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OT: Raise the Jolly Roger: Congrats to the Houston Cheaters on their win

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DJ Spinoza said:
I think the main question is probably just comfort with making reads and getting used to an entirely different position. 1B always seems like the more natural option for a catcher (thinking of Grandal), but there's not necessarily a reason it can't be tried.

I am a little bit apprehensive just because Davis has been a catcher full-time, and clearly has the tenacity and team leader type mentality that makes him suitable for it. The angle of transitioning him fully would be pretty extreme, and it's hard to know for sure what doing it part-time would look like with his development.

That stuff is hard enough to watch on MLB broadcasts, let alone the MiLB feeds, but I think the main questions with him are general framing and defense along with pitch calling and game management, which he didn't do in college. He's clearly got the work ethic to improve, so my mindset is that he needs to get back from injury and keep at it full time this year in AA. You probably don't start thinking about alternatives until the winter, and in any case, it seems exceedingly likely that he will not debut in MLB until after Super Two next year at the earliest.
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My dream is that Endy & Davis both make it, and split C duties while Davis plays 1st, and Rodriguez plays 2nd/OF.
 
I think this is a free one. Hard to find stuff like this.

piratesprospects.com

Prospect Roundtable: Anthony Solometo vs Carlos Jimenez - Pirates Prospects

The Bradenton Marauders have some pitching talent. Anthony Solometo, the 2021 second round prep lefty who received a $2.9 million bonus, was just added to the level. We broke down his start in last week's roundtable, and Anthony Murphy provided a further breakdown of Solometo this week...
piratesprospects.com piratesprospects.com
 
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I think it's time to recall Cody Bolton, too.

Keller is teetering, so maybe Bolton doesn't immediately replace him in the rotation. But no reason he can't be a 4-inning guy here.
 
ImporterExporter said:
Solometo had a strong 2nd start down in Florida this evening.
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It was a good follow-up performance. Noted: after allowing the leadoff double, he struck out the next two batters before finishing it off with a weak ground ball.


Think this is free. Some of the lower level scouting stuff is insanely detailed these days. High value entertainment for geeks like me.
www.piratesprospects.com

Po-Yu Chen Fine Tuning His Stuff in Bradenton - Pirates Prospects

There's a reason Po-Yu Chen received $1.25 million. That hasn't fully shown up in the stat line in Bradenton this year. Chen has a 5.94 ERA in 33.1 innings, getting a 28.4% strikeout rate, while walking 9.9%. Both are improvements over his time in Single-A last year, but both numbers could see...
www.piratesprospects.com www.piratesprospects.com
 
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It's nice to see Solometo getting into affiliate ball so quickly and finding success early on.

Besides Bae, someone who is coming on strong in Indianapolis right now is Swaggerty, who seems to finally have things clicking at the plate. This is important because as nice as it's been to see good signs out of various OFs, Swaggerty still has some of the strongest carrying tools, not to mention his draft profile. He's had a very bumpy road between the injuries and the Covid year, but the package of tools is really more important to look at than the cumulative results.

More pointedly, if he will hit MLB pitching, then he's a starting OF because of the speed and defense, and maybe a nice complement to Hayes at the very top of the lineup. I like Hayes in the leadoff spot, but it might be a nice shot in the arm to Swaggerty's MLB debut if he has Hayes hitting behind him in the lineup. I think he's still rightly flying under the radar in terms of prospects since he started slow, but if his game is on the upswing, then that could be a pretty exciting development for the latter half of the MLB season and beyond.

It does perhaps throw a slight wrench into the Cruz to OF discussions. It's also unfortunate that Gamel got injured, since he was putting up a very solid year and should be a decent piece to dangle at the deadline. We just have to see how everything unfolds, but I think the best outcome might be to get Gamel and Newman back, then have both Swaggerty and Cruz up in MLB and into fairly regular playing time. See what kind of minor pieces you can get for Newman and Gamel and then let the kids play.

Newman should not be that difficult to deal if he's healthy, since a good defender / contact guy has a role on even pretty good teams as the final guy on the bench. I think between Castillo's defense, Castro's competence, and Cruz's impending debut, there's no need to worry about hanging onto Newman anymore as the default option.
 
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DJ Spinoza said:
It's nice to see Solometo getting into affiliate ball so quickly and finding success early on.

Besides Bae, someone who is coming on strong in Indianapolis right now is Swaggerty, who seems to finally have things clicking at the plate. This is important because as nice as it's been to see good signs out of various OFs, Swaggerty still has some of the strongest carrying tools, not to mention his draft profile. He's had a very bumpy road between the injuries and the Covid year, but the package of tools is really more important to look at than the cumulative results.

