DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
Introducing a weekly feature aimed at rounding up a whole lot of odds and ends from a whole lot of time spent around our local sports teams …
• The Pirates’ primary target yesterday at the trade deadline was David Price, I’m told, and it wasn’t even close. Jon Lester talks with Boston were preliminary at best, and it was clear there wasn’t a match. Price was different. Those pressed into the final hour and almost reached fruition. The breaking point was the usual: The Pirates weren’t offering the right combo of present and future that the Rays sought. The Rays are in a weird place, pretty much out of it and yet winning like crazy over the past two weeks. Andrew Friedman didn’t want to just pull the rug out from under the current group.
• Name most commonly discussed was that of Starling Marte.
• People under Neal Huntington have been prodding him for years to be more willing to part with prospects for veterans. It’s just not in his DNA, with the occasional Wandy Rodriguez exception.
• Every case can be different, but I can’t figure Le’Veon Bell dropping 20 pounds. Bell’s supposed to be this big Eddie George-type back who can shove through the middle and fall forward for a few extra yards, and he’s clearly focused instead on catching more passes. And then, first thing in camp, the hammy is sore. All I’m saying for now is mark it down.
• It’s a week into camp, but no off-the-beaten-path guy has turned more heads than Justin Brown. Big man at 6-5, wiry in the Randy Moss way, and the ball arrives in his hands with almost as little sound as it does into Lance Moore’s. Add to that, he’s in superior shape after spending part of his offseason working out with fitness madman Antonio Brown.
• Anyone who thought the Capitals overpaid for Matt Niskanen, Brooks Orpik or both, know this: Both were offered more money by other teams, Niskanen by the Red Wings, Orpik by the Avalanche. The common denominator in bringing them together in Washington was Todd Reirden, their defensive coach in Pittsburgh. Really popular figure with all those guys. Worked his tail off.
• Know who will miss Reirden most? Kris Letang.
• The ACC might as well engrave its player-of-the-year trophy with Florida State’s Jameis Winston might right now, but that didn’t stop Paul Chryst from tossing a Pitt name into the ring in our interview this week: “Tyler Boyd has that talent, that capability. But the reality is, we have to surround him. Aaron Donald was so dominant you could notice him on a .500 team. With Tyler, we’ll all have to do our jobs well because of the nature of his position. But yeah, for sure, we view him up in that category.”
• Any season as calamitous as the one the Riverhounds are enduring should be followed by significant change. Well, I’m hearing it could go way beyond the naming of a replacement for interim coach Niko Katic, a good man who’s a big part of their academy works. I’m hearing re-branding, logo, other stuff. No specifics yet.
• At the rate of energy and enthusiasm Joey Porter is displaying on the fields of Saint Vincent College, he’ll have a stroke before the first preseason game. Or not. The man’s just boundless.
• To watch the many chess pieces at practice, it’s becoming clear to at least this one observer that Mike Tomlin is increasingly comfortable having his assistant coaches play the bad cop while he stays out. And I’m not just talking about Porter. Read into that what you will.
• Stephon Tuitt and Martavis Bryant have been bearing the brunt of that.
• Forget the Brett Keisel/James Harrison scenarios barring major injuries. That’s the only reason those doors haven’t shut.
• Russell Martin is so much a bigger part of the Pirates’ clubhouse than most folks will ever know. That even includes challenging authority when appropriate. He expects everyone around him to match his fire. I’ll shut up right here.
• Good dude: Tony Watson.
• Soon, everyone who emerges from the Pirates’ dugout for a mound visit will be limping. In addition to Clint Hurdle’s much-publicized hip trouble, Ray Searage is experiencing bone-on-bone pain in his knee that will have to be addressed in the offseason. When I brought that up with the skipper — don’t ever call him ‘Skipper,’ by the way — he shot back, “Yeah, me and Ray will go going out there together carrying each other like Revolutionary War soldiers, playing the flute, the drums, the whole deal.”
DK, I like this Friday insider section. It is a good way to give information that may not be an article all into itself. I am enjoying the site (except for Fri. glitch. But that is to be expected from time to time.) Enjoy your day off tomorrow.
DK doesn’t have the day off tomorrow.
Business owners are rarely “off”.
He is going to be focused on techie issues and customer service. lol
Welcome to the world of biz ownership and wearing many hats.
Big Ben needed to lose weight. He was too heavy last season and it affected his mobility. As he gets older, that is an issue.
As for Bell, to have a hammy the 1st or 2nd day is an issue. Means he didn’t do the proper S&C during offseason.
Ben was too heavy last season? No.
He WAS heavy in 2009.
Not necessarily true about the hammy. Has a long way to play out but could be a function of not stretching appropriately.
Wrong George.
Stretching is to be done after full dynamic warmup.. light stretching at that.
