I mentioned yesterday that there was an issue looming larger than the trades and I’m getting hammered with everyone from national media to the local fans wanting to know what is up. Here’s what I’m comfortable talking about at this point in time..
The ‘looming’ issue is two-fold and has a financial side and a moral side (expected conduct), both within the Pirates organization. They are intertwined albeit they have separate faces. I can’t go into the financial side because I don’t have enough information at this time. After some interviews the first of the week, I’ll be able to discuss this part more intelligently. However the moral side I can discuss a bit.
First let me talk about the potential for Wilson and Sanchez to be dealt. Internally there is a lot of pressure on Neal Huntington and Frank Coonelly to approach Sanchez and Wilson to get them to renegotiate their contracts so they can remain in the organization through at least 2010. To the best of my knowledge, neither player has been approached yet but both of them have made it perfectly clear their openness and desire for such negotiations.
While I have advocated Wilson being dealt over the last few years, the fact Neal Huntington wasn’t able to secure a younger plus defender in any of his trades, nor is he going to be able to get one without giving up too much, leaves me with a different agenda – we simply can’t deal Wilson and Sanchez at this time for numerous reasons, the most obvious being we don’t have any internal replacements.
But it goes further than just not having replacements, and this is where the internal pressure is coming from. If Wilson and Sanchez are dealt and Cruz and Young type players take their place, the value of every single pitcher on our staff immediately falls because of poor middle infield defense. Remember now, this is a staff that has been begged by Kerrigan to pitch to contact in three or less pitches. And it’s not just the pitcher’s market value that diminishes, it’s their attitude, it’s the attitude of the remaining players that will crash too, along with the fans who won’t be buying tickets, corporate sponsors who will probably walk, agents who won’t recommend their players be a part of the organization, and so on, and so forth all the way down the chain to the local scouts.
In other words, losing Wilson and Sanchez during the year will do more short-term harm to this organization than any fan can possibly understand. And believe me, that’s very, very hard for me to write as bad as I’ve wanted to see Wilson run out of town.
As for the moral side of this story, there are those within the organization who bought into Huntington and Coonelly’s plan as outlined to them at the time they were brought in (for instance, players, development personnel, coaches, SA’s, scouts, etc) and if the Pirates continue down a road which is a marked departure from what they were told (ie: see Hinske), there are going to be more pissed off people leaving at the first chance they get. In some cases these are people we can’t afford to lose.
I propose that Neal Huntington and Frank Coonelly step back a minute, take their blinders off, and see if the needs of the organization can be met in a way that also meets the needs of the men who work within their ranks and the players under their charge. I’m betting a dime to a dollar that if Wilson and Sanchez were to be approached and offered reasonable modifcation proposals under the guise of an extension, they will accept the same and allow for a hometown discount to boot. Give them a full no-trade and tie their salary to performance so everyone wins.. whatever.
But do something except sit back thinking these are just two players getting dealt. It’s significantly deeper than that.
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Jake, I can’t believe you or anyone would want to “run Jack Wilson out of town”. This guy is the epitome of a professional baseball player. I’ve been watching Wilson since he was 22 years old and played his first major league game for the Bucs. He was all hustle and desire then even though it didn’t sit well with the Giles, Kendell, Christensen clique. He’s still giving his all despite losing season after losing season and about 3 “rebuildings”. If I had to pick one guy in the entire Pirate organization of players to build a team around, Wilson would be it.
BTW, I agree that Wilson and Sanchez would both take extentions at lower salaries because they like Pittsburgh and also having the chance to play with each other, which they have done since they were kids.
“If I had to pick one guy in the entire Pirate organization of players to build a team around, Wilson would be it.”
What is it that we have been trying to build around him since 02?
He’s a has been that Steeler fans like .send him packing for 2 Cases of Seattle ‘s best coffee.
Ill agree if Sanchez wants to take a discount. Id agree to that then ship his BFF off the next day.
We need to be in business mode not make everybody happy mode. It needs to get a lot darker before there is any chance. Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez are replaceable with immediate trades of multi player deals. With whats in AAA pitching wise. Sell off the pen(Capps.Grabow).Use Snell and Gorzo in there place and move on to sell Wilson and Sanchez for prospects. I know easier said then done but fire sales arent easy. Especially when word gets out.