More pointedly, if he will hit MLB pitching, then he's a starting OF because of the speed and defense, and maybe a nice complement to Hayes at the very top of the lineup. I like Hayes in the leadoff spot, but it might be a nice shot in the arm to Swaggerty's MLB debut if he has Hayes hitting behind him in the lineup. I think he's still rightly flying under the radar in terms of prospects since he started slow, but if his game is on the upswing, then that could be a pretty exciting development for the latter half of the MLB season and beyond.

It does perhaps throw a slight wrench into the Cruz to OF discussions. It's also unfortunate that Gamel got injured, since he was putting up a very solid year and should be a decent piece to dangle at the deadline. We just have to see how everything unfolds, but I think the best outcome might be to get Gamel and Newman back, then have both Swaggerty and Cruz up in MLB and into fairly regular playing time. See what kind of minor pieces you can get for Newman and Gamel and then let the kids play.

Newman should not be that difficult to deal if he's healthy, since a good defender / contact guy has a role on even pretty good teams as the final guy on the bench. I think between Castillo's defense, Castro's competence, and Cruz's impending debut, there's no need to worry about hanging onto Newman anymore as the default option.
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He'll likely be the one of the next call ups given his draft status and money invested being a top 10 draft pick, but I think we need to be realistic about Swaggerty. He's crushing lefties, and struggling against righties, which as a left handed hitter is a bit strange. He's also doing a lot more damage off relievers vs starters. Given how much time he's missed the last 2-3 years, I'd be more cautious with him, allowing for more seasoning. He's going to be up at some point, especially if he continues to hit as he's done since early May, but this is a guy who's missed a lot of meaningful baseball and really needs to show a sustained track of success before I get even remotely excited.

Reynolds isn't going anywhere. Gamel isn't out long term and I think we need to give Suwinski/Mitchell at least the rest of the month to get reps. And if Swaggerty coming up means he's not going to play most days, I'd rather let him get the reps in Indy.

Cody Bolton is another guy people are clamoring for and like Swaggerty, has missed a lot of time the past 2 years. These guys need more time IMO. Both could certainly help the MLB team but a month or 2 of production isn't enough of a track record when you've missed so much time relative to peers.
 
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Yes, I think I would let Swaggerty continue to cook throughout the month and see how it goes. I don't really think we need to lose much sleep over Gamel -- he either comes back and can slot right in and returns something ok in a trade or he doesn't. Swaggerty's had such a bumpy path that I think 6 strong weeks or so is what you want to see, which might time it more around the all star break or even after.

I also agree that Mitchell should at least be given some run, as clearly he played well enough to be added to the 40-man roster. Right now, with Marcano really playing well, it's a balancing act to get both him and Suwinski into the mix regularly, so I think it's the right thought in general to pump the brakes and let things continue to shake out before really acting. I do think Swaggerty is a more important long-term guy because of the overall tool package, but let's see if he keeps this play up for another month or more.

With Bolton, I'm of the mindset that AAA reps are not hugely important except in rare cases. For pitchers especially, what makes them viable in MLB is if they have the quality of pitches and know how to use them. I think the pandemic year really showed that. The pertinent question for me is mainly opportunity and roster jockeying if the guy isn't on the 40-man. I'm surprised to look it up now and see that Bolton isn't, which is I guess one more benefit to us of not having the Rule 5 draft this year.

There are clearly some guys who can be DFA'd (Fletcher, Park, eventually Chang and Yoshi), but I think it's also fine to wait until it's needed at the MLB level. Keller will get more run to see if he can dial the sinker in and show something, and at some point you also just have to think about innings. Bolton has injury history, and it's a decent bet that one of the MLB pitchers will get injured at some point. There's no reason to rush with him, though I will say that I watched his start last night and was impressed. Hopefully he can string together some more and stay healthy.
 
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DJ Spinoza said:
Yes, I think I would let Swaggerty continue to cook throughout the month and see how it goes. I don't really think we need to lose much sleep over Gamel -- he either comes back and can slot right in and returns something ok in a trade or he doesn't. Swaggerty's had such a bumpy path that I think 6 strong weeks or so is what you want to see, which might time it more around the all star break or even after.

I also agree that Mitchell should at least be given some run, as clearly he played well enough to be added to the 40-man roster. Right now, with Marcano really playing well, it's a balancing act to get both him and Suwinski into the mix regularly, so I think it's the right thought in general to pump the brakes and let things continue to shake out before really acting. I do think Swaggerty is a more important long-term guy because of the overall tool package, but let's see if he keeps this play up for another month or more.

With Bolton, I'm of the mindset that AAA reps are not hugely important except in rare cases. For pitchers especially, what makes them viable in MLB is if they have the quality of pitches and know how to use them. I think the pandemic year really showed that. The pertinent question for me is mainly opportunity and roster jockeying if the guy isn't on the 40-man. I'm surprised to look it up now and see that Bolton isn't, which is I guess one more benefit to us of not having the Rule 5 draft this year.

