Friday Pirates Update?!

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

We need to add a top talent in the pen, be it Street or someone else. I'm not worried that Wilson blew the game, he will be OK. Overall Pen performance has been weak, though.

Let's also,not forget that the game started to unravel with the throwing error by Alvarez.

Let's not fret too much, yet. With Liriano coming back, we have a solid rotation of Cole, Morton, Liriano, Locke, and Volquez. Package Worley and a mid/low-level prospect for Street. We are solid at every position save first base. They really need to try and do something there.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by SlurmsMcKenzie

We need to add a top talent in the pen, be it Street or someone else. I'm not worried that Wilson blew the game, he will be OK. Overall Pen performance has been weak, though.

Let's also,not forget that the game started to unravel with the throwing error by Alvarez.

Let's not fret too much, yet. With Liriano coming back, we have a solid rotation of Cole, Morton, Liriano, Locke, and Volquez. Package Worley and a mid/low-level prospect for Street. We are solid at every position save first base. They really need to try and do something there.

I wouldn't count on Cole or Locke just yet...and Liriano, who knows. Davis is going nowhere, obviously, but he's cheap compared to Morneau.

[bmust71]

Originally Posted by JimboPGH

What exactly do you think he mismanages? And how exactly did our bullpen have an historical good season last year despite his mismanagement?

You can't leave a young guy like watson out there to dry without any mound visits. If the game was a blowout then maybe you leave him in to teach him how to get out of it on his own.

He also pulls starters very early when they are cruising (except last night).

Hurdle also overworks relievers and we saw the effects of this when Grilli got hurt.

Don know why a manager would get credit for a "historical good season". Thats Searage if you want to praise anyone.

[JimboPGH]

Originally Posted by bmust71

You can't leave a young guy like watson out there to dry without any mound visits. If the game was a blowout then maybe you leave him in to teach him how to get out of it on his own.

Watson wasn't pitching that poorly, the Reds just strung together some hits. **** happens, and he was due to get knocked around a bit. And the mound visit would likely be up to Searage anyway.

Originally Posted by bmust71

He also pulls starters very early when they are cruising (except last night).

Hurdle also overworks relievers and we saw the effects of this when Grilli got hurt.

But Grilli's the only reliever who has spent significant time on the DL the last two years, and he's 38. It's rare for any manager to let any starter go much beyond 100 pitches anymore, for many good reasons.

Originally Posted by bmust71

Don know why a manager would get credit for a "historical good season". Thats Searage if you want to praise anyone.

I'd praise Neil Huntington, Dan Fox, and Ray Searage in equal amounts on last year's bullpen success. Just curious as to how you can claim Hurdle screws the bullpen up when the numbers tell a different story. Personally, I don't think Hurdle has much affect on the bullpen beyond playing the match-ups, which he seems to handle in pretty standard fashion.

Originally Posted by SlurmsMcKenzie

We need to add a top talent in the pen, be it Street or someone else. I'm not worried that Wilson blew the game, he will be OK. Overall Pen performance has been weak, though.

Last year's 'pen had some good fortune (low BABIP, high strand rate, favorable fly ball to HR ratio) on top of some excellent performance, and this year's 'pen seems to be experiencing the dropping of the other shoe. They need another arm or two to compliment Watson and Melancon... I mean, Fieri is a nice project and all, but he shouldn't be out there in high-leverage situations until he's got his mechanical issues worked out. Trading for some overpaid "big name closer" would be stupid though because relievers who are just as effective, if not more so, will be available for a lower cost in both prospects and salaries.

[sskink]

Originally Posted by JimboPGH

Last year's 'pen had some good fortune (low BABIP, high strand rate, favorable fly ball to HR ratio) on top of some excellent performance, and this year's 'pen seems to be experiencing the dropping of the other shoe. They need another arm or two to compliment Watson and Melancon... I mean, Fieri is a nice project and all, but he shouldn't be out there in high-leverage situations until he's got his mechanical issues worked out. Trading for some overpaid "big name closer" would be stupid though because relievers who are just as effective, if not more so, will be available for a lower cost in both prospects and salaries.

The Yankees would likely take Liriano for David Robertson even up. Both are free agents after this year. Robertson would be a small savings, his K/9 rate is through the roof. The Yankees need a LH starter (they just traded for Jeff Francis for a PTBNL).

[erieguy]

Forgot to mention. Noticed all the Pirate charity commercials with "Billionaire Bob" in them? Last thing he's thinking of doing is spending more money.