2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

[steelcurtain311]

Re: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

Andy seems to be a contact hitter, but yeah, he's definitely got power. He's fine with the extra base hits. Like I said, if he can be a .280-290 15-20 HR 85-100 RBI kind of guy, then he's well worth it in the grand scheme of things. He doesn't have to be Evan Longoria or anything.

Who's hitting so well at the top of the order that Andy shouldn't get the chance to move up? Freddy's slumping, Nate's slumping, Adam's slumping, Nyjer was playing way over his head to begin with, this is a no brainer. If you're getting terrible offensive production, which we are, you shake things up.

[tree3five]

Re: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates have traded center fielder Nate McLouth to the Atlanta Braves for two pitchers, Jeff Locke and Charlie Morton, and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez.

Good news is McCutchen is coming up!

[steelcurtain311]

Re: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

Man, AWESOME trade by the Pirates. I actually called that happening, not for whom exactly they traded for, but I had a feeling we would see Nate to the Braves at some point for some of their prospects, I just didn't think we'd get such an incredible return like this.

Neal Huntington knows what he's doing, after this trade, I have about 85% more faith in him than I did. I liked Nate and everything, but getting two good pitching prospects, and an awesome OF prospect as well, that's a great freaking return. What they got here is better than everything they got in the Nady/Bay trades combined.

This is what their farm system REALLY needed. They have some good offensive pieces down there, with Cutch/Pedro more than likely going to be MLB stars, two great players like that is all you need position player-wise to build around. What they did not have at all, was young pitching. They had Brad Lincoln, and then nothing much to write home about. Now you have two good pitching prospects to go with him, Morton was very highly touted going into the season.

Awesome, awesome trade. Hopefully they keep up with this, move Adam LaRoche, Freddy Sanchez, or Ryan Doumit by the deadline and get some more.

[LetsGoBucs]

Re: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

and an awesome OF prospect as well

It was this quote in Kovacevic's article about the trade that made me question Hernandez: "One National League evaluator compared Hernandez to "another Nyjer Morgan," and it was not a flattering appraisal, referring as he was to a lack of power."

Sure, it's just one scout so the sample size is small, but eventually they need to stop accumulating light hitting position players.

I think I'm just frustrated. 17 straight years of losing and incompetence has me tired of being a Bucco fan right now...

[crques]

Re: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

It was this quote in Kovacevic's article about the trade that made me question Hernandez: "One National League evaluator compared Hernandez to "another Nyjer Morgan," and it was not a flattering appraisal, referring as he was to a lack of power."

Sure, it's just one scout so the sample size is small, but eventually they need to stop accumulating light hitting position players.

I think I'm just frustrated. 17 straight years of losing and incompetence has me tired of being a Bucco fan right now...

I have a feeling that this is the consensus of most Pirate fans at this point. As a Braves fan, I'm excited about the deal but I do have to wonder why it seems that the Pirates are always "rebuilding." I know the Pirates have a CF in waiting in the minors but I'm convinced that once he's proven himself at the major league level he'll be gone too. It seems like the Pirates are always trying to get young talent to build a solid farm system, but the cycle never seems to end. I know that I would certainly be frustrated if the Braves were to continuously make moves like the Pirates do. I'm not knocking your team at all but as a fan of the Braves and MLB, the Pirates just don't make much sense to me.

[ChaseB]

Re: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

That cycle has gone on because the previous management regimes sucked. This regime actually isn't brain dead -- a novel concept.

I haven't been able to check out the details too much, but what I know of those prospects the Pirates got in return, I really like the deal. I know some people probably are going to whine about not getting Heyward or Hanson, but that's just not a reasonable return to expect in any trade these days. Clubs rarely give up their top-tier prospects anymore.

I also briefly watched Baseball Tonight and saw that Steve Phillips thinks the trade was a STEAL for the Braves, which means now I know the Pirates did a great deal. Steve Phillips can't be right after all.

I'm sad to see Nate and his reasonable contract go, but my first impression is good call to make this deal.

