The Pirates signed David Freese to a two-year extension, guaranteeing him $11 million.
Good move or bad?
Wishy-washy answer: It depends.
It depends on what happens with Jung Ho Kang, who is currently being investigated for a sexual assault charge brought by a woman in Chicago in June.
In Kang is charged, he's in big trouble. Should be charged and convicted, his MLB career is over.
It's that serious.
If Kang is going to wind up missing significant time, then the Pirates have locked in Freese to play third base at an affordable price. They don't have a viable option for third base otherwise.
If Kang is cleared and returns to the form he showed last season, the Pirates have an expensive back-up player in Freese, who will be paid $6.25 million next season.
There were some troubling comments made after the signing was announced. Both general manager Neal Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle praised Freese for his value in the clubhouse and the community.
Those are great qualities, but they shouldn't be a big priority when deciding to sign players. The main factor is whether the player can help the team win games. That will make him popular in the clubhouse and with the fans.
Freese is 33. There is a possibility the Pirates have seen the best he has to offer this season.
Signing position players over 30 is always a gamble because players inevitably decline in those years. Freese is something of a different case because he isn't being counted on as an everyday player. Ideally, he should play about two-thirds of the time, and some of those would be pinch hitting appearances and coming into games late.
But 33 is still 33, and he'll actually be 34 next April. That's dangerous territory.
If he can maintain this season's level of play, and if he winds up being a replacement for Kang, the Pirates will get value on the contract.
Otherwise, that's a lot of money for a team like the Pirates to spend on a back-up.
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Altoona Mirror, August 21, 2016
The hot question circulating last week was simple:
If the Pirates reached the one-game wild-card playoff round for the fourth consecutive year, which pitcher should they start?
The issue was spurred by the ongoing disappointment of Gerrit Cole's season and the corresponding rise of Jameson Taillon, who has now made 11 major league starts.
The question was ultimately pointless, though.
You don't designate an Oct. 4 starter on Aug. 21. Too many things can happen over that time.
Depending on how Taillon is used over the rest of the season, he may be at his innings limit after missing two seasons of competitive pitching.
The question also presumes the Pirates will be able to ease into the wild card game and set up a preferred pitching rotation. They may have to win the last game of the season just to qualify, so the wild card starter could be the next man up.
So, aside from killing hours on sports talk radio, the question serves no real purpose. Just something to fill the time between commercials for libido problems and bars with $2 draft specials.
---
--BIG SPLASH
You can get all weepy about the stories of courage and perseverance that are part of the Olympics, but this is reality:
The headlines can be easily hijacked by a band of drunken swimmers who misbehave, then lie about what happened.
People love a scandal, and that's why the story of the partying pool boys took over for a few days.
---
--SCARY STORY
ESPN is running a "30 for 30" film called "Darryl & Doc," a look back at the disappointing careers of Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden.
It's a story of what could have been. They had the ability to be Hall of Fame players, and their team, the Mets, had the ability to win more championships than the Bill Buckner-aided World Series victory in 1986.
The takeaway from the show is that Gooden, who is 51, appears to be at least 20 years older than that.
It's been a hard life.
---
--INTRODUCTORY PRICING
Pirates rookie utility player Adam Frazier did an autograph signing Saturday.
The promoter ran radio commercials announcing it was Frazier's first appearance in the area.
The tab was $19 per signature.
Seems like that's a lot for a guy who has fewer than 100 major league at-bats, whose career arc may wind up resembling that of Rob Mackowiak.
Makes you wonder what the price would be for a star's autograph.
---
--SUBTLE FAIL
The Pirates have had a number of disappointments this season, large and small.
One that's mostly gone under the radar has been the lousy season of Jared Hughes.
He was valuable as a sixth or seventh inning reliever, especially coming into situations where he inherited runners. He had an almost Houdini-like ability to escape those jams with minimal damage.
There's been none of that this year, and his failure has been a factor in the need to reconfigure the bullpen on the fly.
---
--BAD IDEA
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred seems amenable to just about any bad idea that's proposed.
When he was initially asked about reconsidering Pete Rose's case, he offered some hope. Thankfully it turned out to be false and Rose remains rightfully banished from baseball.
Agree now, think later seems to be his philosophy.
It was recently suggested that in the ongoing zeal to trim game times, MLB might consider limiting the number of relief pitchers a team can use.
When the Players Association gets done laughing at that one, it will disappear. The union won't stand for a measure that deprives its members of opportunities to work.
---
--FACE THE NATION
You have to love it when Le'Veon Bell posts a video apology and directs it to "Steeler Nation" as though it's a sovereign state unto itself.
Come to think of it, it may be.
If the Pirates reached the one-game wild-card playoff round for the fourth consecutive year, which pitcher should they start?
The issue was spurred by the ongoing disappointment of Gerrit Cole's season and the corresponding rise of Jameson Taillon, who has now made 11 major league starts.
