Get Serious Pirates! …but Not That Way

10-30-24 – By Gary Morgan – @garymo2007 on Twitter

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how and where this team can really improve.

Obviously right? I mean, who in the world is thinking about the Pirates this time of year and not thinking about this subject ya know?

Like anyone on social media, I’ve been tossing out ideas like little trial balloons. Simple things like, hey, lets trade for a first baseman. Clear hole, clear need for upgrade, nothing tried and tested waiting to fill the spot, so of course everyone agrees. Well, not so fast.

See, this was met with more than a few “whatabouts”. What about Endy? What about Henry? What about Triolo? You name the rumor or supposed player with positional flexibility and I’ve heard it.

My question is, if you want the team to get better, or more accurately, appear as though they’ve tried to get better because they could pick any of those players I mentioned, be right, and have real improvement, you kinda have to change the way you’ve been thinking about this team.

See, if this were 2021, I’m right there with you, let the kids start, lets see what we have here. As we sit on the cusp of 2025, I have to change the way I look at it. I have to understand that a team claiming to be putting a playoff team on the field on Opening Day likely doesn’t have all their eggs in the basket of “one of these kids will pan out”.

Even Catcher, you hear about Joey Bart as some locked in starter of the future after his nice season, completely ignoring his previous 3. Because he’s such a “lock”, you often hear people wanting to trade off Henry Davis or Endy Rodriguez, or move them to another position, but again, where are you moving them that wouldn’t prevent you from upgrading?

This is a hard conversation to have, but this offseason, at least in my mind, we’re going to have to go from whining that prospects are being manipulated, and start seeing it as they’ll get their shot if and when the qualified player we brought in fails, or gets hurt, or even better they blow the doors off everyone in the front office and force it.

In that case, the team is going to have to think differently too. They’re going to have to stop sweating the possibility of benching someone who they’re paying good money to should the situation arise, but not bringing in that player they’re paying well in the first place, good luck convincing fans you care, or tried or whatever you want to say.

So tell you what, let’s look at this in a new way. Let’s come up with a list of “rules” for this offseason which if followed will allow this team to straddle the line and give themselves the ability to adjust as the season plays out.

Rule 1: Build Depth From the Top

This sounds simple, but it’s not, at least not here. The Pirates often sign people for depth, like Domingo German, or Chase DeJong, and that serves a purpose, every team in the league signs guys like that, I mean, the Dodgers are absolutely riding Brent Honeywell in the playoffs, and the Pirates DFA’d him. They need to sign depth that pushes down the talent they already have.

Teams like the Pirates don’t do this for obvious reasons, it costs money and ultimately creates dead money, the dirtiest word in the low spending half of baseball. When you get here though, you have to do it.

You need to look at a position like Right Field, see your options, ignore the hopeful projections you see and go get yourselves a legitimate starting option. It might feel like you’re giving up on Jack Suwinski or Bryan De La Cruz, but that doesn’t matter, what matters is that you have tried to fortify a position of pain and now instead of bringing in like a Ben Gamel on an MiLB deal as “depth”, you force Jack and BDLC into a depth role, perhaps even AAA.

You have to be ok with it. You have to be fine with putting MLB players in the minors if they have options and you signed someone better.

Rule 2: Don’t Assume Everyone Will Improve

It’s hard not to, but assuming everyone will improve creates the 2024 Cincinnati Reds.

Paul Skenes might be a rare exception to this thinking, but you’re a fool if you head into the season assuming Jared Jones, Johan Oviedo, Bailey Falter, or Luis Ortiz are destined to continue their upward trajectory.

They all might. That’s far different than banking on it. As much as we talk about the depth of this starting rotation, we should also remember how quickly that can all change through either performance or injury.

I’m not saying they have to go sign another starting pitcher, but if they’re going to, see rule 1, you need to go get a pitcher who you know is going to fit into the middle of this rotation, not someone who you might have to call on if all the poop hits the fan.

Rule 3: Admit Mistakes and Mitigate Them

There’s a fine line sometimes between patience and stupidity. I’d say the Pirates just barely walked that line with Rowdy Tellez.

They failed miserably though with Michael A. Taylor. Feel me?

Lets say the Pirates decide, OK, Bryan De La Cruz had a terrible time after we acquired him, but we believe in him and we’re going to go ahead and tender him an offer for Arbitration. Chill, it’s an example story, not advice…

Don’t let this decision kill the team. Eat the money should he look just as bad and deal with it.

It’s even more real when you actually sign one. Like, let’s say the Pirates decide while long in the tooth they could really use the veteran leadership and bat they hope is still there with Paul Goldschmidt. And come June, you’re paying a 38 year old 10 million dollars to hit .240 with 2 dingers and a .604 OPS, with Endy Rodriguez popping off every time he gets an opportunity. You have to admit it, move on. At least move him to the bench and eat it. There won’t be a bunch of people begging to trade for him, he won’t have much impact from the bench, but you can’t observe Rule 1 unless you also are going to observe Rule 3.

If you have him for more than one year, your testicular fortitude really better be amped up.

Rule 4: Embrace Good Players Being Delayed

You have to. It sucks but you really have to just deal with this as both a possibility and if you ask me, plausibility that you’re very much so going to be holding some guys back.

Again, this ain’t 2021, it’s not about “the kids” as much as it’s about “the best players”.

Take a guy like Bubba Chandler or Thomas Harrington. Both of these guys are every bit the prospect Jared Jones was, both of them should legitimately have an opportunity to win a spot, but if the team likes where they are, nobody needs to act like these guys are hard done by, instead, you just look at the performance and when you see someone start to show themselves to be the weak spot, THEN you make a move.

Is that wasting talent? Maybe. Is it going to kill their career? No. Is it what is best for the baseball team? Well, as long as who they choose is performing, hell yes.

You can toss someone like Henry Davis into this conversation. Starting in AAA wouldn’t make him a bust to anyone who matters. Meaning, some fans might feel that way, but who cares, if they cared what we thought they’d have a payroll in the mid 100’s right? Henry will either earn his shot, or get one regardless at some point, don’t force it because he’s “supposed to” be here.

We as a fan base have not been in this position in my lifetime. Meaning, a crop of interesting young players with more coming and a team on the verge of cracking .500. I think it’s entirely understandable that we wouldn’t know what the hell that looks like. Frankly, I have my doubts anyone running the team really is thinking like this, but it is indeed what it’ll take to win.