Pirates GM Littlefield fired.

[Team Canada]

From Crasnick's chat:

 

Jerry Crasnick: (12:00 PM ET ) Hey guys, This story just broke out of Pittsburgh. The Pirates have called a 2 p.m. press conference to announce that GM Dave Littlefield has been fired. Player development director Brian Graham will be the interim GM. Should be an interesting day in Pittsburgh.

[RyDogg66]

You mean trading FOR Matt Morris didnt save his job???? Man, what kind of standards do they expect a guy to meet?

[sheethead]

I am totally surprised by this move.

[Invader3K]

Who would even want a job in Pittsburgh at this point? The ownership has shown they'd rather pocket profits than field a competitive team. Haven't they been through like five GMs in the last four or five years?

[colbyjack]

Don't be surprised if Jack Z's name comes up as a possible candidate to replace Littlefield:

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/viewtopic.php?t=7251

[endaround]

Hard to keep your job when your big resignings of Wilson and Bay have been huge busts.

[crewcrazy]

To quote Monty Python, "And there was much rejoicing":

http://www.southcom.com.au/~angels/rejoice.jpg

 

Seriously, Littlefield was getting into Matt Millen territory in terms of how much it would take to get him fired. Here's a partial list of his transgressions, courtesy of MLBTradeRumors:

 

* 1/2/02 - Agreed to terms with free-agent RHP Mike Williams on a two-year contract with a club option for 2004.

* 12/20/02 - Acquired RHP Matt Herges from the Montreal Expos in exchange for minor league pitchers Chris Young and Jon Searles.

* 1/31/03 - Designated RHP Bronson Arroyo for assignment.

* 7/22/03 - Acquired IF Jose Hernandez, minor league RHP Matt Bruback and a player to be named later from Chicago Cubs for 3B Aramis Ramirez, OF Kenny Lofton and cash considerations.

* 11/20/03 - Claimed off waivers: pitcher Matt Guerrier by Minnesota, pitcher Duaner Sanchez by Los Angeles.

* 12/16/04 - Acquired C Benito Santiago, along with cash considerations, from Kansas City in exchange for RHP Leo Nunez.

* 7/28/05 - Acquired Minor League INF J.J. Furmaniak from the San Diego Padres in exchange for C David Ross.

* 7/31/05 - Acquired OF Jody Gerut and cash considerations from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for OF Matt Lawton.

* 1/4/06 - Signed OF Jeromy Burnitz to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2007.

* 2/28/06 - Agreed to terms with SS Jack Wilson on a three-year contract extension (through the 2009 season) with a club option for 2010.

* 7/31/06 - Acquired OF Xavier Nady from the New York Mets in exchange for RHP Roberto Hernandez and LHP Oliver Perez.

* 2/1/07 - Signed RHP Tony Armas Jr. to a one-year contract, with a club option for 2008.

* 7/31/07 - Acquired RHP Matt Morris from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for OF Rajai Davis and a player to be named.

 

Draft picks:

 

* 2002 - Bryan Bullington at #1 overall (over B.J. Upton, Zack Greinke, Prince Fielder, Jeff Francis, Jeremy Hermida, Joe Saunders, Khalil Greene, Scott Kazmir, Nick Swisher, Cole Hamels, James Loney, Jeremy Guthrie, Jeff Francoeur, Joe Blanton, and Matt Cain).

* 2006 - Brad Lincoln at #4 overall (over Andrew Miller, Clayton Kershaw, Tim Lincecum, Ian Kennedy, and Joba Chamberlain)

[homer]

I scratched my head at that Ramirez move at the time. I think he still had a few years to go before arby at that point didn't he? What a dumb move.

[Brian the Automator]

Bummer.... the more incompetent GM's in the divison, the better. Now Krivsky's alone in last place.

[crewcrazy]

I think my favorite part of that Ramirez trade is that the Bucs also sent cash to Chicago along with Lofton and Ramirez.

[recte44]

Seems like Gord Ash would be a better fit for the Pirates.

[adamb100]

Anyone would be a better fit for the Pirates at this time.

[davego]

Does the next guy strip it down (not that there is a lot to strip) and start over? I suppose there are not to many other options.