The question was ultimately pointless, though.
You don't designate an Oct. 4 starter on Aug. 21. Too many things can happen over that time.
Depending on how Taillon is used over the rest of the season, he may be at his innings limit after missing two seasons of competitive pitching.
The question also presumes the Pirates will be able to ease into the wild card game and set up a preferred pitching rotation. They may have to win the last game of the season just to qualify, so the wild card starter could be the next man up.
So, aside from killing hours on sports talk radio, the question serves no real purpose. Just something to fill the time between commercials for libido problems and bars with $2 draft specials.
---
--BIG SPLASH
You can get all weepy about the stories of courage and perseverance that are part of the Olympics, but this is reality:
The headlines can be easily hijacked by a band of drunken swimmers who misbehave, then lie about what happened.
People love a scandal, and that's why the story of the partying pool boys took over for a few days.
---
--SCARY STORY
ESPN is running a "30 for 30" film called "Darryl & Doc," a look back at the disappointing careers of Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden.
It's a story of what could have been. They had the ability to be Hall of Fame players, and their team, the Mets, had the ability to win more championships than the Bill Buckner-aided World Series victory in 1986.
The takeaway from the show is that Gooden, who is 51, appears to be at least 20 years older than that.
It's been a hard life.
---
--INTRODUCTORY PRICING
Pirates rookie utility player Adam Frazier did an autograph signing Saturday.
The promoter ran radio commercials announcing it was Frazier's first appearance in the area.
The tab was $19 per signature.
Seems like that's a lot for a guy who has fewer than 100 major league at-bats, whose career arc may wind up resembling that of Rob Mackowiak.
Makes you wonder what the price would be for a star's autograph.
---
--SUBTLE FAIL
The Pirates have had a number of disappointments this season, large and small.
One that's mostly gone under the radar has been the lousy season of Jared Hughes.
He was valuable as a sixth or seventh inning reliever, especially coming into situations where he inherited runners. He had an almost Houdini-like ability to escape those jams with minimal damage.
There's been none of that this year, and his failure has been a factor in the need to reconfigure the bullpen on the fly.
---
--BAD IDEA
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred seems amenable to just about any bad idea that's proposed.
When he was initially asked about reconsidering Pete Rose's case, he offered some hope. Thankfully it turned out to be false and Rose remains rightfully banished from baseball.
Agree now, think later seems to be his philosophy.
It was recently suggested that in the ongoing zeal to trim game times, MLB might consider limiting the number of relief pitchers a team can use.
When the Players Association gets done laughing at that one, it will disappear. The union won't stand for a measure that deprives its members of opportunities to work.
---
--FACE THE NATION
You have to love it when Le'Veon Bell posts a video apology and directs it to "Steeler Nation" as though it's a sovereign state unto itself.
Come to think of it, it may be.
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Altoona Mirror, August 14, 2016
Did you watch the Steelers' preseason opener on Friday?
Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell did. If the Steelers had a starting tight end, he probably would have watched from the sidelines, too.
It wasn't the Steelers vs. Detroit Lions as much as it was Guys Who Are Temporarily Wearing Steelers Uniforms against the Lions.
The coaches got some video tape on marginal players who will be sent packing in the coming weeks (or starting at tight end). It was basically a continuation of the combined practices the Steelers and Lions had in Latrobe earlier in the week.
Fans must buy preseason games as part of their season ticket package.
It probably worked out. People got a chance to scout for an increasingly rare parking spot on the North Side and got a head start on their tailgate drinking routine.
---
--WORKING OVERTIME?
Jameson Taillon is looking more like a major league pitcher every time he starts.
His success is welcome after the rotation has struggled so badly, but it does come with a caveat. Taillon didn't pitch competitively for the last two seasons because of injuries, including Tommy John surgery.
He's never thrown more than 147 innings in a professional season. He's currently at 121 innings.
Will there come a time the Pirates have to start consciously curtailing Taillon's innings?
---
--NUMBERS PLEASE
Every time designated hitter Pedro Alvarez hits a home run for Baltimore, some irrationally angry Pirates fans yell, "See?....see?"
Easy does it. The Pirates' offense is actually better than it was last year, and they're hitting more home runs, too.
After 112 games, this year's team is superior in runs (503 to 475), home runs (103 to 95), on-base percentage (.329 to .320), slugging percentage (.401 to .394) and OPS (.730 to .714).
The only decline is a negligible one in batting average (.259 to .257).
The difference between last season and this one has been sub-standard starting pitching for more than half a season.
---
--WORTH REPEATING
There was a court date last week for the woman who was hit in the head by a foul ball while standing behind the home plate screen at PNC Park.
Exhibiting the kind of restraint common to local TV news, KDKA-TV showed her getting conked in the head five times in less than 30 seconds. There would have been a sixth replay, but the script on the voiceover ended.
