I love that us Pirates fans manage to sneak a question into just about every chat, and I love that the staff answers them. We might not root for a very good team, but we’re persistent.
The fact that you all have endured some really bad seasons over the last 5 years and you still keep your head up knowing that the Pirates have a bright future ahead of them is what makes your fan base a great fan base. Everybody loves a team when they’re winning but you see who the die hard fans are when you have to endure the misery year after year. As a Cincinnati Bengals fan, I’ve experienced those hardships for decades.
Jim Leyland, the last great manager the Pirates had, said it best right around 1990. Ownership in their cost cutting budget shrinking, essentially removed the Pirates from competition. It still holds true today.
They make it a point to try and answer questions about every team if I’m not mistaken, but I agree I think this is a great way to handle the chats. Now if only you could get Pittsburgh’s ownership to pay the team as much attention as MLBTR live chats…
My guess, based on track record, 4/60 with a fifth year vesting option for 20 million.
The problem with Cubs players, is that they all overvalue themselves, Rizzo wants/wanted a Goldy comp. Baez thinks he is worth closer to Lindor money. Bryant believes he is a 300 million dollar player as well.
Baez is probably looking at a 6/120 and that is being generous. He will get a little bump being the only free agent short stop that isn’t tied to a qualifying offer. If I’m New York (Yankees) I’d be all over Baez.
KB, I’m thinking 7/175 unless he plays MVP candidate baseball from here on out and Boras can say that his poor play was a reflection of the trade rumors.
4/60 with 50+ guaranteed at least with a team option on year 4
I don’t feel he will want to sacrifice money. He probably feels Cincy took his big payday chance away from him already moving him to the pen so I think he goes for most guaranteed money possible…50+ should do the trick Imo , albeit not such a bargain or low risk but the need and fit certainly works in Ana and he’s still very young
Great Chat as we’re accustomed to every Sunday evening.
Projecting the off-season at this point is difficult. There may be some FO changes and for sure some managers. While I do see the 2 NYC teams spending money on FA’s and trying to take on salary in trade in an attempt to win, am not sure about any of the other teams….
A few years ago the talk was all about the 5-6 year tanking the Astros and Cubs went through. It worked well in Houston where the entire organization was revamped in how they scouted, obtained and developed players – including veterans they brought in from other teams. That structure is still in place. The Cubs seem to have no real structure in place to develop players – especially pitchers. But the long-term rebuild that the Phillies did proved to be a large failure – it appears at best maybe a half-dozen players panned out, with only Hoskins, Eflin, and Nola being above average players …..and Nola has looked like a #3 starter in 2021. They could have spent in free agency 5 years earlier and had their fans avoid the pain.
The “Restructuring” that the Giants and Red Sox have done the past 2-3 years whereby they changed their organizational philosophies, restructured their development support structure and payroll while keeping a core of their veteran players as opposed to trading them all for prospects, has worked well.
Since all professional team sports pretty much copy cat what works for others, I’d suggest that the teams currently in long-term rebuilds that had to revamp their organizations – Tigers, Orioles, Royals, and Pirates – will not be joined any time soon. Rather the Giants / Red Sox ‘Restructure’ will be what teams such as the Angles, Twins, Indians, Nationals, Cubs, Cardinals, and others do. This will change the typical “buyer/seller” market of dumping salaries for prospects, as teams look more at 1-3 year time horizons where they temporarily take a step back. It’s also clear that successful teams can win by staying away from 7-10 year contracts, as it’s risky to project a players performance more than 2-3 years out…..if that. As noted in the Chat – FO’s such as the Brewers, Rays, and Giants have a clear plan of what roles they want fulfilled on the field; they go out and get guys they can work with and control for a few years to execute them. They do not need 8-10 star players to win.
as much as the Phillies havent gotten what they have needed from some of the stars at times, the reason i think this team can turn around quickly is the team has gotten killed by it’s backend of the roster guys. better production from any of VV, Moore, or Anderson earlier in the year could have seen this team up nearly half a dozen games, and the same goes for some of the guys outside the top few guys in it. the team has money coming off the books, and the ability to spend beyond the tax, so I dont think 2022 is out of the question. And I would pick Atlanta for the East this year, but this team has, if they can get some of the struggling pieces back in good order, the ability to take the division and surprise in the postseason if they are lucky. (and note I say that in the “get in and anything can happen” way more than anything else)
There’s some money coming off the books for 2022, but not really that much The Phillies 2022 payroll commitments, are the second highest behind the Padres.
I agree with you that the Phillies could be a viable contender next season, with what money they have to spend, going to the right areas, and those acquisitions panning out.
The Phillies could take the NLE division title on the basis of there not being a dominant team in the division. If they make the right additions to their pitching staff in the offseason, I think they have a shot, but they don’t have a lot of leeway.
Dombrowski is obviously restructuring the Phillies roster, and it’s not going to take 3-5 years. That’s why he was brought in.
He gave it away before the trading deadline when he said something to the effect that they need players. With the exception of Harper, it’s quite possible that everyone on the roster is available for trade…..and perhaps even Harper if something can be worked out with him and Boras.
