OnlyBucs

0B3E2929221B29292225294C0 wrote: Surg,



I'm on your side.  But, how does one explain people just yesterday apologizing for having Hedges catching? 



Has to be one or the other, doesn't it?  Be smart and have Davis catch....or, the other.
I posted over in the Roster thread about Hedges. They've painted themselves into a corner with him. I don't care about what the pitchers are saying, he's an effing team mate, so they'll have his back. I have no doubt they would dance behind closed doors if he ended up with an injury that would basically end his season, at least one where he'd probably end up on the 60 day IL. Takes him off the 40 for all intents and purposes, he'll be a FA after the season.



Like I said, he's a White Elephant.



There isn't a "savior" right now. They need Cruz and Choi back healthy, I think that improves the offense right there. But it's time to put guys like Bae, Castro, and Suwinski back on the AAA merry go round, and give someone else their shot again. Maybe someone will realize, "hey, I've got a shot to be the next Mary Richards, and throw my hat up in the air at the park!" You know, "You're gonna make it afterall"

I suppose on the anniversary of Custer's Last Stand, it was only fitting that the Pirates lost their 12th of 13 games and were shut out for the 4th time in 9 games. The Pirates always seem to be surrounded and outgunned.

I will have a very difficult time believing that any suspects in the system and LMGs, current or future, will be any better than what we saw for three years beginning in 2013.  Even then, it was the additions of external talent who made their contributions. 



We'll see the commitment level this go 'round.



Once we get past Reynolds and Henry Davis, not much to talk about and even Davis isn't utilized properly.



What is going on?  Cherington isn't doing much to sway me to his side.  Just being honest.

Andujar has been smashing the ball AAA. Need to give him another look see, they are paying him a guaranteed contract .

Admittedly, I followed along with none of the games in Miami. My only sources of information were the box scores and your collective comments here on the board. But how I’m viewing this season hasn’t changed with this weekend’s results. I’m still choosing to view what’s happening this year as to how it affects the future.



The hitting is terrible, and that’s because the line-up and bench consist mostly of players who won’t be here as early as this season. Davis and Gonzales, and the young guys who follow, along with Reynolds and Hayes (and I’m still not sold on him being here in a year or two), are the only guys we should worry about. The others will elsewhere or even out of baseball soon.



Regarding the starting pitching, I continue to be encouraged by what I see. Keller, Oviedo, and Ortiz are going in the right direction. Bido has performed very well, but it’s hard to say if that’s what we can expect from him going forward. Contreras seems to be getting things together in the bullpen for now. I still think he has potential to be a good contributor. Overall, I like the starters to take the team to greater heights in the future.



So everyone, hang in there. What I see this year, in spite of the past two months, is brighter than what we’ve witnessed over the past several years. We knew this wasn’t going to be easy. But I’m convinced better days are ahead.

On the horizon.

2B7D6B7F706A7A717C6B597E74787075377A190 wrote: Admittedly, I followed along with none of the games in Miami.  My only sources of information were the box scores and your collective comments here on the board.  But how I’m viewing this season hasn’t changed with this weekend’s results.  I’m still choosing to view what’s happening this year as to how it affects the future.



The hitting is terrible, and that’s because the line-up and bench consist mostly of players who won’t be here as early as this season.  Davis and Gonzales, and the young guys who follow, along with Reynolds and Hayes (and I’m still not sold on him being here in a year or two), are the only guys we should worry about.  The others will elsewhere or even out of baseball soon.



Regarding the starting pitching, I continue to be encouraged by what I see.  Keller, Oviedo, and Ortiz are going in the right direction.  Bido has performed very well, but it’s hard to say if that’s what we can expect from him going forward.  Contreras seems to be getting things together in the bullpen for now.  I still think he has potential to be a good contributor.  Overall, I like the starters to take the team to greater heights in the future.



So everyone, hang in there.  What I see this year, in spite of the past two months, is brighter than what we’ve witnessed over the past several years.  We knew this wasn’t going to be easy.  But I’m convinced better days are ahead.


