2K24: Pittsburgh Pirates

[joncarlos]

Re-signed Sean Rodriguez. He'll be their utility infielder and might start at 2B until Kang is ready. (When Kang is ready, Harrison goes to 2B, but J-Hey will start the year at 3B covering for Kang)

Still a possibility Alen Hanson gets the opening day 2B job with a good spring, I suppose.

[whalewang]

How is the infield going to be aligned when Kang is playing? Does Hanson fit in that picture? Is Mercer locked into SS for the whole season?

[madducks]

How is the infield going to be aligned when Kang is playing? Does Hanson fit in that picture? Is Mercer locked into SS for the whole season?

I'm thinking Kang plays 3B from now on. He was impressive in limited time there last season and the Pirates need to keep him away from the aggressive base runners that a middle infielder encounters when trying to turn the double play. His bat is too valuable for the power starved Pirates to risk another injury. So that leaves a more athletic Harrison at 2B and Mercer or Hanson at SS.

[joncarlos]

I'm thinking Kang plays 3B from now on. He was impressive in limited time there last season and the Pirates need to keep him away from the aggressive base runners that a middle infielder encounters when trying to turn the double play. His bat is too valuable for the power starved Pirates to risk another injury. So that leaves a more athletic Harrison at 2B and Mercer or Hanson at SS.

Hansen really isn't a shortstop. Then again, neither is Kang. I can't figure out which out of position guy they'd rather play there. I think Harrison spends most of the time at 2B and Mercer plays almost all year at SS. Hansen really needs a big spring to force is way into the picture.

[madducks]

Hansen really isn't a shortstop. Then again, neither is Kang. I can't figure out which out of position guy they'd rather play there. I think Harrison spends most of the time at 2B and Mercer plays almost all year at SS. Hansen really needs a big spring to force is way into the picture.

Yeah, the Pirates moved Hanson to 2B last season after he had played mostly SS in prior years. His minor league numbers are underwhelming. He is starting to look more and more like a major league utility player. But then again so is Mercer. The Pirates drafted a SS in both the first and second rounds of the 2015 draft which says a lot about how depleted their farm system is of quality middle infielders. I wouldn't be surprised to see them make a trade for another Cliff Barmes type veteran infielder and throw Hanson in the deal. Mike Aviles would have been an affordable option for them but he ended up signing with Detroit.

edit: forgot about 2014 #1 pick SS Cole Tucker. But he is still a few years away.

[onejayhawk]

Have our Bucs fans seen this?

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-royals-havent-been-the-projections-biggest-miss/

This shouldn’t be complicated. The Rockies have won 17 fewer games than they were projected to win. The Royals have won 30 more games than they were projected to win. The Pirates have won 33 more games than they were projected to win. (My numbers differ very slightly from Sawchik’s.) So while the Royals have been more conspicuous about this, getting to two World Series and winning one of them, the Pirates have them one-upped in the regular season

J

[Hornsby]

Well, this certainly bodes well for future contract negotiations and team harmony...what a bunch of cheap bastards.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Gerrit Cole is the emerging star of the Pirates' starting rotation.

As the team set his salary for 2016, however, Cole feels he was treated like a second-class player.

On Saturday, Cole grudgingly signed a deal for $541,000 in base salary. That's the same amount he made last year — $531,000 in base pay plus a $10,000 bonus for making the All-Star team.

According to Cole, the team's initial offer last week was for $538,000 – which was less than his total pay last year. The team refused to go higher than $541,000.

“They even threatened a salary reduction to the league minimum if I did not agree,” Cole said.

The major league minimum salary for 2016 is $507,500.

http://triblive.com/sports/pirates/10049975-74/cole-salary-league

[madducks]

Well, this certainly bodes well for future contract negotiations and team harmony...what a bunch of cheap bastards.



http://triblive.com/sports/pirates/1...-salary-league

Not surprising. I'm waiting to hear what Pedro Alvarez has to say about the Pirates after he signs somewhere else. It's no secret that he didn't get along too well with the Pirates front office. Like Cole, he is another client of Scott Boras.

Neil Walker was also displeased with the Pirates front office. But, i think he is too nice of a guy to say anything bad about them.

If Pittsburgh native Mark Cuban owned this team, the Pirates would have won a World Series trophy at least one of the last three years. The current ownership is squandering it's chance and alienating the clubhouse at the same time.

[mgwiz22]

Not surprising. I'm waiting to hear what Pedro Alvarez has to say about the Pirates after he signs somewhere else. It's no secret that he didn't get along too well with the Pirates front office. Like Cole, he is another client of Scott Boras.

Neil Walker was also displeased with the Pirates front office. But, i think he is too nice of a guy to say anything bad about them.

If Pittsburgh native Mark Cuban owned this team, the Pirates would have won a World Series trophy at least one of the last three years. The current ownership is squandering it's chance and alienating the clubhouse at the same time.

Perhaps, Cuban is too smart an investor to want to own the Pirates.

[Hornsby]

Perhaps, Cuban is too smart an investor to want to own the Pirates.

There's not a lot of downside to owning an MLB franchise...it's pretty much a license to print money. My guess is that there are simply no franchises being put up for sale at this time.

[madducks]

Perhaps, Cuban is too smart an investor to want to own the Pirates.

Cuban has expressed interest in the past. Not sure about now.

[madducks]

There's not a lot of downside to owning an MLB franchise...it's pretty much a license to print money. My guess is that there are simply no franchises being put up for sale at this time.

Yeah, even 20 consecutive losing seasons didn't stop the money from rolling in for the Pirates or persuade their owner to sell.

[Mithrandir]

If he had fallen apart I doubt he would have given back his $8 million signing bonus.

[Hornsby]

If he had fallen apart I doubt he would have given back his $8 million signing bonus.

Nor should he...a signing bonus is based on potential, and the ability for a club to own your rights for years. Contracts are based on performance, which Cole has delivered on magnificently.

I never can understand why people side with ownership...the same ownership that screws them on concessions and ticket prices, and laughs at them all the way to the bank.

[Mithrandir]

Nor should he...a signing bonus is based on potential, and the ability for a club to own your rights for years. Contracts are based on performance, which Cole has delivered on magnificently.

I never can understand why people side with ownership...the same ownership that screws them on concessions and ticket prices, and laughs at them all the way to the bank.

Agree 100% on this. I haven't paid to go to a Pirate game in over 10 years. I don't own or purchase any Pirate merchandise either.

Baseball is a business for the owners so why would they give out more money than they have to? Oh yeah because the players are so loyal to the teams and their fan base. Goes both ways. They all want to ensure maximum earnings.