The record was probably broken later by the guy who face-planted his own plate of nachos.
---
--MORE OF THE SAME
Just when you thought those post-game interviews on Root Sports couldn't get more unctuous, Robby Incmikoski established a new standard on Friday.
He ended an interview with Andrew McCutchen by pointing to the camera and telling McCutchen, "Say goodbye to everybody in Pittsburgh and thank them for staying up this late."
McCutchen looked at the camera, nodded, and walked away without saying a word.
---
--REACHING DEEP
Some of Steve Blass' random digressions on Pirates broadcasts are taking on that "crazy uncle" flavor.
OK, you understand there will be a Bob Gibson reference at some point. (Gibson, who's now 80, last pitched in 1975).
But the presence of Travis Jankowski in the Padres lineup led Blass to reference a 1965 instrumental hit, "A Walk In The Black Forest" by Horst Jankowski.
It reached No. 12 on the Billboard chart, but probably hasn't been played on radio since 1965.
If Casey Kasem were still around, it's doubtful he'd remember the record.
---
--COUPLES TRIP
Thirty Pirates wives are accompanying their husbands on the current trip to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Wonder if there would be as much participation if the destinations were Cincinnati and Milwaukee?
Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell did. If the Steelers had a starting tight end, he probably would have watched from the sidelines, too.
It wasn't the Steelers vs. Detroit Lions as much as it was Guys Who Are Temporarily Wearing Steelers Uniforms against the Lions.
The coaches got some video tape on marginal players who will be sent packing in the coming weeks (or starting at tight end). It was basically a continuation of the combined practices the Steelers and Lions had in Latrobe earlier in the week.
Fans must buy preseason games as part of their season ticket package.
It probably worked out. People got a chance to scout for an increasingly rare parking spot on the North Side and got a head start on their tailgate drinking routine.
---
--WORKING OVERTIME?
Jameson Taillon is looking more like a major league pitcher every time he starts.
His success is welcome after the rotation has struggled so badly, but it does come with a caveat. Taillon didn't pitch competitively for the last two seasons because of injuries, including Tommy John surgery.
He's never thrown more than 147 innings in a professional season. He's currently at 121 innings.
Will there come a time the Pirates have to start consciously curtailing Taillon's innings?
---
--NUMBERS PLEASE
Every time designated hitter Pedro Alvarez hits a home run for Baltimore, some irrationally angry Pirates fans yell, "See?....see?"
Easy does it. The Pirates' offense is actually better than it was last year, and they're hitting more home runs, too.
After 112 games, this year's team is superior in runs (503 to 475), home runs (103 to 95), on-base percentage (.329 to .320), slugging percentage (.401 to .394) and OPS (.730 to .714).
The only decline is a negligible one in batting average (.259 to .257).
The difference between last season and this one has been sub-standard starting pitching for more than half a season.
---
--WORTH REPEATING
There was a court date last week for the woman who was hit in the head by a foul ball while standing behind the home plate screen at PNC Park.
Exhibiting the kind of restraint common to local TV news, KDKA-TV showed her getting conked in the head five times in less than 30 seconds. There would have been a sixth replay, but the script on the voiceover ended.
The record was probably broken later by the guy who face-planted his own plate of nachos.
---
--MORE OF THE SAME
Just when you thought those post-game interviews on Root Sports couldn't get more unctuous, Robby Incmikoski established a new standard on Friday.
He ended an interview with Andrew McCutchen by pointing to the camera and telling McCutchen, "Say goodbye to everybody in Pittsburgh and thank them for staying up this late."
McCutchen looked at the camera, nodded, and walked away without saying a word.
---
--REACHING DEEP
Some of Steve Blass' random digressions on Pirates broadcasts are taking on that "crazy uncle" flavor.
OK, you understand there will be a Bob Gibson reference at some point. (Gibson, who's now 80, last pitched in 1975).
But the presence of Travis Jankowski in the Padres lineup led Blass to reference a 1965 instrumental hit, "A Walk In The Black Forest" by Horst Jankowski.
It reached No. 12 on the Billboard chart, but probably hasn't been played on radio since 1965.
If Casey Kasem were still around, it's doubtful he'd remember the record.
---
--COUPLES TRIP
Thirty Pirates wives are accompanying their husbands on the current trip to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Wonder if there would be as much participation if the destinations were Cincinnati and Milwaukee?
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Altoona Mirror, August 7, 2016
Mike Tomlin is starting his 10th season as Steelers coach, which is something of a miracle.
Had his status been put to a public referendum, he probably wouldn't have lasted 10 games.
The only thing people like more than the Steelers is complaining about their head coach, even though he's never had a losing season.
Understand that people not only complained about Bill Cowher, they spread vicious rumors about him, too. Coaching the Steelers is not for the faint of heart, or for those who are tempted to punch up sports talk on the radio when they're driving home from work.
The successful coach needs total focus, and Tomlin appears to have that locked.
