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***Official 2019 Pittsburgh Pirates Thread*** Hope Springs Eternal? (4 Viewers)

Drunken Cowboy

Footballguy
Opening Day!

I think we have a pretty good team. I am still really worried about the left side of the IF, but I think Bell puts it together this year. I am projecting 85 wins.

 
I would love to be optimistic but here is how I rank them by position in the NLC:

Starting rotation 2nd (if Archer has a good year)

Bullpen: 3rd 

Catcher: 4th

1B: 5th

2B: 5th

SS: 5th

3B: 4th

RF: 3rd (When Polanco comes back)

CF: 2nd

LF: 4th

I don't see how a team like that competes in the NLC.   I think the Pirates struggle to maintain .500 and put them at 81 wins.  

The disappointing thing is that if the FO would have opened up their wallets and spent what they did 2 or 3 seasons ago they could have definitely been contenders.  But spend Nutting get Nutting...

 
Polanco, Marte, and Chisenhall all missing from the Opening Day Lineup. Manning CF to start the season is JB Shuck.

 
Really disappointing performance on Opening Day in Pittsburgh.  Blow a 4-run lead with sloppy defense and poor relief pitching, leave a lot of runners on base, go ahead with an exciting 8th inning HR only to have the closer quickly blow the save in the 9th that sends the game into extra innings where you lose because of poor pitching and miscommunication with the catcher.

Obviously it is super early but if defense and pitching are supposed to be the strength of this team they could be in trouble quickly.

 
Another great managing debacle tonight by Clint. Taillon breezing along through 7, only 1 run and about 80 pitches. Nope, have to take him out. Never let that starter finish or go near 100 pitches. And what do you know,  the bullpen implodes AGAIN.  Baseball has become a joke, especially the pirates. Long long year ahead. 

 
It got worse.  Leadoff batter on 2b with no outs in the bottom of the 9th and top of the order can't get him to 3rd let alone score.  Then the bullpen gives up 2 runs in the top of the 10th,  the second on yet another wild pitch.

Bottom of 10th,  bases loaded one out, Cardinals walk in a run and they can't get a hit to tie or win the game.

This team stinks and it smells from the top

 
Another great managing debacle tonight by Clint. Taillon breezing along through 7, only 1 run and about 80 pitches. Nope, have to take him out. Never let that starter finish or go near 100 pitches. And what do you know,  the bullpen implodes AGAIN.  Baseball has become a joke, especially the pirates. Long long year ahead. 
Hurdle has run his course.  He’s just not a good manager.

 
Hurdle has run his course.  He’s just not a good manager.
Agreed although it is not entirely on him.    This team isn't that far away from being decent but Nutting doesn't give a crap about winning.  It is pretty bad when your NHL team is outspending your MLB team.

 
Agreed although it is not entirely on him.    This team isn't that far away from being decent but Nutting doesn't give a crap about winning.  It is pretty bad when your NHL team is outspending your MLB team.
Nutting is the worst of the worst but most baseball owners don’t give a crap about winning.  

 
I am disappointed they didn't spend this offseason too, but unless they went for Machado, there wasn't much that would have made a difference. The left side of the infield is the big weakness and there was not much talent available. 

 
I'm glad they swept the Reds, but we won't really know what we have until we leave the cupcake part of the schedule and start conference play. 

 
I'm glad they swept the Reds, but we won't really know what we have until we leave the cupcake part of the schedule and start conference play. 
Agreed it was a nice sweep and just what this team needed but unfortunately we won't see the Reds again for another 7 weeks.    It is really good to see Bell hitting with power and I like the looks of the Martin kid.    On the downside Martin and Kang are off to a slow start and The bullpen is still worrisome.  

 
It seems like it is heading in the same direction as Aramis Ramirez for Bobby Hill.

Although you will always have Brian Giles for Ricardo Rincon. 
The Pirates have definitely made some good trades but this one is looking like it's going to end up historically bad.  They should have never made this type of deal for a guy like Archer (who really hasn't done anything to warrant that type of return).  The thing that's frustrating is that Glasnow had opportunities in Pittsburgh and failed miserably.  His control was awful and he seemed to be mentally weak.  But as a Pirates fan, I would have expected nothing else but for him to figure it all out immediately after leaving Pittsburgh.  The franchise is cursed.

 
Don’t forget about Shane Baz  :D
Who?  No I haven't forgotten about him.  At the time of the trade, most Pirates fans felt that this was a horrible trade.  And this is coming from a fanbase who always wants the teams to trade away prospects to "go for it".  

 
The Pirates have definitely made some good trades but this one is looking like it's going to end up historically bad.  They should have never made this type of deal for a guy like Archer (who really hasn't done anything to warrant that type of return).  The thing that's frustrating is that Glasnow had opportunities in Pittsburgh and failed miserably.  His control was awful and he seemed to be mentally weak.  But as a Pirates fan, I would have expected nothing else but for him to figure it all out immediately after leaving Pittsburgh.  The franchise is cursed.
As much as I love Searage, after watching Glasnow and Cole I wonder how good he really is? 

 
As much as I love Searage, after watching Glasnow and Cole I wonder how good he really is? 
He messed them up.  Period.  He didn't coach them to pitch to their strengths.  Tampa and Houston did and they're both elite now (yes Glasnow is going to be elite).  Can you imagine the Pirates rotation with Cole, Taillon, Glasnow at the helm (assuming they're all coached correctly)?  That's what every Pirates fan had hoped for when those guys were drafted.  That's a World Series champion rotation right there.  I have so much disgust towards Pirates management right now.