Some don’t even recommend stretching and only dynamic warmup.
Bottom line, hammy’s are preventable if S&C year round.
Lots of good stuff!
I seem to remember when it comes to the Rays, they werent willing to budge on the JBay offer, so I’m not surprised that a deal couldnt get done.
I’m disappointed but not devastated.
****
I still love JPeezy–happy he’s back in the fold.
Maybe NH can hire Shero as a trade consultant? If Reirden can get the late_8 to backcheck then he should also be lead negotiator in the middle east dust up. Expect Orpik’s glare to burn a few holes thru the late_8′s jersey.
NH could use a little more Shero in him. But then, Shero could have used a little less…
Cool site mpackage. You might have motivated me to dust off my strat.
Good stuff!
lol
Man, Price would have been interesting!
Very much agreed. Much like DK, I didn’t want Lester. Would have been nice to have a strong #1 for this year and next.
Nice feature, DK. On Justin Brown, what do you see, realistically, as a ceiling for his role with the Steelers this season? If he steps up as the #4 guy, could he factor into more than just 3rd down plays? A. Brown, M. Wheaton, L. Moore & J. Brown — could that work?
Why couldn’t he challenge Wheaton? What’s Wheaton done, right?
My gut tells me Wheaton will be a very solid contributor.
AB, Lance Moore, Wheaton…I’m not too concerned about our WRs.
Will this inactivity be a reason that Russell Martin walks in the off-season or $$$ talks?
“… challenging authority when appropriate. He expects everyone around him to match his fire.”
Maybe I’m reading this completely incorrectly, but that clubhouse must be frustrated.
I have no doubt Martin is miffed by the lack of activity by Neal Huntington and if this team misses the playoffs because their bullpen lacked the depth to hold leads or keep games close, no amount of money will keep him here.
If they offer him the money he wants, he stays. If not, he walks. I don’t see why he would not like the direction of the team since he arrived.
Martin has re-established himself as one of the game’s best catchers since coming to the Pirates, so he’ll command more money than the team will ever be willing to spend. I hope they prove me wrong because Sanchez isn’t starter material.
I do hope you are wrong on that, because I think he is vital for the next few years. Not a lot of teams have ponied up big $$ for catchers who are defense first.
NH sticks to his plan, even if that means whiffing at the 7/31 deadline. But his ‘plan’ most certainly includes a leader at Catcher, for the staff and the overall defense. He stretched before to sign him and no doubt he will advocate stretching to re-sign him. No doubt.
Well, I had to finally pay to play! First web site I think I’ve ever paid for…go Bucs!
Welcome G8r!
G8rh8r: Welcome to the asylum!
Cool insights. Basically why I’m willing to pay the $1-2/month. Can’t find this anywhere else.
Love me some Russell Martin
The Brooks Orpik info is jarring.
I’d be weary of giving up Marte for Price as well. If Josh Bell, or any replacement,were closer, I’d be more inclined.
Now this is the kind of info worth signing up for.. HBO or DK?? Decisions, decisions…
So glad that I signed up for the blog – you definitely did not disappoint. Enjoying the Friday Insider which covers a hodge podge of items. Can’t wait until the Pens hit camp so the big 3 sports will all be covered a lot!
Sure hope Russell Martin’s “passion” doesn’t rub some of the higher ups the wrong way & factor into negotiations.
Oh, who am I kidding. There’s a better chance I’ll be the catcher next year.
Russ may decide this organization doesn’t have the passion to win that he’s looking for, and it’s time to move on, money aside.
Are you suggesting they will give Martin the AJ treatment?
Very interesting about Tomlin. If this is a change in his behavior, maybe he’s feeling the heat from two straight 8 – 8s and wants to make sure he gets the personnel to see him as boss above all. He has a lot of evaluating to do as well as the roster is changing.
I channel my inner John Lennon. Imagine if this morning we had an extension to Martin plus Price for a year and a half (I don’t buy into the bad fit with Tampa line – Bucs have the pieces and in case anyone forgot, they put together a 3 way). Imagine the buzz.
Other than Martin, the Pirates have been suffering from low T most of this season since A.J. left. Nice guys, it seems, but not fiery at all.
Can Joey Porter get excused to be in the Pirates dugout when we next play the Brewers and Cards?
I was at camp wed, and Joey clearly wished he still had his pads on. We need that fire back!
He could approach their team bus and scare the bejeesus out of a few of them. As I recall, the great Ray Ray Lewis didn’t venture off the bus to meet his challenge.
Don’t tell Justin Wilson that.
I really can’t believe that someone offered to pay Nisk/Orpik MORE money, that’s insane. If Red Wings or Avs are that desperate for defense, let’s float out some of our defenseman/defensive prospects and find a top 6 wing/top 6 wing prospect.
