OnlyBucs

Doc wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:23 pm

fjk090852-7 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 8:56 pm The Pirates continue to acquire pitchers who have been designated for assignment with the hopes that someone will be a bullpen arm. Maybe one of these pitchers will fill the role without allocating much in salary. I guess they feel they have enough offense to compete this year.

Is it too much of a leap to believe the Pirates are intentionally doing what they can to make sure they can’t win? Obvious needs are either overlooked (a corner outfielder) or addressed in a minimum way (first base). They’ve brought in bullpen guys who’ve had little to no success. It’s not a strategy for winning, it’s a strategy to remain mediocre. After the past nine years, I firmly believe being mediocre is their plan.

Doc wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:23 pm
Is it too much of a leap to believe the Pirates are intentionally doing what they can to make sure they can’t win? Obvious needs are either overlooked (a corner outfielder) or addressed in a minimum way (first base). They’ve brought in bullpen guys who’ve had little to no success. It’s not a strategy for winning, it’s a strategy to remain mediocre. After the past nine years, I firmly believe being mediocre is their plan.

Babe Adams wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 5:13 am

Doc wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:23 pm
Is it too much of a leap to believe the Pirates are intentionally doing what they can to make sure they can’t win? Obvious needs are either overlooked (a corner outfielder) or addressed in a minimum way (first base). They’ve brought in bullpen guys who’ve had little to no success. It’s not a strategy for winning, it’s a strategy to remain mediocre. After the past nine years, I firmly believe being mediocre is their plan.

I don't think they're trying to lose. I think they have a consistent plan, and that maybe the third step in the plan is for the farm system to produce a promising group of young major leaguers. I think the plan keeps failing right at that point, and instead of continuing on and trying to compete in other ways, they just plow whatever assets they have back into obtaining lower level talent.

Doc wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 11:53 am

Babe Adams wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 5:13 am

Doc wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:23 pm
Is it too much of a leap to believe the Pirates are intentionally doing what they can to make sure they can’t win? Obvious needs are either overlooked (a corner outfielder) or addressed in a minimum way (first base). They’ve brought in bullpen guys who’ve had little to no success. It’s not a strategy for winning, it’s a strategy to remain mediocre. After the past nine years, I firmly believe being mediocre is their plan.

I don't think they're trying to lose. I think they have a consistent plan, and that maybe the third step in the plan is for the farm system to produce a promising group of young major leaguers. I think the plan keeps failing right at that point, and instead of continuing on and trying to compete in other ways, they just plow whatever assets they have back into obtaining lower level talent.

I don't believe they're trying to lose, either. I think they're goal is to be average. I read one time where Connie Mack's idea of a successful season was to finish around third place, just good enough to keep the fans interested for the whole season but not so good that he'd have to reward players with substantial raises. Nutting's approach seems to be similar.

He says all the things fans want to hear about trying to win, but then never follows through. The drafting of Paul Skenes has been the exception, but he knew he had to draft him because of the public relations backlash if he hadn't. But that was a situation that favored Nutting completely anyway. He knew he'd be paying Skenes peanuts in the first few years compared to what his talent is worth, knowing all along that he'd be trading him before Skenes' salary would be more than Nutting would be willing to pay. He would have the best pitcher in baseball for those years, paying the minimum while getting the maximum in return. That's Nutting's way of doing business, whether he owns a widget factory or a baseball franchise. It's all the same to him.

What I hate is the lying. The constant lying. Stop telling us every spring that winning is the goal when the actions show otherwise. It's insulting. Just stay in Wheeling and decline to be interviewed. At least that's honest.

Bobster wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 1:06 pm

Doc wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 11:53 am

Babe Adams wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 5:13 am

I don't think they're trying to lose. I think they have a consistent plan, and that maybe the third step in the plan is for the farm system to produce a promising group of young major leaguers. I think the plan keeps failing right at that point, and instead of continuing on and trying to compete in other ways, they just plow whatever assets they have back into obtaining lower level talent.

I don't believe they're trying to lose, either. I think they're goal is to be average. I read one time where Connie Mack's idea of a successful season was to finish around third place, just good enough to keep the fans interested for the whole season but not so good that he'd have to reward players with substantial raises. Nutting's approach seems to be similar.

He says all the things fans want to hear about trying to win, but then never follows through. The drafting of Paul Skenes has been the exception, but he knew he had to draft him because of the public relations backlash if he hadn't. But that was a situation that favored Nutting completely anyway. He knew he'd be paying Skenes peanuts in the first few years compared to what his talent is worth, knowing all along that he'd be trading him before Skenes' salary would be more than Nutting would be willing to pay. He would have the best pitcher in baseball for those years, paying the minimum while getting the maximum in return. That's Nutting's way of doing business, whether he owns a widget factory or a baseball franchise. It's all the same to him.

What I hate is the lying. The constant lying. Stop telling us every spring that winning is the goal when the actions show otherwise. It's insulting. Just stay in Wheeling and decline to be interviewed. At least that's honest.

I wouldn't say their goal is to be mediocre. But I would say that the business model they follow for operating the team ensures that mediocrity is the best-case scenario. They can't compete with good teams without a strong lineup that includes high-average hitters and power hitters. But they don't have them and won't spend to acquire them. Home grown talent is a start, but you can never fill all the holes at the same time that way. So the remaining needs go unfulfilled. Nutting is obviously fine with this. Cherington took the job knowing this was the case. Without the resources to go out and acquire what he needs, we constantly see Cherington just throwing crap at the wall to see what sticks. They approached the 2024 season knowing they needed a RFer and went thru 11, never really settling on one. And as they approach the 2025 season, it looks like more of the same.

Doc wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 3:45 pm The reason I believe mediocracy is the goal is because it ensures both risk and costs are minimized. That's what the owner strives for above all else. He never has to worry about profits, they're basically guaranteed when owning a major league club. Has long as he continues to hamstring his GM with an inadequate payroll, and feels no shame for the way he operates, his holy grail of being average is the objective.

Bobster wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 5:02 pm

Doc wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 3:45 pm The reason I believe mediocracy is the goal is because it ensures both risk and costs are minimized. That's what the owner strives for above all else. He never has to worry about profits, they're basically guaranteed when owning a major league club. Has long as he continues to hamstring his GM with an inadequate payroll, and feels no shame for the way he operates, his holy grail of being average is the objective.

Nutting is clearly satisfied with mediocrity. I think he would be delighted if Cherington found a way to put together a great team within Nutting's financial constraints. But it's not a priority. It's like if Nutting handed Cherington a stack of sticks and said, "I need a building, see what you can do with these." And Cherington said, "With these sticks, I'll try to build you the finest castle in the land!" Nutting would say, "Great, whatever, have at it." He'd be thrilled if Cherington defied the odds and built the castle. But if it just turned out to be a shack, that'd be ok too.