Around Baseball 2018

[Ray]

I feel like we could've done better than Solarte for Edward Olivares in hindsight. Probably could've been the main piece in a McCutchen trade.

[Dick_Pole]

Alright, bring back AA. The fact that the Jays are one of 27 teams that were unable to capitalize on the Pirates just goes to show you that this FO is way too methodical and does not hustle nearly as much.

[Brownie19]

WTF is happening?

[Jonn]

Well if the Pirates couldn't get premium prospects for 2 years of Gerrit Cole. They weren't going to get much of anything for Andrew McCutchen. Those are just embarrassing returns.

 

And it massively effects the trade market when teams aren't cashing in on premium players.

[P2F]

WTF is happening?

 

Baseball is very quickly becoming a young player's game. Teams are a lot less willing to include their top prospects in trade than they ever were.

 

Edit: Well, that and front offices are more adept at evaluating prospect trade value than they were previously.

[Spanky__99]

I don't think Reynolds is a bad piece for what could be only a year of Cutch (who did just rebound from a crap season). Reynolds was one of the top college bats in last years class and looks like a pretty well rounded hitter so far. Probably starts in AA for the Bucs and might only be a year away. Likely a top 100 prospect after spring graduations, or at least by mid season if he continues to hit. If Crick turns out to be a good reliever that's a nice bonus.

 

I just don't think anyone would be lining up to hand over high end pieces for Cutch right now, especially with the FA market still sitting at a standstill. I get that it seems light for a big name OF though.

 

Yeah, well I'm generally talking about the Org as a whole, not just this transaction.

[TheHurl]

When did the Pirates go derpy?

 

Pittsburgh and SF just swapped spots as Depth Charts projected wildcard (SF jumps the Mets into the 1st WC, while Pittsburgh was the 2nd WC previously).

[Ehjays]

They are now reporting that Pittsburgh will send some cash as well

 

LOL

 

5:15pm: MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweets that the Pirates actually will pay “a portion” of McCutchen’s salary.

[TheHurl]

Well if the Pirates couldn't get premium prospects for 2 years of Gerrit Cole.

 

I just don't get this narrative. They got back a pitcher who has 4 years of control and is projected better than Cole this year (2.7 to 2.6 by Steamer) plus they got a contact guy that completely changed his swing to almost double his flyballs last year, and a solid reliever. I think the Cole deal is a huge win for Pittsburgh...so much so that I think the Cutch deal is so much worse.

[Abomination]

I just don't get this narrative. They got back a pitcher who has 4 years of control and is projected better than Cole this year (2.7 to 2.6 by Steamer) plus they got a contact guy that completely changed his swing to almost double his flyballs last year, and a solid reliever. I think the Cole deal is a huge win for Pittsburgh...so much so that I think the Cutch deal is so much worse.

 

They may also have gotten two relievers and filler for the minors. If they were being offered a Clint Frazier type, etc, they probably should have gone with quality over quantity. I'm glad they didn't, but still.

[Ehjays]

I agree, the Cutch deal is very bad....and now with hearing they sending money with him just makes it worse.

[Krylian]

Baseball is very quickly becoming a young player's game. Teams are a lot less willing to include their top prospects in trade than they ever were.

 

Edit: Well, that and front offices are more adept at evaluating prospect trade value than they were previously.

 

It's too bad the Jays couldn't figure this out the way the Cubs and Astros did. Build a strong young core first, then add veteran pieces later. This really isn't a new recipe.

[TheHurl]

They may also have gotten two relievers and filler for the minors. If they were being offered a Clint Frazier type, etc, they probably should have gone with quality over quantity. I'm glad they didn't, but still.

 

He's not sexy and his numbers looked different as a starter last year. But he's a big boy that should hold up as a starter. In struggling as a starter last year his numbers were still okay. Live by the projections...die by the projections. I'm okay with them making this deal. Moran is this year's second half Polanco...only doing it for a full year.

[burlingtonbandit]

Baseball is very quickly becoming a young player's game. Teams are a lot less willing to include their top prospects in trade than they ever were.

 

Edit: Well, that and front offices are more adept at evaluating prospect trade value than they were previously.

 

Might be swinging a little too much to the other side. I think there's value to bringing in a big name in a trade like a Cutch more than just the projections. He's going to create hype and sell a few more tickets which is additional revenue.

[L54]

SF is such a gross organization and Cutch is one of my favorites. Pretty disappointing.

[Captain Adama]

SF is such a gross organization and Cutch is one of my favorites. Pretty disappointing.

 

What's wrong with them?

[burlingtonbandit]

SF is such a gross organization and Cutch is one of my favorites. Pretty disappointing.

 

SanFran is one of the most storied franchises in baseball. Its not like they're the Marlins or Mets.

[KingKat]

In news that's hardly surprising, Josh Harrison wants out from the good ship Buccaneer.

 

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/pirates-josh-harrison-says-perhaps-it-would-be-better-if-he-was-traded-as-well/

 

Within the last few days, the Pittsburgh Pirates have traded away staff ace Gerrit Coleand franchise player Andrew McCutchen. Neither trade was a surprise -- both players had involved in trade rumors for weeks -- but they were still tough to swallow for Pirates fans.