If we had a healthy D corps, I’d advocate Martin for O’Reilly, with other pieces to balance.
You might want to talk with HockeyMonster about that
Agreed! Orpik’s signing is collectively viewed as completely awful by 99% of the hockey world. I find it very hard to believe he was offered MORE money than what he got.
And I’d trade Martin in a heartbeat for O’Reilly since Martin has already said he’ll test the market.
Further proof Huntingdon was lying when he said “We felt like we were close a couple of times…but at the end of the day we weren’t able to push it across the line,”
Seriously, when is management going to show the fans some respect and just be honest?
I’ve tried to stay out of this annual deadline angst today, but what exactly is NH lying about in that statement? Pirates no doubt discussed multiple trades and in his mind they were close. And he even said “we” didn’t get it done, not blaming it on the other team or GM.
He said he was close to major deal(if you believe that I have a bridge to sell you) and that the best thing to do was nothing. The bullpen and bench need help desperately and Locke is looking a lot like last year’s post All Star collapse. Yest the “best” thing to do was NOTHING?
It’s amazing that NH always “just misses”
Having Brent Morel and Michael Martinez on the bench of a contending team is unacceptable. I’m not a fan of Chris Stewart either, but I didn’t expect them to try for a backup catcher.
You do know Morel and Martinez are on the bench because Marte and Barmes are injured, right?
If this team doesn’t mak a serious effort to sign Martin long term, after all the BS this last offseason and most recent trade deadline, they are going to lose some long term fans, I guarantee it.
Been following since the 70′s, but this lying and penny pinching is too much!
I think Martin is guaranteed to leave. He’ll probably get 3 years $40MM and there is no way the Pirates will go there. It’s a shame.
I think Bucs would jump on that in a heartbeat. With no other “name” catcher on the FA market, Martin’s agent will likely look for 4-5 years – $65M for 4 or 80M for 5. He’ll draw a lot of interest.
It will be interesting, Eddie. I think they will offer 3, and he’ll want 4. Now the $ per year, I have no idea. Suzuki got well under $10M per, I believe. He’s having a nice season. Same age, basically.
I keep seeing people think that Martin is going to sign for LT 4 yrs & LT $15M/yr & I just don’t get it. He is on pace for a 4 WAR this year & missed a good bit of time. 4.1 last yr. With the going rate of $5M+ a WAR I said $75M/5 & sticking to it. Suzuki is a 2+ WAR player
I will likely be one of those longterm fans.
Totally with you on the Martin extension (a must) and the penny pinching, Plaz Man.
I said the same thing yest!!! Couldn’t agree more.
Well I wish you were right – Pirate fans are not that rational for the most part – great stadium-good prices-wonderful view of the city. I was surprised to see attendance actually UP this year during the awful start.
The Bucs are a real cash cow for Nutting
I would say attendance was up early this year because they made the playoffs last year. It has spiked recently because they went from -8 to +6/7/8 over .500. They play well, people show up.
Have to chime in…. you have been a Bucs fan since the 70s, and endured the awful teams of the mid 80s and mid90s-2011, and THIS is the final straw? It is YOUR final straw and not for me to judge, but defies logic.
Agree. Bit disproportionate of a reaction if that’s the “final straw.”
I’m also baffled that we couldn’t beat Baltimore’s offer for Andrew Miller. They can still make a deal in August but yesterday was very disappointing.
Good column DK! I will definitely be looking forward to these every week.
This is great …just after Detroit got David Price, Dave Dombrowski sent a text to Billy Beane saying, “you have 1 minute to acquire Chris Sale.”
How real general managers operate.
Proof once again …… no matter how many people sing Huntington’s praises, he is not close to being a good GM, when compared to his peers.
Love this new feature. It’s the biggest benefit that sportswriters have over the regular fan. Inside information from reputable team sources. I think all of Pittsburgh commends you on your savviness in social media and on here to appropriately and clearly share those nuggets.
nice little snack-size morsels!!
Good stuff, DK. Do you get the sense Tuitt has been a bit of a disappointment, hence the ass chewing he’s getting?
Great new site feature.
Know why Letang won’t miss Reirden as much as you think? He’ll take the trade off of Disco-free with losing Reirden.
Steig “MT:closest race in MLB is NL Central. Milw 103M payroll. StL 111M, Cin 112M, Pgh 78M. NL West 2 highest payrolls are 1st” those numbers are exactly why Bucs needed to buy more wins at the deadline. Need reinforcements to avoid late season fade.
but that $20+M payroll difference is needed for a new snow making machine or two…
Very pleased to hear that Justin Brown is doing so well. Maybe this receiving corps will be better than many national pundits think.
A word of caution on Justin Brown, tall athletic receivers should look good in OTA’s & early in training camp. It’s basically a 7 on 7 drill. All the advantages go to the offense, especially receivers.
