Well, the World Series has ended and it's time to look at possible additions and changes to the Pirates. I write this being not so confident in the team after failure to do anything with management after a second collapse and the whole Hoka Hey incident but it might ignite a fire under Huntington to be more aggressive. So here are players I believe the Pirates should try and get this offseason.
In House Moves:
Keep management
If they haven't done anything by now, nothing is gonna happen.
Exercise option on Pedro Alvarez
No brainier here.
Go to Arbitration with Walker, Sanchez, Jones, Resop, JMac
Also no brainers.
Non-Tender Charlie Morton and Jeff Karstens
Morton is too injury prone and who knows after Tommy John surgery to eat up $2 million in salary. Karstens may surprise some people but with the young guys on the rise and a relatively strong market, I think he goes.
Trade Joel Hanrahan
This will shock a lot of people but it really shouldn't. It's an obvious move that the Pirates must make. Hanrahan pitches 1 inning in 3/4, at the most, during the season and he will attract at least $7 million in arbitration. Is that worth it when almost anyone can close a game? Absolutely not. Closers are overrated and a trade of the Hammer could fill a lot of offensive holes on this team.
Free Agency (these are options, not predictions):
Mike Napoli:
The Rangers catcher is most likely heading back to Texas but if they get caught up in Hamilton and pitching, a team could swoop in and steal him. He's hit at least 20 HRs 8 straight years and if the Pirates pony up he'd be a huge force in the middle of the lineup.
David Ross:
Ross is a Pirate killer but he's available this year. He'd like to go back to Atlanta but you never know. He'd provide a lot of defense and leadership behind the plate and is a perfect platoon mate for The Fort.
Russell Martin:
The Yankees have a lot to worry about this offseason and they will ultimately let Martin go. He'd be perfect to platoon with The Fort too, but is injury prone.
Bunch of Old Catchers:
If we don't get any of those 3, there's a lot of garbage after that that includes Rod Barajas.
Stephen Drew:
Drew's option was recently declined and we need a SS. He'll cost money in a weak SS crop but could add some offense that's been missing for years in that spot but only if the price is right.
Marco Scutaro:
He's perfect for the Pirates but in all likelihood the Giants are keeping him. If not, he and Barmes would be a great one two punch and would make Clint very expendable.
Jeff Keppinger:
Very serviceable player that hits lefties really well. Could be a great utility man and could play some SS.
Melky Cabrera:
Melky was fantastic last year, roids or not. The Giants proved that they certainly don't need him and he's a big risk. With both corner OF jobs up for grabs, I think it could be wise for the Pirates to take a chance on him.
Don Kelly:
Pittsburgh native that can give the Pirates leadership after being to 2 World Series. The ultimate utility man could be a good bench upgrade.
Edwin Jackson:
Pirates went after him last year but he decided to sign in Washington. He's available again and I'm sure many will be interested but it's worth a shot as Jackson is in his prime and pitching well. Would give the Pirates a nice big 3 in their rotation.
Francisco Liriano:
Liriano is the ultimate risk. Will you get the one who has taken multiple no hitters deep into games, or do you get the one who had an ERA over 6 two years ago? He's a lefty that the Pirates could really use but it's such a big risk I'm not sure it's worth taking. Then again, if he struggles, he could go to the pen and a young guy could step up. Who knows here
Brandon McCarthy:
This is a move the Pirates will most likely make. A good pitcher with big potential but is often injured. This is Erik Bedard 2.0. McCarthy would certainly be welcomed after finishing with an ERA below 3 this year but on a deal very similar to Bedard.
Jeremy Guthrie:
Guthrie did terrible last year in the first half but was lights out after he was traded to Kansas City. He reminds me of an experienced Jeff Karstens and if we could get him cheap, it'd be worth it.
Joe Saunders:
Another lefty we were in on at the deadline. Saunders could be a serviceable starter for a year until the younger guys develop.
Roberto Hernandez:
You may know him as Fausto Carmona. After all the trouble he got in he tried to pitch for the Indians but got injured. I doubt the Indians pick up his option and he's still young and only a few years removed from Cy Young consideration so it'd be a fantastic move to sign him.
Jason Grilli:
We know what Grilli is, and we need him back in a Pirates uniform but it's gonna take a lot. If the price gets outrageous though, we should let him walk.
Jose Valverde:
He really hurt his value this playoffs. He's available but other teams will be interested. The Pirates should come in with a short term deal with a lower base salary but a lot of incentives. This could be your Hammer replacement.
Kyle Farnsworth:
The hard throwing righty has always been solid as a reliever. I could see the 37 year old signing with a team like the Pirates to try and continue as a top reliever on his team and be on a competitive team.
LaTroy Hawkins:
See above. Same deal here with Hawkins and both he and Farnsworth have closer experience.
Mike Gonzalez:
The Pirates really missed another lefty to go along with Watson in the pen and I think we could have a Pirate reunion with Gonzalez. Also has closing experience.
Ryan Madson:
The Reds would've been closer last year. Madson is a shut down reliever but after Tommy John surgery that cost him the year, he's back. A lot of teams will be concerned but the Pirates should do an incentives based deal and see if they can snag him.
Juan Carlos Oviedo:
You may know HIM as Leo Nunez. Same situation as Hernandez. The former Marlins closer would be another great chance to take and see if he can be a late inning reliever that we still need to find.
Crapshoot of other Relievers:
This is the route I expect. We always seem to sign bums that end up dominating out of the pen so we'll see if we go that route again.
Trades (again options, not predictions):
Ervin Santana or Dan Haren:
The Angels rotation is too crowded, both guys have hefty options this year, and the financial woes are starting to kick in. If we could add one of these 2 to the rotation and get the Angels to eat some money, we could be looking at another AJ Burnett situation. These two are also better than most of the market.
An Arizona Outfielder:
Arizona really has a surplus of outfielders even after the Chris Young trade. They're already wheeling and dealing and we were the biggest pursuers of Justin Upton in July. They have Jason Kubel too and I'd be extremely happy with either one. If the Pirates could shell out prospects for one of them and maybe pull in a third team, possibly for Hanrahan, I could definitely see the Pirates making a move like this during the winter meetings.
Shin-Soo Choo:
We were in on him until the very end last year. The price was Starling Marte and that was way too high but now, knowing they won't be bringing him back, the Pirates may be able to get Choo for a lower price knowing he'll only be here 1 year until he hits the open market in 2014,
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Thursday, October 4, 2012
What the Pirates should do
I'm not gonna sugar coat it and I'm going to get straight to the point. After 2 straight collapses something has to change. The Pirates should fire Clint Hurdle, Neal Huntington, his crony Kyle Stark, and yes even Frank Coonley. I will elaborate on why I think all should be fired and even give possible replacements for Hurdle.
Frank Coonley
Let's start off with the big gun. Frank Coonley has done a fine job with taking over this team and building it up. The problem is that the building process is over. It's time to start the maintenance of the the newly built team and he does not seem to understand that. Add into that the fact that he's letting Neal Huntington and Kyle Stark put prospects through Navy Seal training (not knowingly, but should know) and his off the field drinking problems and I see him as a liability. Don't forget either that he just announced that jobs were safe when Nutting hasn't decided. That's a trust issue. Unfortunately, don't expect this to happen. Coonley is still Nuttings's right hand man and I can't see him firing Coonley because it's too smart of a move for Nutting.
Neal Huntington
I'm sorry but Neal is unfit for this job. He is very good at building up an organization. He's just way too conservative to GM a winning team. He's too attached to the prospects (much like Tim Williams is at Pirates Prospects) he has and he won't do what is right because he's too afraid of screwing up. As a GM you need to know when to part with your treasures when it helps your team and not your reputation. He doesn't have the balls to do something that makes him unpopular even if it is better for the team. Huntington needs to be on a team where expectations are low and no matter what he does he can't be criticized. That's why he was successful in Cleveland and now here. If I were the Pirates I would relieve him of his duties and hire an assistant GM from a team where winning is always a priority or a big market so they can handle the pressure (like LA, St. Louis, etc). This would also mean the end to crony Kyle Stark who is even more conservative than Huntington. The Navy Seal training doesn't help either. I put the this at a 50-50 shot.
Clint Hurdle
This is the most obvious. Clint Hurdle lost this team down the stretch. It's obvious. And the dopey lineups he sent out while we were still in the race just shows he basically gave up too. Not to mention the unbelievably stupid calls he made in games this year that also cost us several games. When is enough enough? When does clubhouse leadership stop outweighing on the field stupidity. I say "the buck stops here!" and Clint Hurdle will be gone. Bob Nutting vowed that changes would be made and if you're looking for a main cause, it has to be Clint Hurdle. Odds on this I have to say are 70-30. Nutting needs to do something and this is most obvious solution that will appease fans unless there is another collapse.
Bonus! Options for new manager if Hurdle is laid off
Terry Francona- He's the perfect fit. Good clubhouse guy, great in game manager too. The move to a smaller market would avoid the Red Sox disaster too. Will take a lot of money though.
Sandy Alomar Jr.- If the Indians hire Francona, Alomar is the next best pick. He's young, experienced bench coach, and he knows the ins and outs. Could be the next Ventura.
Jim Riggleman- did a good job with the Nats and I thought was unfairly let go. I'd be wary though as he could be the next Hurdle...
Luis Silverio- Pirates man through and through. Has respect with the team and I just have a feeling he could be make the right decisions on the field as he does well at first already.
Brian Giles- WOAH! The former Pirate would have instant respect as a former player through these tough times. Teams seen to be doing this more and more now and it seems to be working so, why not try? Also considered putting Jason Kendall and Jack Wilson on this list...
Frank Coonley
Let's start off with the big gun. Frank Coonley has done a fine job with taking over this team and building it up. The problem is that the building process is over. It's time to start the maintenance of the the newly built team and he does not seem to understand that. Add into that the fact that he's letting Neal Huntington and Kyle Stark put prospects through Navy Seal training (not knowingly, but should know) and his off the field drinking problems and I see him as a liability. Don't forget either that he just announced that jobs were safe when Nutting hasn't decided. That's a trust issue. Unfortunately, don't expect this to happen. Coonley is still Nuttings's right hand man and I can't see him firing Coonley because it's too smart of a move for Nutting.
