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

[ChaosAgent]

Maybe. But there is a much bigger world (with bigger problems) outside of a shitty bottom tier MLB franchise.

If you look at human happiness, sports impact is disproportionate vs the socioeconomic impact which is a net zero. But people deeply care about sports as a past time. They are a civic institution but under private ownership of a miser.

Nutting has contributed more net unhappiness and lower quality of life to Pittsburgh than virtually any other person alive today.

 

[Pens1566]

If you look at human happiness, sports impact is disproportionate vs the socioeconomic impact which is a net zero. But people deeply care about sports as a past time. They are a civic institution but under private ownership of a miser.

Nutting has contributed more net unhappiness and lower quality of life to Pittsburgh than virtually any other person alive today.

I can see that possibly being the case in some scenarios during "normal" times. But we're not exactly in normal times anymore. Getting too close to politics though ...

 

[MrBrightside]

This is going to go so poorly.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I hate this organization so f***ing much.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

If you look at human happiness, sports impact is disproportionate vs the socioeconomic impact which is a net zero. But people deeply care about sports as a past time. They are a civic institution but under private ownership of a miser.

Nutting has contributed more net unhappiness and lower quality of life to Pittsburgh than virtually any other person alive today.

Something along those lines.

I obviously care, posting on a sports forum as I do. But at the same time, there are so many ways to spend my time and things to enjoy that I do not waste too much emotion on any of them.

Entertainment is a highly competitive outlet for our dollars, with sports only a small part of the competition. Baseball really needs to stop looking short term and look long term. They are being left behind with the least 'fair' system and balance in the country among any sport. The fan base is aging and they are losing the kids. Once you lose them young it is very hard to get them back.

Infographic: Is Baseball for Boomers?

This chart shows the popularity of baseball in the U.S., by age group.

www.statista.com

 

[since70]

For all we know they contacted Grichuk, Laureano, Bader, even Gamel, and they got if I'm not signed by the end of March call me, otherwise I'm looking elsewhere, thanks bye.

 

[TNT87]

Trash person for a trash organization.

 

[Ulf5]

Trash person for a trash organization.

Bob is a Hall-of-Famer Dumpster Diver. Puts Fred G. Sanford to shame.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Something along those lines.

I obviously care, posting on a sports forum as I do. But at the same time, there are so many ways to spend my time and things to enjoy that I do not waste too much emotion on any of them.

Entertainment is a highly competitive outlet for our dollars, with sports only a small part of the competition. Baseball really needs to stop looking short term and look long term. They are being left behind with the least 'fair' system and balance in the country among any sport. The fan base is aging and they are losing the kids. Once you lose them young it is very hard to get them back.

Infographic: Is Baseball for Boomers?

This chart shows the popularity of baseball in the U.S., by age group.

www.statista.com

I can't stop caring. I would love to.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

This doesn't make one lick of sense. It's possible that there's this much disarray, but without giving Cherington much credit, the simplest explanation is that there's no budget. They refuse to pay market value for almost anybody, even very minimal commitments like a Josh Naylor. They completely refuse to sign anybody longer than 1 year.

I hate to just bring Santander back up since there was never any chance, but they could have just signed him to a pretty low stakes deal and received continuous praise all offseason. The goal is to keep the payroll as low as possible and hope Chandler works out as well as Jones did last year and somehow a good offense magically manifests.

 

[ImporterExporter]

Until MLB starts losing money, nothing will change. Unless people (fans) outside the big market clubs start actually boycotting the game, nothing will change.

Manfred spoke today about needing to pay attention to fans anger (regarding no cap) but the fact remains that owners like Nutting are being paid handsomely to not actually try. There is no reality where the Pirates can compete with LA/NY on any legitimate timescale given the immense disparity in ability and willingness to spend real cash.

I say it again, if you are going to bash this franchise and league, while still tuning in for games;

You are the problem.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

MLB warns ESPN it could walk away from deal if network exercises opt-out

MLB could reportedly walk away from a potential ESPN deal if the network exercises its opt-out of the current agreement.

awfulannouncing.com

 

[cookthebooks]

honestly i hope manfred totally humiliates himself, what a pos he is

 

[Wattsburgh]

Best pitching group combined with the worst batting group I’ve seen since T-ball.