So he doesn't hear the critics, and he doesn't hear the sad cases who seem to think his presence is nothing but payback for Dan Rooney's advocacy for minority hiring.
Like anyone else, Tomlin is not perfect. He could use a wise old assistant who could help with clock management and other details. The sideline can often be chaotic.
But Tomlin is clearly among the NFL's best coaches, although you wouldn't know it if you read about him on message boards.
One of the criticisms about Tomlin that falls short is pinning blame on him for drug issues that some players have.
Martavis Bryant is sitting out this season after running afoul of the NFL drug policy, and Le'Veon Bell is likely facing a four-game suspension.
The fault for Bryant's penalty lies with Bryant. If Bell winds up missing those four games, blame Bell.
Players are adults. They make choices. When they make wrong choices, it's on them.
When Mike Adams winds up being stabbed after some sort of middle-of-the-night incident on Carson Street, it's not Tomlin's fault. No coach can keep his players under 24-hour surveillance.
The Steelers had drug issues when Chuck Noll was coaching. Joe Gilliam's once-promising career was derailed in part by drug issues.
Tim Worley was suspended for an entire season for missing drug tests.
Gilliam and Worley were not minor players. Gilliam was the starting quarterback for the first six weeks in 1974, the first season that led the Steelers to the Super Bowl. Worley was the team's No. 1 draft pick in 1989, the seventh player taken overall.
At the end of the workday, the players go home. They do the same at the end of the season.
There's a misconception that Bill Cowher has a disciplinarian who tolerated very little. Part of Cowher's routine was fielding a weekly call from Kordell Stewart's agent, who brought him up to date on how Kordell was feeling about things.
Bam Morris was still employed by the Steelers the first time he was arrested for marijuana possession. Plaxico Burress had a lot of drama.
Players know right from wrong. When they choose, it's their decision. Don't blame the coach.
---
--CHANGES COMING
You say watching Jeff Locke pitch is bad for your heart? Your blood pressure spikes as soon as he wraps his hand around the baseball?
Rest easy. Relief is on the way.
Locke won't be with the Pirates next season. He's being paid $3.025 million this season, which was his first under arbitration eligibility. Because the system rewards another year of service time regardless of performance, Locke would probably be looking at something around $5 million next season.
The Pirates aren't going pay that for that. Nor should they.
---
--WORTH WATCHING?
Inside word is the Pirates think they have something in Drew Hutchison, the pitcher acquired from Toronto in the Francisco Liriano deal.
They don't think that Hutchison is a project or a warm body, but rather a starter who can make a positive contribution in next year's rotation.
---
--HEAD COUNT
The USA has 554 athletes at the Olympics.
Heck, the Russians probably have that many chemists there.
Had his status been put to a public referendum, he probably wouldn't have lasted 10 games.
The only thing people like more than the Steelers is complaining about their head coach, even though he's never had a losing season.
Understand that people not only complained about Bill Cowher, they spread vicious rumors about him, too. Coaching the Steelers is not for the faint of heart, or for those who are tempted to punch up sports talk on the radio when they're driving home from work.
The successful coach needs total focus, and Tomlin appears to have that locked.
So he doesn't hear the critics, and he doesn't hear the sad cases who seem to think his presence is nothing but payback for Dan Rooney's advocacy for minority hiring.
Like anyone else, Tomlin is not perfect. He could use a wise old assistant who could help with clock management and other details. The sideline can often be chaotic.
But Tomlin is clearly among the NFL's best coaches, although you wouldn't know it if you read about him on message boards.
One of the criticisms about Tomlin that falls short is pinning blame on him for drug issues that some players have.
Martavis Bryant is sitting out this season after running afoul of the NFL drug policy, and Le'Veon Bell is likely facing a four-game suspension.
The fault for Bryant's penalty lies with Bryant. If Bell winds up missing those four games, blame Bell.
Players are adults. They make choices. When they make wrong choices, it's on them.
When Mike Adams winds up being stabbed after some sort of middle-of-the-night incident on Carson Street, it's not Tomlin's fault. No coach can keep his players under 24-hour surveillance.
The Steelers had drug issues when Chuck Noll was coaching. Joe Gilliam's once-promising career was derailed in part by drug issues.
Tim Worley was suspended for an entire season for missing drug tests.
Gilliam and Worley were not minor players. Gilliam was the starting quarterback for the first six weeks in 1974, the first season that led the Steelers to the Super Bowl. Worley was the team's No. 1 draft pick in 1989, the seventh player taken overall.
At the end of the workday, the players go home. They do the same at the end of the season.
There's a misconception that Bill Cowher has a disciplinarian who tolerated very little. Part of Cowher's routine was fielding a weekly call from Kordell Stewart's agent, who brought him up to date on how Kordell was feeling about things.
Bam Morris was still employed by the Steelers the first time he was arrested for marijuana possession. Plaxico Burress had a lot of drama.