There are clearly some guys who can be DFA'd (Fletcher, Park, eventually Chang and Yoshi), but I think it's also fine to wait until it's needed at the MLB level. Keller will get more run to see if he can dial the sinker in and show something, and at some point you also just have to think about innings. Bolton has injury history, and it's a decent bet that one of the MLB pitchers will get injured at some point. There's no reason to rush with him, though I will say that I watched his start last night and was impressed. Hopefully he can string together some more and stay healthy.
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Yeah, I think post all start break, if they're still performing well, would be a viable time to get Swags and Bolton up.

As you said, we have numerous players on the 40 man who can be DFA'd or outright released.

I see 2 pitchers who are easily replaced.

Fletcher
Hembree

And even more position players who should be toast over the next 4-6 weeks.

Chang
Park
Yoshi
Marisnick

That's 6 spots. Swaggerty and Cruz are already on the 40 man, so that helps. Martin is starting to slump again (his peaks and valleys are nuts) but I'd wager the easy swap is Yoshi for him, down the line. You can release Park and bring up Bae. Obviously Bolton can swap with any pitcher, in this case 1 of the 2 names above. Another guy who will probably get some looks later in the year is Smith-Njigba, who like Cruz and Swaggerty is already on the 40 man.

Peguero is also on the 40 man, though I can't see him up until September, probably late in the year, once the minor league season ends. He's been having a really nice year offensively, though like Cruz, is having a rough go of it at SS.

Edit:

Going back to Bolton, a lot people probably forget he was a pretty highly thought of prospect before the TJ surgery. He's only 23 so still quite young for a pitcher on the cusp of MLB. His stuff does look intriguing certainly, and given the constant need for pitching upgrades, is at least slightly exciting.
 
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Zirakzigil said:
Craziness to see the Pirates sweep the Dodgers. Dont think anyone saw that coming.
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You want to know what's even more crazy? Some guys over with the Dodgers are really talking up how well the Pirates played. "Out pitched us, out hit us, & great defense in timely situations". They seriously outplayed the Dodgers, for real. And that makes me open my eyes to a potential good season.

I'm struck by how a modern Coach like Shelton must be pulled in so many different directions by a decent front office staff. Starting to wonder if the previous seasons legit failures have been about him taking and applying input. Trying different things, new philosophies, learning and developing new perspectives.

I feel like now he's getting comfortable with a process. And sticking with it.

I'm not insisting that's an explanation for why all off a sudden - Shelton seems to be a legit Coach. But it's a theory that fits the data that I'd love to see followed up on some day.
 
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DJ Spinoza said:
Yes, I think I would let Swaggerty continue to cook throughout the month and see how it goes. I don't really think we need to lose much sleep over Gamel -- he either comes back and can slot right in and returns something ok in a trade or he doesn't. Swaggerty's had such a bumpy path that I think 6 strong weeks or so is what you want to see, which might time it more around the all star break or even after.

I also agree that Mitchell should at least be given some run, as clearly he played well enough to be added to the 40-man roster. Right now, with Marcano really playing well, it's a balancing act to get both him and Suwinski into the mix regularly, so I think it's the right thought in general to pump the brakes and let things continue to shake out before really acting. I do think Swaggerty is a more important long-term guy because of the overall tool package, but let's see if he keeps this play up for another month or more.

With Bolton, I'm of the mindset that AAA reps are not hugely important except in rare cases. For pitchers especially, what makes them viable in MLB is if they have the quality of pitches and know how to use them. I think the pandemic year really showed that. The pertinent question for me is mainly opportunity and roster jockeying if the guy isn't on the 40-man. I'm surprised to look it up now and see that Bolton isn't, which is I guess one more benefit to us of not having the Rule 5 draft this year.

There are clearly some guys who can be DFA'd (Fletcher, Park, eventually Chang and Yoshi), but I think it's also fine to wait until it's needed at the MLB level. Keller will get more run to see if he can dial the sinker in and show something, and at some point you also just have to think about innings. Bolton has injury history, and it's a decent bet that one of the MLB pitchers will get injured at some point. There's no reason to rush with him, though I will say that I watched his start last night and was impressed. Hopefully he can string together some more and stay healthy.
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Yinz guys got it figured.

Next month I want to see AAA adjust to the new Swaggerty, and see him effectively adjust back.

That's when I'm looking for some run in MLB with this guy.

I'm starting to see a trend of our prospects having real defensive upside, almost across the board. Fundamentals are much improved from the Huntington era - across the board as well IMO.

Beginning to see the plan take shape. Like.
 