 

[sovietsanta87]

honestly i hope manfred totally humiliates himself, what a pos he is

The coastal elites don’t care about the rust belt. Talk to a New Yorker about life in pittsburgh. They’ll look at you like a simpleton that fell off the back of a turnip truck. They think they’re better than everyone because they pay 4000 a month to rent a 400 sq foot apartment. To change the league you have to that 125 year old mindset

 

[MrBrightside]

 

[DJ Spinoza]

In a cast, no timetable for return. Sounds like there will be more official news tomorrow. I'm not injury expert, so maybe the news will be that he misses some of the spring but it was a minor issue. Even in that case, it's hard not to wonder if it will linger into the season or affect his offensive output regardless.

It definitely sucks, but it's also completely fitting. There is no way to look at the entirety of the Pirates situation and come away with any other grade other than an F for this offseason, and even that is probably generous, since on most grading scales an F covers 0-60 or so and the job that Ben Cherington did is closer to 0 than 60.

They even deserve an F by the abysmal standards set by their own group this offseason. Even if Horowitz is completely healthy in three weeks and this seems like a blip, the outlook for the offense is basically hoping that Cruz takes another step forward and that you get something out of Suwinski, Hayes, Davis, etc.

 

[Wattsburgh]

Pirates desperately need Konnor Griffin to end up being the cornerstone. Right when the Pitching rotation will be entering its prime.

 

[Empoleon8771]

That Horwitz wrist injury is scary because that can completely tank his offense. Really frustrating to see the big addition they made already having injury issues.

 

[Unholy Diver]

Spencer Horwitz Recovering From Wrist Surgery

Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz underwent wrist surgery. Find out more at MLB Trade Rumors.

www.mlbtraderumors.com

6 to 8 weeks

 

[Empoleon8771]

 

[MrBrightside]

Dejan Kovacevic​

9 hours ago - 02.12.2025Bradenton, Fla.

Sources: Main move's still ahead​

The roster won't stay the same. The payroll won't stay the same.

And that's because, per multiple sources here upon landing at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport on the eve of the Pirates' pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training, they're not done yet. And actually, their main move of this astonishingly-even-by-their-standards underwhelming offseason, they insist, is still to come.

Now, who and what that might mean, that wasn't shared. Other than that it'd have to address the glaringly obvious need for offense in general and, within that, the even more glaringly obvious need to have it come from right field. And as for what'd likely head the other way, well, that's glaringly obvious, too, in that it'd have to be pitching. Probably a starter. Probably young. Possibly young enough to still be seen as a prospect.

Don't hold me to this as if it's some sort of prediction. I hate that. This is what I'm hearing in the moment from people who'd know, and that's that.

Oh, and also, don't hold me to this as if I'd see it as some sort of cure-all. I hate that even more. Because there'd be zero point in analyzing a trade that hasn't come close to taking place, for better or worse. I'm on record as stating that this lineup wouldn't be competitive if the peak version of Roberto Clemente were gloriously returned to right. So I'll wait and see.

Just sharing.

I'll venture to learn more at Pirate City in the morning, and I'll share as much of that as I can, as well. Including any peripheral specifics.

--------------

He also has repeatedly insisted the payroll this year will be over $100M, so take it for what it's worth.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Taking out my skepticism of the Pirates doing anything, the problem with me believing that report from DK is thinking that they signed Pham to make him a bench piece. I absolutely do not think that's the case. They signed Taylor for the same price last year and he started a majority of games for them until he was DFA'd.

I think it's far more likely they go into next year with a Suwinski/Pham platoon in RF than they make a significant trade for a RF. I'd love to be wrong but I see no reason to think I will be.

 

[pistolpete11]

Seems like a "Aw shucks, guys. We tried. Remember? We said we were going to add a REALLY big piece? Remember that? We just couldn't find a deal that made sense."

 

[MrBrightside]

The incompetence at every level of this organization is staggering.