Dodint's Thread of Pirates 23-24 Offseason Optimism

Postby **LeopardLetang** » Mon Nov 13, 2023 3:03 pm

Well now buy 3 FA starters. Or 4

Postby **Rylan** » Mon Nov 13, 2023 3:12 pm

Well that puts a huge damper on the rotation...if these pitchers were heathy, the rotation would be pretty solid.

Postby **dodint** » Mon Nov 13, 2023 6:24 pm

Hey hey hey...be optimistic.

Postby **faftorial** » Mon Nov 13, 2023 6:57 pm

Hey hey hey...be optimistic.

Yeah, where is all this optimism that you promised ITT?

Postby **MR25** » Tue Nov 14, 2023 12:09 pm

TIL Pirates Legend Jack Wilson has a higher career WAR than Matt Kemp

Postby **MrKennethTKangaroo** » Tue Nov 14, 2023 3:49 pm

Any of you nerds subscribe to baseball America? They released the updated list of top 10 Pirates prospects

Postby **Dickie Dunn** » Tue Nov 14, 2023 4:02 pm

Skenes
Bubba
Jared Jones
Solmeto
Termarr
Priester
Thomas Harrington
Nick Gonzales
Tsung-Che Chang
Braxton Ashcraft

Also,

Best Tools
Best Hitter for Average: Termarr Johnson
Best Power Hitter: Tony Blanco Jr.
Best Strike-Zone Discipline: Mitch Jebb
Fastest Baserunner: Jesus Castillo
Best Athlete: Lonnie White Jr.
Best Fastball: Bubba Chandler
Best Curveball: Quinn Priester
Best Slider: Jared Jones
Best Changeup: Po-Yu Chen
Best Control: Thomas Harrington
Best Defensive Catcher: Carter Bins
Best Defensive Infielder: Jack Brannigan
Best Infield Arm: Jack Brannigan
Best Defensive Outfielder: Hudson Head
Best Outfield Arm: Canaan Smith-Njigba

Postby **Troy Loney** » Tue Nov 14, 2023 4:25 pm

Here's where I am at with the current crop of prospects

Paul Skenes
Termarr Johnson
Jared Jones
Bubba Chandler
Anthony Solemeto
Quinn Priester
Nick Gonzalez
Lonnie White
Yordany De Los Santos
Mike Burrows
Tsung-Che Cheng
Braxton Ashcraft
Hunter Barco
Thomas Harringon
Tony Blanco Jr.
Michael Kennedy
Jun-Seok Shim
Zander Mueth
Mitch Jebb
Jase Bowen
Jack Brannigan
Dariel Lopez

As for the tools, I think Lonnie White might have the best power in the system. Not really interested in what a large guy does in the DSL anymore (See Mojica)

Postby **Dickie Dunn** » Tue Nov 14, 2023 4:31 pm

Mojica has gotten so big that I wouldn't be shocked to learn that a Dominican village starved to death as a result.

Postby **MrKennethTKangaroo** » Tue Nov 14, 2023 4:53 pm

We will always cherish that special time we had with Alexander in summer 2019.

Postby **Troy Loney** » Tue Nov 14, 2023 6:37 pm

Protect Bowen? That seems surprising but I haven't been reading anything post regular season

ah you said 2 of. I also don't think Cheng would be that risky to leave off but as a contact hitting middle infielder he has a better chance of sticking than bowen but his poor AA showing could keep him under the radar

Cheng and ashcraft added

Postby **LeopardLetang** » Tue Nov 14, 2023 8:26 pm

Hard not to add BA top 10 prospects that reached AA. Assume Cheng was second to Johnson in best hitter for average. If not Jebb who I'm surprised wasn't fastest base runner.

My hopes are that Nunez dominates AAA next year

Postby **Dickie Dunn** » Tue Nov 14, 2023 8:39 pm

We will always cherish that special time we had with Alexander in summer 2019.

Team of Destiny

Postby **willeyeam** » Tue Nov 14, 2023 8:41 pm

Remember when everyone freaked out because the pirates didn't protect Nunez last year

Postby **King Colby** » Tue Nov 14, 2023 9:18 pm

Ashcraft was a no Brainer. Cheng, he's a good hitter, but I can't see anyone using a spot on him so I'm a bit surprised

Postby **DigitalGypsy66** » Wed Nov 15, 2023 6:17 am

Looks like former noted Gamecock loser Wil Crowe is done in Pittsburgh:

Postby **King Colby** » Wed Nov 15, 2023 8:37 am

I dont know that Wil Crowe ever achieved "multiple-tweet-goodbye" status

Postby **King Colby** » Sat Nov 18, 2023 9:38 am

All arbitration eligible players were tendered. Borucki signed for $1.6M

Postby **King Colby** » Sat Nov 18, 2023 9:39 am

Jk I guess Bido and Hunter Stratton were non-tendered but will likely be signed to minor league deals

Postby **LeopardLetang** » Sat Nov 25, 2023 11:25 am

pirates considering Rowdy Tellez. i **** hope not.

Postby **Troy Loney** » Sat Nov 25, 2023 12:59 pm

pirates considering Rowdy Tellez. i **** hope not.

Seems fine as a 1B option.

Not related, but I’ve heard two separate pirate podcasts where the hosts were lamenting that braves trade. Long story short, braves unloaded their roster runoff to the white Sox for some reliever under team control.

They are correct that two of the pitchers the white Sox got would start for the pirates. But that’s because the pirates don’t have any pitchers currently

Postby **Troy Loney** » Tue Nov 28, 2023 8:08 am

Cardinals executed the offseason plan that the optimists wanted the Pirates to do (sans Lance Lynn).

But they got an innings eater for 12mm and a long term front end guy for 25. Can't say for sure that Gibson and Gray would have taken those same figures to play in Pittsburgh (Gray got a no-trade clause, no way Nutting agrees to that).

There is a path to fix your rotation for < 40mm. Adding Gray and Gibson at those numbers to the Pirates would put them at just over 80mm for '24.

Gray at 3 for 25 is a deal imo, Cards might have leap frogged the other teams in the division. Cubs might do something crazy like offer Ohtani 750mm now.

Postby **MrKennethTKangaroo** » Tue Nov 28, 2023 8:22 am

Kenta Maeda is also off the board. He is old, recently had major surgery, and doesn’t eat innings, but he was another reasonably priced option that is no longer available

Postby **willeyeam** » Tue Nov 28, 2023 8:35 am

would have really liked Gray