Going into the trade deadline I wrote that the Phillies need 3 pitchers for 2021 – a starter and 2 relief pitchers. I thought Richard Rodriquez would be perfect to close. I know that Dombrowski tried for him. But I believe that the Rangers told him that if he wanted Gibson (starter) he had to take Kennedy’s salary on as well. So he went that way. He added 2 players there, primarily giving up a prospect that was spinning his wheels for years. The 3rd pitcher he got was JD Hammer that had been MIA since early in the season.
As for the Braves, they were able to get Rodriquez. While all the pub for their trade deadline moves have gone to the OF’s, I believe Rodriquez has been their most valuable addition. Snitker has been using him the same way that Francona used Andrew Miller the year the Indians went to the WS – not as a closer but anywhere during a game that’s needed. Rodriquez has pitched one inning each in 9 games, not allowing a run. Will Smith just has to be the closer. The Braves bullpen that was a dumpster fire is now settled into their roles. Rodriquez has made all the difference in the world.
The Phillies have the hard part of the roster constructed. They have the the top talent already. They just don’t have the right role players. With some money coming off the books next season, I think they can really put together a top tier team. It’s amazing they’re in a playoff race when they don’t have a real CF or 3B, and have spent the majority of the last three seasons without a true #4 or #5 starter. The Gibson trade already addressed this somewhat, but I fully expect some moves in the offseason to really fix this team.
As for this year, if the Phillies get it together and get a playoff spot, fantastic, but realistically the Braves are winning this division. There’s really no doubt in my mind. Sure the Phillies and Mets are still very much in it, but anyone who’s watched these teams play all year knows the Braves are the least flawed of the 3.
Both men are playing out of position because their rosters were ill constructed. Both are awful playing their positions if they have to do anything other than make a routine play.
Dom can be a decent LH hitting 1B somewhere (playing in the Royals park would work for him), and Gleyber is a good 2B. Both hit about .250 / .320 / .350 – which is league average at best. The problem is that most teams have players at those positions that do what they do. At least Gleyber can go out as some sort of utility guy (2B, 3B, 1B, LF), while Dom is limited to 1B / DH.
I love that us Pirates fans manage to sneak a question into just about every chat, and I love that the staff answers them. We might not root for a very good team, but we’re persistent.
The fact that you all have endured some really bad seasons over the last 5 years and you still keep your head up knowing that the Pirates have a bright future ahead of them is what makes your fan base a great fan base. Everybody loves a team when they’re winning but you see who the die hard fans are when you have to endure the misery year after year. As a Cincinnati Bengals fan, I’ve experienced those hardships for decades.
Jim Leyland, the last great manager the Pirates had, said it best right around 1990. Ownership in their cost cutting budget shrinking, essentially removed the Pirates from competition. It still holds true today.
They make it a point to try and answer questions about every team if I’m not mistaken, but I agree I think this is a great way to handle the chats. Now if only you could get Pittsburgh’s ownership to pay the team as much attention as MLBTR live chats…
Rizzo contract predictions? Unless it’s the cubbies I saw 3/39.
3/42
Rizzo will get at least 4/60 if not 4/70.
My guess, based on track record, 4/60 with a fifth year vesting option for 20 million.
The problem with Cubs players, is that they all overvalue themselves, Rizzo wants/wanted a Goldy comp. Baez thinks he is worth closer to Lindor money. Bryant believes he is a 300 million dollar player as well.
Baez is probably looking at a 6/120 and that is being generous. He will get a little bump being the only free agent short stop that isn’t tied to a qualifying offer. If I’m New York (Yankees) I’d be all over Baez.
KB, I’m thinking 7/175 unless he plays MVP candidate baseball from here on out and Boras can say that his poor play was a reflection of the trade rumors.
Baez will never get 6/120.
Tampa’s price for Glasnow?
what does Rasiel Inglesias contract look like? wouldn’t mind the angels spending on bullpen for once
4/60 with 50+ guaranteed at least with a team option on year 4
I don’t feel he will want to sacrifice money. He probably feels Cincy took his big payday chance away from him already moving him to the pen so I think he goes for most guaranteed money possible…50+ should do the trick Imo , albeit not such a bargain or low risk but the need and fit certainly works in Ana and he’s still very young
Great Chat as we’re accustomed to every Sunday evening.
Projecting the off-season at this point is difficult. There may be some FO changes and for sure some managers. While I do see the 2 NYC teams spending money on FA’s and trying to take on salary in trade in an attempt to win, am not sure about any of the other teams….
A few years ago the talk was all about the 5-6 year tanking the Astros and Cubs went through. It worked well in Houston where the entire organization was revamped in how they scouted, obtained and developed players – including veterans they brought in from other teams. That structure is still in place. The Cubs seem to have no real structure in place to develop players – especially pitchers. But the long-term rebuild that the Phillies did proved to be a large failure – it appears at best maybe a half-dozen players panned out, with only Hoskins, Eflin, and Nola being above average players …..and Nola has looked like a #3 starter in 2021. They could have spent in free agency 5 years earlier and had their fans avoid the pain.
