“It comes back to most of our guys are younger and, statistically, it is rational to expect them to be better. They should be getting better. We have a number of players — and they’d be the first to admit this — who underperformed.” — Neal Huntington, January 25, 2008
I argued here a few days ago that the roster didn’t “underperform” except for players who were walking wounded last year – Duffy, Bay, Maholm, Duke, and Grabow. Nearly everyone else had a career year as defined by OPS+ or ERA+.
Then some of the readers turned on me saying Huntington said they “underachieved” and that didn’t mean they “underperformed.” I argued otherwise, they didn’t listen to reason, and now Huntington has filled in the blanks for them.
Earlier in the month I showed that, if every player on the roster produced 10% above their career best, the club will still lose 87 games next year and MIGHT possibly reach the 724 runs scored they “overachieved” on last year.
That hasn’t changed.
This is a 90 loss team. End of story.
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“I think that, for a championship-quality team, you need to make more moves. And I’m not talking about the .500 team we can be. I don’t think anyone in this room is going to tell you we’re a championship-quality team. There still needs to be more moves. And you know what? I’m not trying to tell people anything they don’t already know.” — Jason Bay, January 25, 2008
Obviously the man is disappointed. I suppose you can sit and wonder what he is disappointed about because he knew the club couldn’t possibly acquire enough talent to dent the contending teams this year. So, is it because he’s still a Pirate? Or, is it because he’s fed up with ownership?
Flip-a-coin. Heck, flip three or four coins.. add your own theories.. who knows. Who cares?
Instead of talking about the lack of moves, it would have been nice if Dejan asked him point blank how his dang knees are, how his shoulder is, or if he’s been working out for the team or their physicians to evaluate him. I mean, geezz.. the guy was pretty rank last year.
Give the guy a Brian Giles button.. or a Kris Benson button.. or a Jason Kendall button. They all spoke up against the org and were moved.
C-ya J-Bay.
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Freddy Sanchez has been offered a multi-year deal, so says pirateball.com.
My book has Freddy as a tick below average defender at second (where I assume he’ll be rated at for his extension), an average to above average hitter, and will be 30 this year so add a small tick of regression. That makes him about a 1.5 to 2.0 wins above replacement player for the Bucs.
Now the question is, how long will they try to wrap him up?
Let’s assume both arb years. If I take the median road that puts Sanchez at $12M (2/12) and the high road about 2/14. But the Bucs have absolutely no incentive to do a two-year deal because they can’t lose anything forcing Sanchez to an arb hearing each year and then taking a comp draft pick in 2010 when he leaves.
Also, the Pirates would be nuts to offer him a two-year because if they try to deal him – as they should be trying to do – they will lose trade value every day he remains a Pirate because it’s improbable to expect him to do any better than he has last two.
The Pirates probably want four years at a hometown price. In that case, Sanchez would almost certainly reject a four-year deal because he’ll be on a declining cycle entering 2012 at age 34. He doesn’t want that. On the flip-side of the coin, the Pirates would be signing him at near high value right now so they are going to pay through the nose if they get 4 years.
So look for the two sides to either settle on a three-year or a deal doesn’t get done because the Pirates couldn’t get a large enough discount.
Three years at $18M – $20M would be my guess.
And then dealt.
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“According to a report Friday in the Rocky Mountain News, the Mets are “close” to a deal for free-agent starter Livan Hernandez, who could provide a boost for their rotation.”
Let the starting pitcher posturing begin!
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I heard the rumblings about no tickets for spring training games and made a few inquiries. It seems a few ticket companies were very aggressive this year and that has left many of the games sold out.
Tickets to the first mosquito bowl game, March 19th under the lights against the Yankees, are already pouring online at up to $200 per ticket, which is insane. You couldn’t pay me $200 to sit under the lights in Bradenton and get bit up by Off resistant insects, some the size of a golf ball. But there is one good thing to note.. it’s been pretty dry this year so you may not see a lot of blood feeders in March.
But, oh my gosh.. can you even imagine the flying Palmetto bugs the size of a half-dollar freaking out from all the new light invading their space and creaming the fans in the stands? Or the bats? Or the fruit rats climbing on the wires and trees? Someone needs to be filming the stands for America’s Funniest Home Videos.
Wow.
As a native Floridian I can tell you, whoever dreamed about playing under the lights in Bradenton needs their head examined.
PS.. don’t forget to bring a gas mask. Most of the towns fog at dusk with chemicals that make your eyes water.
For days.
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