Neal Huntington
I'm sorry but Neal is unfit for this job. He is very good at building up an organization. He's just way too conservative to GM a winning team. He's too attached to the prospects (much like Tim Williams is at Pirates Prospects) he has and he won't do what is right because he's too afraid of screwing up. As a GM you need to know when to part with your treasures when it helps your team and not your reputation. He doesn't have the balls to do something that makes him unpopular even if it is better for the team. Huntington needs to be on a team where expectations are low and no matter what he does he can't be criticized. That's why he was successful in Cleveland and now here. If I were the Pirates I would relieve him of his duties and hire an assistant GM from a team where winning is always a priority or a big market so they can handle the pressure (like LA, St. Louis, etc). This would also mean the end to crony Kyle Stark who is even more conservative than Huntington. The Navy Seal training doesn't help either. I put the this at a 50-50 shot.
Clint Hurdle
This is the most obvious. Clint Hurdle lost this team down the stretch. It's obvious. And the dopey lineups he sent out while we were still in the race just shows he basically gave up too. Not to mention the unbelievably stupid calls he made in games this year that also cost us several games. When is enough enough? When does clubhouse leadership stop outweighing on the field stupidity. I say "the buck stops here!" and Clint Hurdle will be gone. Bob Nutting vowed that changes would be made and if you're looking for a main cause, it has to be Clint Hurdle. Odds on this I have to say are 70-30. Nutting needs to do something and this is most obvious solution that will appease fans unless there is another collapse.
Bonus! Options for new manager if Hurdle is laid off
Terry Francona- He's the perfect fit. Good clubhouse guy, great in game manager too. The move to a smaller market would avoid the Red Sox disaster too. Will take a lot of money though.
Sandy Alomar Jr.- If the Indians hire Francona, Alomar is the next best pick. He's young, experienced bench coach, and he knows the ins and outs. Could be the next Ventura.
Jim Riggleman- did a good job with the Nats and I thought was unfairly let go. I'd be wary though as he could be the next Hurdle...
Luis Silverio- Pirates man through and through. Has respect with the team and I just have a feeling he could be make the right decisions on the field as he does well at first already.
Brian Giles- WOAH! The former Pirate would have instant respect as a former player through these tough times. Teams seen to be doing this more and more now and it seems to be working so, why not try? Also considered putting Jason Kendall and Jack Wilson on this list...
Friday, August 31, 2012
Final Projection 53 man
(S) = starter
(I) = injury
(SUS) = suspended
QB:
Ben Roethlisberger (S)
Byron Leftwich
RB:
Rashard Mendenhall (I)
Jonathan Dwyer (S)
Isaac Redman (I)
Baron Batch
Chris Rainey
FB:
Will Johnson (S)
WR:
Antonio Brown (S)
Mike Wallace (S)
Emmanuel Sanders (S)
Jerricho Cotchery
Derrick Williams
TE:
Heath Miller (S)
Leonard Pope
David Paulsen
Wes Saunders (SUS)
OL:
Max Starks (S)
Willie Colon (S)
Maurkice Pouncey (S)
Ramon Foster (S)
Marcus Gilbert (S)
Mike Adams
Doug Legursky
Trai Essex
DL:
Brett Keisel (S)
Casey Hampton (S)
Ziggy Hood (S)
Cam Heyward (S)
Steve McLendon
Alameda T'aamu
Corbin Bryant
LB:
LaMarr Woodley (S)
Lawrence Timmons (S)
Larry Foote (S)
James Harrison (S)
Chris Carter
Jason Worilds (I)
Sly Sylvester (I)
Adrian Robinson
?????????????
CB:
Ike Taylor (S)
Keenan Lewis (S)
Cortez Allen (S)
Curtis Brown
Terrance Frederick
S:
Ryan Clark (S)
Troy Polumalu (S)
Ryan Mundy (S)
Will Allen
Robert Golden
Specialists:
Shaun Suisham (S)
Drew Butler (S)
Greg Warren (S)
IR:
David Johnson
John Clay
Sean Spence
NEW IR SPOT: David DeCastro
Practice Squad:
Kelvin Beachum
Jerrod Johnson
Ryan Lee
David Gilreath
Al Woods
Josh Victorian
Brandon Johnson
????????????
Notes:
Batch won't be going anywhere. He'll be available if worst comes to worst.
Williams was better than Gilreath down the stretch
Paulsen in while Wes is suspended.
Trai Essex is a lock since DeCastro went down
Corbin Bryant seemed a lot more impressive than Woods lately so he gets the spot
Adrian Robinson won a job via twitter. And I'm happy for him. Next Harrison in my opinion. We need another inside guy but I don't know who that'd be. No one was really impressive so expect a player from another team (that's what ????? means)
Golden serves as the 5th safety for week 1
Lewis beat out Cortez
Butler won P by default
Practice squad is interesting. I liked a lot of what Victorian did. He should make it. Johnson and Woods are ? because they're older. We'll grab one guy from another team too for the PS
(I) = injury
(SUS) = suspended
QB:
Ben Roethlisberger (S)
Byron Leftwich
RB:
Rashard Mendenhall (I)
Jonathan Dwyer (S)
Isaac Redman (I)
Baron Batch
Chris Rainey
FB:
Will Johnson (S)
WR:
Antonio Brown (S)
Mike Wallace (S)
Emmanuel Sanders (S)
Jerricho Cotchery
Derrick Williams
TE:
Heath Miller (S)
Leonard Pope
David Paulsen
Wes Saunders (SUS)
OL:
Max Starks (S)
Willie Colon (S)
Maurkice Pouncey (S)
Ramon Foster (S)
Marcus Gilbert (S)
Mike Adams
Doug Legursky
Trai Essex
DL:
Brett Keisel (S)
Casey Hampton (S)
Ziggy Hood (S)
Cam Heyward (S)
Steve McLendon
Alameda T'aamu
Corbin Bryant
LB:
LaMarr Woodley (S)
Lawrence Timmons (S)
Larry Foote (S)
James Harrison (S)
Chris Carter
Jason Worilds (I)
Sly Sylvester (I)
Adrian Robinson
?????????????
CB:
Ike Taylor (S)
Keenan Lewis (S)
Cortez Allen (S)
Curtis Brown
Terrance Frederick
S:
Ryan Clark (S)
Troy Polumalu (S)
Ryan Mundy (S)
Will Allen
Robert Golden
Specialists:
Shaun Suisham (S)
Drew Butler (S)
Greg Warren (S)
IR:
David Johnson
John Clay
Sean Spence
NEW IR SPOT: David DeCastro
Practice Squad:
Kelvin Beachum
Jerrod Johnson
Ryan Lee
David Gilreath
Al Woods
Josh Victorian
Brandon Johnson
????????????
Notes:
Batch won't be going anywhere. He'll be available if worst comes to worst.
Williams was better than Gilreath down the stretch
Paulsen in while Wes is suspended.
Trai Essex is a lock since DeCastro went down
Corbin Bryant seemed a lot more impressive than Woods lately so he gets the spot
Adrian Robinson won a job via twitter. And I'm happy for him. Next Harrison in my opinion. We need another inside guy but I don't know who that'd be. No one was really impressive so expect a player from another team (that's what ????? means)
Golden serves as the 5th safety for week 1
Lewis beat out Cortez
Butler won P by default
Practice squad is interesting. I liked a lot of what Victorian did. He should make it. Johnson and Woods are ? because they're older. We'll grab one guy from another team too for the PS
Sunday, August 26, 2012
53 Man Roster Projection 2
(S) Denotes Starter
(I) Denotes Injury
(SUS) Denotes Suspended
Quarterbacks:
Ben Roethlisberger (S)
Byron Leftwich
Running backs:
Rashard Mendenhall (I)
Isaac Redman (I)
Jonathan Dwyer (S)
Chris Rainey (S)
Baron Batch
Fullbacks:
Will Johnson (S)
Wide receivers:
Antonio Brown (S)
Mike Wallace (S)
Emmanuel Sanders (S)
Jerricho Cotchery
David Gilreath
Tight ends:
Heath Miller (S)
Leonard Pope
Weslye Saunders (SUS)
Offensive Line:
Max Starks (S)
Willie Colon (S)
Maurkice Pouncey (S)
Ramon Foster (S)
Marcus Gilbert (S)
Mike Adams
David DeCastro (I)
Doug Legursky
Trai Essex
Defensive Line:
Ziggy Hood (S)
Casey Hampton (S)
Brett Keisel (S)
Cam Heyward (S)
Steve McLendon
Alameda T'aamu
Al Woods
Linebackers:
LaMarr Woodley (S)
Lawrence Timmons (S)
Larry Foote (S)
James Harrison (I)
Chris Carter (S)
Jason Worilds (I)
Sean Spence
Stevenson Sylvester (I)
Adrian Robinson
Cornerbacks:
Ike Taylor (S)
Cortez Allen (S)
Keenan Lewis (S)
Curtis Brown
Terrance Frederick
Safeties:
Ryan Clark (I)
Troy Polamalu (S)
Ryan Mundy (S)
Will Allen
Robert Golden
Kicker:
Danny Hrapmann (S)
Punter:
Drew Butler (S)
Long Snapper
Greg Warren (S)
Injured Reserve:
David Johnson
John Clay
Practice Squad:
Damon Cromartie-Smith
Kelvin Beachum
David Paulsen
Corbin Bryant
Ryan Lee
Mortty Ivy
Toney Clemons
Jerrod Johnson
Notes:
-I still think Johnson beats out Batch and Batch could be called in an emergency situation. Johnson starts on the practice squad until they drop Golden down after week 1.
-Derrick Williams is so very close to knocking off Gilreath but I gotta go with the younger guy. It seems to be these 2 battling and Thursday should decide it.
-Due to the need for other positions we'll carry 2 TEs until Saunders serves his 4 games.
-Essex takes a spot for DeCastro as he recovers from a MCL tear and Foster starts.
-Al Woods is still beating Corbin Bryant but it's close.
-Adrian Robinson is going to make the team to provide depth. Once Harrison, Worilds, or Sylvester are healthy, he'll head to the practice squad and take out Ivy.
-Steelers carry the one extra safety in Golden for week 1 in Denver.
-Danny Hrapmann has made everything so far, with plenty of leg to spare especially in the clutch. His kickoffs have been good. I think we keep him to kick for years to come and Suisham gets cut to save us some money and salary cap hit.
-Drew Butler has been phenomenal and Kapinos isn't even competition. If Butler goes down Kapinos will be there.
