Time to Make Some Sort of Splash

[ramburgh]

I have a feeling that the Pirates pull off a relatively big move before the season starts. They can’t go into 2012 with Clint Barmes as their highest paid player and giant question marks at the hot corners. Hopefully, they will realize this as well. Here are my four scenarios (I am only saying 1 will happen) for a “big move”:

1. Sign a SP: Edwin Jackson, Javier Vazquez or Roy Oswalt
2. Sign a 1B: Derrek Lee, Carlos Pena or Casey Kotcham
3. Trade for AJ Burnett or Matt Garza
4. Trade Joel Hanrahan for a ML ready 1B, SS or SP with potential

I hope they realize that hoping to fill the hot corners with Alvarez, Jones and McGehee is too big of a risk. Also, their rotation could either be quite solid or really bad. There are too many unproven starters. It would be nice to have a veteran to anchor the staff for when Bedard goes down and Correia falls apart. As for the trading of Hanrahan, I think the time is now to get his highest value. The fact that they have kept their bullpen (except for Veras) and added several spring training invitees has stood out to me. I understand competition is good, but this is not how this front office has operated.

Also, this would be a good time to motivate the Pittsburgh market to think about baseball as the Steelers had a disappointing finish, Pitt football and basketball had/are having rough years and the Pens are struggling. This should present an opportunity to get fans excited for something somewhat positive in Pittsburgh sports.

 

[Illinest]

I supported the Barmes move, but I expected it to be in the context of better moves. Since Barmes is our 'big acquisition' I think the offseason is a failure so far. To be clear - Barmes is not very good. He made sense considering our needs but he's a borderline starter and I'm afraid that he's going to be the target of a lot of abuse when people figure out that he's not really an upgrade.

 

[magnumo]

First..... welcome, ramburgh!

Second..... I agree with your title..... and I agree emphatically with your notion that the team needs to add a dependable bat and another starting pitcher.

But I fear (based upon everything I've been reading in the media) that NH is satisfied with his off-season and no other significant moves will be made. It appears that an increasing number of knowledgeable fans are beginning to question Huntington's ability to build a competitive team in Pittsburgh. (In my view, that question is highly justified.)

To Illinest: I agree completely with your view on the offseason and on Barmes. At best, he's a SLIGHT upgrade over Cedeno and, imo, not worth the additional cost. In addition, Barajas is a clear downgrade from Doumit/Snyder..... and Bedard, if he can stay healthy, may be a small upgrade over Maholm.

At this point, NH has NOT made significant improvement in the roster..... and it seems unlikely that the pitching staff will match it's first-half over-achievement from last year.

I kind of committed to run a W-L prediction thread on this board for the coming season..... but I'm feeling more like.....

 

[element1286]

Not really worried about dollar amounts, but Jackson wants 5 years, I'd give him 3.

Roy Oswalt is going to sign with a contender, unless the Pirates overpay and offer him multiple years.

I thought Vazquez retired?

Can't see Lee and Pena not playing for a contender, unless the Pirates offer them more years. Casey Kotchman doesn't do much for me, I'm not convinced he'd be a guaranteed upgrade.

Trading for Garza would cost a lot of prospects, trading for Burnett wouldn't, just saying.

Don't think it is the right time to unload a closer, the market is flooded with them currently, would wait it out since there should be no rush.

 

[grayghost668]

I'm sorry guys but the owner doesn't care about winning,,,get used to it ,,i HAVE

 

[thedddd]

I agree with Element on the Starting Pitchers. None of the FA's will sign here. Vazquez probably is going to retire but if he comes back I bet the Pirates are at the bottom of the list.

The 1B's: Lee already said he isn't coming back, Pena will get more money from a team that has a chance and Kotchman would be a waste of money (think Overbay but worse).

Like Mags said this team is done and it is not a good sign.

 

[Darkstone42]

I think our best bet to bring in talent is from the trade market. Free agents just don't want to sign in Pittsburgh, it's as simple as that. I think we could manage to land a decent SP, maybe, but we're not going to get the bat we want in free agency.

I would be mostly looking at "blocked" prospects or the guys who are blocking them, depending on which is the better value/which the team is more willing to trade away. It's not a sure-fire thing, certainly, but it at least gives us a chance at something better without breaking the bank.

 

[Etrius24]

This team needs a bat... desperately... 30+ homerun first baseman bat would be ideal... but that will likely not happen any time soon.

 

[ramburgh]

Now that it appears Burnett is going to be a Bucco, I am going to get greedy (considering we are only a few days from spring training) and want the Pirates to make one last serious push to get Derrek Lee back. I would then consider this the best off season since the losing began. With Pujols and Fielder gone plus Braun out, this is the year to put a competitive team on the field.

Presley, Tabata, McCutchen, Lee, Walker, Alvarez, Barmes, Barajas, pitcher
BN-Jones, McGehee, McKenry or Morales, McLouth, shortstop
SP-Burnett, Bedard, Morton, McDonald, Karstens/Correia
RP-Hanrahan, Meek, Grilli, Resop, Cruz, Watson

If healthy, this team can compete in the weakened NL Central.

 

[element1286]

I'm over Derek Lee, he obviously doesn't want to be here, and if he does sign he is going to insist on playing everyday, which at this point of his career he shouldn't be.

 

[magnumo]

We still need more offense, that's for sure..... and that need can become even more critical depending on the performance of Alvarez (especially), along with Presley and Tabata. I expect a drop-off on offense from both Barmes and Barajas, which will exacerbate the situation.

But with so much having been reported about Lee not wanting to play for the Pirates, I'm with element. Yeah..... Lee performed well for us (when healthy), but when you look at that within the context of his seasonal numbers, it appears that Lee is in decline, and that decline is likely to accelerate with age.

Derrek Lee Stats - Pittsburgh Pirates - ESPN

Actually, I look for the performance of whatever platoon the Pirates wind up with at 1B to equal what Lee would do. Besides, depending on a player who doesn't want to be here is a disaster waiting to happen, for more than one reason. IIRC, the loss of Lee will yield a draft choice. Hopefully, that guy ultimately will contribute, somewhere down the road.

Maybe NH missed the boat on Pena (assuming he didn't take a shot), but Pena has flaws, too.

- Will Pena perform better than the Pirates' probably platoon? Maybe.

- Will his performance be ENOUGH better to justify his salary? Maybe, maybe not.

- Can this team become competitive without a better stick manning first base? Seems doubtful.

 

[sychmd]

not the ideal 1B situation, but i actually like this more than what we have gone with the last 4-5 years with laroche and then overbay. actually i just went back to 2001 and we have been terrible at first base. not enough time to dredge back even farther, but from 2001 - present, it was a scary list of names.
jones platooning with a couple righty (Mcgehee, evans, hague) options had me feeling better before seeing the list and now i feel great after seeing the list. we need alvarez to have a big year and move over to first in a couple years.