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

Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
85,775
86,487
Redmond, WA
The narrative trying to push Merrill over Skenes down the stretch was hilarious, it was literally just "the Padres are a better team than the Pirates". Glad the voters didn't fall for it.

That said, Merrill deserved the ROY over both of the guys in the AL that finished #1 and #2. Kinda sucks for him because he also had a ROY caliber season.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BusinessGoose

Pens1566

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
18,560
7,436
WV
The narrative trying to push Merrill over Skenes down the stretch was hilarious, it was literally just "the Padres are a better team than the Pirates". Glad the voters didn't fall for it.

That said, Merrill deserved the ROY over both of the guys in the AL that finished #1 and #2. Kinda sucks for him because he also had a ROY caliber season.

The argument I saw more of was "but he's an everyday player!!!". Which might have some merit if he was among the best in the game overall, like Skenes is/was. There's just no way to justify his good/great season over Skenes' historic/generational one.
 

ImporterExporter

"You're a boring old man"
Jun 18, 2013
19,261
8,267
Oblivion Express
Reading the comments around the web from most non Pirates fans is just depressing. People are f***ing moronic and blind homers.

On one hand, backed by actual real data, you can point to 1 player having a historic, ALL TIME great rookie year, at the hardest position in baseball. A 22 year old who started the AS game and will finish top 3 in CY voting.

On the other hand, you have a player, who had a great year, but it was NOT historic in any way compared to other position players (rookies) over the past 100+ years.

And it doesn't matter. People are just ignorant f***ing clowns incapable of digesting logic.
 

BusinessGoose

Registered User
May 19, 2022
4,915
4,534
Sacramento, CA
Well, at least we won it, so, screw the other haters

Maybe this will get MLB to maybe create a ROTY for position players and pitchers...

I think skenes had far more of an impact on the team and league than merrill in ANY case
 

ImporterExporter

"You're a boring old man"
Jun 18, 2013
19,261
8,267
Oblivion Express
Especially when the pirates don’t get a bonus pick or bonus international money with him winning

Oh, and don't forget Skenes hits FA 1 year earlier. So, in all likelihood, he'll be traded 3-4 years from now.

Unless of course Nutting decides to invest a couple hundred million on top of the near quarter billion he already gave out to Reynolds, Keller, and coughHayescough.
 

Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
85,775
86,487
Redmond, WA
I still think Pirates fans are far too dismissive of the idea that this team could sign Skenes, they just won’t be giving him a lifetime deal. This team has no chance of competing with Skenes in a UFA deal, but Skenes is so young that he’ll be hitting UFA super early. You could feasibly give him a deal that eats up his arb years and gives you a few UFA years, which still lets Skenes get his mega UFA in his late 20s.

The Pirates could get Skenes signed to a 6-8 year deal at money below $200 million, and based on the Hayes deal, it would likely be a fairly constant $20-$25 million a year rather than going cheap in arb and paying him UFA money after. Those deals have Skenes hitting UFA between 28 and 30, so he’ll still be in line to get his mega deal as a free agent.

If you want to be wildly aggressive and say his arb years are worth $95 million and his UFA worth is $40 million a year, they could make that a 7 year and $175 million deal that is just a flat $25 million a year. Skenes gets a lot of guaranteed money far earlier than he’d get it otherwise while the Pirates are still getting great value out of Skenes. The yearly money there isn’t a huge step up from what Keller is going to be making, and I figure they’d just trade Keller to be able to afford it anyway.

In reality, Skenes getting that guaranteed money up front would lower the amount of money he’d be getting in those years. I think 8 years and $160 million (flat $20 million a year) with an option extension after it could absolutely work, it just takes the Pirates being bold and aggressive for once.
 

Ad

Ad

Ad