Players know right from wrong. When they choose, it's their decision. Don't blame the coach.
---
--CHANGES COMING
You say watching Jeff Locke pitch is bad for your heart? Your blood pressure spikes as soon as he wraps his hand around the baseball?
Rest easy. Relief is on the way.
Locke won't be with the Pirates next season. He's being paid $3.025 million this season, which was his first under arbitration eligibility. Because the system rewards another year of service time regardless of performance, Locke would probably be looking at something around $5 million next season.
The Pirates aren't going pay that for that. Nor should they.
---
--WORTH WATCHING?
Inside word is the Pirates think they have something in Drew Hutchison, the pitcher acquired from Toronto in the Francisco Liriano deal.
They don't think that Hutchison is a project or a warm body, but rather a starter who can make a positive contribution in next year's rotation.
---
--HEAD COUNT
The USA has 554 athletes at the Olympics.
Heck, the Russians probably have that many chemists there.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Altoona Mirror, August 3, 2016
This is likely how things happened:
In the run-up to Monday's 4 p.m. trading deadline, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington gathered his staff and asked a simple question:
"Is this team a championship contender in 2016?"
The answer was probably a resounding "no," confirming what Huntington already knew.
So while they didn't overtly give up on this season, they started making moves for next season.
The biggest, and most controversial, was sending Francisco Liriano to Toronto with prospects Harold Ramirez and Reese McGuire, for pitcher Drew Hutchison. Is Hutchison that good? It wouldn't appear so. He has major league experience, but he's pitching at Class AAA, and the Pirates plan to keep him at that level.
The priority here was getting rid of Liriano's remaining contract obligation. With the rest of this year and next year, that's somewhere around $17 million. In order to take that on, Toronto demanded the two prospects. To dump a $13 million albatross from next year's budget, Huntington agreed.
The Pirates are well-stocked in the outfield, but that doesn't negate the fact that Ramirez could have been dealt for something rather than relief from Liriano's contract.
McGuire was the team's first-round draft choice in 2013. He's considered an excellent defensive catcher, but there are major questions about his ability to hit.
In the short term, the Pirates are OK at catcher with Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart signed for next season, and Elias Diaz prepared to move up soon.
Liriano's career has run hot and cold. He's been awful this year, one of the worst starting pitchers in the major leagues. With an abundance of pitching prospects on hand, it's not wrong to give up on Liriano at this point.
The other deals are less stress-inducing.
Starter Ivan Nova comes from the New York Yankees to help stabilize the rotation for the rest of this season. The Yankees will choose two players (probably B-grade prospects) from a list the Pirates make available.
Jon Niese goes back to the Mets, and Antonio Bastardo comes back to the Pirates.
Niese was a disappointment who had recently been banished to the bullpen with no hope of parole.
It's hard to figure what went wrong. He had a profile as a ground ball pitcher and he was coming to a park that favors lefthanded pitchers. He somehow wound up leading the league in allowing home runs until his innings were cut back.
People are saying the Pirates traded Neil Walker for Bastardo, but that's not accurate. Niese wasn't good, but he won eight games while he was here and ate 110 innings.
So now the starting rotation will be shaped with an eye on 2017. Opportunities abound, and there are plenty of young pitchers to compete for the spots.
Without the burden of Lirianio's contract, the Pirates can also trade for at least one starter in the offseason.
It was a dizzying day, with a major hidden meaning behind at least one of the deals, the one with Toronto.
That's baseball in this era, where revenue potential is so radically different.
Cold reality is he Pirates are getting poor production from center field (Andrew McCutchen), third base (Jung Ho Kang) and first base (John Jaso). David Freese can only cover one of the corner positions at a time. They're also below expectations offensively at second base (Josh Harrison) and catcher (Cervelli).
They have no chance to win the division. They have little chance to overtake St. Louis and Los Angeles for a wild card spot.
They're unlikely to win this year. Nobody has to like that it, but it would be foolish not to confront that truth.
If you're not a championship level team in 2016, better start working on 2017.
In the run-up to Monday's 4 p.m. trading deadline, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington gathered his staff and asked a simple question:
"Is this team a championship contender in 2016?"
The answer was probably a resounding "no," confirming what Huntington already knew.
So while they didn't overtly give up on this season, they started making moves for next season.
The biggest, and most controversial, was sending Francisco Liriano to Toronto with prospects Harold Ramirez and Reese McGuire, for pitcher Drew Hutchison. Is Hutchison that good? It wouldn't appear so. He has major league experience, but he's pitching at Class AAA, and the Pirates plan to keep him at that level.
The priority here was getting rid of Liriano's remaining contract obligation. With the rest of this year and next year, that's somewhere around $17 million. In order to take that on, Toronto demanded the two prospects. To dump a $13 million albatross from next year's budget, Huntington agreed.
