The Pirates are more likely than not to land outside the playoff picture in 2020, but they’ve not given up the notion of wreaking some havoc on the NL Central this year. To do so, however, Bryan Reynolds and Kevin Newman will need to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, writes Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. True enough, Reynolds and Newman came out the gate strong in 2019, posting 3.2 fWAR and 2.4 fWAR, respectively. And yet, teaming their rookie duo with Josh Bell’s breakout bat still only amounted to the 20th-ranked offense by runs scored (758 runs), 19th by wRC+ (92). Beyond these three, the other two Pirates rounding out their top-5 by wRC+ in 2019 now play for different teams (Starling Marte, Corey Dickerson), and the sixth is a pitcher (Steven Brault). Immediately upon the close of 2019, the Pirates had planned to give Brault a go as a two-way player, but with new leadership up and down the organization, it’s unclear what his role will be. Regardless, Jarrod Dyson is the biggest addition made the to position player group this winter. Reynolds and Newman are core pieces of this lineup, and the good news is this: if they do slump in their sophomore seasons, they should have enough leash to find their way back. Let’s jump from the bottom of the NL Central to the top and check in with the reigning divisional champs…
- As Spring Training games kick off (weather permitting), hitters around the league are putting their offseason swing adjustments to the test. Paul Goldschmidt, Harrison Bader, and Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals will all be deploying tweaked swings to some degree as they seek the kind of offensive consistency that eluded the trio last year, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Goldy was the most successful of the three, but his fortunes at the plate sunk and fell seemingly on a monthly basis, and he never quite settled into the type of season to which he is accustomed. A .260 BA was his lowest mark since 2012 by almost thirty points, and while his power remained decidedly above average, it did drop from the astronomical heights of the couple seasons prior. Still, even in a down year, Goldy produced 16% more offense than average. Any substantive regression to his career norms should be enough to raise Goldy’s stock back to the level of franchise cornerstone where the Cardinals expected him to be when they acquired him for three players and a pick last winter.
- Unsurprisingly, Cardinals manager Mike Shildt wasted no time in naming Jack Flaherty their opening day starter, tweets Goold. Flaherty drove the Cardinals second half push to 91 wins and their first divisional crown since 2015. Who follows Flaherty in the rotation is a more compelling question for those in Cardinals camp this spring. There are no shortage of options, from rotation holdovers like Dakota Hudson and Miles Mikolas, to former ace Carlos Martinez, to newcomer Kwang-Hyun Kim. Adam Wainwright will be somewhere in the rotation after a rejuvenating 14-10 season in which he posted a 4.19 ERA/4.36 FIP across 31 starts. The bridge from Flaherty to Wainwright (to Chris Carpenter to Matt Morris) is a tangible reminder of the Cardinals’ institutional success. 2007, Wainright’s first season as a starter, remains the only losing season the Cards have suffered this century (they went 78-84 and finished in third place).
Woooo Go Cards ! Happy Spring Training !
Happy Spring Training, friend!
Still think the Cardinals should go after a #2 or another ace in a trade this year. They have a chance to have a ridiculous starting rotation for years! Wish they got Kubler. Image a rotation of
Flaherty Kubler Martinez Hudson Wainwright.
Flaherty and…nada…Martinez? Ha! Hudson is solid, maybe good, but at best this year a #3. Better hope Mikolas isn’t hurt/ineffective.
C. Martinez—- Once a head case—- Always a head case. Fantastic potential for years! Focus and poor work ethics have absolutely killed Martinez’s credibility.
Kluber not Kubler. And any rotation with Wainwright in it right now is ridiculous. Martinez? Does he even know what planet he is on?
Maurice the Troll. Someone farted on his pillow again
Neither Martinez nor the currently injured Mikolas is better than a No. 2 starter as is. And, when Mikolas comes back, will he be more 2018 or more 2019? Which is more “real”?
Cards had opportunities to make moves for better lefties than they actually wound up getting, too.
But, according to likes of Dee Gooooolllldddd, I’m just part of that noisy section on Twitter who doesn’t think the Mo-Girsch pair is geeenyus.
Pirates couldn’t cause havoc with all the trash cans and cameras they could find
And you couldnt be a very happy troll unless you are spewing garbage
I’m a Pirates fan, born and raised in the burgh. I know a garbage team when I see one. It doesn’t make me happy to see this team but I’m at least realistic. I stopped drinking the kool aid.
At least your team isnt full of liars & cheaters like Trashtro’s.. Bucs will get back to being a solid team again..
Agreed competent GM will go a long way.
This year is going to be a snoozer. Excited to see returns on Archer, Kela and Bell at some point tho.
As commish for my fantasy league, this year, I named it “Bang a Can, Get it On.”
Thanks. That gig is getting old. Now he’s trashing the Bucs with actual trash cans.
