OT: Pirates Talk: That Skenes guy is okay at teh baseball

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The Pirates payroll is only $42 million right now because it only counts the 4 players actually signed to deals for next year (Reynolds, Keller, IKF and Hayes). With including the arb estimates that they didn't non-tender, that takes them up to about $57 million with 10 players. Filling the remaining 16 spots with league minimum players brings that up to about $70 million.

Being realistic, the Pirates likely only have at most $30 million to add to their payroll, which brings them up to a $100 million payroll. They went from $74 million in 2023 to $84 million in 2024, I figure that $100 million estimate for 2025 is pretty reasonable. I'd expect $95 million as a more realistic bet, though.

Before any injuries (which there will obviously be) or additions, I think they're sitting with something like:

SP: Skenes, Keller, Jones, Falter and Ortiz
RP: Bednar, Santana, Holderman, Oviedo, Mlodzinski, Nicolas, Moreta and Strzelecki

C: Bart
1B: Triolo
2B: Gonzales
SS: IKF
3B: Hayes
LF: Reynolds
CF: Cruz
RF: Suwinski
DH: Yorke
Bench: Endy, Palacios, Cook and Bae

They probably have about $25 million plus $800k times how many players you add to fill out this roster (since you'd be sending down $800k players).
Are you nuts? That's the same exact lineup from last year that sucked major, major ass.
 
Just another way to f*** small markets.

I really hope Soto signs with LA for 600 million (575 deferred until the year 2124).

I'll watch Paul pitch and that's it. Beyond his games, MLB can f*** right off.
 

MLB is the most broken of the 4 major NA sports. AINEC.

I say that as someone who grew up w/the golden era of NBA and haven't paid attention to that league in roughly 15ish years.

"Legalized" gambling and advertising ruins sports.
 
LAD are playing within the rules

It's just bullshit rules

The league is making money

NHL is broken and broke

You answered why MLB is the most broken with the 2nd statement.

I don't care how much money MLB baseball makes. It doesn't help me, you, or any other regular person out there.

They've designed the system to benefit the poor teams by giving them subsidized handouts, thus removing any and all incentive for cheap (but not poor) owners like Nutting to continue pulling Rowdy Tellez moves year over year.

The NHL is watered down because they've taken the physicality all but out of the game.

It's broke because hockey is an expensive sport that most people can't afford, and more importantly, 100% isn't as universally celebrated as baseball in the US, which is where most NHL teams reside.

The are also cultural factors. Black and brown people are not buying up jerseys, tickets, and product like they are with baseball, basketball, and football. That's a literal fact that can easily be looked up if you care to.
 
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Free-agent first baseman Christian Walker is from Norristown, Pa., in the eastern part of the state. Pittsburgh is in the western part, but Walker would be an ideal fit for the Pirates, who are seeking to bolster their offense.

The problem for the Pirates is that Walker is an ideal fit for a number of clubs, including the New York team that fails to sign Juan Soto. And the idea of the Pirates winning a bidding war with the Mets or Yankees — or any club, for that matter — is almost laughable.

The Pirates began working out Bryan Reynolds at first in late September, and expect him to play the position at least part-time in 2025. But after finishing 24th in the majors in runs, they ideally would add a first baseman and at least one corner outfielder.

Club officials were encouraged by the play of Oneil Cruz after they moved him to center in late August. Learning the position on the fly, Cruz was +2 in Outs Above Average in 23 games and -3 in Defensive Runs Saved. Whichever metric you believe, the Pirates expect he will develop into a plus defender in center.
 
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If they're moving Reynolds to 1B (which is a move I support), they shouldn't be adding another 1B as well. Go big on a corner outfielder and have Reynolds at 1B or go big on a 1B and have Reynolds in RF.
 
Guys, remember this isn't EA sports.

Even IF we could match what larger markets are offering, you have to consider the fact that we're not an alluring destination.

I agree, seeing the A's spend that kind of money means we should be able to add at least 1 player on a 15-20M deal, but we aren't guranteed anything.

We can throw 3x60 to Walker and someone A, is almost surely going to give a bit more, and even if they don't, can we outsell NY, Philly, LA (bigger, winning markets)?

I doubt it.

Tyler O'Neill makes a lot of sense, especially if Reynolds is moving to 1B/DH more in the years to come.
 
Seen good things about Brent Strom whom the Pirates hired as assistant pitching coach. Most recently with the Dbacks the past 3 years and the Astros before that so has worked with some guys who have seemed to have made some positive changes.
 
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Seen good things about Brent Strom whom the Pirates hired as assistant pitching coach. Most recently with the Dbacks the past 3 years and the Astros before that so has worked with some guys who have seemed to have made some positive changes.

Agreed, now there is a hire you go "he's got credentials". Though at 76 years of age, I wonder how long he'll be here.

Too bad they won't apply that to the manager position.

My dream was for them to can Shelton 2 winters ago and hire Bochy, which the Rangers did....who won a title immediately.

Managers are extremely important in baseball particularly and we don't have a winner right now.
 
I feel like O'Neill is the prime kind of guy that the Pirates sign for a lot of money and ends up with an 80 OPS+ :laugh:

I'm 100% supportive of moving Reynolds to 1B, I think it makes a ton of sense. My only issue doing that is that it takes them out of being a realistic option for Walker, but it's pretty unlikely they're a realistic option for him to begin with. He's probably no more realistic than Santander.

My bet is that they give a multi year deal to Kepler (something like 3 years and $30 million) to play LF and they get Cahna on a 1 year deal (something like 1 year at $8 million) to start at 1B and ease Reynolds' transition from RF to 1B. I think the long term goal would be Yorke in LF, Cruz in CF and Kepler in RF.
 


I wouldn't have paid O'Neill this tbh, he seemed like a prime guy to give a huge deal to only for him to suck :laugh:

I've mentioned Kepler already but I've really grown to like the idea more and more. He's not a flashy signing but he's a very safe signing, his elite defense and plate discipline (aka taking walks) creates a really safe floor of a 1-2 WAR player. If he pops off offensively like he has done in the past, you're getting a 3-4 WAR player.
 
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Yanks and Mets have reportedly pushed bidding into the $710-$730 million range.
 
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