OT Neil Walker is gone
- Thread starter JokePa
- Start date
Nope straight up no prospects. Sounds bad mgt has never liked Walker for some reason.
Neil Walker might be one of the most over-rated Pirates of all time. He really only had one great year.
Nice guy and a good Pittsburgher.
I keep waiting for the release, I would be surprised if the Pirates aren't coughing up a prospect or sending some money.
This frees up a starter to send to Texas for Moreland, if the Pirates actually like him that much.
This frees up a starter to send to Texas for Moreland, if the Pirates actually like him that much.
Don't get me wrong, I am no Neil Walker fan outside the fact he is a great guy, a switch hitter (kinda), dependable, and does the right thing in most instances. Which, should not be overlooked actually.
That being said, the second sacker market is rather thin and he was certainly a chip to get a good arm. I follow baseball religiously, but never really examined Niese in any great detail, but just on the outside looking in, I would think this is a great trade for the Mets who needed a 2B and wanted to move a pitcher.
If this is a straight up deal, and looking at some of the draft decisions made, I am thinking there is a bit of a kink happening in the armor of the buccos front office.
That being said, the second sacker market is rather thin and he was certainly a chip to get a good arm. I follow baseball religiously, but never really examined Niese in any great detail, but just on the outside looking in, I would think this is a great trade for the Mets who needed a 2B and wanted to move a pitcher.
If this is a straight up deal, and looking at some of the draft decisions made, I am thinking there is a bit of a kink happening in the armor of the buccos front office.
This tells me two things:
1. Josh Harrison is going to be the regular second baseman next year.
2. Jung Ho Kang is on schedule to come back very early in the season.
At first brush, Jon Niese looks like a Jeff Locke clone. Like we really needed another one of those.
But maybe..... Searage can turn him into another Liriano.
1. Josh Harrison is going to be the regular second baseman next year.
2. Jung Ho Kang is on schedule to come back very early in the season.
At first brush, Jon Niese looks like a Jeff Locke clone. Like we really needed another one of those.
But maybe..... Searage can turn him into another Liriano.
Yes. One year on his contract followed by 2 team option years at around $10MM a year.
He's been a pretty consistent 2.0+ WAR pitcher over his career.
JHay hit .315 in 2014 starting for 80% of the year. The idea that he is "better coming off of the bench" is ludicrous.
And I'm saying... if the Pirates were willing to make this deal, then Kang is coming back a lot earlier than July.
JHay hit .280 this year. And he spent more of this year coming off the bench, especially down the stretch, than he did starting.
The point is.... his best year was when he started every day. This year, after he came off the bench more.
He batted .287 for the year. Not really struggling.
After batting .213 in April, he hit for over .300 in May, June, and September.
Missed most of July and August with that injury.
FWIW. I don't disagree that he isn't a sexy pickup, but you're also trading a fringe-average regular in his last year with no hope of getting you draft compensation via a qualifying offer. You aren't going to get sexy. It's a cheaper cost than trying to sign a Niese type in free agency.
Leake has the good bat though 
Im not upset at the trade, certainly gutsy move getting rid of one of the most popular Pirates, I think the haul could have been better based on the timing of this right after the Zobrist signing.
I do think our infield fielding is MUCH better without Alvarez/Walker but power is way off unless we get a Moreland (which may happen). Morse is no Keith Hernandez at first himself either. I just think with all the arms the Angels have we could have gotten a better option to push this year for a title. CJ Wilson is certainly not a spring chicken and has just one year, but so did Walker, and the prospects of having that arm in our rotation excites more for 2016. Cole, Wilson, Liriano, is a better rotation.
By the way, Jose Fernandez? Miami asked the Dodgers for Joc Peterson and Arias plus 2 more... they are insane. The DBacks screwed up the whole market for pitchers, the Shelby Miller trade may go down as one of the worst trades in recent memory.
Im not upset at the trade, certainly gutsy move getting rid of one of the most popular Pirates, I think the haul could have been better based on the timing of this right after the Zobrist signing.
I do think our infield fielding is MUCH better without Alvarez/Walker but power is way off unless we get a Moreland (which may happen). Morse is no Keith Hernandez at first himself either. I just think with all the arms the Angels have we could have gotten a better option to push this year for a title. CJ Wilson is certainly not a spring chicken and has just one year, but so did Walker, and the prospects of having that arm in our rotation excites more for 2016. Cole, Wilson, Liriano, is a better rotation.
By the way, Jose Fernandez? Miami asked the Dodgers for Joc Peterson and Arias plus 2 more... they are insane. The DBacks screwed up the whole market for pitchers, the Shelby Miller trade may go down as one of the worst trades in recent memory.
Pirates wanted to get something of value for Neil and got a middle of the rotation guy with 2 years left. Mets were looking for a bridge to their up-and-coming 2b (don't know his name). Hopefully Searage will get that ERA down a bit. Since Walker only has 1 year of control, his value probably wasn't any higher. Have to think Huntington would've gotten more if it was out there to get. Only other option was to hold onto Neil and move him in July, but the Bucs need some starters for the beginning of the season. I give it thumbs up (although sad to see Neil go). Also have to think Hansen will be up soon if not opening day.