Wrong josh bell link
Chicken patties
I swear it is ALWAYS the wrong Josh Bell link.
How many times do you need to look up Josh Bell? If you’ve seen it once, you seen it.
Yeah, everyone who looks at stats memorizes them the first time they look at them, duh.
What if Puig signs with the Pirates on a one year deal? It would create “havoc” within the clubhouse at least.
No one will sign Puig this year. He’s a fan in 2020.
Puig would have to sign for minimum wages. ($7.50 per hour)
Yes but would b their best bat!
Wow! How little people know about pitching. Cards staff is said to good but I see it like a potential nightmare. You got three of the starters who have a history of health issues in Martinez, Waino and Mikolas, then you have Hudson an unproven youngster who got lit up in playoffs. Their #1 is solid and that is it. Pray for tires to stay on this staff. Hitting is depressing here. Goldy is not the threat he once was and is a questionable investment. Carpenter is absolute crap and other then Cardinal hopefuls the mass majority is skeptical about this team. I will personally be surprised if the Cards can finish over 500 without adding pieces.
Goldy’s issues could be the fact he changed divisions and home ballparks. The infield grass in Arizona is fast and the even the old balls MLB used flew out of THAT ballpark. Big guys with short compact swings are hard to find, he will be fine.
Reynolds is a stud. Too bad a team like the Rays or Indians weren’t able to make a trade for Reynolds and Bell.
Having those two in the same lineup as guys like Meadows or Lindor would be pretty cool to watch. Then again, Starling Marte isnt slouch and it didnt seem to help.
And to think it could have been: Reynolds, Marte, and Meadows.
Or Reynolds, Meadows, Polanco.
Or if they actually developed Cole before trading him to Houston: Reynolds, Meadows, Kyle Tucker
(and maybe Glasnow, Keller, Forrest Whitley, and Taillon)
That being said, I don’t think they’ll be the 100-loss trainwreck many are predicting. Excited to see what more production the new staff/new ideas can get out of them (Archer, Keller, Moran, Polanco, Bell). As a Pirate fan I’m actually excited for the change and the upgrading to modern preparation and development of players.
You forgot Charlie Morton. Hard to imagine them going 500 or anything near. While they are deep in the infield, there’s absolutely no help in the OF, on the mound or behind the plate should one of their starters go down The biggest crime of the last regime was the decimation of the minor league system through bad trades, lack of coaching and above all, poor assessments of players
Young flamethrower in GG or wily vet in Andrew Miller as the closer until Hicks gets up to speed toward the end of the year? Or the dreaded CBC Mix and Match with dark horse Reyes at times….
I think that Reyes should be the closer, or at least a late inning weapon. A 100 mph fastball rarely lasts in the rotation in terms of health and longevity. Cole, Verlander, and Scherzer are few and far between.
The key to the pirates improving in 2020 is their new coaching staff.
As good as they where mid decade they dropped off sharply. Most notably pitching.
New staff helps the players get closer to their ceiling rather their floor then they’ll be vastly improved form 2020 (but i they’d have to try to go lower lol) .500 isn’t totally unreasonable but 75-80 is more likely as it stands now.
I am very disappointed in the pirates this year. Bob is just a poor excuse for a owner. How do you expect to compete when you don’t invest money into your team? I see them at least getting the 1st pick this year and the worst record in baseball. Attendance will poor.
No sense in whining about the owner, that’s not changing! I’m excited to see what the new management team will do in the next couple of years. Connley, hunington and Hurdle had become nothing but boss yes men collecting paychecks. That was definitely the best improvement in the Bucs this year and I think it will definitely have a positive effect of this very young team. I have hope.
Cards have good pitching depth and a mgr who knows how to use not use up a bullpen. Look for Ponce to make his case for the fifth spot. Fans should feel really confident about our pitching, of course our offense still stinks.Gallegos Should close with Helsley, Miller, and Reyes as set ups. What I am worried about is our offense will be putting to much stress on our pitching, so by September they will be used up regardless of how Shildt uses them. Moz and Co need to take some of that young pitching and trade for a certain productive bat Carp is not rebounding sorry folks.
I seriously think Cards81 and Payne Train are Mozeliak and Girsch.
what a great compliment…I also think I could run a successful organization that hasn’t had a losing season since 2007….” The Cardinals are the winningest National League team since 2000, boasting two World Series titles, four NL pennants and twelve playoff appearances in 16 seasons.” thanks for the compliment Maurice Lock
Maybe if Mo read the latest stuff about Puig.. he might discover that P:uig is a charitable person who is a straight shooter…. harnessing that energy in a positive manner… you may really get something of major value… Mo.. read about Orlando Cepeda before he came to the Cardinals and brought as a world series and an MVP player! Giants claimed him being a malcontent… Mozeiak grow some cohones and give Cardinal Nation something to be optomistic about!