DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
Morning, Lunatics …
• The Wednesday column is about the Pirates’ great, glaringly unaddressed shortcoming.
• The Penguins finally signed Brandon Sutter, and it’s telling that it’s only two years. Jim Rutherford wanted more, and so did Sutter, but a $3.3 million average annual value works out just fine for both. The catch is that the team is left with only $900,000 of cap space.
I’m not going to pound this too much, I promise, but I keep trying to picture a way this works without a Paul Martin trade and keep coming up empty.
• In infinitely more seismic Penguins news, this happened.
First time I saw that, I was sure it was Robert Bortuzzo.
• The Steelers had Tuesday off but are back on the fields at Saint Vincent this afternoon. They’ll practice today and tomorrow in advance of the preseason opener Saturday in East Rutherford.
• Heading back out to Latrobe this morning, then back to 105.9 the X to host the 3-6 p.m. slot again in place of Mark Madden, then back over to PNC Park by nightfall.
• Thanks, as always, for reading. And for your support of the site.
I gotta haircut too, but it’s created far lesser buzz. Why is that?
Once Bucs get Cutch back, Cole back, Walker healthier, and Pedro less neurotic — I think they can may a strong push to the finish line.
But DK is right, they need a couple of new arms in the pen.
Morning, all. Bright sides: Sutter is back… The pen can’t pitch worse (hope so)… 1st preseason Steeler game is coming…Letang’s haircut has preserved Jandy’s drool…add your own bright sides here on a morning we can use some…
LOL!
And…I get to hit a white ball a lot today! See yinz tonight.
JAL’s Burning Airlines Give You So Much More Morning Links
1 Miami Herald
Miami Marlins play small-ball to take opener against Pittsburgh Pirates
http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/08/05/4274159/miami-marlins-play-small-ball.html
2 Fangraphs
The August Waiver Trading Period
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-august-waiver-trading-period/
3—Pirates Prospects
First Pitch: Why the Diamondbacks Are Pretty Much the Worst
http://www.piratesprospects.com/2014/08/first-pitch-why-the-diamondbacks-are-pretty-much-the-worst.html
Maybe the new haircut helps Kris see the shooting lanes and find the net.
Hi All.
Checking in from Sandbridge Beach. Lovely day here.
Hoping the pen gets its act together – need some additional help there for sure. Thinking about last year and that Cards series that was think same week. All the pieces came together for sure.
Randy in RVA
I think it is fair to blame NH for the loss last night since he was unwilling to obtain a relief pitcher before the trade deadline. If we miss the playoffs by a game we’ll know who to blame.
Goodness…
Exactly. My goodness did I ever make such a good point there.
Too much to ask major league pitchers to throw the ball over the freaking plate?
No but I don’t think Wilson is having his best year. If we would have obtained a solid relief pitcher at the deadline, then that individual would have been in instead of Wilson. I presume NH wants to wait till the end of the month when the price tag will go down but we’re in the playoff race now and cannot afford to wait.
I’m all for blaming management for macro-level problems, but this specific game was lost because the 3rd basemen booted a double play ball and the next reliever couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat.
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Huntington can’t play the game for these guys.
But my point is that particular relief pitcher shouldn’t be in with a one run lead. We should have obtained had a relief pitcher who’s having a career year and not use one who is having a down year.
Goodness…
Dom,
By that logic…if Huntington had traded for a reliever, and THAT reliever blew the lead, then Huntington would also have lost the game.
If that happened, at least NH would have done his job as a GM. He’s responsible for obtaining talent when we’re in contention.
I sat there in section 212 last night almost in disbelief. I kept muttering to my wife that this was the kind of inning that knocks teams out of pennant races. Meanwhile the scoreboard kept changing to the bad news from elsewhere. Morton struggled but deserved better, a slogan .
I can’t see the Penguins trading Martin before the trading deadline. Letang, Martin, Ehrhoff, and (once healthy) Maata is a solid top 4 defense. Throw out Martin, and the Penguins are going to be forced to play 2 younger guys top 4 minutes, or Scuderi/Bortuzzo there..cont.
(Continued) that’s a big risk to start the season. The Penguins would be better biting the bullet and buying out Scuderi, which would give them about 4.75M to add a 4th line F from minors (Payerl), play Despres in top 4 D until Maata returns, and Dumoulin/Harrington.. cont.
in the bottom pair with Bortuzzo and the other as 7th D. That still leaves them a good 2.7M in cap space for this year, with Maata on LTIR.
