2025 Spring Training

[Surgnbuck]

Just glanced at the Pirates MLB Site and looked at the current roster and Cook, Yorke and Davis all show in minors. There have not been any announcements regarding to roster assignments today, but it sure appears some players have been optioned to Indy. Also it appears Palacios is no longer on the 40 man roster.

Damn I nailed all of that!

[mouse]

I was a little surprised at both Cook and Davis. Cook plays hard and seemed to fit a need - backup at first and in the outfield. The Suwinski/Bae duo must the the ones for the outfield, at least. Stewart at first? On the catcher front, I thought they would give Endy some time in the minors to get back in the flow. What does this mean for Davis? He has nothing left to learn from a hitting standpoint in the minors. Trade candidate? Or may learn another position (first base?).

[Surgnbuck]

Bucs only 3 hits and 1 run against MLB pitching so far today, and Blue Jays bringing in minor leaguers now. Remember how they talked about winning on the fringes?

Well, aside from another putrid offensive display, they're also in fine form in the field. On an 0-2 pitch to a left handed hitter, Falter surrenders a leadoff double. Then, Triolo has a ball hit to him that he can't handle, it deflects away for a ruled single. Next batter is a lefty, singles on Falter's first pitch and the Blue Jays have a gift run. A groundout moves a guy to third. A strikeout. With two outs, what's ruled a wild pitch but IMHO should have been a passed ball, scores the second run.

Defense was shoddy, and two fat pitches to lefties and just like that 2 runs scored, and with the way the team has been hitting, what seems an almost insurmountable deficit.

Does this scenario sound familiar? Like the 10-15 games the team said they lost just like this that they should have won had they done things "fundamentally sound"?

[Surgnbuck]

Am I seeing this correct on gameday- Ke'Bryan Hayes is catching?

[Surgnbuck]

Well, gameday has it wrong, I turned on the broadcast, it's clearly not Hayes behind the plate

[Surgnbuck]

Gameday just assumed Hayes went to catcher because he was replaced in the field by the guy who pinch ran for Bart, but Bart remains in the game.

[JollyRoger8]

Bullpen surprise. Nicholas was sent down. He did have a little control problems but also had a good era and K%.
Rainey pitched great. If It is Lawrence making the club instead of Nicholas then I will be disappointed. I don’t think Lawrence adds anything. They talk about arm slot and he gives a different look. I say BS to that. I want results not a “different look”

[fjk090852-7]

It is only ST stats, but I sure hope Pham hits much better when the season begins than he did during the exhibition season. He was a player I had hoped the Pirates would not have pursued, but since he is on the team I will hope he does well.

[3pirates3]

https://x.com/_NoahHiles/status/1904183907999683060

[Bobster]

Bullpen surprise. Nicholas was sent down. He did have a little control problems but also had a good era and K%.
Rainey pitched great. If It is Lawrence making the club instead of Nicholas then I will be disappointed. I don’t think Lawrence adds anything. They talk about arm slot and he gives a different look. I say BS to that. I want results not a “different look”

Nicolas' control is horrendous. In ST he walked 8 in 9 innings. Last year at Indy he walked 9 in 10.2 innings. For the Pirates last year he walked 31 in 54.2 innings including walking 3 batters 4 different times. In 2023 he pitched 5.1 innings for the Pirates and walked 4. His control has been poor at every level of the minors as well as with the Pirates. Relievers just can't continuously put runners on base without them even swinging the bat. His stuff looks good when he's not walking batters. But those walks hurt. He's gotta get that under control if possible. He's not much use if he can't. He reminds me of Kyle Crick, who had good stuff but couldn't get it over the plate. Crick's walks proved to be too much of a problem to have him in the BP. When the Bucs gave up on him he played briefly one more year and them washed out of MLB.