OnlyBucs

2B2E292F272D342920333538410 wrote: “Given our recent record and regression in the standings, we intend to give the higher leverage innings to other pitchers that may or will impact our 2018 club,” Huntington said in a statement. “We acknowledge the minimal amount of money saved by making this move, however, as a result of our decision and Juan’s pending free agency at the end of the season, we felt it appropriate to attempt to move Juan to a better situation for him.”


More significantly....



“Rather than help a direct competitor and recognizing the difference in claiming order between trade and outright waivers, we chose to take the chance to see if by placing Juan on outright waivers he would end up with a different playoff contender, preferably one in the American League,” Huntington said.


I added the bold.



http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pira ... 1708310223


So,



1. They put him on revocable and he was claimed

2. They pulled him back and did not trade him, since it was a direct competitor

3. They put him on outright to see if he would claimed by a different team

4. Why in the world did the Phillies want him?

6F6A6D6B6369706D6477717C050 wrote: “Given our recent record and regression in the standings, we intend to give the higher leverage innings to other pitchers that may or will impact our 2018 club,” Huntington said in a statement. “We acknowledge the minimal amount of money saved by making this move, however, as a result of our decision and Juan’s pending free agency at the end of the season, we felt it appropriate to attempt to move Juan to a better situation for him.”


More significantly....



“Rather than help a direct competitor and recognizing the difference in claiming order between trade and outright waivers, we chose to take the chance to see if by placing Juan on outright waivers he would end up with a different playoff contender, preferably one in the American League,” Huntington said.


I added the bold.



http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pira ... 1708310223


Who cares if we help a direct competitor? We aren't in the hunt for a playoff spot and he is a pending free agent. What a crock. I don't get it.

I don't either. Moving him 'to a better situation' while angering your own players for dumping him does not seem productive, and it FAILED in any case. Philly is not a 'better situation'.

5A4A4B7C6A6A66090 wrote: “Given our recent record and regression in the standings, we intend to give the higher leverage innings to other pitchers that may or will impact our 2018 club,” Huntington said in a statement. “We acknowledge the minimal amount of money saved by making this move, however, as a result of our decision and Juan’s pending free agency at the end of the season, we felt it appropriate to attempt to move Juan to a better situation for him.”


More significantly....



“Rather than help a direct competitor and recognizing the difference in claiming order between trade and outright waivers, we chose to take the chance to see if by placing Juan on outright waivers he would end up with a different playoff contender, preferably one in the American League,” Huntington said.


I added the bold.



http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pira ... 1708310223


Who cares if we help a direct competitor?  We aren't in the hunt for a playoff spot and he is a pending free agent.  What a crock.  I don't get it.


Exactly. Who cares? Who's he talking about? Cubs? Cards? Brewers? We aren't competing with the Nats or Dodgers. They've sealed up their divisions long ago. The whole "not helping a competitor" line didn't fly with Ramirez, Lofton, and Simon.



This season has revealed a lot of things for me.



1. Nutting absolutely will not put out more effort than is necessary to field a competitive team. The rules say he has to actually put a team on the field. I suppose if he could forfeit every game and not field a team, and still be in the "club" of MLB owners, he might opt for that, but short of that, his clear priority is the bottom line, not the W and L columns.



2. Hurdle doesn't maximize the admittedly sub-par roster he is given.



3. Huntington is either A) not the GM I thought he was, B) it really is that bad financially, or C) absolutely brilliant, and he reasons that if he does enough of these moves that are clear salary dumps, public pressure will eventually be too much for even Nutting to handle, and he will either be forced to give NH more to work with, or sell the team.



I can't walk away from this team...I tried earlier in the year. Made it about a week. But, I'm far from happy. I certainly won't be going to any game, buying any apparel, etcetera. I might not even renew my MLB.tv subscription next year. I think every team gets a cut of that $$$, so if I can take even $5.00 out of Nutting's pocket, I'm happy to do it.

Yeah that's dumb

If NH had traded Nicassio to the Cubs or Cards or Brewers back in early August he would have been lynched. But that doesn't excuse this crazy idea of putting him on outright waivers. There's a good reason teams don't do it- it's stupid!

282D2A2C242E372A2330363B420 wrote: If NH had traded Nicassio to the Cubs or Cards or Brewers back in early August he would have been lynched.  But that doesn't excuse this crazy idea of putting him on outright waivers.  There's a good reason teams don't do it- it's stupid! 




Would he have?  I know we were within 4 games at that point, but I never got a feeling this team was close to being a playoff contender.  I don't think he would have been lynched at all, especially since many Pirate fans I know understood we weren't contenders at all. In all reality, this FO said they weren't in a playoff position at the time in trading Watson and bringing in a garbage arm from Philly to replace him. They didn't make a move to help the cause, meanwhile everyone knew status quo wasn't going to get you a chance to gain a wild card or a division title.

7D6D6C5B4D4D412E0 wrote: If NH had traded Nicassio to the Cubs or Cards or Brewers back in early August he would have been lynched.  But that doesn't excuse this crazy idea of putting him on outright waivers.  There's a good reason teams don't do it- it's stupid! 




Would he have?  I know we were within 4 games at that point, but I never got a feeling this team was close to being a playoff contender.  I don't think he would have been lynched at all, especially since many Pirate fans I know understood we weren't contenders at all.  In all reality, this FO said they weren't in a playoff position at the time in trading Watson and bringing in a garbage arm from Philly to replace him.  They didn't make a move to help the cause, meanwhile everyone knew status quo wasn't going to get you a chance to gain a wild card or a division title.




Yes, he would have been. You would have been all over him making the Cubs, Brewers or Cardinals better and getting a weak minor leaguer in exchange. Please, don't kid yourself.



You are all over him now on releasing a player when they are out of it? Would keeping Nicasio help the Pirates down the stretch? No matter what Huntington said or did, you were ready to blast him. Again, don't kid yourself.

Huntington's full quote and reason can be found on Twitter (many outlets). Sorry, the link isn't working as it comes up as a picture and doesn't provide the whole quote.

here is article that includes the statement:



https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/pira ... o-release/



Clear that the Pirates realize there was chance of him playing in Pittsburgh next year.