Yeah. If it’s not doom and gloom about the Pirates, no one wants to hear it.
Ownership sucks for sure. But this is a team with a lot of pieces in place mid-rebuild. Need a few higher level prospects to pan out (especially pitching) and this is a team that could be in the hunt for a playoff spot in 2024.
Now will ownership spend money to take the final steps or let the team die on the vine after 2015. I am pessimistic on that part.
ownership trying to extend Reynolds before the season. Signed Hayes last year.
People will complain about Hedges, Santana, Rich Hill, Choi, etc .. but those guys were on winning clubs last year. They've been on wining clubs throughout their careers. I think it says something that they brought those guys in over the Ben Gamels over the world .. again, those guys aren't going to carry us to anything, but they're solid supporting pieces that are great clubhouse guys .. when you have a young team, you need veteran leadership like that... but all we'll see is how Austin Hedges can't hit all year .. as if that's why the Pirates signed him. Not to develop our young arms and catchers... same with Rich Hill.
I'll also never understand what complaining about ownership does for people .. we all understand it sucks... that doesn't mean we can't cheer for the team we love. The other part about complaining about not spending money ... nobody EVER mentions 1) how much money that should realistically spend and 2) who they should sign ... if you're looking for $200M payroll, that's like complaining you aren't winning the mega millions on a $1 scratch off .. it's IMPOSSIBLE. Will NEVER happen... which players should they have realistically signed?
C - they have two young studs coming up .. they signed a stop gap that was a starting catcher in the playoffs last year.
1b - signed two 1B's that have played a pile of playoff games .. Santana helped the Mariners push last year.
2b - options were Segura .. he signed for $17M in Miami .. next best option? Adam Frazier .. signed for $8M .. are Pirates fans mad we didn't spend on Adam Frazier? FWIW, I like Castro.
ss - we're covered here for a while
3b - we're covered here for a while
LF - trying to extend Reynolds before the year .. just offered 7 yrs over 100M
CF - Suwinski right now, but Bae is also working his way up .. Bae can also play 2b. Options would could've signed? .. Nimmo resigned with the mets for $162M .. Cubs got Bellinger for $17M .. we want to sign a .200 hitter for $17M .. that would've made Pirates fans happy? He would've made us that much better?
RF - I like CNS, but one guy I did like on the market was Haniger .. average salary of $14M/per .. maybe they could've taken a run at him? other than that .. it's a wasteland (besides Judge)... I'd much rather play our prospects.
SP - Mitch. Conteras. Ovideo. Priester .. now Quinn isn't up yet, but that's 4 slots you should have filled with young guys .. they have Brubaker, Hill, Velasquez as stop gaps... would Pirates fans have been happy signing Quintanna for $13M/year? Evoldi for $17M/year? Taillon for $17M/year? does adding $50M in payroll give you even 10 more wins? I don't think it does.
Money doesn't correlate to winning unless you buy the highest end guys .. which only 5 teams do. At the end of the day, you need to spend money when the time is right, and Nutting showed he'd do it to a certain extent .. 80% of the league grows their core .. that's how it works. The Braves grew their entire team and then supplemented when they had to .. now, they're throwing money at their young guys which is awesome and Nutting is showing he may want to do that .. but they got Matt Olson.. who else did they go and get? everyone else is home grown there. Everyone. Before Olson, Freeman was home grown ...
spending $15M on average players isn't a fix and doesn't make sense. People who complain about spending are clueless trolls.