Getting those replacements is necessary for the Buccos to succeed, if you keep both they need to negotiate in the future for 1/2 of what they make for them to being around past next year.
This one reads like it was written to NH and FC and not us.
No offense there neil, but since you think Jack Wilson plays for the Steelers, then I don’t think I’ll take you too seriously.
Shouldn’t we be rebuilding at all costs though? In terms of player personel that is.
Boy Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez helping out the Pirates tonight.
oldbuc im refering to his hard nose style. not that he plays for the Steelers. Ill try to remember to slow down for ya.
Another garbage loss for the Pirates time to break it up Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez need dealt , Matt Capps, and Adam human a/c Laroche. Doumit was flat out garbage tonight, so was Adam Human a/c LaRoche. We need to see about getting EY Jr in a Capps deal. Trade Adam K. for anything he’s been god awful in key situations – maybe get a young arm for Jack Wilson , and get some prospects for Freddy Sanchez.
Tony Sanchez thru 5 innings tonight- 3 for 3, 2 doubles (4,5), homer (1), 5 rbi (12), .448 current batting avg.
For once, I agree with Jake. I think trading these 2 right now is a major hit to the organization, especially from the fans. And let’s face it, the fans are what matters. The fans have suffered the losses of both Bay and McClouth in the last couple seasons, now trading Wilson and Sanchez would just put the nail in the coffin for a lot of the fans. I know that the people who follow the ins and outs a lot more than the 13 year olds that love McClouth, Wilson, and Sanchez feel differently, but how much can you slap your fanbase before enough is enough? I think it’s time for Coonely and Huntington to just take a breath, let this season play out, trade Adam LaRoche at the earliest possible moment (does anybody care if he leaves?), and make no more major deals until the off season when people aren’t paying attention.
If it was me, I would go back to the table with Colorado and see what their interest is in Grabow and/or Capps. But it would take EY Jr. and/or Morales. Grabow will be a Type A free agent after this year so the return must be large or we keep him when he accepts arbitration or we take the 2 comp. picks If I could get either of those 1 or 2 players for Grabow and/or Capps then I would consider moving Sanchez and Wilson. I would look to Tampa or Minnesota or Seattle. What about Sanchez and Grabow or Capps to the Rays for Breignac, Wade Davis, and Jeremy Hellickson?? Is it too late to try and trade off LaRoche to the Giants for J. Sanchez?? I know he almost thru the perfecto last nite (Uribe must feel terrible after booting that grounder although it did take a bad bounce) but it’s only 1 game. And what about the possibility of moving Duke?? Perhaps to the Phillies or Rangers??? I’m quite certain they could get 2 high end prospects for Zach Duke. The guy is 8-8 with a 3.29 ERA but man has he pitched well this year. I mean in 7 of those 8 losses the team has only scored 7 runs combined. He deserves better. It’s time to sell high on him and bring Gorzy back up to take his rotation spot. With all the moves, my opening day line-up would be:
McCutcheon CF
Milledge LF
Jones 1B
Doumit C
An LaRoche 3B
Moss RF
D. Young or Young Jr. 2B
Brignac, Vasquez SS
Starting Pitcher
5 man rotation for the rest of the year would be:
Maholm
Gorzellany or Snell
Morton
Ohlendorf
Wade Davis, Lincoln (September call-up maybe??)
Bullpen would be:
Chavez
Karstens
Meek
J. Sanchez (next year we could try him in the rotation. he’d be a nice left handed option for long relief or left handed situational lefty while Kerrigan works with him)
Hanrahan (closer for the time being)
and 1 of Dubee, Hansen (when healthy), Jeff Sues
I know this team would make a lot of mistakes and would struggle but the significant addition of W. Davis, EY Jr., Brignac and other prospects to the minor leagues plus the stock pile of young talent we have acquired over the past 2 years we’d be definitely headed in the right direction.
Man was that well said. The ONLY problem with Huntington/Coonely is that they are too wedded to their “models” and “matrixes” and can’t see some of the intangibles. Trading Nyjer is Exhibit A. Losing either Jack or Freddy would be devastating (defensively-Jack, both-Freddy) – and not just for this year. I would rather see them deal Duke and Maholm than Jack and Freddy, for sure.