 
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Meadows 2 HRs tonight (bringing his total up to 6 and he hasn't even been completely full time).  Glasnow looking every bit the stud that we expected.  All I can do is cry being a fan of this team.   😢

 
And Hurdle continues to bring Keona Kela in for crucial situations, only to piss games away. Tonight case in point, quit bringing this clown in for the 8th you dope! 

 
Seriously is anyone else here not as angry as I am about that trade?  Leeroy is gone so he doesn’t care.  Anyone else?  How many years were we waiting for Meadows (Cutch’s replacement) and Glasnow (who had better talent than even Cole) to develop?  We could have had years of control of these 2 guys and basically built a team like what the Rays have now.  And that dope just gives them away for a fringe # 3/4 starter.

 
On a positive note, Musgrove was actually a nice haul in that Cole trade.  Just hoping that the coaching staff doesn’t screw him up.

 
Lastly this lineup has to be bottom 5 in terms of talent.  Polanco should help a little but they’re not going to stay above water unless they infuse some talent in that lineup.

 
Seriously is anyone else here not as angry as I am about that trade?  Leeroy is gone so he doesn’t care.  Anyone else?  How many years were we waiting for Meadows (Cutch’s replacement) and Glasnow (who had better talent than even Cole) to develop?  We could have had years of control of these 2 guys and basically built a team like what the Rays have now.  And that dope just gives them away for a fringe # 3/4 starter.
Although at the end of the day I’m not sure if the Pirates could have developed someone like Glasnow into becoming a good pitcher.  

 
Seriously is anyone else here not as angry as I am about that trade?  Leeroy is gone so he doesn’t care.  Anyone else?  How many years were we waiting for Meadows (Cutch’s replacement) and Glasnow (who had better talent than even Cole) to develop?  We could have had years of control of these 2 guys and basically built a team like what the Rays have now.  And that dope just gives them away for a fringe # 3/4 starter.
I'm with you right now but it's a small sample size. Even writers/scouts who didn't like the trade only proclaimed Meadows as a 4th OF. Glasnow hurts as he was supposed to be our future #1

 
I'm with you right now but it's a small sample size. Even writers/scouts who didn't like the trade only proclaimed Meadows as a 4th OF. Glasnow hurts as he was supposed to be our future #1
Not here to troll but wasn’t Meadows a top-25 prospect before 2018? All the smart Rays people I follow were ecstatic with that trade when it went down. 

 
Not here to troll but wasn’t Meadows a top-25 prospect before 2018? All the smart Rays people I follow were ecstatic with that trade when it went down. 
I've been as down on this trade as anyone (obviously) but Glasnow was never going to fulfill his potential with this organization (they didn't know how to develop him). Meadows seemed like he could become a good outfielder but not a superstar (and I'm still not convinced that he'll become a superstar).  Archer has actually done pretty well since that trade.  My big issue with the trade is that once they made that move, they should have been all in.  Trading for a guy like Archer isn't going to put them over the top.  They needed to do more (a LOT more).  

 
I didn't like the Meadows trade but understand why it was made.  I agree they needed to get some additional help and had plenty of cash to do so.

 
Through 16 games the Pirates starting pitching is incredible. It's at the point that 6 IP & 2 ER is just considered ok. If the defense improves it would be even better. The offense needs to get going. Hopefully they get Polanco, Dickerson and Diaz back soon. 

 
It's nice but 7 of their 10 wins are against Cincy and Detroit.  If their bullpen and offense don't improve, they'll be fading real quickly.

 
Is this going to be one of those seasons where they stay competitive enough to not make an impact trade at the deadline?

 
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Is this going to be one of those seasons where they stay competitive enough to not make an impact trade at the deadline?
Are you hoping that they’re sellers at the deadline?  Personally I would rather see them as buyers (as that would mean that we hope for the year).  While I think it’s a long shot for this team to win the division, I do believe they can remain competitive with this strong rotation.  They will need a lot of help (some of it is just boosting the lineup by getting the injured outfielders back).  If they’re still within wildcard reach by the deadline (and have not experienced any major injuries), hopefully they can make some moves to bolster the bullpen and offense.

 
Are you hoping that they’re sellers at the deadline? Personally I would rather see them as buyers (as that would mean that we hope for the year).  While I think it’s a long shot for this team to win the division, I do believe they can remain competitive with this strong rotation.  They will need a lot of help (some of it is just boosting the lineup by getting the injured outfielders back).  If they’re still within wildcard reach by the deadline (and have not experienced any major injuries), hopefully they can make some moves to bolster the bullpen and offense.
Definitely not. I'm just bracing myself for trade deadline disappointment where the Bucs are in the hunt but don't do anything meaningful to improve. 

 
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Definitely not. I'm just bracing myself for trade deadline disappointment where the Bucs are in the hunt but don't do anything meaningful to improve. 
Unfortunately I think they already made their big move with the Archer trade.  Archer has pitched well so it may work out in the end.  I don’t anticipate any major moves but it’s also possible they don’t need to make one.  Just be in position to play in that WC game and anything is possible.   

 

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