.J. Preller said Wednesday that "it sounds like there's interest on both sides" in a contract extension for Fernando Tatis Jr."

---

I wonder if Cherington has interest in signing anyone to a contract extension?


I'm sure he would if he had a talent like Tatis.  Of course, there's no player on the Pirates roster who comes close.  Which player would you offer an extension to?


_____

Reynolds.
I agree I would like them to extend Reynolds, but was this season a fluke? He appears to be a natural hitter, but he never got out of the funk this season. I would delay an extension just to make sure this season was out of the ordinary for him. He doesn’t have to hit .300 each year the high .280s is fine with me.
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Unfortunately, Reynolds is on the same glide path as Gerrit Cole and Aramis Ramirez. They wait until he has an off year(preferably when hje is close to FA) and then salary dump him and say that he wasn't that good when he was here.

3B202D2C252926480 wrote: "Padres general manager A.J. Preller said Wednesday that "it sounds like there's interest on both sides" in a contract extension for Fernando Tatis Jr."

---

I wonder if Cherington has interest in signing anyone to a contract extension?


I'm sure he would if he had a talent like Tatis.  Of course, there's no player on the Pirates roster who comes close.  Which player would you offer an extension to?


_____

Reynolds.


Of all of the Pirates players, Reynolds would be my first choice to offer an extension. Had he had another good season in 2020, I'd be screaming for BC to extend him. But he's had two very different seasons and it might be prudent to watch him play in 2021 to see if he's the player of 2019 or of 2020.

342F22232A2629470 wrote: "Padres general manager A.J. Preller said Wednesday that "it sounds like there's interest on both sides" in a contract extension for Fernando Tatis Jr."

---

I wonder if Cherington has interest in signing anyone to a contract extension?


I'm sure he would if he had a talent like Tatis.  Of course, there's no player on the Pirates roster who comes close.  Which player would you offer an extension to?


_____

Reynolds.
I agree I would like them to extend Reynolds, but was this season a fluke? He appears to be a natural hitter, but he never got out of the funk this season. I would delay an extension just to make sure this season was out of the ordinary for him. He doesn’t have to hit .300 each year the high .280s is fine with me.
______

Unfortunately, Reynolds is on the same glide path as Gerrit Cole and Aramis Ramirez.  They wait until he has an off year(preferably when hje is close to FA) and then salary dump him and say that he wasn't that good when he was here.




You're describing the previous regime. Try to keep up.