-Only changes on the practice squad is Ivy making it and Johnson down. Ivy will be gone when Robinson goes on and I explained Johnson already
(I) Denotes Injury
(SUS) Denotes Suspended
Quarterbacks:
Ben Roethlisberger (S)
Byron Leftwich
Running backs:
Rashard Mendenhall (I)
Isaac Redman (I)
Jonathan Dwyer (S)
Chris Rainey (S)
Baron Batch
Fullbacks:
Will Johnson (S)
Wide receivers:
Antonio Brown (S)
Mike Wallace (S)
Emmanuel Sanders (S)
Jerricho Cotchery
David Gilreath
Tight ends:
Heath Miller (S)
Leonard Pope
Weslye Saunders (SUS)
Offensive Line:
Max Starks (S)
Willie Colon (S)
Maurkice Pouncey (S)
Ramon Foster (S)
Marcus Gilbert (S)
Mike Adams
David DeCastro (I)
Doug Legursky
Trai Essex
Defensive Line:
Ziggy Hood (S)
Casey Hampton (S)
Brett Keisel (S)
Cam Heyward (S)
Steve McLendon
Alameda T'aamu
Al Woods
Linebackers:
LaMarr Woodley (S)
Lawrence Timmons (S)
Larry Foote (S)
James Harrison (I)
Chris Carter (S)
Jason Worilds (I)
Sean Spence
Stevenson Sylvester (I)
Adrian Robinson
Cornerbacks:
Ike Taylor (S)
Cortez Allen (S)
Keenan Lewis (S)
Curtis Brown
Terrance Frederick
Safeties:
Ryan Clark (I)
Troy Polamalu (S)
Ryan Mundy (S)
Will Allen
Robert Golden
Kicker:
Danny Hrapmann (S)
Punter:
Drew Butler (S)
Long Snapper
Greg Warren (S)
Injured Reserve:
David Johnson
John Clay
Practice Squad:
Damon Cromartie-Smith
Kelvin Beachum
David Paulsen
Corbin Bryant
Ryan Lee
Mortty Ivy
Toney Clemons
Jerrod Johnson
Notes:
-I still think Johnson beats out Batch and Batch could be called in an emergency situation. Johnson starts on the practice squad until they drop Golden down after week 1.
-Derrick Williams is so very close to knocking off Gilreath but I gotta go with the younger guy. It seems to be these 2 battling and Thursday should decide it.
-Due to the need for other positions we'll carry 2 TEs until Saunders serves his 4 games.
-Essex takes a spot for DeCastro as he recovers from a MCL tear and Foster starts.
-Al Woods is still beating Corbin Bryant but it's close.
-Adrian Robinson is going to make the team to provide depth. Once Harrison, Worilds, or Sylvester are healthy, he'll head to the practice squad and take out Ivy.
-Steelers carry the one extra safety in Golden for week 1 in Denver.
-Danny Hrapmann has made everything so far, with plenty of leg to spare especially in the clutch. His kickoffs have been good. I think we keep him to kick for years to come and Suisham gets cut to save us some money and salary cap hit.
-Drew Butler has been phenomenal and Kapinos isn't even competition. If Butler goes down Kapinos will be there.
-Only changes on the practice squad is Ivy making it and Johnson down. Ivy will be gone when Robinson goes on and I explained Johnson already
Monday, August 20, 2012
Steelers 53 Man Roster Prediction
(S) denotes a starter
(I) denotes injury
(H) denotes holdout
(SUS) denotes suspension
Quarterbacks:
Ben Roethlisberger (S)
Byron Leftwich
Jerrod Johnson
Running backs:
Rashard Mendenhall (I)
Isaac Redman (S)
Jonathan Dwyer
Baron Batch
Fullback:
Will Johnson (S)
Wide Receivers
Mike Wallace (H)
Antonio Brown (S)
Emmanuel Sanders (S)
Jerricho Cotchery
David Gilreath
WR/RB hybrid:
Chris Rainey
Tight ends:
Heath Miller (S)
Weslye Saunders (SUS)
Leonard Pope
David Paulsen
Offensive line:
Max Starks (S)
Willie Colon (S)
Maurkice Pouncey (S)
David DeCastro (S)
Marcus Gilbert (S)
Mike Adams
Doug Legursky
Ramon Foster
Trai Essex
Defensive Line:
Brett Keisel (S)
Casey Hampton (S)
Ziggy Hood (S)
Cam Heyward (S)
Steve McLendon
Alameda T'aamu
Al Woods
Linebackers:
James Harrison (S)
Larry Foote (S)
Lawrence Timmons (S)
LaMarr Woodley (S)
Sean Spence
Stevenson Sylvester (I)
Jason Worilds (I)
Chris Carter
Cornerbacks:
Ike Taylor (S)
Cortez Allen (S)
Keenan Lewis (S)
Curtis Brown
Terrance Frederick
Safeties:
Ryan Clark (S)
Troy Polamalu (S)
Ryan Mundy
Will Allen
Specialists:
Shaun Suisham (S)
Drew Butler (S)
Greg Warren (S)
Practice Squad:
Damon Cromartie-Smith
Adrian Robinson
Corbin Bryant
Walter McFadden
Brandon Johnson
Toney Clemons
Kelvin Beachum
Injured Reserve:
David Johnson
John Clay
Notes:
I have Charlie Batch out because no one else will pick him up and if worst comes to worst we could bring him back. Plus Johnson is getting a lot of praise from the coaches, especially Tomlin, and could be the QB of the future.
Paulsen moves to the practice squad after Saunders suspension is over knocking off either Walter McFadden or Brandon Johnson.
Guys who I was really close to adding were Adrian Robinson, still could if Worilds stays on the PUP, and Corbin Bryant, still could beat out Woods.
There are 4 starters on the d-line because Keisel and Heyward will alternate.
We keep 5 WRs and roll with 4 safeties hoping no one gets hurt with Clark out Week 1.
Butler beats Kapinos because you can't win a job sitting in the tub.
Hrapmann is making it a competition with Suisham but it still looks like it's Suisham's job to lose.
Next update will be after game 3.
(I) denotes injury
(H) denotes holdout
(SUS) denotes suspension
Quarterbacks:
Ben Roethlisberger (S)
Byron Leftwich
Jerrod Johnson
Running backs:
Rashard Mendenhall (I)
Isaac Redman (S)
Jonathan Dwyer
Baron Batch
Fullback:
Will Johnson (S)
Wide Receivers
Mike Wallace (H)
Antonio Brown (S)
Emmanuel Sanders (S)
Jerricho Cotchery
David Gilreath
WR/RB hybrid:
Chris Rainey
Tight ends:
Heath Miller (S)
Weslye Saunders (SUS)
Leonard Pope
David Paulsen
Offensive line:
Max Starks (S)
Willie Colon (S)
Maurkice Pouncey (S)
David DeCastro (S)
Marcus Gilbert (S)
Mike Adams
Doug Legursky
Ramon Foster
Trai Essex
Defensive Line:
Brett Keisel (S)
Casey Hampton (S)
Ziggy Hood (S)
Cam Heyward (S)
Steve McLendon
Alameda T'aamu
Al Woods
Linebackers:
James Harrison (S)
Larry Foote (S)
Lawrence Timmons (S)
LaMarr Woodley (S)
Sean Spence
Stevenson Sylvester (I)
Jason Worilds (I)
Chris Carter
Cornerbacks:
Ike Taylor (S)
Cortez Allen (S)
Keenan Lewis (S)
Curtis Brown
Terrance Frederick
Safeties:
Ryan Clark (S)
Troy Polamalu (S)
Ryan Mundy
Will Allen
Specialists:
Shaun Suisham (S)
Drew Butler (S)
Greg Warren (S)
Practice Squad:
Damon Cromartie-Smith
Adrian Robinson
Corbin Bryant
Walter McFadden
Brandon Johnson
Toney Clemons
Kelvin Beachum
Injured Reserve:
David Johnson
John Clay
Notes:
I have Charlie Batch out because no one else will pick him up and if worst comes to worst we could bring him back. Plus Johnson is getting a lot of praise from the coaches, especially Tomlin, and could be the QB of the future.
Paulsen moves to the practice squad after Saunders suspension is over knocking off either Walter McFadden or Brandon Johnson.
Guys who I was really close to adding were Adrian Robinson, still could if Worilds stays on the PUP, and Corbin Bryant, still could beat out Woods.
There are 4 starters on the d-line because Keisel and Heyward will alternate.
We keep 5 WRs and roll with 4 safeties hoping no one gets hurt with Clark out Week 1.
Butler beats Kapinos because you can't win a job sitting in the tub.
Hrapmann is making it a competition with Suisham but it still looks like it's Suisham's job to lose.
Next update will be after game 3.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Steelers Players to Watch Tonight
Jerrod Johnson QB
Johnson has looked very good in camp from what I've heard. He's going to get a long look in the second half tonight and if he looks good he could have an outside track to the roster. I doubt we cut Batch or Leftwich for him but he seems like a lock for the practice squad.
Chris Rainey RB/WR/KR/PR
Rainey is so easy to put on this list. I just wanna see his playmaking ability and speed. He's a lock for the roster but I want to see if the Darren Sproles and Dexter McCluster comparisons are valid.
Baron Batch RB
Batch killed it in camp last year but suffered that devastating knee injury. He's been quiet this year but the he's still a prototypical 3rd down back and he could really shine this year.
Jonathan Dwyer RB
I hear Dwyer is in the best shape he's ever been in for camp. If that's true I'm excited to see what he can do and if he's ready to be a full time backup to Redman.
Marquis Maze WR/KR/PR
Maze is one of many vying for that last WR spot, and from what I've heard I'd say he's in the lead over Toney Clemons. Maze has great speed but is a bit undersized. I want to see how well he performs running routes and receiving and decide if he's the real deal.
The Rookie O-Linemen
DeCastro has been bad from what I've read, Adams looks good, and Beachum is like a roller coaster, up and down. Adams and DeCastro are starting tonight and pushing to start in Denver while Beachum is working is trying to bump Essex off the roster. Beachum will get more time and it'll be interesting to see which rookie shines.
Steve McLendon NT
McLendon may be having the best camp so far. I was shocked to see he put on so much weight going from 290 to 325 in one year. I want to see if he's truly able to take over for Big Snack and be a NT of the future and repeat his stellar performance from last year.
Sean Spence LB
Spence was a pick that really surprised me in April. I've read that he's been great in pass coverage but he's been relatively quiet. First I'm interested to see where he plays, inside, outside, and I've heard rumors that he's Polamalu's heir at safety. If he has a good showing, I think he could dethrone Larry Foote as the starter inside later in the year.