The trades were also tough on Pirates players. Josh Harrison, now the team's longest tenured player, has been involved in plenty of trade rumors himself this offseason, and he's not too happy Cole and McCutchen have been traded away. In a statement released to The Athletic, Harrison suggested it would be best if he were traded too. From The Athletic:

"Over the last week, many have asked me how I felt about first the trade of Gerrit and now, the trade of Andrew. My focus has been on my family, my training and my camp with my brother Vince on Martin Luther King Day. It is now time to respond," Harrison said.

"Baseball is a business and I understand that trades are part of the business. While I love this game, the reality is that I just lost two of my closest friends in the game. Cole and Cutch were not just friends, they were the best pitcher and best position player on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now, I am the most tenured member of the Pirates, I want to win, I want to contend, I want to win championships in 2018, 2019 and beyond.

"My passion for Pittsburgh, what it has MEANTto me, what it MEANS to me, can never be questioned. I love this city, I love the fans, I love my teammates. Saying that, the GM is on record as saying, 'When we get back to postseason-caliber baseball, we would love our fans to come back out.' If indeed the team does not expect to contend this year or next, perhaps it would be better for all involved, that I also am traded. I want what is best for the organization that gave me a chance to be a Big Leaguer."

Harrison isn't the only player this offseason to suggest it would be best if he were traded. Both Christian Yelich and J.T. Realmuto of the Miami Marlins made similar statements a few weeks ago, after Giancarlo Stanton, Dee Gordon, and Marcell Ozuna were traded in salary dump moves.

Like Yelich and Realmuto, Harrison has no official recourse. He can request a trade -- Harrison didn't really request a trade in his statement anyway, he only suggest it might be best for all involved -- but the Pirates are under no obligation to request it. That said, his name has been mentioned in trade rumors all winter. It could be that he is next to go anyway.

The 30-year-old Harrison hit .272/.339/.432 with 16 home runs last season while playing standout defense at second base, plus he's signed affordably through 2020, meaning his trade value is significant. Then again, you could have said the same about Cole, and the Pirates received a package that has generally been regarded as quantity over quality in that trade.

[DigitalRock]

SF is such a gross organization and Cutch is one of my favorites. Pretty disappointing.

 

What an odd thing to say.

[BTS]

I feel the same as L54. The Giants are an old team of vanilla players that won’t likely be good for a long time and aren’t fun to watch. I love Longo and was pissed when he got traded there.

[Jonn]

I feel the same as L54. The Giants are an old team of vanilla players that won’t likely be good for a long time and aren’t fun to watch. I love Longo and was pissed when he got traded there.

 

Well now with both Cutch and Longoria they will be actually fun to watch now?

[CrackerJack]

I enjoy watching Giants home games late at night on MLBTV in AT&T Park and with perhaps the best commentators in the game.

[z3r0s]

With Posey, Longo, and Cutch in the fold, the Giants will sure be great 5 years ago!

[Boxcar]

I feel the same as L54. The Giants are an old team of vanilla players that won’t likely be good for a long time and aren’t fun to watch. I love Longo and was pissed when he got traded there.

 

Not to mention that their best player is an obnoxious "old school" douchebag who people think is a good hitter because he hits a homer here and there.

[DigitalRock]

Not to mention that their best player is an obnoxious "old school" douchebag who people think is a good hitter because he hits a homer here and there.

 

You do make a good point here. Nothing makes me cringe more than "Play the game the right way" garbage.

[Boxcar]

Didn't see this posted but l-o-l:

 

Someone should tell Castro that he's the exact type of s***** stopgap that rebuilding teams regularly employ. That self awareness is off the charts!

[Boxcar]

You do make a good point here. Nothing makes me cringe more than "Play the game the right way" garbage.

 

Yeah, but Bumgarner is even worse than that because he gets pissed at bat flips/HR admiring when guys hit one off him, but when HE hits one, oh, then it's all ok.

 

f***ing douche. He must be in my top 5 biggest douchebags in baseball and I hate how much people idolize him.

[Orgfiller]

Not to mention that their best player is an obnoxious "old school" douchebag who people think is a good hitter because he hits a homer here and there.

 

I was so confused reading this because I couldn't fathom why you would have such hatred for Buster Posey, who is undoubtedly the Giants' best player. Yeah MadBum is a dick.

[BTS]

Is it just me or are more and more players making it known that they want to be traded because their team sucks? When you signed a long term contract, you gave up the freedom to make that choice. Seeing the Starlin Castros and Josh Harrisons of the world act like they're above toiling away on a non-playoff team is annoying.

[Dr. Dinger]

Christian Yelich's agent told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com on Tuesday that his client's relationship with the Marlins is "irretrievably broken."

 

Yelich expressed surprise and disappointment last month when the Marlins moved Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna, and now his trade request has become more of a trade demand. "The relationship between player and team is irretrievably broken," the agent, Joe Longo, said Tuesday. "It's soured. He's part of the old ownership regime. The new ownership regime needs to get new parts into this plan and move forward, and he needs to get on with his career where he's got a chance to win. The big issue is him winning and winning now." Yelich, 26, has drawn interest from the Nationals, Blue Jays, Giants, Phillies, Braves, and Rangers, but Miami's asking price is said to be sky high.