OT:Buccos
- Thread starter mike 301
- Start date
I have never understood the fascination of some to want to push these guys too quickly. You do not want them to get bored, but as you essentially note here, it takes time and it is all relative.
People forget that Andrew McCutchen played parts of three seasons, including one complete season, in Indy. I think Neil Walker was there for parts of four seasons.
Guys like Priester, Rodriguez, Gonzales, Davis and a few others just need time. Even the big league young guns like Roansy need more time and patience, just like Keller did (who was miserable until this season). Hayes, Cruz, Marcano and a few other guys too also need it. Some of them will falter and some will make it and even a few may make it big in time.
For some reason, people expect all of these kids to be 22 and killing it like Mike Trout, Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez. Most big leaguers take much more time and effort than what some seem to expect whether it be at the minor league level or the big league level.
Player A has slightly better stats, but no matter who is who, Priester is the guy who needs to come up and get started.
I kind of see both sides of it. I think people look around and see a lot of young guys doing quite well (the club isn't that exclusive) and tie our unwillingness to bring them up into Nutting being cheap, etc.
But then, when I look at reality... if they end up being the stars we want them to be, we're not going to sign them to a second contract anyway. Might as well have those years of control when they're in their prime, as opposed to when they're still figuring the game out.
I dunno, many people make the jump from AA to the Bigs. Pitchers maybe are best served for some AAA time. It is not WHERE they are at right now, it is that most of these guys aren't having all star type of seasons in the leagues they currently are at. I mean with Cruz and Keller, when they were there, they were producing "WOW" moments. I don't see many. Solemeto is one that certainly seems to be on track, but he is at least 2 years away.
Then again a Doc Gooden comes up as a 19 year old and goes 17-6 and the next year he wins 24 with a 1.54 ERA. I know that is like Sid Crosby as an 18 year and expect others to do the same. But guys don't have to be in the minors until they are 25.
Circling back to Jack Suwinski. He is now 8th in the Majors in OPS. He has a higher OPS than Goldschmidt, Alonso and Mookie Betts. Maybe the Pirates gave the wrong guy money. Because he also isn't a bad OF. Anyways, he is a legit major leaguer and a good one at that.
Other than to satiate a group of fans, why? Seriously, why? If they don't think he's ready, if they want to see him be more consistent, for example, before they bring him up so that he doesn't get hammered when he gets here, why is that a bad thing?
It's not like we are talking about a guy who has a 1.50 era at AAA. If he was pitching that well, or even close to it, then yeah, sure, he should be the guy they bring up. But he's the prospect. If he comes up and flames out because you brought him up too soon you've screwed yourself. If Bido comes up and flames out, well, who really cares? He isn't really a part of the long term plan anyway. Could he come up and surprise? Sure. But no one is counting on him. They absolutely are counting on Priester. And that's why you treat him differently.
Another one of those guys who mixes in the really hot streaks with streaks where he looks like he's never played the game before.
But damn, when he gets a hold of a ball, it sure goes a long way. I don't know if you saw his second home run last night, but it looked like it cleared the scoreboard in right center field. And that's a looooong way out there.
But he is starting to prolong the hot streaks and lessen the cold streaks. He's young. And power is a rare commodity for the Pirates. He may not be anything more than a Kyle Schwarber, but the Pirates need a Kyle Schwarber.
Agreed. There is nothing wrong with having a Kyle Schwarber type on your team.
Think the bloom is coming off the Pirate's rose, and it isn't hitting that is bringing them down.
It's the pitching. Injuries, inexperience, and water seeking its level as far as BP talent all coming home to roost.
They're scoring enough runs to win, but the pitching is giving up even more. You just can't have 3 rookie starters in your rotation and expect to contend.
It's the pitching. Injuries, inexperience, and water seeking its level as far as BP talent all coming home to roost.
They're scoring enough runs to win, but the pitching is giving up even more. You just can't have 3 rookie starters in your rotation and expect to contend.
Yeah. I think all of that. Trouble is, the division is horrid. I would expect someone to rise up. What is scary is Cinci looks to have better young talent than the Pirates.