Cortez Allen CB
Allen was one of my favorite picks last year. Huge potential and raw talent who's compared to Ike Taylor. From what I hear he's already harnessing that talent and is really pushing Keenan Lewis for the starting spot open after Willy Gay's departure. With Lewis hurt, this could be Allen's time to shine.
Drew Butler P
The rookie punter has really made this a battle with Jeremy Kapinos. Kapinos is down (shades of Sepulveda) with a back injury and Butler has been booming punts. With Jeremy out, Butler has the greatest chance to make impressions tonight on the coaching staff.
Daniel Hrapmann K
This is my surprise, shocking, sneaky pick to make the roster. Hrapmann is a rookie and has a monster leg. He can easily make 53 yard FGs. It's just a matter of being accurate. Since Shaun Suisham can't make above a 40 yard FG this helps Hrapmann. One other thing is that he has to impress on kickoffs. If he consistently gets touchbacks or deplep into the end zone he's got a real shot to be kicking in September.
Johnson has looked very good in camp from what I've heard. He's going to get a long look in the second half tonight and if he looks good he could have an outside track to the roster. I doubt we cut Batch or Leftwich for him but he seems like a lock for the practice squad.
Chris Rainey RB/WR/KR/PR
Rainey is so easy to put on this list. I just wanna see his playmaking ability and speed. He's a lock for the roster but I want to see if the Darren Sproles and Dexter McCluster comparisons are valid.
Baron Batch RB
Batch killed it in camp last year but suffered that devastating knee injury. He's been quiet this year but the he's still a prototypical 3rd down back and he could really shine this year.
Jonathan Dwyer RB
I hear Dwyer is in the best shape he's ever been in for camp. If that's true I'm excited to see what he can do and if he's ready to be a full time backup to Redman.
Marquis Maze WR/KR/PR
Maze is one of many vying for that last WR spot, and from what I've heard I'd say he's in the lead over Toney Clemons. Maze has great speed but is a bit undersized. I want to see how well he performs running routes and receiving and decide if he's the real deal.
The Rookie O-Linemen
DeCastro has been bad from what I've read, Adams looks good, and Beachum is like a roller coaster, up and down. Adams and DeCastro are starting tonight and pushing to start in Denver while Beachum is working is trying to bump Essex off the roster. Beachum will get more time and it'll be interesting to see which rookie shines.
Steve McLendon NT
McLendon may be having the best camp so far. I was shocked to see he put on so much weight going from 290 to 325 in one year. I want to see if he's truly able to take over for Big Snack and be a NT of the future and repeat his stellar performance from last year.
Sean Spence LB
Spence was a pick that really surprised me in April. I've read that he's been great in pass coverage but he's been relatively quiet. First I'm interested to see where he plays, inside, outside, and I've heard rumors that he's Polamalu's heir at safety. If he has a good showing, I think he could dethrone Larry Foote as the starter inside later in the year.
Cortez Allen CB
Allen was one of my favorite picks last year. Huge potential and raw talent who's compared to Ike Taylor. From what I hear he's already harnessing that talent and is really pushing Keenan Lewis for the starting spot open after Willy Gay's departure. With Lewis hurt, this could be Allen's time to shine.
Drew Butler P
The rookie punter has really made this a battle with Jeremy Kapinos. Kapinos is down (shades of Sepulveda) with a back injury and Butler has been booming punts. With Jeremy out, Butler has the greatest chance to make impressions tonight on the coaching staff.
Daniel Hrapmann K
This is my surprise, shocking, sneaky pick to make the roster. Hrapmann is a rookie and has a monster leg. He can easily make 53 yard FGs. It's just a matter of being accurate. Since Shaun Suisham can't make above a 40 yard FG this helps Hrapmann. One other thing is that he has to impress on kickoffs. If he consistently gets touchbacks or deplep into the end zone he's got a real shot to be kicking in September.
Monday, July 30, 2012
FINAL TRADE PREDICTIONS
Well after this Travis Snider trade I thought I'd update this...
Pittsburgh Pirates trade middle/low tier prospect to Kansas City Royals for Jose Mijares
By losing Lincoln, a hole is opened in the bullpen. Bryan Morris can handle the job but I'd be more comfortable with a lefty. Mijares is just that and has a sub 2.20 ERA. We've been linked to him by John Perrotto as well. I don't know any other lefty relievers on the market so I'll throw this out there but we could also easily do nothing more today.
Other players to watch:
All lefty relievers on the market- don't know any others but I'm sure we're calling. Maybe on some righties too
Juan Pierre- Speedster with almost identical stats to Victorino. Just much cheaper. Perfect lead off guy to platoon with Snider/Presley/Marte
Any other possible bench player- Mercer/Sutton have overstayed their welcome and Mercer can be optioned. Probably would be an infield bench player.
Kevin Correia- I think we keep him now with the pitching woes we've been having and only way we trade him is in a deal for a bat or bench player
Pittsburgh Pirates trade middle/low tier prospect to Kansas City Royals for Jose Mijares
By losing Lincoln, a hole is opened in the bullpen. Bryan Morris can handle the job but I'd be more comfortable with a lefty. Mijares is just that and has a sub 2.20 ERA. We've been linked to him by John Perrotto as well. I don't know any other lefty relievers on the market so I'll throw this out there but we could also easily do nothing more today.
Other players to watch:
All lefty relievers on the market- don't know any others but I'm sure we're calling. Maybe on some righties too
Juan Pierre- Speedster with almost identical stats to Victorino. Just much cheaper. Perfect lead off guy to platoon with Snider/Presley/Marte
Any other possible bench player- Mercer/Sutton have overstayed their welcome and Mercer can be optioned. Probably would be an infield bench player.
Kevin Correia- I think we keep him now with the pitching woes we've been having and only way we trade him is in a deal for a bat or bench player
Friday, July 27, 2012
Trade Profiles: Vernon Wells
I'm sure a lot of you know this name. Wells was a superstar with the Blue Jays then was traded to the Angels and quietly has had some productive years. He hasn't been in a bunch of trade rumors this year because he's been on the DL. But with Hunter, Trumbo, Trout, Bourjos, there's just no room for him. So could he be a good trade target for the Pirates?
I see Wells sort of like the Soriano situation. Wells just has less power (but not weak), is younger, and doesn't have a no trade clause. He's been sidelined since May with a thumb injury but is coming back. He hit .244 with 6 HRs 12 RBIs and an OPS just over .700 before going down in limited action. He hit 25 HRs last year but carried an OPS lower than .700 and an avg. of .218. That will probably go up in the NL but that's just yikes. One thing I was surprised to learn though is that Wells is not as great a defender as I thought. He's averaged over his career to save -12 runs per year from the outfield. That's not good at all. I will say that I've seen him make some great plays in the outfield but that's still a concern. Then again, it can't be worse than Sutton/Jones platoon out there. Jones needs to play first. Wells also has a HUGE contract, much like Soriano. He's owed close to $40 million until 2014. The Angels would have to pay almost all of his contract (like the Cubs and Soriano) just to start a conversation.
Would I mind Wells? No not at all if the scouts believe he can turn his game around and hit for a better OPS in the NL. I'd still rather have Soriano but if we could do a trade straight up Kevin Correia for Wells and a lot of cash (Joel Sherman suggests this), I would do it.
I see Wells sort of like the Soriano situation. Wells just has less power (but not weak), is younger, and doesn't have a no trade clause. He's been sidelined since May with a thumb injury but is coming back. He hit .244 with 6 HRs 12 RBIs and an OPS just over .700 before going down in limited action. He hit 25 HRs last year but carried an OPS lower than .700 and an avg. of .218. That will probably go up in the NL but that's just yikes. One thing I was surprised to learn though is that Wells is not as great a defender as I thought. He's averaged over his career to save -12 runs per year from the outfield. That's not good at all. I will say that I've seen him make some great plays in the outfield but that's still a concern. Then again, it can't be worse than Sutton/Jones platoon out there. Jones needs to play first. Wells also has a HUGE contract, much like Soriano. He's owed close to $40 million until 2014. The Angels would have to pay almost all of his contract (like the Cubs and Soriano) just to start a conversation.
Would I mind Wells? No not at all if the scouts believe he can turn his game around and hit for a better OPS in the NL. I'd still rather have Soriano but if we could do a trade straight up Kevin Correia for Wells and a lot of cash (Joel Sherman suggests this), I would do it.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
New Pirates Trade Predictions
Since the Wandy Rodriguez trade and Upton news I think it's time to change it up. After seeing how the Pirates went about the Rodriguez deal I think I've got a good idea about what's happening next.
Pittsburgh Pirates trade Kevin Correia to the Baltimore Orioles for a prospect(s)
I'm more convinced after the Wandy trade then ever that Correia will be traded. I think he's the obvious man out of the rotation and being he's pitching for a contract I'd want to give him a chance on another team and get something for him. And being he's on fire in his past few starts I think we could get good value for him maybe as a piece to get a bat (I could see him going to Cleveland in a deal for Shin-Soo Choo) but I think this is more likely. The Orioles are looking for pitching and we can repay them for the Derrek Lee trade last year. I don't know how good a return would be so I'll leave it at prospect(s).
Pittsburgh Pirates trade 2 low tier prospects to the Chicago Cubs for Alfonso Soriano
Surprise! I'm sure many of you didn't expect us to get Wandy (including myself) but we did. Alfonso will be the same situation. I've heard Soriano mentioned as a target of the Rays but no one else. Just as the Astros have wanted Wandy gone for years, the same goes for Alfonso. They both make big money and limiting their team's pay roll flexibility. We got Wandy and Houston paying his deal. Alfonso could be next with the Cubs paying him. If you read my profile on Soriano, you'd know that he's been mashing the ball with better stats than Hunter Pence and is a sound defender even at age 36. He's a pure salary dump (like Wandy) and is under control through 2014 (like Wandy). And like the Wandy trade the Cubs will eat the almost $45 million left on his contract. I've even heard that they'd eat so much that all we'd have to pay would be $3 million a year. Not bad for Soriano who hasn't shown any type of decline in his power numbers. I think he's a cheaper alternative to a Pence or Choo with much more power which is what we need. Even if he flops after this year, $3 mill isn't bad considering Barmes is making $5.5 mill next year. He'll be 38 at contract's end and by that time Josh Bell or Gregory Polanco should be ready to come up and take over. It's the same risk as Wandy was just this is a bat. I can't ignore these similarities and have to think its a stronger possibility than trading say a Marte or Alen Hanson for 1 1/2 years of Choo or Pence. It makes sense. Only roadblock is his full no-trade clause but I don't know why he'd miss a chance to jump into a pennant race. This will also allow the Cubs to finally repay us for the Aramis and Grabow deals lol.