I always go back to Malcom Johnson, 5th rd pick out of Notre Dame in 1999. 6 foot 5, athletic receiver. Early in camp it looked like they were taking measurements for his bust in Canton. He caught 2 passes, in his career.
Good god was that guy a stiff.
Did Weegie look good early in camp, Milo? He was 8’13″ if I recall.
Lol, Milo. Looks like you and I are yin and yang on this topic.
Now I’m not saying Justin Brown won’t be something. He gets the benefit of the doubt from me considering his QB’s in college were Matt McGloin pre coaching & Landry Jones, stinks. I’m rooting for the kid, but let’s see some games first.
Limas. Sweed.
More issues than catches.
Yes, Limas clearly had a lot of issues.
Just heard Ken Rosenthal with Junior Feinstein. He was very evasive on the Pirates actual involvement in yesterday’s goings on. He says he’s looking into some things & should have something on it in the days & weeks ahead. He did say the Rays really wanted prospects for Price.
Wish we knew who we weren’t willing to part with, anyway.
I’m wondering if it means Bell/Glasnow together. We could argue it all day. Some fans would do that, some (me included) would not. It’s a reasonable argument either way. No clear cut right or wrong. Depends on your POV. I’d have considered something less.
Love the Friday Insider stuff, DK! In fact, I love everything here so far. Yesterday was but a bump in the road, and quickly resolved for today.
L. Bell concerns me. Tuitt concerns me. BBR looks in great shape. He’s going to have a big year.
I could be wrong, but I saw body language from the Pirate players last night that concerned me. Martin looked very frustrated at times, especially his facial expressions. They looked lethargic last night. I hope and pray the Bermuda triangle of Snider’s gaffe, Davis error, and
I saw it, too! Martin looked really peeved when Locke was losing command.
Whew! I sure was afraid Bucs might lose some of their prospects.
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I was worried about giving up possible future wins for probable present wins!
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It’s OK! I’m safe! The prospects made it through the Trade Deadline intact!!!
Forget PNC Park: I can drive to Altoona to wins!
I know you come from the other side on this debate, Groat, and I totally respect that. I do respect your opinion, even during disagreements. Which group of prospects would you have given up to get Price? I also thought Tampa wanted some MLB talent. Who would you include?
Let’s look at this a bit differently…
Who among the Prospects do you think will have a SIGNIFICANT impact on this team before 2016?
Once you have that list send the 18 or so of the top 20 left to the Tampa GM and let him pick 3….
Throw in Locke or Cumpton – Deal!
Price a reach and a luxury.
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I wanted Andrew Miller for the bullpen. I would have offered Boston Joely Rodriquez (a lefty on 40-man like Sox received) or Casey Sadler or Brandon Cumpton——any 2 of them if needed.
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For Price I give Stetson Allie, Tony Sanchez, & Kingham/Sadler
I doubt we would have gotten Price for those offers, Groat. I would not be surprised if NH offered more for him. Hard to say if that offer would have been accepted for Miller.
MY offer for Price would have been:
Bell, Glasnow or Taillon, Locke. In reading Sawchik (yes I still do), he seemed to think Bell + one of the pitchers was turned down. But who knows? Maybe the Houston Astros can leak the Tampa transcripts, too.
For Miller I’d offer Kingham.
Me too – as a will be 68 next season I would not want to win just yet – I am hoping things will come together for my 70th year. Winning now would just create unreasonable expectations that they might be competitive every year and we would not want that.
Neil Huntingdon’s failure to act at the deadline, does not doom this team. If the Pirates lose out of a playoff spot by one or two games, the fan base should be up in arms. Would hate to see the last two night’s games hurt that much. Jerry Meals all over again….
The post above is Part 2 of one that is 5 earlier. It is misleading because it looks like I am saying our GM not acting does not hurt this team. If you read part 1 of this, you can see I am clearly not saying that. Important that I clear that up….
I honestly don’t see how Pedro can keep playing 3b. He didn’t get the error last night, but that was a simple throw and he was way off target. Turned the game around for AZ. Even on the “good” throws he seems to handcuff the guy on the other end (Walker or 1b).
Sweet Jimmie,
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What would you do with him? They tried sitting him 6 outta 8 games
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No one else hits homeruns, especially with McCutch in a funk!
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He’s been very bad——it’s v. difficult to win with his flubs——but I do not think Bucs can win it all without his bat catching fire.
I agree Groat, but that’s only IF his bat catches fire.
I’d be rapidly teaching him 1b, Groat. Rapidly. Let Harrison play 3b & should have pursued Zobrist or someone else more. I love Pedro, but he’s killing us. Maybe at 1b his head clears and he hits again?
Pirates need Pedro’s bat.
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I also would put him at 1st right away. What: afraid he will butcher 1st? He already is butchering 3rd!