The Pirates are well-stocked in the outfield, but that doesn't negate the fact that Ramirez could have been dealt for something rather than relief from Liriano's contract.
McGuire was the team's first-round draft choice in 2013. He's considered an excellent defensive catcher, but there are major questions about his ability to hit.
In the short term, the Pirates are OK at catcher with Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart signed for next season, and Elias Diaz prepared to move up soon.
Liriano's career has run hot and cold. He's been awful this year, one of the worst starting pitchers in the major leagues. With an abundance of pitching prospects on hand, it's not wrong to give up on Liriano at this point.
The other deals are less stress-inducing.
Starter Ivan Nova comes from the New York Yankees to help stabilize the rotation for the rest of this season. The Yankees will choose two players (probably B-grade prospects) from a list the Pirates make available.
Jon Niese goes back to the Mets, and Antonio Bastardo comes back to the Pirates.
Niese was a disappointment who had recently been banished to the bullpen with no hope of parole.
It's hard to figure what went wrong. He had a profile as a ground ball pitcher and he was coming to a park that favors lefthanded pitchers. He somehow wound up leading the league in allowing home runs until his innings were cut back.
People are saying the Pirates traded Neil Walker for Bastardo, but that's not accurate. Niese wasn't good, but he won eight games while he was here and ate 110 innings.
So now the starting rotation will be shaped with an eye on 2017. Opportunities abound, and there are plenty of young pitchers to compete for the spots.
Without the burden of Lirianio's contract, the Pirates can also trade for at least one starter in the offseason.
It was a dizzying day, with a major hidden meaning behind at least one of the deals, the one with Toronto.
That's baseball in this era, where revenue potential is so radically different.
Cold reality is he Pirates are getting poor production from center field (Andrew McCutchen), third base (Jung Ho Kang) and first base (John Jaso). David Freese can only cover one of the corner positions at a time. They're also below expectations offensively at second base (Josh Harrison) and catcher (Cervelli).
They have no chance to win the division. They have little chance to overtake St. Louis and Los Angeles for a wild card spot.
They're unlikely to win this year. Nobody has to like that it, but it would be foolish not to confront that truth.
If you're not a championship level team in 2016, better start working on 2017.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Altoona Mirror, July 31, 2016
So Mark Melancon is with the Washington Nationals, and you want to know if the Pirates made a good trade.
Can you hold for about two years, please?
Sorry, but that's the only valid answer for Saturday's deal that sent Melancon to Washington for set-up reliever Felipe Rivero and prospect Taylor Hearn.
Melancon is the proven commodity who has had a near-perfect record on save opportunities over three All-Star seasons.
His departure speaks to his impending free agency and general manager Neal Huntington's aversion to committing too big a percentage of his payroll to a closer. Huntington not-so-secretly believes that closers aren't that difficult to find, and this deal puts that theory to the test.
Tony Watson ascends to the ninth inning role, and Neftali Feliz takes over Watson's old job as the eighth-inning man and occasional alternative as closer.
Rivero is slotted as the seventh-inning set-up spot, a job that became vacant as Watson and Feliz were promoted, and Jared Hughes continues to disappoint.
The Pirates' two new pitchers are also evidence of Huntington's unabashed love for power arms. If they happen to be lefthanded, as they are in this case, so much the better.
The Pirates would never say this publicly, but there must be an expectation that Rivero can be considered as a potential closer within a season or two. In that time frame, Watson will be in the position Melancon was this season, and the order of succession will become important again.
Hearn is pitching in Class A. He's widely regarded as a fine prospect, but who knows what might happen along the way? Jameson Taillon, who is finally in the major leagues, is pitching again after failing to appear in a game over two seasons because of injuries.
In the short term, this depends on the new configuration of the bullpen crew's ability to handle the new responsibilities. Watson has been an effective reliever who doesn't get rattled. Feliz has a history as a closer. Rivero has to be better than Hughes has been.
Can they be as automatic as Melancon has been?
These questions will be answered, which is why the cop out was offered in the second paragraph.
The issue with the 2016 Pirates remains the starting pitching. So far, mediocre starters have been commanding big returns on the trade market, which doesn't bode well for a trade of any consequence.
The answer in that case remains improvement from within, as soon as possible.
It doesn't take two years to figure that out.
---
--FEELING BETRAYED
Ben Roethlisberger sounded like a disappointed parent the other day when he expressed his dismay over Martavis Bryant.
Bryant is sitting out this season after running afoul of the NFL's drug policy. This penalty comes a year after Bryant sat out a four-game suspension.
Roethlisberger said he spoke to Bryant almost every day last season, and concluded that Bryant looked him square in the eye and lied.
The life lesson to take from this is that people's who lives are ruled by substances are very unreliable.
The Steelers should realize this, too, and end their relationship with Bryant at the first opportunity.