Where did he even come from? He's like 27 years old, and no one has ever heard of him before?
That's what's kinda weird about the Pirates. They've been drafting in extremely favorable positions for so many years that they almost by accident have had to hit on a couple picks.
How many other hidden gems are nested away in the system who could help the big club?
We hear about the stud prospects, but there are always late round picks on other clubs who hit it big.
The central divisions in baseball are the equivalent to the South divisions in the NFL sheesh
Mackey on the fan today said that Suwinski by one metric right now is essentially Mookie Betts and that the pirates might want to sign him to a club friendly deal.
I feel vindicated.
I wouldn't sign anyone else until they show they have some "staying power". Signed Hayes and he's simply a punch and judy hitter(although he's been better as late), signed Reynolds and the guy goes weeks without a homerun and never seems to get a clutch hit.
He a guy from the Dominican that they signed as a free agent when he was much younger. He's only even really had one good year in the minors, the year before covid. Maybe not pitching that whole year set him back? I don't imagine anyone thinks he's any sort of real prospect, because he's had to have been eligible for the rule 5 draft several times now and no one has ever picked him up.
In any event, he looked pretty good last night. So keep riding him until the carriage turns back into a pumpkin. Whether that's in one week, or one month, or five years.
As usual, looks like time to stick a fork in them. Get ready for Steelers and Pitt training camps.
Can't win with AAAA pitching.
I hope they can at least kind of stay afloat thru the start of football season… a few games within .500 and either the last wild card spot or division with how mediocre the other NL central teams have been too. But they need a spark like the Reds seemed to have gotten, and I’m not sure how it’ll happen. Cruz return and a few call-ups? By then it could be too late.
Just looking at the near term, getting at least 6-7 solid innings from Hill/Keller in these next 2 in Milwaukee seems critical. They’re down to just 2 reliable bullpen arms as of now it seems in Moreta and Bednar. And if they go down like some of the others have? Yikes.
It was said above. The Pirates were "thin" to begin with. But then you lose arguably your top player in Cruz what the 3rd week of the season? Then you lose 2-3 starting pitchers. You absolutely need Brian Reynolds to be in beast mode for the team to have a chance. Suwinski and Marcato are nice surprises.
We’re watching the Pirates on Apple TV tonight. I honestly wish the MLB secures a deal similar to the MLS’ at some point; broadcasters aside, Apple blows away the competition in terms of production and image quality. I’d also say that Apple TV+ is the best bang-for-buck streaming service out there at the moment.
That was a horrible series. Wrigley is a house of horrors for our buccos. They are 7-29 over our last 36 games played there. What was particularly sad is how it seemed that a garbage Cubs team was just toying with us. They let us get off to a decent lead every game only to come back and smash us. That had to be disheartening to the team. As for Ian Happ, I would have intentionally walked him anytime he was up with men on base. I can't stand getting your head bashed in by the same guy over and over again. The pitching or lack there of, has become a nightmare. They are running out of arms and the ones they have are not performing other than Keller.
So far tonight they have proven to be just the tonic the Brew Crew needed to end their 6 game slide.
The Pirates are still the worst base running team in all of baseball. Palacios killed a 7th inning rally trying to go from 1st to 3rd on a single to right. Problem was he hesitated rounding 2nd, he would have made it easily had he been decisive.
Very nice. He and Bob Huggins can sponsor each other, if that's allowed.
By the way, speaking of AA, did anyone see the story that the guy who was driving one of the busses that the Pirates took from Chicago to Milwaukee after Thursday night's game got pulled over for drunk driving?
That has got to be a first.
That has got to be a first.
Huggins has a summer job driving busses???
Welp, I was going on about the pitching lately in my last post, but the inconsistency of the offense has been infuriating too. Just getting mowed down today. 2-0 lead feels Insurmountable. Or, if they do put up some runs, by then it’ll be too late as the Brewers will have tacked on to their lead, kind of like last night.
Bus driver transporting Pirates charged with DUI
A bus driver hired to transport the Pittsburgh Pirates from Chicago to Milwaukee was stopped during the journey and charged with DUI.
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