That’s all well and good, except the buyout window closed on June 30. Unless you’ve got a time machine handy, that’s a moot point now. Like him or not, we’ve got Scuds, so I say let’s see what he can do under a new system, and go from there.
Scuderi wasn’t eligible for an amnesty buyout because he was signed after the new CBA was agreed to.
Right, Milo, but what I think Derek was going for was the standard buyout, which cuts down and spreads out the cap hit over a longer time. The old Darcy Tucker buyout. Even then, though, the window closed June 30.
Scuderi wasn’t amnesty eligible, but was ordinary buyout eligible. This is another area where CBA is gray. There is a period after arbitration where an ordinary buyout can occur, but if there is a club elected arb hearing, it can’t. CBA is not specific if there is no club arb.
Thirty-five years ago today was Thurmon Munson’s funeral. The Yankees famously played a game just hours later. I certainly don’t compare it to the magnitude of the Kennedy assassination, but those events were seared into my then young memory.
Like I wasn’t depressed enough already.
*Thurman
Matt Kemp, Josh Becket, Carl Crawford, and Andre Ethier all cleared waivers. Hanley Ramirez was claimed.
Pirates should waive Pedro to see what they can get in return.
Everyone gets waived.
If a player gets claimed the team pull him off waivers, try to make trade, or just the team that claimed him have him.
The team who claimed Ramirez was never made public. Maybe it’s us and we’re in the process of making a deal. Doubtful but still possible.
DK,
Maybe you can find out what’s up with Steve McClendon. Hasn’t practiced in 3 days & says he isn’t hurt.
Steelers Depot is stating some are claiming he has an illness.
I sure hope McCullers is obtaining a lot of time in at NT. I really hope he makes the team.
Thanks Dom. Maybe Ron Cook knows for sure. OK, I’ll stop.
Was just taking a look at the baseball standings and well, just some useless info, but still interesting: We could have an all Calif. WS…Dodgers, Giants, Halos and A’s. We could have the Orioles and Nationals….
….Then, how would you like to be a baseball fan in the State of Texas…where the Rangers and Astros are both really bad teams. As frustrated and mad as we all are about the Bucs right now…this is two years in a row the Pirates are technically in a pennant race.
technically the Pirates have been in a pennant race in August the past FOUR seasons with the 2010 being just outside that in my opinion.
Scuderi is a huge problem. He’s signed for too much money for too long. He will be even worse this year under Johnston’s system which is based off not treating the puck like a grenade. But we’re stuck with him unless we pay someone to take him..like Scuderi and a 4th for a 7th
Even though PM and Tang will be a solid pairing….You just can’t let prime assets walk for nothing and he will command in the $7M range in the open market. There just so happens to be a glaring hole in the top 6…so trade Martin for a top 6 wing asap b4 Martin gets hurt
Sutter is a very average hockey player. Dont fall in love with the short sample size of a few playoff games last year. poor linemates, yes, but good players can elevate their linemates. Hes a passenger and hes soft. Just glad its a short deal that is tradeable
Just wanted to add that I think Tony LaRussa is a douchewaffle.
Never really liked him as a manager, like him less after his comments today.
Tony and the Pirates have quite the history Plan. I am not a big fan of his either. When the Pirates were so bad a few years back….that was the entertainment to watch LaRussa and McClendon go at each other. Those could not stand each other.
LaRussa has always been great for explaining how the game is supposed to point out the shortcoming of “lesser teams” in his post game press conferences. I think he’s a smug jerk. But, a jerk who was a great manager.
Sorry … gobbled a few words. Meant to say – explaining how the game is supposed to be played to point out the shortcomings of “lesser” teams.
Last thoughts ..Rutherford has done a great job of given the hand he was dealt. He has options moving forward to further tweak the roster. I give him a solid B+ for the offseason.
Long time reader, never a comment-er, but just wanted to say keep up the great work DK!
Thanks!
Come join the family Refarls!
Last night was one of my biggest gripes with CH. Why pull Hughes in that spot? I know you have a lefty in Jones on desk but then they just counter with a RH bat. All that said Wilson has to throw strikes. If you get hit at least you didn’t give it away.
Indefensible decision by Hurdle, especially considering Marcell Ozuna is a +.800 OPS hitter vs LHP. Jared Hughes was doing exactly what Jared Hughes gets paid to do: generate ground balls.
And as I said in the last thread, thank goodness Hurdle saved Melancon for the 9th…Gomez was clearly the better option to get the team out of a bases loaded jam.