If you want more information and stats on Soriano I suggest you read his trade profile.
Pittsburgh Pirates trade Kevin Correia to the Baltimore Orioles for a prospect(s)
I'm more convinced after the Wandy trade then ever that Correia will be traded. I think he's the obvious man out of the rotation and being he's pitching for a contract I'd want to give him a chance on another team and get something for him. And being he's on fire in his past few starts I think we could get good value for him maybe as a piece to get a bat (I could see him going to Cleveland in a deal for Shin-Soo Choo) but I think this is more likely. The Orioles are looking for pitching and we can repay them for the Derrek Lee trade last year. I don't know how good a return would be so I'll leave it at prospect(s).
Pittsburgh Pirates trade 2 low tier prospects to the Chicago Cubs for Alfonso Soriano
Surprise! I'm sure many of you didn't expect us to get Wandy (including myself) but we did. Alfonso will be the same situation. I've heard Soriano mentioned as a target of the Rays but no one else. Just as the Astros have wanted Wandy gone for years, the same goes for Alfonso. They both make big money and limiting their team's pay roll flexibility. We got Wandy and Houston paying his deal. Alfonso could be next with the Cubs paying him. If you read my profile on Soriano, you'd know that he's been mashing the ball with better stats than Hunter Pence and is a sound defender even at age 36. He's a pure salary dump (like Wandy) and is under control through 2014 (like Wandy). And like the Wandy trade the Cubs will eat the almost $45 million left on his contract. I've even heard that they'd eat so much that all we'd have to pay would be $3 million a year. Not bad for Soriano who hasn't shown any type of decline in his power numbers. I think he's a cheaper alternative to a Pence or Choo with much more power which is what we need. Even if he flops after this year, $3 mill isn't bad considering Barmes is making $5.5 mill next year. He'll be 38 at contract's end and by that time Josh Bell or Gregory Polanco should be ready to come up and take over. It's the same risk as Wandy was just this is a bat. I can't ignore these similarities and have to think its a stronger possibility than trading say a Marte or Alen Hanson for 1 1/2 years of Choo or Pence. It makes sense. Only roadblock is his full no-trade clause but I don't know why he'd miss a chance to jump into a pennant race. This will also allow the Cubs to finally repay us for the Aramis and Grabow deals lol.
If you want more information and stats on Soriano I suggest you read his trade profile.
Trade Profiles: Hunter Pence
Yes Hunter Pence is back. There were rumors that the Phillies could put him on the block but the Cole Hamels signing just blew them up. Add in that Jose Cruz Jr. is tweeting that "Pence says his days as a Phillie are numbered" and it's just an all out frenzy. He's been linked to the Pirates by big names like Jayson Stark (speculation) and just today by John Perrotto (fact) so lets profile him shall we?
Pence is considered a star and is putting up stellar numbers again this year. He has 17 HRs a .267 avg. 59 RBIs and a .781 OPS. Not astonishing but the Phillies are having a poor season. Before you all say he's perfect, I want you to look at another player. He has 19 HRs, 58 RBIs, .274 avg. and an OPS over .800. You know who it is? You would if you read my last trade profile that many of you probably skipped over because of the name. That's Alfonso Soriano (you all will probably go read his profile now after you finish reading this). He's playing on a worse team and is putting up better stats. I don't know if giving up Starling Marte is worth Pence. Another concern is that he's been inconsistent in the field this year. I don't put much into that because he's been great over the past few years. He's arbitration eligible for next year so he's not a rental but can the Pirates pay what he's going to be worth?
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have Pence here but I wouldn't give up Starling Marte for him. Alen Hanson is another question but I'd probably do it. Honestly the odds of this trade depend on if the Phillies want value, or a pure salary dump. The salary dump works in the Pirates favor, but I'd say it's not likely. So what I'm saying, don't get too excited. I don't think Pence will be in a Pirates uniform this year even though he'd be a nice fit.
Pence is considered a star and is putting up stellar numbers again this year. He has 17 HRs a .267 avg. 59 RBIs and a .781 OPS. Not astonishing but the Phillies are having a poor season. Before you all say he's perfect, I want you to look at another player. He has 19 HRs, 58 RBIs, .274 avg. and an OPS over .800. You know who it is? You would if you read my last trade profile that many of you probably skipped over because of the name. That's Alfonso Soriano (you all will probably go read his profile now after you finish reading this). He's playing on a worse team and is putting up better stats. I don't know if giving up Starling Marte is worth Pence. Another concern is that he's been inconsistent in the field this year. I don't put much into that because he's been great over the past few years. He's arbitration eligible for next year so he's not a rental but can the Pirates pay what he's going to be worth?
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have Pence here but I wouldn't give up Starling Marte for him. Alen Hanson is another question but I'd probably do it. Honestly the odds of this trade depend on if the Phillies want value, or a pure salary dump. The salary dump works in the Pirates favor, but I'd say it's not likely. So what I'm saying, don't get too excited. I don't think Pence will be in a Pirates uniform this year even though he'd be a nice fit.
Trade Profiles: Alfonso Soriano
I know what a lot of you are thinking right now... Why the hell would we want Alfonso Soriano? And I'm sure a lot of you probably would stop reading right about now, but Soriano believe it or not could be our best option.
Soriano is killing it again with his bat this year like usual. He has 19 HRs 58 RBIs a .274 avg. and .827 OPS. That's perfect numbers for a cleanup guy. Batting has never been the problem for Alfonso but a lot of people will tell you he's a below average fielder including me but I was surprised to learn that this is not the case. This year playing LF Soriano has been worth 3 runs above average and has also saved 3 runs above average from LF. It's a fluke right? Think again. Over his career as in LF Soriano has been worth 38 runs above average fielding wise and has averaged 3 runs saved above average. So it's easy to see that Soriano is actually an above average player in the field. The other issue a lot of people point to, his huge contract. Soriano is making an annual salary of $18 mill over this season and through 2014. Before you explode, reports say that the Cubs are willing to eat almost all of his salary just to get him out. I've even heard they'll pay his whole contract except for $3 million. That could be huge value because it's not going to take any good prospects whatsoever to get it done. The only drawback is that he is 36 years old and will be 38 when his deal expires. He hasn't declined really yet but it's still a risk but they took the same risk with Wandy Rodriguez. Also he has a full no-trade clause but I don't think he'd miss a chance to join a pennant race.
I think this is currently plan C for the Pirates behind Shin-Soo Choo and Hunter Pence (John Perroto reported we're in on both) and it appears we can't match on a Victorino trade so he's out. Even though we haven't been linked to him I think he'a being considered. Remember, Wandy to the Pirates wasn't talked about much either until it happened. Contrary to popular opinion I think this would be a perfect target for the Bucs if the Cubs eat a lot of salary and I'm kinda hoping it happens unless we can get one of the mentioned above really cheap.
Soriano is killing it again with his bat this year like usual. He has 19 HRs 58 RBIs a .274 avg. and .827 OPS. That's perfect numbers for a cleanup guy. Batting has never been the problem for Alfonso but a lot of people will tell you he's a below average fielder including me but I was surprised to learn that this is not the case. This year playing LF Soriano has been worth 3 runs above average and has also saved 3 runs above average from LF. It's a fluke right? Think again. Over his career as in LF Soriano has been worth 38 runs above average fielding wise and has averaged 3 runs saved above average. So it's easy to see that Soriano is actually an above average player in the field. The other issue a lot of people point to, his huge contract. Soriano is making an annual salary of $18 mill over this season and through 2014. Before you explode, reports say that the Cubs are willing to eat almost all of his salary just to get him out. I've even heard they'll pay his whole contract except for $3 million. That could be huge value because it's not going to take any good prospects whatsoever to get it done. The only drawback is that he is 36 years old and will be 38 when his deal expires. He hasn't declined really yet but it's still a risk but they took the same risk with Wandy Rodriguez. Also he has a full no-trade clause but I don't think he'd miss a chance to join a pennant race.
I think this is currently plan C for the Pirates behind Shin-Soo Choo and Hunter Pence (John Perroto reported we're in on both) and it appears we can't match on a Victorino trade so he's out. Even though we haven't been linked to him I think he'a being considered. Remember, Wandy to the Pirates wasn't talked about much either until it happened. Contrary to popular opinion I think this would be a perfect target for the Bucs if the Cubs eat a lot of salary and I'm kinda hoping it happens unless we can get one of the mentioned above really cheap.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Where do the Pirates go from Here? What about Shin-Soo Choo?
The Pirates traded Rudy Owens, Robbie Grossman, and Colton Cain to the Astros for Wandy Rodriguez. I personally like the trade. Wandy is a very good #3 pitcher who could be a #2 on some teams. And we gave up a pitcher who can be a #3 at best (Owens), an outfielder who can be a solid MLB player but could just as easily flop (Grossman), and a lower to mid tier pitcher (Cain). Wandy is on the team through 2013 and possibly 2014 via a player option. The Pirates will only pay about half of his $30 mill he's owed for the rest of his deal. It's a good trade, but now that we have solidified the rotation, where do we go from here?
We know that the Pirates need a bat but the question is who do we get? We preferably want an OF bat or maybe 1B. The market for them is drying up quickly. Carlos Quentin signed an extension, rumors surface that Justin Upton is almost 100% sure to stay in Arizona for the year, Chase Headley has too many suitors and too high of a price, Hanley Ramirez has been traded. Who's left? Well the most likely target is Shane Victorino. He's a lead off spark plug who is a great OF. Rumor is we offered up Jared Hughes and a minor leaguer for Victorino but the Phillies want Brad Lincoln. I wouldn't do either of those deals because Victorino isn't much of an upgrade over Alex Presley. Think about that. Alex Presley. And you want to give up one of our most consistent relievers for him? Not to mention his huge salary and that he's a rental. Another possibility is Hunter Pence. Yes Pence again. He's under control through 2013. But I'm sure the price for him will be high. He's going to cost a bundle through arbitration. We'll also have to give up Marte in the deal which I also would not do but if the price is lower, I'd certainly listen. Justin Upton is still a possibility because maybe Arizona is just blowing smoke, but I think that idea is fading away fast. Giancarlo Stanton would take at least Taillon and Marte if Miamj even considered selling. So other than Victorino or Pence who could the Pirates get? What about Shin-Soo Choo?