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More chance Pedro’s bat will come alive than Ike or Gaby!!!
It would be nice to see what Pedro did with a really good first baseman – one who basically said – “Get it close and I will do my part”. He has very good range and makes a TON of plays. IF he could trust his 1st baseman-did not feel he had to make perfect throw…
baaaahaaaa a good firstbaseman? This is a joke, right? Who do you suggest, Mr Fantastic from the Fantastic Four? Some of those throws (a lot ) were literally ten feet over the 1B’s head, lol
Funny, I thought Davis should have made the play – sounded like Clint did also and sending Locke back out for the 6th with a high pitch count cost the Bucs the game – but that just shows how opinions can differ.
I did think Davis should have made the play. But, since every throw is an adventure, it is more difficult to catch tougher throws than usual. You just don’t know what to expect on his throws, except that they will come at a high rate of speed. Agree totally on Locke.
Davis is not the defensive first baseman we were told he was when he came over – I am not making excuses for Pedro-but several of his throws became errors when Davis would not move off of the bag and waved at the ball as it sailed past him.
C’mon, LL. Pedro has big issues throwing. It’s mental now. Everybody sees it. Keith Hernandez would not be able to catch these throws. Do you not notice a huge difference between him throwing and every other 3b in MLB?
NO DOUBT that was Ike’s error. You simply MUST catch balls that hit you in the glove. I get the defense of Ike… Pedro is an aventure and he was probably getting ready to jump (not that he can actually jump) and got fooled by an ankle ball. But E-3, and it’s not even close.
Riverhounds “rebranding” – they should change the name completely. Mascots that aren’t actually “a thing” are dumb. What the heck is a Riverhound?
A Waterdog???
Then call them the Water Dogs.
That doesn’t jive with the “rivers” aspect of Pittsburgh’s location, sorry.
Call them the Cleveland Riverhounds.
Hey, Paul! Not sure if I would know a Riverhound if I saw one. I grew up on Neville Island and we were known as the Rivermen.
Really enjoyed the Friday Insider; lots of good info. You must be a busy man!!
Great Gammons quote…
“Dombrowski and Beane share one common trait: neither worries about what he’s giving up, each focuses on what he is getting for his team.”
Sort of the Anti-Huntington approach
They also share the fact that they have been doing this for a LONG time and neither has a ring. Maybe that streak will finally end this year.
They may not have a ring-but they have gotten a hell of a lot closer than this joke of a front office ever has or ever will IMHO. The A’s have made the post season 7 0f the past 14 years. Tigers have two WS appearances plus two ALCS appearances since 206. The Bucs how many?
Beane is a very good GM. I think Dombrosky only gets close by spending $$ we don’t have. Seems to me NH started w nothing and things have gotten markedly better & the future looks pretty good. A joke? That’s just silly.
Sorry, that Gammons quote, like most of his later-age ramblings, is trite and simplistic. Of course Beane and Dombrowski analyze the ‘cost’ to make deals but they have gone for it this year to be sure. Difference: Tigers can spend their way back and A’s have a short window
I am surprised at how quickly “fans” have turned on Starling Marte.
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He is still learning his craft. He has suffered concussions twice and twice had to leave for his m-i-law’s illness, then death/funeral. TOUGH times!
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Bonds, Stargell, Clemente—none were great right away. Time!
He used to play for us, right ?
Yep. He began as a Pirate the year after he won the AA Batting Championship.
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He has promise——as a hitter, as a base runner, as a possible Gold Glove winner.
You have more patience than most, Groatie.
Agreed! Personally I think Marte will be just fine. 2 concussions, recent death of MIL.
The funny thing is, 2 years ago people were screaming that he was a prospect we could not possibly give up in a trade and now those same people are running him out of town on a rail.
Maybe he should be a lesson as to how prospects arent cant miss guys. I mean they are so precious because they will all definitely pan out some day right?
Pedro, Marte, some guy from the past named Hermanson, who else? A whole slew of pitchers.
But definitely keep counting down the days until 2017 or 2018. Im sure they will make all the difference.
Look I am not saying Price gets this team to the series. A lot more needs done than a top end starter. That a middle to back end arm a first baseman a third baseman.
No one thinks prospects all pan out. That’s why you need as many as possible. If you don’t keep them in a mkt like Pgh, then you have no hope for the future.
So jim s your argument is the bucs only chance of ever winning is a 100% home grown team and that trading a single a or double a guy sets a team so far back that they have no chance in the future? Im not advocating the shero move of doing it every year but taking a chance now with the system so deep seems like the best time to try it.
I actually thought Marte was getting hot when the bereavement came, followed by his nasty head beaning concussion. I think Starling is a very valuable piece going fwd. Boston would have preferred him to Cespedes, I think.
