OnlyBucs

Discuss.



Does this team have a chance to compete this year?



Next year?

a chance? sure.

42707C7C685A79707D787770110 wrote: a chance?  sure. 


If the pitching staff dominates than anything could happen.

4245535B5542050970575D51595C1E535F5D300 wrote: a chance?  sure. 


If the pitching staff dominates than anything could happen.


They DID address my biggest wish list item of the offseason (3B of course). My other ones were SP and 4th OF. I guess that would now be third outfielder at this point, and like you said . . . in the rotation who knows.

I'm a glass is at least half full guy, so I believe they can do well this year. They have a lot of young guys who will really hustle to prove they belong there and should not be sent down while someone else gets a chance.

It is a weird rebuild because it will be done with older, mostly major league ready players.



It is hard to say how good they will be in 2018, 2019 because trades are probably not done. Harrison is probably going to be traded. Cervelli and Nova could be gone too. Then you have Marte and Rivero, that many teams probably want, but have to pay more.

I'm going to go with the most likely outcome being another 77-win mediocrity.

6B60686461607B3E384F766E676060216C600F0 wrote: It is a weird rebuild because it will be done with older, mostly major league ready players. 



It is hard to say how good they will be in 2018, 2019 because trades are probably not done.  Harrison is probably going to be traded.  Cervelli and Nova could be gone too.  Then you have Marte and Rivero, that many teams probably want, but have to pay more.
Cervelli's injury history will prevent other teams from trading for him unless they already have a starter and want him for a backup. But since he makes too much to be a backup, the Pirates would have to eat a large part of his salary to trade him. And that's not likely to happen.

Possible. Marte at 4-5 WAR; Polanco at 3-4WAR; LF at 2.5 WAR; Moran plays like Josh Bell at 3rd and puts up 2 WAR; Bell improves and is 3.5 WAR; Harrison and Mercer replicate last year; Frazier, Luplow, Freese, Serpico and rest of bench deliver okay. Cervelli stays healthy and gives us 2.5 WAR.

Stqarting pitching; Taillion steps up; Nova has a consistent year; Kuhl, Williams and Musgrove are decent. Bullpen is rated number 5 in baseball.

Big issue is lack of power. Could be addressed with newfound payroll flexibility. Since the Bucs made over $50 million in 2016... plenty of room!

If by compete you mean hang around in the division with an at least modest chance of making the playoffs as a wild-card till fairly late in the season (some time after the all star break) then I think we can do that. I'm beginning to believe that's what Nutting and company shoot for each year while hoping to get lucky and do better.