2024 Off-Season Thread

[fjk090852-7]

If the Pirates even want to sign a free agent outfielder it could be Tommy Pham, David Peralta or Mark Canha. All three players are older than 35 years old. I really think they are going to try to fill the position from within the organization. Gorski has been invited to ST as a non roster player, so possibly he may impress the Staff.

one of the things about this off season (unless the Pirates stun most of us and actually have a very good year) is that it could be evidence that the front office just doesn't know what it is doing instead of just being entirely a money issue.

Maybe they think players already on the roster are going to be good, maybe they think free agents and players on other teams aren't worth acquiring for close to the asking price.

To me Skenes is a natural, the Pirates have only had to stay out of his way. Jared Jones may be the same with less talent than Skenes. If Spencer H. flops (let's say he is another Lee Mazilli or Brant Brown type of player at best) it should be plenty of proof that Ben and company can't do the job. They just make a lot of head scratching decisions and unfortunately most of them don't work out.

You make a good point, but I have to think somebody on the Baseball OPS knows something about talent. I think besides being cheap, there are many players who don’t want to play for the Pirates due to the many years of losing as well as situations like they did last year to Tellez. It is so sad that a one time proud franchise has become the laughing stock of MLB. Can you imagine a franchise like the Brewers, Reds, or the Tigers having billboards requesting their owners to sell the team? Nutting is a joke of an owner.

[Surgnbuck]

Well, the Reds were pretty close!

After watching MLB Network, they did a pre-season preview of the offseason for the two PA teams. For the Pirates, they seemed to wonder why they didn't go after anyone, and they also appear to believe the Pirates feel that out of (and these were the guys they pointed out) Hayes, Suwinski, Endy, Davis, Cruz, and Bednar there is an expectation that most if not all will right the ship, and in Cruz's case, that he will go to another level. As JP Morosi asked, "where is the 3 run HR coming from?" and it all points to Suwinski and Cruz.

Let's hope that hope is the answer!

[JollyRoger8]

Ramon Laueano who I considered a possible corner outfielder has signed with the Orioles for 4 million dollars. I guess too expensive for the Pirates.

I'm surprised as they have already signed Dylan Carlson and Tyler O'Neill this off season and have Cowser and Mullins back who were really solid last year. They've blocked Heston Kjerstad who got his feet wet last year and is a Top 100 prospect. Love to trade some of our young pitching for him!

https://www.baseball-reference.com/regi ... erst000hes

Agree with you. Kjerstad would be a very good acquisition.
What do you think it would take to get him?

[fjk090852-7]

Ramon Laueano who I considered a possible corner outfielder has signed with the Orioles for 4 million dollars. I guess too expensive for the Pirates.

I'm surprised as they have already signed Dylan Carlson and Tyler O'Neill this off season and have Cowser and Mullins back who were really solid last year. They've blocked Heston Kjerstad who got his feet wet last year and is a Top 100 prospect. Love to trade some of our young pitching for him!

https://www.baseball-reference.com/regi ... erst000hes

Agree with you. Kjerstad would be a very good acquisition.
What do you think it would take to get him?

I am sure one of Pirates young pitching prospects ( excluding Chandler ), and possibly a position player like Jebb.

[Javy]

Is it just me, but is there more negativity towards Pirates Ownership now than ever before? Yes there are billboards, and shirts telling Nutting to sell, but there is more written negativity. It has been a dreadful offseason. I for one is not that excited that ST begins next week.

I believe more negativity. It's not just the usual Bob is cheap. I think it's because people had already flushed 2024 and felt with a full year of Skenes, Jones, and Keller, and with just seemingly needing just a couple proven bats and a couple more arms in the bullpen that there was serious reason to believe they could contend for the division. Instead, even with the increase of the arbitration players salary and the automatic bump the pre arb guys get, they are spending less this year. We know Soto was off the table. But guys like Bellinger and Santander and Walker were easily obtainable. Even then, fans would have been okay for a Grichuk. People like me that try and reset every year to the positive outlook side feel jaded. And that's why I feel it's more negative.

This is exactly right, Surge. The opportunities this young pitching staff present would have nearly every other owner building a roster to support it. Instead, our owner is going in the opposite direction. I believe more and more fans are finally seeing that winning isn't the objective, that claiming it to be for the past 10 years has been a lie.

Nutting deserves all of the negativity that comes his way. I just want the other owners and the Players Association to join in, although I don't believe Nutting's capable of feeling shame. It just would be nice to hear it.

Amid all of the dejection and unhappiness with the Pirates off-season, let me pose this potentially happy thought:
Could this lack of spending this year possibly be an indication that Nutting is intentionally keeping payroll low to help facilitate a sale of the team?
I know, it's a crazy thought, and I haven't been drinking....but think about it..other teams have cut payroll or failed to upgrade their roster in advance of a pending sale.

Maybe there is a silver lining in all of this and our cheapskate owner is actually planning a secret exit by keeping costs low for an incoming owner!