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If the team does turn the season around a bit and get back to .500 for the ASB I hope the team isn’t shortsighted about it. Winning is nice but it’s still rebuild mode. The young guns need to be up and playing
 
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Yeah, this is not the year to give up any future assets for short term gains. I'm sure we'll have another lull or 2 where we absolutely suck for a week or more. Can't hit, can't pitch, etc, etc.

This year should be about casting off the dead weight (mentioned above) and allowing these kids already here, more reps, as well as another handful of guys still in AAA.

Remember, this is year 3 of Cherington's tenure. Neal Huntington's Pirates lost 105 games in his 3rd year as GM. I don't think we're coming anywhere near that mark this year.

I don't see us finishing at or above .500 but 70-75 wins? If we can just improve a little bit against the Brewers and win more than we lose vs the Reds/Cubs, that's a very attainable number and one we should be happy with as fans, given the players we have been working with.
 
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I don't think anyone should overreact to a short sample size of the team playing really well. This team is still like a 70 win team.

They should be adding pieces at this point, but they should be adding cost controlled pieces to help them win in the next 3-5 years, not just short term fixes.
 
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I agree that we need to pump the brakes on any kind of 2022 will be meaningful in terms of wins. Even just this weekend's series might be easier said than done -- the DBacks have played pretty well this year and won't be a pushover. And then soon after, we have 8 road games vs. the Braves and Cardinals. If we navigate that with something like 5-3, that will be exciting, but doesn't change the prognosis anyways.

With that said, I think the principle still stands that to make this team better going forward, external-to-the-organization talent will have to be added. I do not think it's even a remote possibility, but that could mean something like getting in the mix for Frankie Montas and signing him to an extension. It could also mean ponying up relatively serious $ for Musgrove this winter.

This is a cold way to look at it, but prospects are primarily currency for MLB teams. The remainder of the year should primarily be about playing the various young players for experience and continuing to assess them, but if we need to tap into the depth in order to make the MLB team better for the next few years, then IMO that's the entire point, so I don't have a problem with it in principle, though there is an obvious list of guys who should be basically untouchable.
 
DJ Spinoza said:
I agree that we need to pump the brakes on any kind of 2022 will be meaningful in terms of wins. Even just this weekend's series might be easier said than done -- the DBacks have played pretty well this year and won't be a pushover. And then soon after, we have 8 road games vs. the Braves and Cardinals. If we navigate that with something like 5-3, that will be exciting, but doesn't change the prognosis anyways.

With that said, I think the principle still stands that to make this team better going forward, external-to-the-organization talent will have to be added. I do not think it's even a remote possibility, but that could mean something like getting in the mix for Frankie Montas and signing him to an extension. It could also mean ponying up relatively serious $ for Musgrove this winter.

This is a cold way to look at it, but prospects are primarily currency for MLB teams. The remainder of the year should primarily be about playing the various young players for experience and continuing to assess them, but if we need to tap into the depth in order to make the MLB team better for the next few years, then IMO that's the entire point, so I don't have a problem with it in principle, though there is an obvious list of guys who should be basically untouchable.
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I'm mostly on the same page, couple thoughts though.

This is Pittsburgh - fans hate the team until they go over .500 in June/July, then it goes the other way hard. If they keep this up and become a winning team, Fans will show up, excitement will reign. Pressure to win now will grow.

Now we all know that won't really affect BC and his strategy, but it may affect Nutting and Williams. And they can/will mos def change the plan a bit.

It would not shock me at all if we bought at the Deadline, given we're within a few games of a Wild Card. I wouldn't expect a Big Deal, but some small to medium trades to show Pittsburgh their interested in winning.

I'm not banking on that though. For me - 75 wins centered around youth, potential, and player development, with sound fundamentals on display most nights - that's a good season this year. At least for me.

So I'm going to increase my efforts to free up game night time. This will impact my ability to keep up with the Minors unfortunately, but I'd honestly rather want to follow the real team. It feels good to be thinking about PNC Park in June once again.
 
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We don't have to add at the deadline at all.

But keep the essential guys around. That could be Chavis, Quintana, Crowe, etc.
 
I really don't see how Quintana stays. I imagine he signed here with the intention of putting in his time to end up on a contender for the back half of the season. There's no incentive for him, at his age, to want to stick around for a young team.

Other than that, I'd be surprised if anyone else is traded. I expect guys like Yoshi, Vanmeter, and Chang will be DFA'd.
 
It was Frank Coonelly who was behind the Archer trade, and so given that Travis Williams' main contribution to the Pirates organization has been building a couple of new features at PNC Park and hiding from the media, I don't think there's anything to worry about.
 
I think if the team's trend line points upwards, crowds will come regardless.

The Archer trade was after a blip when we won 10 in a row but fans still didn't show up because they knew it wasn't real. We were on the downswing.
 
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