Choo is a guy I actually really like and the Indians reportedly put him on the block. Choo currently bats lead off for the Indians but could easily move back to cleanup or #5 in the order. He's got pop in his bat and is excellent defensively. He's hit 12 HRs with 39 RBIs a .296 avg. and .871 OPS. He's a very good hitter and is having a nice bounce back from a below average year last year. He's also under control through 2013 making $4.9 mill this year and arbitration eligible next year. He's also only 29. I'll compare him to a poor man's Hunter Pence with less power. I think he's the perfect fit for the Pirates if they're interested and I don't think we'd have to part with any top prospects to get him. It would be a similar trade to the Wandy deal.
I haven't heard anything on the Pirates interest in Choo but then again there wasn't huge talk about us going after Wandy either. I'm just speculating here but I wouldn't be shocked if we suddenly jumped in on Choo since we're looking at all available bats or possibly went after/got a surprise player. Just remember I said it first if it happens!
We know that the Pirates need a bat but the question is who do we get? We preferably want an OF bat or maybe 1B. The market for them is drying up quickly. Carlos Quentin signed an extension, rumors surface that Justin Upton is almost 100% sure to stay in Arizona for the year, Chase Headley has too many suitors and too high of a price, Hanley Ramirez has been traded. Who's left? Well the most likely target is Shane Victorino. He's a lead off spark plug who is a great OF. Rumor is we offered up Jared Hughes and a minor leaguer for Victorino but the Phillies want Brad Lincoln. I wouldn't do either of those deals because Victorino isn't much of an upgrade over Alex Presley. Think about that. Alex Presley. And you want to give up one of our most consistent relievers for him? Not to mention his huge salary and that he's a rental. Another possibility is Hunter Pence. Yes Pence again. He's under control through 2013. But I'm sure the price for him will be high. He's going to cost a bundle through arbitration. We'll also have to give up Marte in the deal which I also would not do but if the price is lower, I'd certainly listen. Justin Upton is still a possibility because maybe Arizona is just blowing smoke, but I think that idea is fading away fast. Giancarlo Stanton would take at least Taillon and Marte if Miamj even considered selling. So other than Victorino or Pence who could the Pirates get? What about Shin-Soo Choo?
Choo is a guy I actually really like and the Indians reportedly put him on the block. Choo currently bats lead off for the Indians but could easily move back to cleanup or #5 in the order. He's got pop in his bat and is excellent defensively. He's hit 12 HRs with 39 RBIs a .296 avg. and .871 OPS. He's a very good hitter and is having a nice bounce back from a below average year last year. He's also under control through 2013 making $4.9 mill this year and arbitration eligible next year. He's also only 29. I'll compare him to a poor man's Hunter Pence with less power. I think he's the perfect fit for the Pirates if they're interested and I don't think we'd have to part with any top prospects to get him. It would be a similar trade to the Wandy deal.
I haven't heard anything on the Pirates interest in Choo but then again there wasn't huge talk about us going after Wandy either. I'm just speculating here but I wouldn't be shocked if we suddenly jumped in on Choo since we're looking at all available bats or possibly went after/got a surprise player. Just remember I said it first if it happens!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Could the Pirates Trade for Two Outfielders?
It has been known for a while that the Pirates are looking to upgrade the corner outfield spots but could they upgrade both?
There have been rumors that say the Pirates think Shane Victorino is a perfect fit. If you read my trade profile on him you'd know I'm strongly opposed to that idea. However I may be changing my tune here. Alex Presley has fallen off the face of the earth and his stats are now the same as Tabata's. This leads me to believe that we really need a lead off guy. Victorino isn't great hitting for an average of .240 but he's got a good track record and has an on base percentage over .100 points over Presley and Tabata. So if the price comes down I think a Victorino trade could be beneficial, but what about the power bat?
I think that the Pirates could still trade for another outfielder. Let's be honest here, Alex Presley is a bench player. The Pirates bench is pathetic and Presley can upgrade it. I think a guy like Justin Upton, Hunter Pence, Josh Willingham, and maybe even Giancarlo Stanton with the Marlins selling, can still be had to play RF. In 3 of these 4 trades Starling Marte would probably be involved if you're wondering about that. I mean even with Victorino getting on base, who's gonna drive him in? Both OF spots are needed for upgrading and imagine a lineup going to the tune of Victorino, Walker, Cutch, and one of those 4. This team can be scoring runs left and right.
So do I think we could add 2 outfielders at the deadline. Absolutely. I think it's even probable but only if the price is right.
There have been rumors that say the Pirates think Shane Victorino is a perfect fit. If you read my trade profile on him you'd know I'm strongly opposed to that idea. However I may be changing my tune here. Alex Presley has fallen off the face of the earth and his stats are now the same as Tabata's. This leads me to believe that we really need a lead off guy. Victorino isn't great hitting for an average of .240 but he's got a good track record and has an on base percentage over .100 points over Presley and Tabata. So if the price comes down I think a Victorino trade could be beneficial, but what about the power bat?
I think that the Pirates could still trade for another outfielder. Let's be honest here, Alex Presley is a bench player. The Pirates bench is pathetic and Presley can upgrade it. I think a guy like Justin Upton, Hunter Pence, Josh Willingham, and maybe even Giancarlo Stanton with the Marlins selling, can still be had to play RF. In 3 of these 4 trades Starling Marte would probably be involved if you're wondering about that. I mean even with Victorino getting on base, who's gonna drive him in? Both OF spots are needed for upgrading and imagine a lineup going to the tune of Victorino, Walker, Cutch, and one of those 4. This team can be scoring runs left and right.
So do I think we could add 2 outfielders at the deadline. Absolutely. I think it's even probable but only if the price is right.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Trade Profiles: Chase Headley
The Pirates have been linked to Chase Headley a lot over the last few days so I thought I'd do a quick trade profile for him. Headley is the Padres everyday third baseman and is arguably their best player. The Padres want to dump him so they can get good pieces to continue their rebuild and the Pirates are interested.
Headley's stats are not very exciting when you look at them. He has 11 HRs 47 RBIs a .268 avg. and a .793 OPS. But take into the fact that he plays in the pitcher's safe haven Petco Park and you see his stats can be a lot better. Here's an example of that. Headley is batting .333 and has an OPS of 1.033 at PNC Park. That's a HUGE difference. Headley can definitely help the offense batting cleanup and not only this year. He's under team control for two more years. My one problem with bringing in Headley is, where is he gonna play? He's a third baseman that can play LF but he's just as good out there defensively as Jones and Sutton. Move Pedro to first? I don't think he's ever going to be an everyday first baseman. So we still have that problem. Reports are they want 2 top prospects for him and I don't want to give that up for a guy who I have no clue where he'll play.
I love Headley's bat, but his OF defense where he'd most likely play is below average at best. I don't see a Headley trade happening here. The only way I see us involved in Headley is if San Diego is a third team in an Upton trade since Arizona loves Headley but have strained relations with the Padres. That's very unlikely so I don't put a lot of stock in these Headley trade rumors.
Headley's stats are not very exciting when you look at them. He has 11 HRs 47 RBIs a .268 avg. and a .793 OPS. But take into the fact that he plays in the pitcher's safe haven Petco Park and you see his stats can be a lot better. Here's an example of that. Headley is batting .333 and has an OPS of 1.033 at PNC Park. That's a HUGE difference. Headley can definitely help the offense batting cleanup and not only this year. He's under team control for two more years. My one problem with bringing in Headley is, where is he gonna play? He's a third baseman that can play LF but he's just as good out there defensively as Jones and Sutton. Move Pedro to first? I don't think he's ever going to be an everyday first baseman. So we still have that problem. Reports are they want 2 top prospects for him and I don't want to give that up for a guy who I have no clue where he'll play.
I love Headley's bat, but his OF defense where he'd most likely play is below average at best. I don't see a Headley trade happening here. The only way I see us involved in Headley is if San Diego is a third team in an Upton trade since Arizona loves Headley but have strained relations with the Padres. That's very unlikely so I don't put a lot of stock in these Headley trade rumors.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Trade Profiles: Paul Maholm
We all know Paul Maholm. He is one of the best and definitely most consistent pitchers we've had in the Burgh for all long time, and is pretty high on record leader boards for Pirates lefties all time. Paul was a fan favorite and still might be for the bandwagon fans that don't realize that he's now a Cub. I've always liked Paul Maholm and never thought he got the credit he deserved or any run support which hurt his win-loss record. I was happy however that we didn't agree to that $9 million option this offseason. The thought of having Maholm back warms my heart but let's look if we want him back.
Maholm has been up and down all year for the Cubs after some outstanding years in the Burgh (especially against the Astros). This year Maholm sports a 7-6 record with 65 punch outs a 4.33 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. However Paul has been heating up. In his last four starts he has only given up 2 earned runs in 22.1 innings with 16 strikeouts. Sounds like last year's Paul Maholm. Maholm signed a one year deal with Chicago for $4.25 million (same as Vargas' salary) with a club option for $6.25 million next year, ironically the same money he made with the Pirates last year. The one drawback that I don't like is his inconsistency this year. He had the best year of his career last year but isn't following up this year. He's an upgrade over Correia but I feel he's the same basically as Erik Bedard.
Would I like to have Maholm back? Absolutely I would. Great clubhouse guy and a loyal former Pirate and I still follow him on twitter as one of my favorite Pirates of my generation. His stats however indicate he may not be an upgrade over what we already have, especially since he's still pitching in the same division and not playing for a team/fans that hate him. There would be no change. For these reasons I think he's sort of a plan B or C for the Pirates and a Maholm homecoming, while it'd be fun and a fan's (like me) favorite move, is not very likely.
Maholm has been up and down all year for the Cubs after some outstanding years in the Burgh (especially against the Astros). This year Maholm sports a 7-6 record with 65 punch outs a 4.33 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. However Paul has been heating up. In his last four starts he has only given up 2 earned runs in 22.1 innings with 16 strikeouts. Sounds like last year's Paul Maholm. Maholm signed a one year deal with Chicago for $4.25 million (same as Vargas' salary) with a club option for $6.25 million next year, ironically the same money he made with the Pirates last year. The one drawback that I don't like is his inconsistency this year. He had the best year of his career last year but isn't following up this year. He's an upgrade over Correia but I feel he's the same basically as Erik Bedard.