That would be an interesting trade off. Longer term to Martes deal but maybe not quite the difference maker Cespedes could be with the big bat. Hmmmm.
Let me just say that I think Marte is going to be a very good player in this League. But a true “can’t miss” prospect is a very rare find indeed. Most prospects don’t pan out as AJS said. Anyone remember Brad Eldred? That’s why there are times you just have to go for it!
I have to bite my tongue. Are we now seriously comparing Marte to Brad Eldred?????????? I need to go take a walk, and some deep breaths.
And I’d have busted the furniture if we traded Marte for 2 months of Jon Lester.
No one ever thought Brad Eldred was the prospect Marte was. Marte runs and fields, and he gets on base at a higher rate than Cespedes, who has more HR power. Marte is locked up reasonably for years. Cespedes is a free agent after next yr. Marte is far more valuable.
NO cmat, we’re NOT comparing Marte to Brad Eldred. We’re listing prospects that were busts like Chad Hermansen and Brad Eldred. Most prospects don’t pan out into great players…read the whole thing about “can’t miss” players.
I guess I am reacting to the prospect bashing that goes on way too much. Yes, prospects have a high attrition rate, which is WHY YOU NEED TO STOCK UP ON THEM not TRADE THEM ALL AWAY when you ARE NOT ONE PIECE AWAY FROM THE WORLD SERIES.
A’s this year, RIGHT MOVE. Bucs, NO WAY.
Jeff Locke since the All Star Break – 6.50 ERA
2013 post All Star Break – 6.12 ERA
Yeah – scary.
Think that Locke will headed to Indy when Cole is activated
Or to the bullpen? Would still rather have him than FriedFirehose!
He sure looked a lot like post AS Break 2013 Jeff Locke last night. Plenty of nibbling and not much attacking the zone going on, I thought.
If I can comment, shouldn’t I be able to read the rest of the story?
From iPAD where I have banned email.
Stuart
As noted in that post earlier today, they’re working on fixing exactly that, Stu. It’s something about a communication between the site and its new, upgraded host. It’ll be done. Thanks for your patience!
Thanks DK, I did read the column on my desktop and enjoyed it thoroughly!
Thanks for responding so quickly to the little (and infrequent) glitches along the way. I’ll be extending my subscription soon.
Stu
I’ll just say that I’m glad that Marte wasn’t traded. I have no problem trading the A-ball prospects because frankly they’re only highly rated because they haven’t shown warts yet. But not guys like Marte and Polanco. The fans are invested in them.
Finally subscribed. Hello all
Hi, Dan
Dan !
Judging by some of the response to the deadline, you’d never know the Bucs got a starting RF & a 1B in Aug last yr. Just me but I won’t let July 31 stop me from appreciating a 2nd place team & 4 straight yrs of being competitive at the deadline. When’s the last time that happened
Difference between this year and last…last year no one did anything at the deadline. Everyone waited. No big names. This year tons of movement.
Dont mean to change the subject, but hope Subban cleans up in arbitration. Habs are fine for this coming season but if they have to pay him 8M+ on LT deal they’ll be in quite the cap crunch w/Galchenynuk, gallagher n bournival being RFAs in ’15 and only 3 dmen signed.
But they’re golden compared to philly. Na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye.
Hahaha love the moniker, but there’s no muzzling the Monster Mash!
280 characters during the season just won’t cut it. I’m protesting in silence for now….well muzzled silence anyway
I didn’t think of George when I watched Bell last season. He definitely is a multi-purpose back, and I see why they wanted him instead of Lacy (though I personally hoped they would draft Lacy). LGB will be a hammer back for them.
Haven’t had the chance to say how much I enjoy this site. Great stuff Dejan.
Think maybe Tomlin is more comfortable with his group of assistants than some had thought? Who knows, but I’m a huge MT fan and hope the BnG flip the script and get this thing back on track.
Would “luv” to see #55 as LB coach on a Butler run defense when LeBeau hangs it up
So sad to see Dustin Johnson suspended by the PGA for 6 months after testing positive for cocaine. All the world’s talent, a successful season and engaged to Paulina Gretzky – and then this happens. Wow.
Maybe SHE is why he is using coke…just sayin’
I’ve heard of bad pairings on the golf course, this is a bad pairing off of it. He needs to get away from her before it’s too late.
I agree. Then i could properly counsel her
and/or console
The golf.com story also says Johnson was “known to have a sexual indiscretion with at least one wife of a PGA Tour player.”
At least one wife ? Oh my.
You’re a prince of a guy, Hm. Such concern for a sister in need!
Untamed Bill, i’m trying to re-brand my image much like the riverpuppies.
Did he get suspended or is he taking a leave of absence?
Last I read was leave of absence but that could have been a look take a leave or we will make you type thing.
It’s now a suspension.
