"It's funny, but Nyjer and I knew this was going to happen," Sean Burnett said last night from Milwaukee, shortly after hearing that the Pirates continued their trading binge by sending away John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny. "They're the laughingstock of baseball right now. They've gotten rid of everybody. They won't keep anybody around. Some of the guys here, they don't understand it, but Nyjer and I knew this was coming."
LaRoche complained a few weeks before he was traded. Some other scrub whined too.
And you know, I totally agree. Why are the Pirates selling so many essential pieces of their franchise? Why is this perennial 96-win team in the middle of a firesale? Why are they trading such superstars as Nyjer Morgan and Adam LaRoche for prospects for the future?
OH WAIT. THEY AREN'T BECAUSE THE PIRATES ARE FUCKING TERRIBLE.
Maybe if they were better than 5th place in the worst fucking division in baseball I would understand the players' concerns. But they aren't better than 5th. They're awful. And the players they had clearly weren't working out.
I'm sorry, Sean Brunett (by the way - who the fuck are you, you scrub?). I'm sorry that you and your buddies who were bad at baseball were traded away for players who have the potential to be much better than you at baseball. It's almost like... you don't understand how trades are supposed to work.
Here's how the Pirates are shaping up:
2011 Pirates
C Jorge Sanchez
1B Jeff Clement/Steve Pearce
2B Argenis Diaz
SS Miguel Angel Sano (maybe? they're the frontrunners)
3B Pedro Alvarez
LF Lastings Milledge
CF Andrew McCutchen
RF Jose Tabata
Bench Gorkys Hernandez
SP Paul Maholm
SP Zach Duke
SP Timmy Alderson
Add in the fact that they're going to get at least two top-3 picks in the draft, with a shot at high-school phenom Bryce Harper? Yeah, they're gonna be good.
No matter how you slice it, if those players live up to even 75% of their potential, that's a team that can win the NL Central (assuming Albert Pujols doesn't hit 120 homeruns that season - which is totally possible).
Now a lot of people are going to slam them for not keeping their all-stars like Jason Bay or Nate McLouth. When it's clear that those two players would not have carried them to the postseason in 2009 or even 2010, it would be foolish to keep them when they know they're not helping out the overall plan. Especially knowing that in a few short months they'd demand way more money than Pittsburgh has. So they did what was right and they traded them for a piece of 2011. In the Bay trade, at least, they didn't get a great return, though. But that's baseball - some trades are winners, some are losers.
If the Pirates don't contend in two years, I'll be totally prepared to eat my words - and all the little bitches on their team whining - but until then, let's look at what they did at the deadline for what it really was - a complete overhaul of the system.
No reason to trade McLouth he is the same age as Pearce and right now their highest paid player is Malholm at 3.5 mill. Of course they could lock up McLouth. He is still young and needed to be kept. Adam Laroche is not bad and i cant figure out why you say that. averages 25 HRs 85 RBI and .275 BA. With a decent glove. Plus Jeff Clement is god awful defensively and has struggled in the bigs.
ReplyDeleteDiaz struggles in AAA and Sano is only 16 and will out grow middle infield. Alderson is really the only top prospect they have pitching via the trades.
There manage ment is a joke and thats why the have had 14 consecutive losing seasons
Snell was a mistake he won 14 games for them and after struggling with location he was sent packing. You can never have too many arms. We will see about harper since they just took a catcher 1st round.
None of the guys they got are top tier aside Alderson and Clement (which he is the odd man out). Now trading Wilson and Sanchez wasnot entirely bad they still dont have replacments though.
Tabata isnt great he is average he hits has above average speed no power and eractic and inconstent at time. Milledge is not the super prospect he once was considered. They are in dissaray
ReplyDeleteI often forget what conference the Pirates actually play in. I mean is it the NFC South or the NFC East, come on. ...wait, nope thats the Buccaneers, who the fuck are the pirates?
ReplyDeletei'll only touch on McLouth because the rest of the guys you mentioned is just speculation on how good they can be, and none of us can argue that successfully, but McLouth was an All-Star and a Gold Glove winner that year and regardless of his age was going to demand a lot of money in a year or so. he's also totally not as good as the money he commands. he's a nice little player and all but he's nothing special.
ReplyDeleteand Tabata has actually picked it up a ton this year. whatever troubles he had last year with the Yankees can maybe be attributed to the fact that his wife fucking KIDNAPPED A BABY. Now that all that is cleared up he's raking again.
McLouth is signed through 2011 and a club option for 2012 and a little over 5 million a year. Thats very reasonable for a thirty- thirty guy. I agree he doesnt deserve top money but i think they could have locked him up for about 8-10 Million a year which isnt bad when your highest contract is 3.5 million
ReplyDeleteI love Tabata he can rake he is hitting .308 at Triple A but the thing that scares me is he hasnt developed any of the power once thought to have. He is average defensively not the fastest guy and an above average arm. He is still young and only time will tell.
But still trading away every single veteran on your team is just ridiculous. You cant win a series with a team of rookies, its never happened, you need veteran leadership and they set themselves back another 5 years at the minimum