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

[BusinessGoose]

I really wish I would have grown up a fan of literally any other team than this one

The only way you can even slightly justify it is if Nutting doesn't think this team is playoff ready and doesn't want to spend money until this team is actually a playoff team. But literally what reason is there to believe that? The reality is that he's just a cheap rat bastard that an entire city would cheer if he got whacked like that United CEO.

I'm just here cause appleheaded me liked the black and yellow (gold...)

 

[Ulf5]

I'm just here cause appleheaded me liked the black and yellow (gold...)

Damn geography. 20 some odd miles sw of the 15222, born and bred. Them kellers pulsate through these veins.

 

[Wattsburgh]

1-Paul Skenes
2-Bubba Chandler
3-Jared Jones

That pitching in a playoff series has me feeling good if this team ever got a great bat to get us in the playoffs.

 

[metalan2]

1-Paul Skenes
2-Bubba Chandler
3-Jared Jones

That pitching in a playoff series has me feeling good if this team ever got a great bat to get us in the playoffs.

They won't. They're likely going to slash payroll.

And if they do, the media shouldn't even cover the team at all, because it isn't a baseball team, it's a scam to make money or worse.

 

[Fogel]

If the Pirates had Trout and Ohtani, could they make the playoffs? I think the Pirates are better than the Angels, but I still think that they couldn't do it even with 2 elite bats although it is really 1.5 since Trout is always injured.

 

[BusinessGoose]

If the Pirates had Trout and Ohtani, could they make the playoffs? I think the Pirates are better than the Angels, but I still think that they couldn't do it even with 2 elite bats although it is really 1.5 since Trout is always injured.

100% they could have last year

NL Central was very weak, we could have challenged Brewers

Let a grand opportunity wither after all star break

 

[bigdaddyk88]

100% they could have last year

NL Central was very weak, we could have challenged Brewers

Let a grand opportunity wither after all star break

It’s going to be down again
The cards are rebuilding the cubs and Cincinnati lack pitching

 

[MrBrightside]

100% they could have last year

NL Central was very weak, we could have challenged Brewers

Let a grand opportunity wither after all star break

The division was and is very winnable. Given that Milwaukee was fairly over its head last year and lost Adames and given that no one else in the division really appears likely to take a step forward, you probably win the division with 88-90 wins. Alas, ownership and management don't really care and the odds on the Pirates being the team to take advantage are quite low - far more likely they finish last than first.

 

[BusinessGoose]

It’s going to be down again
The cards are rebuilding the cubs and Cincinnati lack pitching

The division was and is very winnable. Given that Milwaukee was fairly over its head last year and lost Adames and given that no one else in the division really appears likely to take a step forward, you probably win the division with 88-90 wins. Alas, ownership and management don't really care and the odds on the Pirates being the team to take advantage are quite low - far more likely they finish last than first.

Yup

So close, yet so far

You'd think, they'd string us along for money more than once a decade

 

[Empoleon8771]

The more I think about it, the more supportive I’m becoming for trading Keller for a bat and then replacing him in free agency with someone like Heany or Gibson. Issue though is that they’ll probably make a shitty trade with Keller and go as cheap as possible to replace him.

I think this team is better with Kjerstad in LF and Heaney as their #3 pitcher over Keller as their #3 pitcher, but we all know this GM isn’t shrewd enough to do that.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Seems like Walker is going to get a mega deal as well. I wonder whether Cohen giving Soto “f*** you” money is going to screw up the rest of the free agent market.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Seems like Walker is going to get a mega deal as well. I wonder whether Cohen giving Soto “f*** you” money is going to screw up the rest of the free agent market.

Peter Gammons is still alive?

 

[Empoleon8771]

Good to see the Brewers getting weaker but I hate that the MLB has fully just become "a few rich teams add all of the good players from everyone else". People fairly call the Pirates a farm team for those kind of teams but even teams like the Brewers are that as well.

 

[ImporterExporter]

I've said it on this forum for years. The Pirates (Nutting) will never actively try and push the big market teams. We exist as a guaranteed cash flow for Nutting and as a feeder for big markets to poach the good players we do develop for a cheaper than standard rate.

