Pirates Players Positively P.O'd

[molitor fan]

Bay, Nady, and Morris all commenting on how they think the Pirates did nothing in the off-season to improve upon their 94 loss 2007. This team really does not do justice to their jewel of a ballpark.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AsMg6SwIPRzxZSx79_UVzgsRvLYF?slug=ap-pirates-bay&prov=ap&type=lgns

[Scooter1027]

Bay, Nady, and Morris all commenting on how they think the Pirates did nothing in the off-season to improve upon their 94 loss 2007. This team really does not do justice to their jewel of a ballpark.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AsMg6SwIPRzxZSx79_UVzgsRvLYF?slug=ap-pirates-bay&prov=ap&type=lgns

Jason Bay 2006 -- .286/.396/.532 (.928), 35 HR, 102 BB/156 K

Jason Bay 2007 -- .247/.327/.418 (.745), 21 HR, 59 BB/141 K

 

I understand Bay's frustration, no one likes to lose. But he can look in the mirror (and at Adam LaRoche) to determine in many ways why this team did nothing last year. They were relying on those two hitters to be the centerpiece of a lineup that got decent seasons out of a few supporting guys (Freddy Sanchez, Xavier Nady, Jack Wilson, Ryan Doumit, and Nate McLouth all had respectable-to-good seasons). They didn't get it done. I don't think it would have been financially responsible for Pittsburgh to have thrown a bunch of money at this class of free agents just to say they did something. There wasn't enough talent out there to turn Pittsburgh around. They need to start from the ground up and build their minor league system, just like the Brewers had to.

[brettac1]

I really think Huntington is going to do a really good job there if he is given enough time (like 5 years). He's a smart guy and he says the right things.

[milwaukeesportsfan]

They need to just blow that team up and trade Bay and Laroche. Build around your young SP's and the draft. Just bite the bullet like the Brewers did in '02-'04. As we've seen, there is no quick fix when a team is as inept as the Pirates are/Brewers were. It takes a long time to build back to respectability.

[paul253]

I always thought it was a mistake for the Brewers not to make an attempt to trade for Bay. He had a down year last season, but his career numbers are still really good, and he's still relatively young. He would have solved the problem in left field and could have hit #2. I bet with Braun and Fielder behind him his OBP would be higher than .321 Milwaukee could have offered one of our many outfield prospects like Gillespie or Cain and maybe thrown in a guy like Gamel isn't going to be at 3rd base for much longer.

[pitchleague]

yeah, paul, I agree. Our outfield prospect glut is going to bite is in the tush pretty soon if we don't deal some of them for other needs. Perhaps at the trading deadline.

 

I think it's great that we have so many OF prospects but with Braun and Hart in the outfield for (probably) a while now, those guys in the minors are going to have to go bananas and get called up or they are going to be "wasted" talent. Might as well deal one or two of them at some point. (please note, this may be DM's and JZ's plan all along.)

[dadofandrew]

I agree with Brett. The Pirates need to be torn down and this guy seems to get it. If you're a player, you should play and shut up.

[logan82]

I really think Huntington is going to do a really good job there if he is given enough time (like 5 years). He's a smart guy and he says the right things.

I think it takes at least 5 years to build a team if you have limited money and talent to start with. I think they are a little better off than we were 5 years ago though.

[Brian the Automator]

Bay, Nady, and Morris all commenting on how they think the Pirates did nothing in the off-season to improve upon their 94 loss 2007. This team really does not do justice to their jewel of a ballpark.http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AsMg6SwIPRzxZSx79_UVzgsRvLYF?slug=ap-pirates-bay&prov=ap&type=lgns

It's ironic that Morris is complaining, since he's part of the problem.

[JohnBriggs12]

The Pirates problem is in their drafting and player development.

 

They draft right up there near the top every year but have nothing to show for it.

[Ennder]

All those years wasted with Mesa as the closer hurt too. Teams with nowhere to go should put a younger guy in at closer and auction him off to the highest bidder when they find one that works. The Pirates have been just poorly run for quite some time now.

[ILuvDaBush]

I always assumed the Pirates' problem was the fact that they always did go for the veteran help instead of the young...CHEAP guys. Also....BJ Upton would look really good in that lineup, well any lineup. And while I could see them trading Bay, I don't think LaRoche is going to be traded, even with Steven Pearce toiling. LaRoche is still Pirate property at a reasonable rate. Bay, on the other hand, is a bit more expensive. And Morris, well when I hear him complaining about Pirate management, I'm reminded of the exchange between Dave Chapelle and the cabby in "Half Baked".

[JohnBriggs12]

Think about the Brewer high picks that are making an impact and then ask yourself where are those guys on the Pirates? Maholm was a high pick who has been okay, but they have no recent high picks playing in their everyday lineup. Guys like Bay, Sanchez and LaRoche are fine players. If you had 2 or 3 young studs around them you'd have a solid lineup to go with what isn't a horrible group of young starters led by Snell and Gorzelany.

[danzig6767]

The Pirates problem is in their drafting and player development.

 

They draft right up there near the top every year but have nothing to show for it.

It is amazing when you consider all the young talent we drafted vs what the Pirates got. If i was a Pirates fan and watched the Brewers come into town with all this great young talent, i'd want to throw up. That really the only main difference between the two franchises. One drafted very well and the other didn't.

 

[dlk9s]

I really think Huntington is going to do a really good job there if he is given enough time (like 5 years). He's a smart guy and he says the right things.

Hey brettac1,

When are you going to change your avatar?

[Invader3K]

I wonder if the Brewers could somehow lure the Pirates into trading one of their young pitchers, like Gorzelanny. Probaby won't happen, depending on how much that organization has really changed.