He’s probably wishing he played for the Ravens instead right about now. That Commish goes a little lighter unless you say something really bad.
hard for me to be ‘sad’ for someone with tons of talent and making millions for playing golf and throws it down the toilet. I’ll save my sad minutes for someone worthy.
Fox now reporting that Dustin Johnson fooled around with at least 2 of his co-workers wives, 1 leading to divorce. Add home wrecker to the list.
Maybe he thinks he’s the ‘great one’ in the family. Haha…get it? Great one…ah…nevermind.
Dejan, listening on the X. very entertaining!
You’re talking about how sometimes you have to not worry about what the prospects will do in the other markets if you trade them. But you were also against trading Bell for Lester, right?
Is Bell just too good for that to apply to?
The only way Bell should have been off the table would be if they contemplated trading Marte or Polanco in the next year.
Bell will probably be a 1b in the majors if he stays with the Bucs. He has more potential than Allie.
Both are currently in AA. Probably 2 to 3 years away from Pittsburgh. Unless you think Bell is so good he goes right to Indy and comes up in June. That typically isnt how Neal operates. And if they think hes coming that fast he needs to start playing first tonight
I would think Bell could start next year at AAA, but most likely AA and then on to AAA in mid-season. That would have him up in June ’16. If he comes up in ’17, it’s because he’s not progressing well.
Well, by then, the David Price led Pirates could have won their second World Series.
Guess it is worth waiting for the Bell era…
EVEN if the Bucs had picked up Price yesterday, they are NOT the favorite to win the NL in 2014. That’s the Dodgers. Too many other holes, not holes per se, but undercontributing areas.
Now, Price in 2015 may be a different story. But off the ledge on the NH flushed the WS away
Has yet to pick up a glove at first – he would be a really nice RF option – but the shift to 1st will hurt his value.
Per Travis, PECOTA (FWIW) says the Tigers WS odds increased by 0.5% w the addition of Price. I think it obviously increased by more than that, but trades rarely improve a team as dramatically as some think. Not saying don’t trade, just saying it’s no slam dunk guarantee.
Great Hurdle quote.
Riverhounds should have rebranded when they opened their new stadium. Major missed opportunity. Theyre minor league but their logo doesn’t need to be. Step it up.
Mike Carp – DFA’d by BoSox. Would need to clear waivers for the Bucs to get him. Reds would probably be interested. Carp has had a bad year, with a slash line of .198/.320/.279. He was just one of the many lefty hitting 1b options NH was supposed to sign last winter.
SUCKS. Sometimes when the Bucs don’t play ‘fantasy baseball’ and pick up scrubs it is for good reason.
My point is he may be the first baseman of the future. But he may get 1 year with the current vets. Maybe 2. When those years come will the Bucs be prepared to add whatever it is they need at that point? Surely there will be a hole.
This should have been down below. My bad.
Anyone heard from Arriba, TC, 21, etc.?
Don’t think so. Miss them all.
Yeah, bummer! Maybe they’ll jump on board at some point soon.
Very much.
I’ve written AW a couple of times, no response. Yes, I miss them, too
Pitt suspends CB Titus Howard for the season to come. No info on why.
But he remains in the program
Failed Drug test.
Probably not the 1st failed drug test.
I just found this online. Maybe the Pirates really did try and get Price if this is true. http://www.raysindex.com/2014/08/rays-david-price-pirates.html
Dave Lolly is reporting Bell was in the Bucs offer for Price – wonder what else?
in reading sawchik, I THINK (but know nothing) that Bucs offer was Bell + either Glasnow or Kingham + something. And TB turned that down. But who knows. I do know that the Bucs wouldn’t have been in it at all if the offer wasn’t somewhat competitive.
If that was the offer, it proves Tampa wanted more current MLB guys than prospects. So, we didn’t match up. And, we know what Boston wanted. They didn’t match either.
JimS: Always like your offerings on here…. fair and balanced… if indeed Bucs offer was Bell/Glasnow+2other prospects (as Gammons reports), then TB may have fallen victim to the ‘major league’ ready face-saving that doomed the Bay deal for us. Smyly and Franklin are known…
..quantities but hard to see that is a better package than the Bucs offered. TB was in weird position to have to ‘salvage 2014′ with the fan base and current players but that may bite them in 2015 and beyond.
I think Tampa still feels next year is a “go for it” year, cmat. That’s what I heard as to why they would accept decent, cost controlled MLB guys vs. high end prospects. I’m glad they turned us down.
Since you asked… (just for you insiders):
Debating Price/Lester is silly. Only thing to gripe about is lack of bullpen addition. Team needs (and they know it) 1 very good arm and maybe another serviceable one. If The Bucs had picked up Miller or another RP yesterday, fine by me
..all this focus on the A’s and Tigers ignores the fact that the moves in the NL were much more muted. Dodgers did nothing. Giants got Peavy but ignored glaring holes. Braves got what the Bucs should have. Nats get Cabrera. Brewers Parra. Reds nada. Yes, Cards added but ??