The starting pitching shows promise but I just don't see who is going to provide the hitting in upcoming seasons.



There's little in AA or AAA at 1B. Mason Martin and Nunez are doing little. We can pencil in Gonzales and Cruz for 2B and SS with Peguero as another option. Hayes provides light hitting at 3B. Davis and Endy Rodriguez should take care of the catching with either of them also a candidate for 1B. Maybe Cruz could play 1B if Peguero can handle SS. Beyond Reynolds, the OF looks shaky since Cutch is unlikely to return. Suwinski is more of a liability than an asset. Swaggerty looks like a bust. No one other than Andujar at Indy shows promise in either AA or AAA for the OF. But he seems to be a AAAA player. Maybe Bae can play CF and be a sparkplug type player. Maybe.



A lineup of .220 to .240 hitters doesn't work. Best case scenario is for Reynolds, Davis, Cruz, Rodriguez to be impact players and add 1 or 2 externally. But I think there's more uncertainty than confidence as we look to the future.

Fair assessment.



We have a good farm system. I say package guys and trade up. God forbid!



But, I have reason to be hesitant on that, too.

103D30212637206063520 wrote: Admittedly, I followed along with none of the games in Miami.  My only sources of information were the box scores and your collective comments here on the board.  But how I’m viewing this season hasn’t changed with this weekend’s results.  I’m still choosing to view what’s happening this year as to how it affects the future.



The hitting is terrible, and that’s because the line-up and bench consist mostly of players who won’t be here as early as this season.  Davis and Gonzales, and the young guys who follow, along with Reynolds and Hayes (and I’m still not sold on him being here in a year or two), are the only guys we should worry about.  The others will elsewhere or even out of baseball soon.



Regarding the starting pitching, I continue to be encouraged by what I see.  Keller, Oviedo, and Ortiz are going in the right direction.  Bido has performed very well, but it’s hard to say if that’s what we can expect from him going forward.  Contreras seems to be getting things together in the bullpen for now.  I still think he has potential to be a good contributor.  Overall, I like the starters to take the team to greater heights in the future.



So everyone, hang in there.  What I see this year, in spite of the past two months, is brighter than what we’ve witnessed over the past several years.  We knew this wasn’t going to be easy.  But I’m convinced better days are ahead.


The starting pitching shows promise but I just don't see who is going to provide the hitting in upcoming seasons.



There's little in AA or AAA at 1B. Mason Martin and Nunez are doing little. We can pencil in Gonzales and Cruz for 2B and SS with Peguero as another option. Hayes provides light hitting at 3B. Davis and Endy Rodriguez should take care of the catching with either of them also a candidate for 1B. Maybe Cruz could play 1B if Peguero can handle SS. Beyond Reynolds, the OF looks shaky since Cutch is unlikely to return. Suwinski is more of a liability than an asset. Swaggerty looks like a bust. No one other than Andujar at Indy shows promise in either AA or AAA for the OF. But he seems to be a AAAA player. Maybe Bae can play CF and be a sparkplug type player. Maybe.



A lineup of .220 to .240 hitters doesn't work. Best case scenario is for Reynolds, Davis, Cruz, Rodriguez to be impact players and add 1 or 2 externally. But I think there's more uncertainty than confidence as we look to the future. 


One guy neither of us mentioned is Dylan Cruz, but only if he’s the draft choice next month, of course. Too many draft experts are using the five-tool description for him not to be a fairly safe bet that he’ll contribute more than what we’ve seen parade through Pittsburgh during the last year and a half. If he truly is the real deal, he and Reynolds will make the outfield a lot better than it is now, even with someone like Suwinski and/or another player serving as the third outfielder.



I’m putting a lot of faith in guys like Davis, Gonzales, Endy, Johnson, et al to be above average players. If these players aren’t going to help, other GMs will recognize that also, so dealing them away for something better is unrealistic and naive.