[steelcurtain311]

Re: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

Yeah, the Pirates aren't "always" rebuilding. Under Dave Littlefield they did anything but that. You do not trade Aramis Ramirez for nothing, and then say "We're rebuilding". All the Pirates were doing during that time is unloading their players contracts. Their trades were absolutely senseless (aside from the Giles trade).

Neal Huntington IS rebuilding. Finally someone is trying to rebuild a team here, and that doesn't happen overnight. Especially with how horrible Littlfield left their farm system. You should see the results two-three seasons from now.

[RAZRr1275]

Re: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

McCutchen is awesome.

[ChaseB]

Re: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

McCutchen is awesome.

McCutchen is fast.

[steelcurtain311]

Re: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

Seriously, watching him in CF for three games makes you say "Nate who?". He makes it look so easy. The way he moves, the way he gets rid of the ball, he seems to have a really good arm too.

At the plate too, such a sweet swing. Last night he effortless knocked a foul ball about 400 feet on a line drive, then you stop and look at how small he is and it's like "ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Seeing how special this kid is going to be makes the McLouth trade make all the more sense.

[ChaseB]

Re: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

Not too happy with the first three rounds by the Pirates tonight, but willing to see what else happens during the next two days (not to mention international period, sup Sano), before being upset with scouting director Greg Smith.

[BatsareBugs]

Re: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

Put it this way, aside from Yunel Escobar, the Pirates essentially got Nate McClouth for nearly the equivalent of what the Braves were offering the Padres for Peavy.

[steelcurtain311]

Re: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

I loved drafting Sanchez at 4, beat the hell out of taking a pitcher they can't sign. Here's why I loved it: Because Sanchez is said to be one hell of a defensive catcher, which will very much help our young arms develop. Because Sanchez is said to have a good bat and good power, and should develop into a solid MLB hitter at worst. Because now we have stability at the catcher position and someone to bring up. What does this mean? This means we can trade Ryan Doumit this season (or next) and get another nice package of young talent.


Sanchez, 21, hit .346 with 14 homers, 19 doubles, 63 runs scored and 51 RBIs in 58 games with the Eagles this year. The 63 runs scored set a Boston College record, while his 14 home runs were third-most in a single season

Those look like the numbers of a very competent offensive player. And there's only room to develop.

It's so important to have the catcher position locked down, and the Pirates just don't. Doumit has a good bat, is bad defensively, and is constantly hurt. Jarimillo/Diaz, I've actually liked, both have been good defensively and both have shown that they can swing a bat at times, but neither are franchise catchers, although good backups for sure.



I'm so glad Huntington has drafted the way he has. We needed to put pitching on the backburner for a few years in the first round. What the Pirates had none of was top position player prospects. They had McCutchen and that was it. Now we have Pedro and Sanchez on the horizon. Cutch will be a staple in CF. Pedro will be a staple at 1st or LF or wherever they move him. Andy looks to be a staple at third. There's no sense in drafting a pitcher this year, fighting with his agents about signing him, and then not gegtting a deal done. Better and safer to draft a good position player and take that as a win. We don't have time to screw around with signing pitchers, especially when we now have a solid pitching base in the organization with McCutchen, Lincoln, Locke, Morton (who's been called up already).

[ChaseB]

Re: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

Even if you love Sanchez, he grades out at best to be an above-average defender with solid power and a sub-par average. He'll probably K a bunch too since his swing is slow.

I think it's a safe pick and he'll make it to the Majors, don't get me wrong, but he won't swing the bat as well as Doumit and it's not someone you should generally take in the top 5.

However, the Pirates were awesome today during the draft. They got a ton of arms and picked a bunch of guys with signability issues. Assuming Sanchez signs at or below slot value, then they should have a lot of money to throw around at some of these guys who fell.

Today, the Pirates have drafted a bunch of tall, projectable HS pitchers, along with some CFs and catchers, which I think were good moves. Also sprinkled in a power guy or two and a middle infielder.

Here's to Day 3 and the hopeful Sano signing.

[Garrett67]

Re: 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates

I'm a Tigers fan but I'm going to PNC on Saturday to watch them play the Pirates. I am really looking forward to seeing that beautiful park.

I went to Heinz last September, crew guy let my wife and I walk around the empty stadium.