Would I like to have Maholm back? Absolutely I would. Great clubhouse guy and a loyal former Pirate and I still follow him on twitter as one of my favorite Pirates of my generation. His stats however indicate he may not be an upgrade over what we already have, especially since he's still pitching in the same division and not playing for a team/fans that hate him. There would be no change. For these reasons I think he's sort of a plan B or C for the Pirates and a Maholm homecoming, while it'd be fun and a fan's (like me) favorite move, is not very likely.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Trade Profiles: Jason Vargas
Even though Erik Bedard had a good outing against the Rockies the Pirates can still use another lefty and could dump terribly inconsistent Kevin Correia. Jason Vargas is an under the radar player that deserves a very good look from the Pirates.
Vargas is a 29 year old lefty for the Seattle Mariners. He's under control for another year after this and is pretty good. To demonstrate how good he can be, let's play a game. Player A is 7-7 has 79 K's 3.51 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. Player B has a 9-7 record 86 K's 4.09 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Guess who the players are. Player A is Wandy Rodriguez and player B is Jason Vargas. Pretty similar stats eh? Take into account that Vargas pitches in an offensively rich AL West and deals with DHs and you could argue he's better than Wandy. I've heard many clamor about bringing in Wandy but the price is way too high prospect and money wise. Why not bring in Vargas who makes half of what Wandy does and will be cheaper prospect wise?
Overall I'd love to see the Pirates sneak in and grab Jason Vargas who could become even better with a move to the NL. He's lost within the market with guys like Hamels and Greinke and could be a great find at a low price. One problem would be that Seattle asks a lot for there players. Could be hard to compromise. Being that the Pirates and Orioles are the only current teams to show serious interest in him I really like the chances of a trade for Vargas going down. Plus they owe us after ripping us off in the Jack Wilson/Ian Snell for Jeff Clement/Ronny Cedêno deal.
Vargas is a 29 year old lefty for the Seattle Mariners. He's under control for another year after this and is pretty good. To demonstrate how good he can be, let's play a game. Player A is 7-7 has 79 K's 3.51 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. Player B has a 9-7 record 86 K's 4.09 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Guess who the players are. Player A is Wandy Rodriguez and player B is Jason Vargas. Pretty similar stats eh? Take into account that Vargas pitches in an offensively rich AL West and deals with DHs and you could argue he's better than Wandy. I've heard many clamor about bringing in Wandy but the price is way too high prospect and money wise. Why not bring in Vargas who makes half of what Wandy does and will be cheaper prospect wise?
Overall I'd love to see the Pirates sneak in and grab Jason Vargas who could become even better with a move to the NL. He's lost within the market with guys like Hamels and Greinke and could be a great find at a low price. One problem would be that Seattle asks a lot for there players. Could be hard to compromise. Being that the Pirates and Orioles are the only current teams to show serious interest in him I really like the chances of a trade for Vargas going down. Plus they owe us after ripping us off in the Jack Wilson/Ian Snell for Jeff Clement/Ronny Cedêno deal.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Trade Profiles: Shane Victorino
This is the final player that I think will be seriously on the Pirates radar. Some people may be surprised to see the Flyin' Hawaiian on this list but he is most certainly a target. His contract is up at the end of the year and with the Phillies struggling he's a good candidate for them to sell. The question is, is he a good fit for the Pirates?
Victorino has always been a great defender as the Phillies CF and would translate well to the spacious LF of PNC Park. The Pirates could use better defense in the OF for sure but they need offense to go along with it. Unfortunately that is what Victorino lacks. His stats this year are a disappointing 8 HRs 38 RBIs .244 Avg. and .683 OPS. And I used career stats to debunk this issue with Justin Upton in my first article but they don't help Victorino much. Some argue Victorino is having a down year but if you look at his career averages of a .276 Avg. and .773 OPS it seems he is having a pretty average year minus a dip in average. Here's another player that could be an OF fix. His stats this year include 6 HRs 13 RBIs a .242 Avg. and .671 OPS. Know who it is? That's Alex Presley. So that leads me to ask this question. Would Shane Victorino be an upgrade at the plate or be a flashier name that plays like Alex Presley? Plus with a large salary and supposed large asking price would his defense alone be worth it?
I don't think a trade for Victorino will happen even though we are one of few teams interested because of the salary and asking price. I think if the price comes down more teams will also get involved. And honestly I don't think he's an upgrade of what we already have. So I wouldn't trade for Victorino but if you think he can hit above his career averages in the second half, you'll disagree with me.
Victorino has always been a great defender as the Phillies CF and would translate well to the spacious LF of PNC Park. The Pirates could use better defense in the OF for sure but they need offense to go along with it. Unfortunately that is what Victorino lacks. His stats this year are a disappointing 8 HRs 38 RBIs .244 Avg. and .683 OPS. And I used career stats to debunk this issue with Justin Upton in my first article but they don't help Victorino much. Some argue Victorino is having a down year but if you look at his career averages of a .276 Avg. and .773 OPS it seems he is having a pretty average year minus a dip in average. Here's another player that could be an OF fix. His stats this year include 6 HRs 13 RBIs a .242 Avg. and .671 OPS. Know who it is? That's Alex Presley. So that leads me to ask this question. Would Shane Victorino be an upgrade at the plate or be a flashier name that plays like Alex Presley? Plus with a large salary and supposed large asking price would his defense alone be worth it?
I don't think a trade for Victorino will happen even though we are one of few teams interested because of the salary and asking price. I think if the price comes down more teams will also get involved. And honestly I don't think he's an upgrade of what we already have. So I wouldn't trade for Victorino but if you think he can hit above his career averages in the second half, you'll disagree with me.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Trade Profiles: Bryan LaHair
Yesterday I did another Chicago Cub trade target for the Pirates in the person of Ryan Dempster. Today I'm doing one on Cubs breakout 1B/OF Bryan LaHair. LaHair is a feel good story. 29 years of age, been in the minors for years, and is now having a breakout season. Makes you think of Bobby Scales from a few years back, also of the Cubs. LaHair however is a very serviceable player that the Pirates should take a good look at in the few weeks remaining until the trade deadline.
LaHair plays a position of need, 1B and a little OF, and sports a .281 Avg. 14 HRs 31 RBI and OPS of .869. He also has a low salary being below $500,000. I'm not sure how many years of team control he has left being this is his first full year in the majors. The only real thing that scares me a bit is that he's 29 and just showing this ability now. It's like a Steve Pearce situation but LaHair is producing. I just don't know if he can keep it up just like Pearce had flashes but never kept it up.
If the Pirates were to trade for LaHair I wouldn't be upset. It'd be more neutral. He can produce with the bat but doesn't scare anyone and he'd come at a cheap price because the Cubs need an everyday job for stud Anthony Rizzo. Do I see the Pirates making this move? No I don't. I think it's a little too safe for what rumors say they want to do. Again, I wouldn't be upset but I wouldn't jump for joy if we added LaHair.
LaHair plays a position of need, 1B and a little OF, and sports a .281 Avg. 14 HRs 31 RBI and OPS of .869. He also has a low salary being below $500,000. I'm not sure how many years of team control he has left being this is his first full year in the majors. The only real thing that scares me a bit is that he's 29 and just showing this ability now. It's like a Steve Pearce situation but LaHair is producing. I just don't know if he can keep it up just like Pearce had flashes but never kept it up.
If the Pirates were to trade for LaHair I wouldn't be upset. It'd be more neutral. He can produce with the bat but doesn't scare anyone and he'd come at a cheap price because the Cubs need an everyday job for stud Anthony Rizzo. Do I see the Pirates making this move? No I don't. I think it's a little too safe for what rumors say they want to do. Again, I wouldn't be upset but I wouldn't jump for joy if we added LaHair.
Trade Profiles: Ryan Dempster
It has been reported that the Pirates are looking into adding starting pitching. Any pitcher brought in would almost certainly spell the end for Kevin Correia (they still have faith in Bedard) via trade, a move to the pen, or outright release. Most reports throw out the names of Cole Hamels and Zach Greinke but I will not do posts on them because I just don't see them as viable targets. The Cubs Right Hander Ryan Dempster however could be a brilliant trade target for the Pirates.
Dempster is having a stellar year for the Cubs. He sports a 4-3 70 Ks 1.01 WHIP and and an outstanding 1.99 ERA. That's second in the league behind Jered Weaver. If Dempster was on a solid team offensively there's no doubt in my mind he'd be a Cy Young contender. So it sounds like a no brainier right? They're have to be problems right? There are. Dempster is in his late 30's so injuries are always a concern. He's also losing his strikeout numbers fast and not fanning as many as he did earlier in the year. Last and most importantly is salary. He's do to make around $14 million this year so any trade would have to involve the Cubs sending us money.
There is a boatload of interest in Dempster so it'll be hard to get him. If the Pirates could give up a mid tier prospect and get the Cubs to pay about half of his contract (much like the AJ Burnett deal) I think he could come in and add playoff experience, another mentor, and great pitching to a still young team. Someone could end up getting the next AJ Burnett and I hope it's us again.
Dempster is having a stellar year for the Cubs. He sports a 4-3 70 Ks 1.01 WHIP and and an outstanding 1.99 ERA. That's second in the league behind Jered Weaver. If Dempster was on a solid team offensively there's no doubt in my mind he'd be a Cy Young contender. So it sounds like a no brainier right? They're have to be problems right? There are. Dempster is in his late 30's so injuries are always a concern. He's also losing his strikeout numbers fast and not fanning as many as he did earlier in the year. Last and most importantly is salary. He's do to make around $14 million this year so any trade would have to involve the Cubs sending us money.
There is a boatload of interest in Dempster so it'll be hard to get him. If the Pirates could give up a mid tier prospect and get the Cubs to pay about half of his contract (much like the AJ Burnett deal) I think he could come in and add playoff experience, another mentor, and great pitching to a still young team. Someone could end up getting the next AJ Burnett and I hope it's us again.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Trade Profiles: Carlos Quentin
Yesterday I sort of kicked off this series with my article of why we should trade for Justin Upton. Today I'm going to go over my thoughts on Carlos Quentin.