I'm glad others are finally openly admitting the reality of the situation.

The next reality is that I don't see any avenue to us getting a renewal on the lease for PNC unless of course the politicians get some heavy kickbacks. There is no real public support for the Pirates continuing to operate as they are.

 

[Goalie_Bob]

Good to see the Brewers getting weaker but I hate that the MLB has fully just become "a few rich teams add all of the good players from everyone else". People fairly call the Pirates a farm team for those kind of teams but even teams like the Brewers are that as well.

Yeah, it's getting worse and worse. Feels alot like what happened to the EPL in the mid 2000's.

 

[MrBrightside]

I've said it on this forum for years. The Pirates (Nutting) will never actively try and push the big market teams. We exist as a guaranteed cash flow for Nutting and as a feeder for big markets to poach the good players we do develop for a cheaper than standard rate.

I'm glad others are finally openly admitting the reality of the situation.

The next reality is that I don't see any avenue to us getting a renewal on the lease for PNC unless of course the politicians get some heavy kickbacks. There is no real public support for the Pirates continuing to operate as they are.

The idea that others haven't said this on this forum or elsewhere is quite the take. Other than maybe RamziAbid, Nutting has been getting torched on this board since I've been a part of it.

 

[Goalie_Bob]

The next reality is that I don't see any avenue to us getting a renewal on the lease for PNC unless of course the politicians get some heavy kickbacks. There is no real public support for the Pirates continuing to operate as they are.

Zero chance the lease doesn't get renewed.

There isn't anywhere for them to go. MLB size stadiums aren't just sitting open in other cities. No other city is going to put up with Nutting, so he has zero chance of moving the team himself.

And if he decides to sell the team, there will be a host of buyers willing to keep the team in the best ballpark in America. And in the second oldest MLB city with plenty of support for a competitive/winning team.

 

[Ulf5]

Zero chance the lease doesn't get renewed.

There isn't anywhere for them to go. MLB size stadiums aren't just sitting open in other cities. No other city is going to put up with Nutting, so he has zero chance of moving the team himself.

And if he decides to sell the team, there will be a host of buyers willing to keep the team in the best ballpark in America. And in the second oldest MLB city with plenty of support for a competitive/winning team.

So the politicians need coerced into giving crook, er, nutting an unfavorable lease renewal?

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Lol nice

 

[Empoleon8771]

Honestly not bad for Chicago but Tucker is almost assuredly leaving in free agency next year

 

[DJ Spinoza]

I know it's always tempting to be like "Pirates could have done it", but Ortiz is wildly better than Wesneski for starters, and we have plenty of prospects as good or better than Smith.

It was never gonna happen and Paredes is a solid supplementary type player on a roster, but even though that's somewhat chunky for a rental (though IMO Chicago probably intends to re-sign him -- either they shove Bellinger off now and get it done this offseason, or they see how things shake out and move Bellinger mid-season), that's the kind of thing you have to try if you aren't gonna bother signing any FAs.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Interesting idea I saw thrown out on Reddit: who says no to Keller to Chicago for Suzuki? Contracts are similar and Tucker likely takes Suzuki’s spot in RF.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Interesting idea I saw thrown out on Reddit: who says no to Keller to Chicago for Suzuki? Contracts are similar and Tucker likely takes Suzuki’s spot in RF.

Hopefully we do. Suzuki has a full no trade clause

 

[Wattsburgh]

If the Pirates simply made moves like the Cubs (not the bigger markets like Yankees obviously) we would take advantage of it and win. I don’t see why that’s so complicated. Especially with Skenes on board now.

 

[Empoleon8771]

If the Pirates simply made moves like the Cubs (not the bigger markets like Yankees obviously) we would take advantage of it and win. I don’t see why that’s so complicated. Especially with Skenes on board now.

The Pirates don't have the money of the Cubs.

They need to operate like the Brewers, but even the Brewers are victims of the inequality that the MLB has. They traded their star closer to the Yankees earlier today .