Is this season over yet???

SteadyFreddy · Post by **SteadyFreddy** » Sat May 13, 2017 11:52 am

On the morning of May 13th this team is 8 games under .500 and just about 6-10 games out of both the division and the 2nd wildcard spot. I say this season is definitely over and there is no way possible the Pirates dig themselves out of this hole they have created for themselves.

Leyland1948 · Post by **Leyland1948** » Sat May 13, 2017 12:02 pm

Sorry, but I have to agree. Time to rebuild again!

ChitownBucco · Post by **ChitownBucco** » Sat May 13, 2017 12:06 pm

in 2015 the Bucs started 18-22 and finished 98-64

yes the odds are against them coming back to get a wild card

BUT

a team is never as bad as they seem during their big losing streaks for as good during the winning streaks.

They'll be still trend up and I believe they'll finish at or over .500 unless they suffer some more large injuries.

Quail · Post by **Quail** » Sat May 13, 2017 12:43 pm

If Cutch and Polanco both miraculously become good defensively and offensively, if Cervelli can catch 110 games, if Bell develops into the power hitter we all hoped he'd be, if Cole and Nova stay perfectly healthy, if Taillon returns real soon and resumes pitching as he has so far, if Kuhl and Glasnow develop into better than average starters, if the team learns how to run the bases, if Kang manages to weasel his way back to the U.S. before the season is over, and if Marte comes back after his suspension ready to play the way he did last season then maybe the season isn't over. Otherwise I think you can stick a fork in our Buccos- I think they're done.

CarolinaBucco · Post by **CarolinaBucco** » Sat May 13, 2017 12:46 pm

This team is closing in fast on having the worst record in baseball. Yes, they are that bad.

A few more losses and the Buccos will have earned that title as The Worst Team in the Majors.

johnfluharty · Post by **johnfluharty** » Sat May 13, 2017 1:18 pm

I think we have to start thinking of this as a development year. Keep running Glasnow out there, give Bell a chance to settle in as a major league player, find out if McCutchen has anything left, if Polanco has anything at all, what kind of ballplayer PED-less Marte will be, etc. Rebuilding implies you have something to tear down. What do we have to sell off other than Cole?

rucker59@gmail.com · Post by **rucker59@gmail.com** » Sat May 13, 2017 1:46 pm

515453555D574E535A494F423B0 wrote: I think we have to start thinking of this as a development year. Keep running Glasnow out there, give Bell a chance to settle in as a major league player, find out if McCutchen has anything left, if Polanco has anything at all, what kind of ballplayer PED-less Marte will be, etc. Rebuilding implies you have something to tear down. What do we have to sell off other than Cole?

Either Polanco or Marte has to go as well IMHO. And the big one - prospects. Somebody else said this - there has been a serious miss on most of our "can't miss" prospects. There has to be better talent evaluation and then timely trades with those over valued (industry wide) prospects.

SteadyFreddy · Post by **SteadyFreddy** » Sat May 13, 2017 1:47 pm

I think these next couple of weeks leading up to Memorial Day are critical. The Pirates need to somehow win these last two games in Arizona, have a 4-2 homestand this week against the Nats and Phillies, win 3 out of 4 or split 2 and 2 in Atlanta, and maybe win 2 of 3 from the Mets Memorial Day weekend. If they somehow can do all that it will put them in the of 24-27 or 24-28 going into Memorial Day and then maybe you can start finding yourself going into June. But right now this losing has to stop and the Pirates need to start winning games very soon if they want to have a chance to do anything.

ChitownBucco · Post by **ChitownBucco** » Sat May 13, 2017 1:50 pm

7A7D6B636D7A3D31486F65696164266B6765080 wrote: I think we have to start thinking of this as a development year. Keep running Glasnow out there, give Bell a chance to settle in as a major league player, find out if McCutchen has anything left, if Polanco has anything at all, what kind of ballplayer PED-less Marte will be, etc. Rebuilding implies you have something to tear down. What do we have to sell off other than Cole?

Either Polanco or Marte has to go as well IMHO. And the big one - prospects. Somebody else said this - there has been a serious miss on most of our "can't miss" prospects. There has to be better talent evaluation and then timely trades with those over valued (industry wide) prospects.

why do they have to go?

would you really just sell low and dump them now?

also I don't think there has been a serious miss on our can't miss prospects. I would venture we have more pan out than the average team during this FO regime..

rucker59@gmail.com · Post by **rucker59@gmail.com** » Sat May 13, 2017 1:56 pm

220908150E160F231402020E610 wrote: I think we have to start thinking of this as a development year. Keep running Glasnow out there, give Bell a chance to settle in as a major league player, find out if McCutchen has anything left, if Polanco has anything at all, what kind of ballplayer PED-less Marte will be, etc. Rebuilding implies you have something to tear down. What do we have to sell off other than Cole?

Either Polanco or Marte has to go as well IMHO. And the big one - prospects. Somebody else said this - there has been a serious miss on most of our "can't miss" prospects. There has to be better talent evaluation and then timely trades with those over valued (industry wide) prospects.

why do they have to go?

would you really just sell low and dump them now?

also I don't think there has been a serious miss on our can't miss prospects. I would venture we have more pan out than the average team during this FO regime..

I'd say we fill our roster with home grown talent more than most teams, but almost all of this talent is average or below.

We don't have All Star caliber talent on This team (Other than Cole or Nova potentially).

EDIT - I should say "we don't have all stars on this team; I do think there is very good potential to rebuild around: Tallion and Bell are most obvious. Marte or Polanco could yet become elite (but the team needs to get this right - they need to keep the right player and trade the other). Meadows hopefully. There are potentially some above average pieces here but they need to be supplemented.