Liriano

skinnyhorse · Post by **skinnyhorse** » Sun Mar 24, 2019 2:23 am

I cannot believe Liriano is on the team. He's like having a grenade in your hand, and is going to blow up at anytime. The guys a disaster waiting to happen, why would anyone want him.

SammyKhalifa · Post by **SammyKhalifa** » Sun Mar 24, 2019 5:42 am

I get the lefthand thing, but he's had like 9 walks in nine innings. We'll see I guess.

Ecbucs · Post by **Ecbucs** » Sun Mar 24, 2019 6:20 am

0C3E32322614373E3336393E5F0 wrote: I get the lefthand thing, but he's had like 9 walks in nine innings. We'll see I guess.

he will be (or should be) on a short leash. If he has a couple of bad experiences early he will be gone.

His making the team shows how weak the Pirates are in left handed pitching other than Vazquez

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Sun Mar 24, 2019 12:56 pm

TBMTIB knows very well that if this team has any chance to compete, it will need the pitching staff to keep them in games. They rave about 4 of their starters but made no effort to get even a respectable #5. The BP has a star closer in Vazquez and above average arms in Kela, Rodriguez and Crick. Yet the glaring need for LH arms in the pen was disregarded. Brault can't throw strikes and was an obvious candidate to be replaced with someone better. Instead, all they did was add 2 washed up, ineffective pitchers in Liriano and Lyons. This kind of front office shenanigans makes it impossible to believe there is an actual commitment to winning. The desperate need for effective LH BP arms was addressed by spending as little money as possible (when the payroll is already the 2nd lowest in MLB) for pitchers no one else wanted. The philosophy continues to be "We'd love to win without spending much but losing without spending much is ok too."

CarolinaBucco · Post by **CarolinaBucco** » Sun Mar 24, 2019 1:36 pm

Yes. INEXCUSABLE to send way a solid No. 5 starter and then ... not address the No. 5 starter at all. The rotation needs a lefty, the bullpen needs a lefty, the lineup needs a shortstop.

Yet we get ... NOTHING.

And we don't eve ATTEMPT to fill those holes.

Long season ahead, folks.

Our rotation is pretty decent. But it's not great. I'm not even sure it's "very good." I am sure we have no offensive firepower and no infield defense, though.

Ecbucs · Post by **Ecbucs** » Sun Mar 24, 2019 2:36 pm

456865747362753536070 wrote: TBMTIB knows very well that if this team has any chance to compete, it will need the pitching staff to keep them in games. They rave about 4 of their starters but made no effort to get even a respectable #5. The BP has a star closer in Vazquez and above average arms in Kela, Rodriguez and Crick. Yet the glaring need for LH arms in the pen was disregarded. Brault can't throw strikes and was an obvious candidate to be replaced with someone better. Instead, all they did was add 2 washed up, ineffective pitchers in Liriano and Lyons. This kind of front office shenanigans makes it impossible to believe there is an actual commitment to winning. The desperate need for effective LH BP arms was addressed by spending as little money as possible (when the payroll is already the 2nd lowest in MLB) for pitchers no one else wanted. The philosophy continues to be "We'd love to win without spending much but losing without spending much is ok too."

It is tremendously frustrating. 4 decent starters to give the team a relatively strong rotation and the attitude is we are good enough. Question is good enough for what? Doesn't look good enough to win a pennant.

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Sun Mar 24, 2019 2:58 pm

406667706676050 wrote: TBMTIB knows very well that if this team has any chance to compete, it will need the pitching staff to keep them in games. They rave about 4 of their starters but made no effort to get even a respectable #5. The BP has a star closer in Vazquez and above average arms in Kela, Rodriguez and Crick. Yet the glaring need for LH arms in the pen was disregarded. Brault can't throw strikes and was an obvious candidate to be replaced with someone better. Instead, all they did was add 2 washed up, ineffective pitchers in Liriano and Lyons. This kind of front office shenanigans makes it impossible to believe there is an actual commitment to winning. The desperate need for effective LH BP arms was addressed by spending as little money as possible (when the payroll is already the 2nd lowest in MLB) for pitchers no one else wanted. The philosophy continues to be "We'd love to win without spending much but losing without spending much is ok too."

It is tremendously frustrating. 4 decent starters to give the team a relatively strong rotation and the attitude is we are good enough. Question is good enough for what? Doesn't look good enough to win a pennant.

Good enough to hover not too far below .500 and within 7-8 games of the 2nd WC spot so that fans are still hopeful late in the season. Last year the Pirates were under .500 as late as September 15 when they were 73-74 and the 2nd WC contender was 81-67. And there were still 5 teams ahead of them for that 2nd spot. But right up to the end, fans were checking the WC standings and saying, "if this, this, this and that happen, we can get there." But there's a huge difference between being 14 games over .500 and 1 game under in mid September with 5 teams ahead of you. But TBMTIB's disinterest in filling key needs this year suggests they were quite satisfied with giving the appearance of contending last year no matter how unrealistic a hope that actually was. I think they would be delighted to be near .500 in September with fans clinging to hope that they might get a WC spot regardless of how far behind they are or how many teams are ahead of them.

Ecbucs · Post by **Ecbucs** » Sun Mar 24, 2019 3:30 pm

517C71606776612122130 wrote: TBMTIB knows very well that if this team has any chance to compete, it will need the pitching staff to keep them in games. They rave about 4 of their starters but made no effort to get even a respectable #5. The BP has a star closer in Vazquez and above average arms in Kela, Rodriguez and Crick. Yet the glaring need for LH arms in the pen was disregarded. Brault can't throw strikes and was an obvious candidate to be replaced with someone better. Instead, all they did was add 2 washed up, ineffective pitchers in Liriano and Lyons. This kind of front office shenanigans makes it impossible to believe there is an actual commitment to winning. The desperate need for effective LH BP arms was addressed by spending as little money as possible (when the payroll is already the 2nd lowest in MLB) for pitchers no one else wanted. The philosophy continues to be "We'd love to win without spending much but losing without spending much is ok too."

It is tremendously frustrating. 4 decent starters to give the team a relatively strong rotation and the attitude is we are good enough. Question is good enough for what? Doesn't look good enough to win a pennant.

Good enough to hover not too far below .500 and within 7-8 games of the 2nd WC spot so that fans are still hopeful late in the season. Last year the Pirates were under .500 as late as September 15 when they were 73-74 and the 2nd WC contender was 81-67. And there were still 5 teams ahead of them for that 2nd spot. But right up to the end, fans were checking the WC standings and saying, "if this, this, this and that happen, we can get there." But there's a huge difference between being 14 games over .500 and 1 game under in mid September with 5 teams ahead of you. But TBMTIB's disinterest in filling key needs this year suggests they were quite satisfied with giving the appearance of contending last year no matter how unrealistic a hope that actually was. I think they would be delighted to be near .500 in September with fans clinging to hope that they might get a WC spot regardless of how far behind they are or how many teams are ahead of them.

we need a like button. You pretty much sum up team goals.