The “Restructuring” that the Giants and Red Sox have done the past 2-3 years whereby they changed their organizational philosophies, restructured their development support structure and payroll while keeping a core of their veteran players as opposed to trading them all for prospects, has worked well.
Since all professional team sports pretty much copy cat what works for others, I’d suggest that the teams currently in long-term rebuilds that had to revamp their organizations – Tigers, Orioles, Royals, and Pirates – will not be joined any time soon. Rather the Giants / Red Sox ‘Restructure’ will be what teams such as the Angles, Twins, Indians, Nationals, Cubs, Cardinals, and others do. This will change the typical “buyer/seller” market of dumping salaries for prospects, as teams look more at 1-3 year time horizons where they temporarily take a step back. It’s also clear that successful teams can win by staying away from 7-10 year contracts, as it’s risky to project a players performance more than 2-3 years out…..if that. As noted in the Chat – FO’s such as the Brewers, Rays, and Giants have a clear plan of what roles they want fulfilled on the field; they go out and get guys they can work with and control for a few years to execute them. They do not need 8-10 star players to win.
as much as the Phillies havent gotten what they have needed from some of the stars at times, the reason i think this team can turn around quickly is the team has gotten killed by it’s backend of the roster guys. better production from any of VV, Moore, or Anderson earlier in the year could have seen this team up nearly half a dozen games, and the same goes for some of the guys outside the top few guys in it. the team has money coming off the books, and the ability to spend beyond the tax, so I dont think 2022 is out of the question. And I would pick Atlanta for the East this year, but this team has, if they can get some of the struggling pieces back in good order, the ability to take the division and surprise in the postseason if they are lucky. (and note I say that in the “get in and anything can happen” way more than anything else)
There’s some money coming off the books for 2022, but not really that much The Phillies 2022 payroll commitments, are the second highest behind the Padres.
I agree with you that the Phillies could be a viable contender next season, with what money they have to spend, going to the right areas, and those acquisitions panning out.
The Phillies could take the NLE division title on the basis of there not being a dominant team in the division. If they make the right additions to their pitching staff in the offseason, I think they have a shot, but they don’t have a lot of leeway.
Dombrowski is obviously restructuring the Phillies roster, and it’s not going to take 3-5 years. That’s why he was brought in.
He gave it away before the trading deadline when he said something to the effect that they need players. With the exception of Harper, it’s quite possible that everyone on the roster is available for trade…..and perhaps even Harper if something can be worked out with him and Boras.
Going into the trade deadline I wrote that the Phillies need 3 pitchers for 2021 – a starter and 2 relief pitchers. I thought Richard Rodriquez would be perfect to close. I know that Dombrowski tried for him. But I believe that the Rangers told him that if he wanted Gibson (starter) he had to take Kennedy’s salary on as well. So he went that way. He added 2 players there, primarily giving up a prospect that was spinning his wheels for years. The 3rd pitcher he got was JD Hammer that had been MIA since early in the season.
As for the Braves, they were able to get Rodriquez. While all the pub for their trade deadline moves have gone to the OF’s, I believe Rodriquez has been their most valuable addition. Snitker has been using him the same way that Francona used Andrew Miller the year the Indians went to the WS – not as a closer but anywhere during a game that’s needed. Rodriquez has pitched one inning each in 9 games, not allowing a run. Will Smith just has to be the closer. The Braves bullpen that was a dumpster fire is now settled into their roles. Rodriquez has made all the difference in the world.
Good news there are some great options on the table this year. Iglesias and Jansen and Kelly just out of the two LA teams.
The Phillies have the hard part of the roster constructed. They have the the top talent already. They just don’t have the right role players. With some money coming off the books next season, I think they can really put together a top tier team. It’s amazing they’re in a playoff race when they don’t have a real CF or 3B, and have spent the majority of the last three seasons without a true #4 or #5 starter. The Gibson trade already addressed this somewhat, but I fully expect some moves in the offseason to really fix this team.
As for this year, if the Phillies get it together and get a playoff spot, fantastic, but realistically the Braves are winning this division. There’s really no doubt in my mind. Sure the Phillies and Mets are still very much in it, but anyone who’s watched these teams play all year knows the Braves are the least flawed of the 3.
Re: Dom Smith
Same problem the Yankees have with Gleyber…….
Both men are playing out of position because their rosters were ill constructed. Both are awful playing their positions if they have to do anything other than make a routine play.
Dom can be a decent LH hitting 1B somewhere (playing in the Royals park would work for him), and Gleyber is a good 2B. Both hit about .250 / .320 / .350 – which is league average at best. The problem is that most teams have players at those positions that do what they do. At least Gleyber can go out as some sort of utility guy (2B, 3B, 1B, LF), while Dom is limited to 1B / DH.
I sure loved the Field of Dreams throwback uniforms with the authentic Nike swoosh……
Types of people on MLBTR:
The arrogant one
The Negative one
MetsFan22
The oddly nice one
The Yankee fan
The cubs fan
The old school one
Will Reds fans get to see Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo with the September call ups?