---
--CUT RATE SALE
Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale is one of the best in baseball, but he's famous now for destroying the team's throwback jerseys.
Apparently Bryant found the old-style shirts uncomfortable, and responded by mutilating them so they couldn't be worn.
He was suspended for five days.
How long until the White Sox auction off the shredded jerseys?
---
--OH YOU KID
You could see this coming: Root last week featured the kid who became a star with his reactions to the 18-inning game at Washington a couple of Sundays ago.
Oh boy. After the interview, you were left with the feeling you'd move if you had seats near the kid.
Can you hold for about two years, please?
Sorry, but that's the only valid answer for Saturday's deal that sent Melancon to Washington for set-up reliever Felipe Rivero and prospect Taylor Hearn.
Melancon is the proven commodity who has had a near-perfect record on save opportunities over three All-Star seasons.
His departure speaks to his impending free agency and general manager Neal Huntington's aversion to committing too big a percentage of his payroll to a closer. Huntington not-so-secretly believes that closers aren't that difficult to find, and this deal puts that theory to the test.
Tony Watson ascends to the ninth inning role, and Neftali Feliz takes over Watson's old job as the eighth-inning man and occasional alternative as closer.
Rivero is slotted as the seventh-inning set-up spot, a job that became vacant as Watson and Feliz were promoted, and Jared Hughes continues to disappoint.
The Pirates' two new pitchers are also evidence of Huntington's unabashed love for power arms. If they happen to be lefthanded, as they are in this case, so much the better.
The Pirates would never say this publicly, but there must be an expectation that Rivero can be considered as a potential closer within a season or two. In that time frame, Watson will be in the position Melancon was this season, and the order of succession will become important again.
Hearn is pitching in Class A. He's widely regarded as a fine prospect, but who knows what might happen along the way? Jameson Taillon, who is finally in the major leagues, is pitching again after failing to appear in a game over two seasons because of injuries.
In the short term, this depends on the new configuration of the bullpen crew's ability to handle the new responsibilities. Watson has been an effective reliever who doesn't get rattled. Feliz has a history as a closer. Rivero has to be better than Hughes has been.
Can they be as automatic as Melancon has been?
These questions will be answered, which is why the cop out was offered in the second paragraph.
The issue with the 2016 Pirates remains the starting pitching. So far, mediocre starters have been commanding big returns on the trade market, which doesn't bode well for a trade of any consequence.
The answer in that case remains improvement from within, as soon as possible.
It doesn't take two years to figure that out.
---
--FEELING BETRAYED
Ben Roethlisberger sounded like a disappointed parent the other day when he expressed his dismay over Martavis Bryant.
Bryant is sitting out this season after running afoul of the NFL's drug policy. This penalty comes a year after Bryant sat out a four-game suspension.
Roethlisberger said he spoke to Bryant almost every day last season, and concluded that Bryant looked him square in the eye and lied.
The life lesson to take from this is that people's who lives are ruled by substances are very unreliable.
The Steelers should realize this, too, and end their relationship with Bryant at the first opportunity.
---
--CUT RATE SALE
Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale is one of the best in baseball, but he's famous now for destroying the team's throwback jerseys.
Apparently Bryant found the old-style shirts uncomfortable, and responded by mutilating them so they couldn't be worn.
He was suspended for five days.
How long until the White Sox auction off the shredded jerseys?
---
--OH YOU KID
You could see this coming: Root last week featured the kid who became a star with his reactions to the 18-inning game at Washington a couple of Sundays ago.
Oh boy. After the interview, you were left with the feeling you'd move if you had seats near the kid.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Altoona Mirror, July 24, 2016
It was a one in a million shot that paid huge dividends.
Root Sports' compulsion to show crowd shots during Pirates broadcasts finally resulted in something worthwhile.
During last Sunday's 18-inning marathon in Washington, the cameras focused on a young boy with his family. The kid was right out of central casting, the kind of kid who could probably make a nice living appearing in McDonald's commercials.
We saw happy kid, frustrated kid, tired kid, distracted kid and, ultimately, jubilant kid when the Pirates won the game on Starling Marte's home run.
What started as another random crowd shot actually turned into a secondary story line. The game dragged on, and we watched the kid react to all the twists and turns.
We saw him leave temporarily with his father. Then we saw the results of that trip when the kid had ketchup on his cheek from his extra innings hot dog.
Before you knew it, the kid was on the highlights shows and all over the Internet.
Part of the reason this worked so well was the kid didn't know he was on TV, so his reactions were genuine. There wasn't someone sticking a camera in his face and telling him to wave or yell, "Let's go Bucs."
It was Norman Rockwell in the video age. Root even stayed out of the way during the game, leaving the kid and his family lone until after the game. Then they unleashed Robby Incmikoski on the poor people.
It was found gold, and Root wisely ran with it.
The bad thing? We'll now get a million more crowd shots that won't pay off nearly as well.
