OnlyBucs

Saw a couple tweets of a possible trade talks between the Dodgers and Pirates.... Dodgers maybe interested in Francisco Cervelli. Ross Stripling is rumored to be the return. I like Ross Stripling.

Anyone approaching or making 10M on the Bucs is going to get dealt. Stripling is not a bad return; but does that make the 2019 Pirates better?

What I can’t inderstand is that with the trade for Archer; NH put the team in a 3 year window to contend before the rest of our quality pitchers are arbitration eligible. With a TV deal looming you would think now would be the time to add impact names and bump payroll significantly to get fannies in the seats.

Instead of allowing NH to take payroll up to 120M (which is still 30M below the Avg team payroll), we cut payroll to under 70M

This is disgraceful and I wish the commish would lay the hammer down on Nutting.

I thought the object in sports is trying to win.

You cannot build the case that this ownership group is playing to win. Only chance the team has is to catch lightning in a bottle.

63464545507B464E4C5B290 wrote: Anyone approaching or making 10M on the Bucs is going to get dealt. Stripling is not a bad return; but does that make the 2019 Pirates better?

What I can’t inderstand is that with the trade for Archer; NH put the team in a 3 year window to contend before the rest of our quality pitchers are arbitration eligible. With a TV deal looming you would think now would be the time to add impact names and bump payroll significantly to get fannies in the seats.

Instead of allowing NH to take payroll up to 120M (which is still 30M below the Avg team payroll), we cut payroll to under 70M

This is disgraceful and I wish the commish would lay the hammer down on Nutting.

I thought the object in sports is trying to win.

You cannot build the case that this ownership group is playing to win. Only chance the team has is to catch lightning in a bottle.


It's clear that the objective of TBMTIB is to do enough to keep the fans marginally interested. Apparently, Nutting still makes a profit that way. Dickerson fell into their lap at minimal cost. Archer had a team friendly contract. Most teams would take advantage of those acquisitions and build around them to build a contender. The Pirates look at those acquisitions as the end all and be all of their efforts and feel like they've given the fans something to cheer for even tho they make no effort to make the team competitive. They are not playing to win. They are playing to sustain a profit. And if they keep payroll low enough, even sparse attendance won't prevent a profit.

634E43525544531310210 wrote: Anyone approaching or making 10M on the Bucs is going to get dealt. Stripling is not a bad return; but does that make the 2019 Pirates better?

What I can’t inderstand is that with the trade for Archer; NH put the team in a 3 year window to contend before the rest of our quality pitchers are arbitration eligible. With a TV deal looming you would think now would be the time to add impact names and bump payroll significantly to get fannies in the seats.

Instead of allowing NH to take payroll up to 120M (which is still 30M below the Avg team payroll), we cut payroll to under 70M

This is disgraceful and I wish the commish would lay the hammer down on Nutting.

I thought the object in sports is trying to win.

You cannot build the case that this ownership group is playing to win. Only chance the team has is to catch lightning in a bottle.


It's clear that the objective of TBMTIB is to do enough to keep the fans marginally interested. Apparently, Nutting still makes a profit that way. Dickerson fell into their lap at minimal cost. Archer had a team friendly contract. Most teams would take advantage of those acquisitions and build around them to build a contender. The Pirates look at those acquisitions as the end all and be all of their efforts and feel like they've given the fans something to cheer for even tho they make no effort to make the team competitive. They are not playing to win. They are playing to sustain a profit. And if they keep payroll low enough, even sparse attendance won't prevent a profit. 




yet they will out and out lie to fans that they want to win a championship. It is infuriating.

I would expect Cervelli to go since with just a year left on contract and no way they'll resign him, they'll try to get something of value for him. But at what cost? This takes payroll to around $59-$60M and with attendance falling so much last year this is not the way to put fannies in seats.



I know off season has just started so I'll hold out hope, but I really thought with where payroll is and new TV contract coming, the extra $50M that is still sitting in the Nuts pocket that a little more effort to improve the team with a moderately priced FA or two would happen.

65727D65746079746179150 wrote: I would expect Cervelli to go since with just a year left on contract and no way they'll resign him, they'll try to get something of value for him. But at what cost? This takes payroll to around $59-$60M and with attendance falling so much last year this is not the way to put fannies in seats.



I know off season has just started so I'll hold out hope, but I really thought with where payroll is and new TV contract coming, the extra $50M that is still sitting in the Nuts pocket that a little more effort to improve the team with a moderately priced FA or two would happen.
I'm not sure why we as fans continue to think that. I fall into that trap too. :-[

At this point I think they'll pull a Pirates, which means trade Cervelli and intentionally ask for nothing of value in return ... just like they did with Nova ... because they don't want to have to pay anyone.



I think the goal is to get down to $60 million and then blame the fans for not showing up last year ... even though the fans showed up in RECORD numbers and the management team decided just to pocket that $$$ and not reinvest it to get better.



So whether the fans show up or not, they're just stuffing Nutting's wallet with cash.



Honestly I don't understand why NH even wants to stay in Pittsburgh if his directive from the Nutt is "Don't spend any money."

Well, I for one would LIKE to see Cervelli traded, but that's because I firmly believe that we are a better team with Diaz behind the plate. But I've said that ad nauseam. I want Cervelli traded operating under the assumption that any money saved will be reinvested in the team. I'm skeptical of that happening.



Technically, there IS a salary floor in MLB...it's $13,625,000. That's the MLB minimum of $545,000 times 25, the number of players needed to field an MLB team. Sometimes, I think the Bucs goal is to get as close to that $13,625,000 figure as possible.

I saw one rumor Cervelli for Alex Wood of the Dodgers. I would make that deal. Both players are free agents at the end of the 2019 season. Their salaries are very similar. The big advantage is that Wood is a lefty who would fit well into the Pirates rotation.

What I don't understand is why we never hear about an extension being offered to Cervelli. The Cervelli-Diaz combination could continue to be very effective for a few more years at a cost that shouldn't break the bank.



Gotta believe he likes playing in Pittsburgh, and he seems to be very popular with the fans. If we make another Nova-like salary dump, the fans - myself included - are going to stay away from the stadium.