[TooLiveBrew]

The one from that list at mlbtr that irks me is the Jody Gerut + cash in exchange for Matt Lawton. In what way is/was that a bad move? Seems to me the cash alone can be the tie-breaker in that trade, but maybe I'm crazy. I just don't know why you'd include that when your list is already densely-populated. Nit-picking, I know...

[Oldcity]

In his defense, I absolutely would have wanted to re-sign Bay as well. Definitely didn't see his drop-off coming.

 

Other than that, yeah he didn't deserve to keep his job. Jack Wilson, Matt Morris, never trading off relievers at the deadline, etc.

[giffted1]

* 7/31/06 - Acquired OF Xavier Nady from the New York Mets in exchange for RHP Roberto Hernandez and LHP Oliver Perez.

I'm not sure this was such a horrible deal either. Perez was basically Jorge De La Rosa with one good year thrown in there. Great stuff, bad command, and bad results. Who would have known that putting on a Mets uniform would make him good. Nady has put together a pretty nice year for the Pirates.

 

I may be defending him in this deal, but firing him is definitely a step in the right direction for Pittsburgh.

[RightFieldCoder]

I agree with Brian. Outside of Lockety, I liked the GM's in the central being dumb.

[Tbadder]

I'll defend him. It's Pittsburgh. It's small market. It's almost inevitable doom. The Pirates should be collapsed. The next guy won't do any better even if it's the Z-man. The only way to stay competitive is a constant pumping out of prospects, which is highly unlikely in the long run. Second thought, I won't defend him; I couldn't defend anyone stupid enough to take the job.

[BrianShouseForPrez]

This was a long time coming.

[RightFieldCoder]

* 7/22/03 - Acquired IF Jose Hernandez, minor league RHP Matt Bruback and a player to be named later from Chicago Cubs for 3B Aramis Ramirez, OF Kenny Lofton and cash considerations.

Talk all you want of being a hard job with no financial resources, but I can't believe he lasted 4 years after making that trade.

[RyDogg66]

* 7/22/03 - Acquired IF Jose Hernandez, minor league RHP Matt Bruback and a player to be named later from Chicago Cubs for 3B Aramis Ramirez, OF Kenny Lofton and cash considerations.

Talk all you want of being a hard job with no financial resources, but I can't believe he lasted 4 years after making that trade.

I agree, that trade is completely inexcusable. You almost have to wonder if he was or still is on the Cubs payroll.

 

[jaybird2001wi]

I remember that trade very vividly. I was at work listening to the radio with my Cubs fan co-worker and he jumped up and down in the maintenance garage. I am still scratching my head on that to this very day. Why it took 4 years for the Pirates to fire him after that trade is beyond me. As a matter of fact, the GM before Littlefield was just as bad.

 

Here is what I gathered from that hideous Cubs trade:

 

Pirates get:

A crappy shortstop who strikes out a ton and can't hit worth crap

A pitcher who probably never appeared in an ML game

Bobby Hill was the PTBNL - huh?

 

Cubs get:

Their future 3rd baseman and solution to their age old curse at 3B

A solid veteran guy who still posts adequate numbers

Cash? huh?

 

I still hate that trade to this very day. I mean, Littlefield should have been fired on the spot at that point. Not only did the Pirates give the Cubs the division title with that trade that year, but they traded a fan favorite and great 3B for the Pirates WITHIN division. That trade was the most blasphemous trade in-division I have ever seen.

[Kurt]

endaround, can you please explain why the bay and wilson contracts have been huge busts? They are both having decent years.

[Katuluu]

Aramis was a cancer by the time he was traded. He was grossly overweight, and was rumored to pull the occassional "Sheffield" on the field. He also only had one more year under contract, and had been very open about not wanting to resign with Pittsburgh. Littlefield really didn't have much of an option, as the longer he waited the less he could ask in return for Ramirez. I can only assume that was the best offer he could get, which says a lot about the leverage Pittsburgh had in negotiations.

[endaround]

Wilson has been good for him, they just expected to get the Wilson of 2004 going forward. Bay has had a terrible year. Bay's career numbers:

.283 .376 .517

 

Bay this season:

.253 .329 .424