…yes, I’m pissed that NH whiffed on bullpen additions, and the bench. But Sabean, who many revere as a GM in SF, also did mostly nothing. Is he a ‘joke’ of a GM? Dodgers made their top 3 prospects untouchable..is Colletti not a ‘real GM’?
Perspective needed.
I’m disappointed he did not upgrade the pen also. There’s still time, but he should have gotten at least 1 yesterday. That could have been done.
With you, Cmat. Good takes on all the other teams/GM’s you mention, too.
I actually take the opposite view that most are taking on NH’s lack of moves, yesterday. He showed a steely hand last year, keeping his finger on the trigger –but waiting to pull it until 8/31. I bet…
…he’s doing the same, this year. And if he pulls it off again, it will be for a vet with a high contract that will probably clear waivers, costing us less in in-house talent.
So, Gammons says the Bucs Price pkg included 4 prospects, including Bell + Glasnow. He says it was thought to be more than the Rays eventually accepted. That is more than I would have offered, and sort of proves NH didn’t shy away. But, why ruin a great narrative with facts.
Absolutely, Jim. But now watch those anonymous “thumbs down” start clinging to your post (and mine
).
I’m not sure I believe Gammons’ report. He is not as sharp as he used to be.
.
BMTIB can leak to Gammons that they offered anything they want now that trade has already been made
.
Wish Dejan was still an “insider”! I believe his reports. Travis obviously has no inside contact
love it, we are back to the conspiracy theory again.. that the Pirates rev up the PR machine to keep the masses uniformed and blindly going to the games to pad Nutting’s wallet and Coonelley’s ego. I am critical of Gammo’s weak sauce (30 teams in on AJB) but he has sources.
We can talk all year about this stuff, can’t we? But to me it’s not black and white as many portray. Meaning:
Popular “Truth”: Many say that teams should trade prospects because many don’t pan out.
Real “Truth”: Only way teams like Bucs compete is with young homegrown talent.
Popular: Trade prospects because they are a few years away from contributing in MLB..and they may not play with Martin, Cutch, etc.
Real: Perhaps these prospects are supposed to REPLACE Cutch and not play alongside him? Almost never hear that perspective.
Cmat they could be replacements but if that is the case then when does the cycle end. Will any team ever have a steady flow of prospects that actually pan out to the point they will not always be in the hunt but actually win it all? I feel like homegrown talent teams have to shoot for windows. This groups window could close without ever actually trying to put it over the top. THAT would be a shame.
It takes two teams to agree on a trade. I think Tampa made a mistake but they liked the 3 way trade better. Pirates need a top of the line starting pitcher to compete with all the playoff teams.
IMHO, Pirates are NOT a true WS contender this year. They CAN however compete AS IS for NL playoff spot and then who knows. But to think they are like the A’s and Tigers and ‘one piece away’ and ‘time to go for it’ is absurd. Masterson/Lackey, Parra, Cabrera, Russell, Peavy…
…do NOT shift the balance of power in the NL. Bucs only chance to stay in this is Liriano and Cole pitch like aces; Marte returns; JHay puts Pedro on bench; NH adds one or two arms (AAA or pickup) to bolster the pen. IF those things happen, they will be in it late.
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Maybe the people ABOVE Mr. Huntington should be prodding? It worked for Mr. Shero the Hossa deal. I appreciate the stocked farm system but as Apollo Creed once said “There is no tomorrow!” This team and its fans deserved a significant addition. Disappointing on several levels.
Last night’s game was such a going-through-the-motions effort that you have to think that the team felt letdown by no move at all. I was against trading Bell, so I can’t talk about how the front office failed to compete with the other GMs, but last night’s game had a weird feel.
Neal Huntingdon has already stated that it will be hard to resign Martin.
Wonder if he is preparing fans when he doesn’t re-sign?
DK, and others have brought up good points …… Martin HAS to be re-signed. They have all the extra TV money available, use it!
But, all is not lost ….. the ‘flooded’ minors, and T-Sizzle will save the day!
WOO!
Dejan Kovacevic, if the Pirates are not reluctant to spend, why not bring up Nick Kingham to be the go to guy in the 6th and 7th inning. He is pitching well and could be the shut down reliever that the Pirates need.
What? Go to a kid who has never played a single second anywhere near pro ball to be an important mid innings shut down arm? This is just trolling right?
Justin Brown is listed as 6’3 on the Steelers official site, FYI.
You know what pens fans will miss the most?
The days where Letang didnt have a no trade clause.
Friday insider, nice DK……. Martin is a must sign, no and’s ifs or buts about it!!
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