Quentin has a big bat but has never developed into the star the Chicago White Sox wanted him to be. Regardless he still hammers the ball and provides plenty of power for any batting order. He's now with the Padres and has been tearing it up since coming off the DL. His numbers include a .268 Avg. 7 HRs 17 RBI and a stunning OPS of .924 in 33 games. This I remind you is at they dreaded Petco Park where it is extremely difficult to hit. If you say he's a one year wonder think again, his career line is a .253 Avg. 128 HRs 400 RBI and another stunning OPS of .850. Translate this to PNC Park and you have a very dangerous #4 hitter. The only area he struggles at is working the walk but he also doesn't strike out much so it's not really a big issue. (to view more stats visit baseball-reference.com which I use as my source)
The price for Quentin should be relatively low because he would be a rental player. Think about when we traded for Ryan Ludwick last year (also of the Padres). Ludwick was in a little less of a demand and we were able to get him for what eventually became cash. I think we'd have to give up a little more for Quentin, like a player to be named later who's a mid tier prospect or more cash. So the price of bringing in Quentin to play a position of need (OF) and hit the ball very well and far on this team would be well worth it.
Overall I think there is a good shot that this is the deal we make. If I were to put odds on it I'd say there's a 40% chance this gets done and 5% on Upton. Would I rather have Upton? Sure I would and I'd still deal for him first but getting a guy like Quentin at a lower price could be just as effective but only in the short term.
Quentin has a big bat but has never developed into the star the Chicago White Sox wanted him to be. Regardless he still hammers the ball and provides plenty of power for any batting order. He's now with the Padres and has been tearing it up since coming off the DL. His numbers include a .268 Avg. 7 HRs 17 RBI and a stunning OPS of .924 in 33 games. This I remind you is at they dreaded Petco Park where it is extremely difficult to hit. If you say he's a one year wonder think again, his career line is a .253 Avg. 128 HRs 400 RBI and another stunning OPS of .850. Translate this to PNC Park and you have a very dangerous #4 hitter. The only area he struggles at is working the walk but he also doesn't strike out much so it's not really a big issue. (to view more stats visit baseball-reference.com which I use as my source)
The price for Quentin should be relatively low because he would be a rental player. Think about when we traded for Ryan Ludwick last year (also of the Padres). Ludwick was in a little less of a demand and we were able to get him for what eventually became cash. I think we'd have to give up a little more for Quentin, like a player to be named later who's a mid tier prospect or more cash. So the price of bringing in Quentin to play a position of need (OF) and hit the ball very well and far on this team would be well worth it.
Overall I think there is a good shot that this is the deal we make. If I were to put odds on it I'd say there's a 40% chance this gets done and 5% on Upton. Would I rather have Upton? Sure I would and I'd still deal for him first but getting a guy like Quentin at a lower price could be just as effective but only in the short term.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Why the Pirates Should Trade For Justin Upton
I've seen many different posts from other Pirate bloggers/reporters that we should not trade for Justin Upton. I am part of the minority that disagrees with this. It's no doubt that Justin Upton is a star OF for Arizona and is still only 24 years old. The three main reasons that people think it is a bad idea to trade for Upton, that I've gathered, are that he is too expensive prospect wise, too expensive salary wise, and is not as much of a superstar as he is portrayed. I'll start with the prospect issue first.
It has been said over and over that the Pirates can not sell the farm for one player. I think that time as passed and this team has much more depth than people think. The thought is that a trade that would land the Pirates Upton would consist of Jameson Taillon, Starling Marte, Robbie Grossman, and Rudy Owens. With this scenario, the Pirates still have a pretty strong farm system. You lose Taillon but still have Gerritt Cole, Luis Heredia, and most likely Mark Appel. You lose Marte but still have a strong prospect in Josh Bell, plus Upton takes that role since he's signed through 2015. You lose Grossman but still have Gregory Polanco. You lose Rudy Owens but still have Jeff Locke and Justin Wilson. That's not to mention Alen Hanson and Kyle McPherson still in the system. Another factor people overlook is the draft picks we will get over the years Upton is still here and prospects who can breakout like Hanson did this year. So my point is we would still have a pretty strong farm system even after a potential Upton deal. I also think we may be overestimating what the Diamondbacks may want for Upton. I think that they really don't want him and are making it public to try and get the kings ransom they're looking for. I think it's a slight overestimate and that if Arizona had the offer of Marte, Hanson, Grossman, and Owens in front of them they'd jump on it and we can keep Taillon.
Let's move on to the salary issue. Upton is signed to a similar deal to Cutch. Many think we cannot afford to bring in Upton long term. The team budget is close to $60 million right now if I'm not mistaken and I believe it can get up to $80 million at a max. With that budget I believe we can keep Cutch, Upton, JMac, Walker and Pedro long term or at the least until Cole and others are out of team control. I think it's the least significant issue of the three above because we can also trade any of them even if we can't afford them. It's not a huge issue to me.
Lastly, I'll look at the production issue. Upton is having a down year and some stats seem to point to Upton being well overrated. I see this as the same situation as Kevin Youkilis this year. Youk has been a strong hitter throughout the year but was having a down year. It was mostly because the team and management lost faith in him and gave him no support. It's hard to perform when no one believes in you. It's the same thing with Upton. The Diamondbacks have become frustrated with Upton's slow start and are losing faith fast in him. A change of scenery would be nice for Upton just as it has for Youkilis. I'll say this, I'm not a stats guy and I don't know a lot about them but I'll let these speak for themselves. The order of the stats go as follows and are from baseball_reference.com:
Year Age Tm Lg G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Pos Awards
Kevin Youkilis
2012 33 BOS AL 42 165 146 25 34 7 1 4 14 0 0 14 39 .233 .315 .377 .692 84 55 4 4 0 1 0 53
2012 33 CHW AL 13 55 49 9 17 2 0 3 14 0 0 5 7 .347 .418 .571 .990 163 28 0 1 0 0 1 5/3
Youk has shown a very large star increase since going to a team that has wanted him. I think a deal like this for Upton would produce the same result making him far worth his contract. Here's some stats I've included for Upton just showing what he is capable of doing. Same source and same order:
Justin Upton
2007 19 ARI NL 43 152 140 17 31 8 3 2 11 2 0 11 37 .221 .283 .364 .647 62 51 3 1 0 0 4 9
2008 20 ARI NL 108 417 356 52 89 19 6 15 42 1 4 54 121 .250 .353 .463 .816 107 165 3 4 0 3 6 9
2009 21 ARI NL 138 588 526 84 158 30 7 26 86 20 5 55 137 .300 .366 .532 .899 129 280 10 2 1 4 3 *9/D AS,MVP-25
2010 22 ARI NL 133 571 495 73 135 27 3 17 69 18 8 64 152 .273 .356 .442 .799 110 219 20 4 1 7 5 *9/D
2011 23 ARI NL 159 674 592 105 171 39 5 31 88 21 9 59 126 .289 .369 .529 .898 139 313 8 19 0 4 9 *9 AS,MVP-4,SS
2012 24 ARI NL 79 331 289 54 79 12 2 7 37 10 8 33 74 .273 .353 .401 .755 100 116 2 5 0 4 3 *9
Overall do I think an Upton trade will happen to the Pirates? No I don't, but I think if they have the chance, they should jump on it.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Steelers Bring Back Cotchery
The Steelers have brought back WR Jericho Cotchery on a 2 year contract. The contract specifics are currently unknown but I'll give my quick opinion on it. I really like this move because it adds to an already stellar WR corps for the Steelers. Cotchery is a reliable target that can be a slot or 4th WR depending on the package. Most of all he brings the veteran leadership to the young WRs that was lost with the retirement of Hines Ward. With the prospect of adding another young wide out through the draft this deal makes a lot of sense. I really like this signining and I'm eager to see how often and how Cotchery will be used in this new offense. Follow me @Black_YellowMan on Twitter for updates.
Pens v. Flyers Game 1
What to watch for tonight in the matchup. The first thing I'm watching for is what team can control their emotions tonight and stay light headed. Whichever team gets too heated tonight over what has happened in the past few meetings is going to cause more penalties and give the other team more opportunities to score. Specifically I'm watching for Joe Vitale to see if anyone tries anything else even after his fight last game. I'm also watching for defense on both sides. I think this series is going to be a high scoring affair and whichever team is able to support their goalie better is going to win. The last thing I'm watching is the offensive stars. I'll be watching Sid of course to see how he does early but I'm really going to be watching the Malkin and Jagr matchup. I think their leadership is going to carry both teams and whoever is able to be better offensively and help his supporting cast, that team will win the series. PREDICTION: PENS 3 FLYERS 2. Don't forget the game starts at 7:30 on ROOT Sports. Follow me on Twitter: @Black_YellowMan for updates (I'll also live tweet the action)
Keys To Bringing the Cup Back to Pittsburgh
It's that time of year again Pittsburgh fans, Pens Playoff Hockey. Those are some of the 3 best words for Pittsburghers. I'm gonna take a quick, vague look into what I think the Pens have to do to win the Stanley Cup.
1. Defense Wins Championships
If the Pens want to compete for the cup this year and live up to the expectations they need to be more sound defensively. I'm specifically calling you out Paul Martin. Martin is supposed to be a top defender on this team and isn't living up to that contract we signed him to 2 years ago. He needs to be more consistent and be a factor. This of course has to go along with guys like Orpik, Z, and Letang playing at the level they have been. This all has to fall into place because a good defense needs to back up Fleury who has historically been eradic throughout the playoffs and makes the overall team better.
2. Capitalize on Opportunities
This is plain and simple, if you get the Power Play opportunities you need to take advantage. The Pens have a firepowered offense but the defense is floundering. They need to be able to alleviate some pressure on them and Fleury and the best way to do that is to get a lead built.
3. Fleury Power
I've mentioned it above, Fleury is far from stellar in the playoffs. I don't have stats in front of me so I can't really say how many goals he gives up during the playoffs per game but I'd guess it was close to 2. He needs to carry his momentum from the regular season and I think he'll be fine, just don't let him go on a long losing streak or he'll lose confidence quickly.
4. Leadership
This is the most important in my eyes. Malkin needs to step up and take control of this team and lead them through the playoffs. He needs to lead by example and play lights out and give 110%. Sid also has to be Sid and give his team a chance to score. Finally, someone needs to step up this playoffs and be the big surprise contributor. It was Max Talbot in 2009, and the Pens need that guy. I look at Pascal Dupuis for that role. He's got an 18 game points streak and I think he'll carry it through into playoff play.
Overall I think the Pens will get these tasks done and the Cup will be coming home to Pittsburgh.
Follow me on twitter: @Black_YellowMan
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Wassup
Hello folks, welcome me nicely to the blogging world and follow me on twitter @Black_YellowMan for updates
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