I respectfully submit to Clint that he should never bring a guy with spotty control into a game with 2 guys on base already. Hughes was doing just fine, other than the fact that they hand Stanton a base every time up.
Clint is being forced to try to win ballgames with THREE, that is 3, useful relief pitchers, out of 7. We are griping about the wrong thing.
Well, it seems completely reasonable to gripe when he removes one of those three in favor of one of the other four, no?
Steve McLendon has a concussion. Mystery solv-ed.
Handful of players worthy of minimum/2-way/tryout contracts in order of personal preference: Ryan Jones, Colin Fraser, Yip, Setoguchi, Powe, Loktionov, and for veteran depth on D Mark Fraser.
If you were to pick one ?
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I’d say Setoguchi but I’m afraid I smell Chuck Kobasew 2.0. Once guys like that stop scoring goals It seems like they never get it back.
Ryan Jones is my pick. What do you say we start a campaign.
Setoguchi has scored more than Chuck in the past and may have a Jussi type resurgence in right situation. As of now hard to see spot for him unless BB is out again. If had to pick 1 think would go with Ryan Jones. Held up well on bad team with poor ZS, has good PDO and O upside.
Great minds n all
Would Loktionov mesh well with Geno, do ya think?
Egh, maybe in regular season for stretches but wouldn’t count on it. Kinda like saying Matt Hague is answer at 1B.
I’ve never seen him play so…you ‘ve answered my question…thanks
Anytime mama theresa.
Free Matt Hague and muzzle the monster.
Spunkster, that last is impossible
Already muzzled Luckster.
Yeah, and I’m Mother Theresa
Is Wilson hurt? I read a report that he’s been pitching through/with elbow pain. That’d go a long way in explaining his performance lately.
He needs to be on the CL then not pitching in a game we should have in hand. JMHO.
Biggest myth of the Huntington era? That he’s been successful assembling quality bullpens.
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Just twice in seven years has the Pirates bullpen finished above the bottom five teams in WAR, FIP, and ERA.
Upvote and amen and +.
Lineup is out. No Walker. Still no DL. Three man bench. Federal Street is in denial.
Seems to me they’ve decided to punt on this season even though we’re only 2.5 games back. Double-secret punting, though. Why else would they not DL Cutch and Walker and get some fresh bodies at least. And I don’t mean Martinez, Morel and Nix.
I’ll bite. Would we really rather have, say, tabata or Lambo for tonight’s game vs. possibly giving Cutch the window to come back sooner than 15 days from his injury? And I assume we aren’t advocating Walker be DL’d either. I, for one, am supportive of giving it another day .
You really think Cutch will be back in less than 15 days and that bodes well for him?
And do you really think PRNW can keep on playing half a game every few days and help himself or the team?
The situation with Cole seems the opposite. Trying too hard to push him back.
Get out the pitchforks! Heat up the tar and pack up the feathers! Mob scene!!!
I’ve had my tar goin all day, here, J-girl. Has a nice putrid smell to it, kind of like something else we know.
Good job, Spunkster, so when the call comes, you’re ready!
Exactly.
Fire Neal. Fire Stark. Cut Frieri, Gomez, Stolmy and CL Wilson!
Clean house!
The Pirates seem to be acting like there is a user fee for putting guys on the DL.
Jeff Locke post All Star Game ERA:
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2013 – 6.12
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2014 – 6.50
Ouch
2 out of 3 starts against the best hitting team in the league, but yeah, this will clearly be a story to watch.
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Just like the Pirates had to prove they wouldn’t collapse down the stretch, so does Jeff.
The original Pirates lineup card had Jeff Locke in right field. Obviously in there for his bat.
I think it’s time we move Cole to 1B or 3B.
Wait a sec…who dare downvote my brilliant suggestion?
Is Andrew getting drilled in the back going to be remembered as the pivotal moment in the 2014 campaign, not unlike one Jerry Meals ? Or, will it be NH fiddling while PNC burns ?
Josh Harrison hitting a 5-run homerun to clinch the Division will be the definining moment of 2014.
have we already given up on Polanco being the savior? that was quick.
Gerrit Cole will make his next scheduled rehab start. Completely delusional.
Did you hear some of his post game comments? The guy is messed up physically
Which is concerning because he’s young and needs to be 100%. Like Milo said before, if he’s done for the season, let it be sooner rather than later and get him back strong and healthy next season and beyond.