Funny enough, it's Dilson Herrera, who the Pirates traded for Marlon Byrd back in the day.
Thought Pirates should have moved Walker to 1st base a couple of years ago. Pirates have always been looking for a 1st baseman and Walker - good athlete, good hands - would have been perfect. But I would have liked to see him try batting lefty all the time.
Now the Pirates' search for a 1st baseman continues - another left-handed hitting retread is surely in the works...
Go PItt.
Walker was overrated in my opinion but c'mon, why can't we for freaking once sign a Zobrist or heck, splurge for Chris Davis???
Want to remain a contender and actually have a chance to win the damn division?? Get Nutting to start okaying those kinds of signings a few times.
Trust me, the way it is now, this team has 3rd place written all over it.
Want to remain a contender and actually have a chance to win the damn division?? Get Nutting to start okaying those kinds of signings a few times.
Trust me, the way it is now, this team has 3rd place written all over it.
You know, thinking about the Pirates and what I perceive to be the start of a little decline - anyone remember this from 1985 - Syd Thrift was hired as the Pirates GM - got the players in place and had a nice run(although no world series)
A little few minute clip of Myron Cope's radio show when Syd Thrift was hired. Wow has it been this long since Myron's show was on???
A little few minute clip of Myron Cope's radio show when Syd Thrift was hired. Wow has it been this long since Myron's show was on???
Fans complained when their favorite stillers got old and started to suck
Fans complain now that their favorite pens got old and started to suck
No fans are complaining that the pirates are jerks for letting their favorite pirates get old and start to suck somewhere else.
Fans complain now that their favorite pens got old and started to suck
No fans are complaining that the pirates are jerks for letting their favorite pirates get old and start to suck somewhere else.
Niese can be solid, but not as a Happ replacement. We need someone better as our third starter. But Niese is way better than Morton/Locke and has the potential to improve. If you look at baseball ref, his closest career comparable IS JA Happ.
My proposed moves:
Trade Morton for Moreland (deal that was proposed a few days ago)
Trade Melancon for one of the surplus Nats arms (I like Tanner Roark...he could be a great 3 and was such for the Nats in 13/14)
Sign SRod and Steve Pearce
Use surplus $$$ saved for some relief arms.
SRod can play all of the IF
Pearce can play 1B, 2B, OF
Both would be great bench pieces to go with Hansen
Pearce can play 2B until Kang is ready, then slide into the 4th OF/bench role w/ Harrison at 2B.
A rotation of Cole/Liriano/Roark/Niese/Locke would be pretty formidable and an upgrade over 2015, even with Happ gone.
Edit: If you can't deal Morton for Moreland, just roll w/ Pearce as the platoon at 1B until Bell is ready. I'd still try to trade Morton for whatever I could get. Getting his salary off the books would offset the Niese salary and I just don't trust Morton in our lineup. I still think Locke can improve and Niese >> Morton.
My proposed moves:
Trade Morton for Moreland (deal that was proposed a few days ago)
Trade Melancon for one of the surplus Nats arms (I like Tanner Roark...he could be a great 3 and was such for the Nats in 13/14)
Sign SRod and Steve Pearce
Use surplus $$$ saved for some relief arms.
SRod can play all of the IF
Pearce can play 1B, 2B, OF
Both would be great bench pieces to go with Hansen
Pearce can play 2B until Kang is ready, then slide into the 4th OF/bench role w/ Harrison at 2B.
A rotation of Cole/Liriano/Roark/Niese/Locke would be pretty formidable and an upgrade over 2015, even with Happ gone.
Edit: If you can't deal Morton for Moreland, just roll w/ Pearce as the platoon at 1B until Bell is ready. I'd still try to trade Morton for whatever I could get. Getting his salary off the books would offset the Niese salary and I just don't trust Morton in our lineup. I still think Locke can improve and Niese >> Morton.
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I don't have an issue with Walker being traded. Based on what the pirates try to do, they could use someone with a little more range at second (as long as that is what gets put there)
I am struggling with why we traded for Neis, when we could have kept Happ for just a little more money. Happ was lights out down the stretch. Unless the pirates truly believed he could not sustain that, but there was no indication that he couldn't. Unless I am missing something.
Uncle Ray can't fix everyone and not all of his attempts were successful. So can anyone tell me why Keeping Happ for 12M who pitched unbelievably well in Aug and Sept was not as good as keeping Neis who didn't have a great year last year?
I am struggling with why we traded for Neis, when we could have kept Happ for just a little more money. Happ was lights out down the stretch. Unless the pirates truly believed he could not sustain that, but there was no indication that he couldn't. Unless I am missing something.
Uncle Ray can't fix everyone and not all of his attempts were successful. So can anyone tell me why Keeping Happ for 12M who pitched unbelievably well in Aug and Sept was not as good as keeping Neis who didn't have a great year last year?
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