---
--LOOKING FOR ANSWERS
More than halfway into the season, and the Pirates' rotation is more unsettled than it was when spring training opened.
Most of the turmoil isn't even injury-related.
People can beat up Jeff Locke seven days a week (and they do), and there's no question his inconsistency is both frustrating and unacceptable.
Save some of the invective for Jon Niese, too, whose lousy first half earned him a demotion to the bullpen.
The Pirates have a group of talented but inexperienced prospects to mold into a rotation. Starting that process this year should make the future better, but it could be a rocky ride in 2016.
But while so-so pitchers like Locke and Niese are easy targets, the real problem has been the inability of Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano to repeat past success.
Without their No. 1 and 2 starters performing in a manner worthy of those spots, they won't be able to salvage this season.
---
--LOOKING FOR HELP
The Pirates would like to move Locke and/or Niese but undoubtedly recognize they have very limited value on the trade market.
In fact, it's hard to imagine they could move Niese withoit agreeing to pick up a big chunk of the money remaining on his contract.
At the same time, they'd also like to acquire a proven major league starter.
So they're in the unique situation of looking to both add and delete pitchers as the trade deadline approaches.
---
--BAD SURPRISE
If the reports are accurate and Le'Veon Bell winds up with a four-game suspension for missing a drug test, you pick the word:
Stupid. Selfish. Reckless. Irresponsible. Immature. Dumb. Unprofessional. Thoughtless.
Actually, if the suspension becomes official, they all apply.
For all the vetting of draft choices, how can there still be unhappy surprises like those from Bell and Martavis Bryant?
The NFL Players Association is probably working now on getting marijuana penalties reduced in the next labor agreement. Until then, though, it's the letter of the law.
Seems like a guy who recently rapped about getting a $15 million contract would realize that.
In the meantime, the Steelers should be looking for a running back.
Root Sports' compulsion to show crowd shots during Pirates broadcasts finally resulted in something worthwhile.
During last Sunday's 18-inning marathon in Washington, the cameras focused on a young boy with his family. The kid was right out of central casting, the kind of kid who could probably make a nice living appearing in McDonald's commercials.
We saw happy kid, frustrated kid, tired kid, distracted kid and, ultimately, jubilant kid when the Pirates won the game on Starling Marte's home run.
What started as another random crowd shot actually turned into a secondary story line. The game dragged on, and we watched the kid react to all the twists and turns.
We saw him leave temporarily with his father. Then we saw the results of that trip when the kid had ketchup on his cheek from his extra innings hot dog.
Before you knew it, the kid was on the highlights shows and all over the Internet.
Part of the reason this worked so well was the kid didn't know he was on TV, so his reactions were genuine. There wasn't someone sticking a camera in his face and telling him to wave or yell, "Let's go Bucs."
It was Norman Rockwell in the video age. Root even stayed out of the way during the game, leaving the kid and his family lone until after the game. Then they unleashed Robby Incmikoski on the poor people.
It was found gold, and Root wisely ran with it.
The bad thing? We'll now get a million more crowd shots that won't pay off nearly as well.
---
--LOOKING FOR ANSWERS
More than halfway into the season, and the Pirates' rotation is more unsettled than it was when spring training opened.
Most of the turmoil isn't even injury-related.
People can beat up Jeff Locke seven days a week (and they do), and there's no question his inconsistency is both frustrating and unacceptable.
Save some of the invective for Jon Niese, too, whose lousy first half earned him a demotion to the bullpen.
The Pirates have a group of talented but inexperienced prospects to mold into a rotation. Starting that process this year should make the future better, but it could be a rocky ride in 2016.
But while so-so pitchers like Locke and Niese are easy targets, the real problem has been the inability of Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano to repeat past success.
Without their No. 1 and 2 starters performing in a manner worthy of those spots, they won't be able to salvage this season.
---
--LOOKING FOR HELP
The Pirates would like to move Locke and/or Niese but undoubtedly recognize they have very limited value on the trade market.
In fact, it's hard to imagine they could move Niese withoit agreeing to pick up a big chunk of the money remaining on his contract.
At the same time, they'd also like to acquire a proven major league starter.
So they're in the unique situation of looking to both add and delete pitchers as the trade deadline approaches.
---
--BAD SURPRISE
If the reports are accurate and Le'Veon Bell winds up with a four-game suspension for missing a drug test, you pick the word:
Stupid. Selfish. Reckless. Irresponsible. Immature. Dumb. Unprofessional. Thoughtless.
Actually, if the suspension becomes official, they all apply.
For all the vetting of draft choices, how can there still be unhappy surprises like those from Bell and Martavis Bryant?
The NFL Players Association is probably working now on getting marijuana penalties reduced in the next labor agreement. Until then, though, it's the letter of the law.
Seems like a guy who recently rapped about getting a $15 million contract would realize that.
In the meantime, the Steelers should be looking for a running back.
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