Pittsburgh Pirates - A new beginning...

[moore4807]

Here is the filler stuff before we get to the meat and potatoes of constructing our 2nd half team.

+A Bradenton Marauder LF Randolph Gassaway is the P.O.T.W. for the Florida State League. at 24 y/o Gassaway is another example of an overage player blocking a younger player from getting experience. Note to be sent to Asst GM. Neal Huntington about this repeatedly happening.

The Pirates power ranking is surging up another 5 spots to #14 this week. excellent job by all batters making this happen!

Tampa Bay has to get another arm from their stocked minors as RP Gregory Infante gets put on the shelf for the season from radial nerve compression.

Cincinnati Reds hurler Alex Wood is finally traded to the Minnesota Twins, taking that huge contract off the Reds hands for a couple of minor leaguers.

** I noticed that SS Jose Iglesias is no longer on the Reds trade block. easier for me to not see him there

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BATTING

Stats are actually quite good for both the last week and the whole month of June.

1) our active roster of 12 batters carried for the last week and what they accomplished (or not) C Diaz and 3B Hayes were the only underperformers here, but I'm not criticizing one week.

2) its all Pirates batters who have MLB stats for the month of June, even if its not with the Pirates. C Diaz, 3B Anderson are just above the Mendoza Line in batting, 3B Hayes still struggling in his callup role, but plays great defense at 3B. LF Healy stats are from SEA. All other players are doing good as can be expected.


3) All Pirates batters stats through 7/01/19. C Diaz has a quite respectable .322 BA for half the seasons work, 2B Kramer is hitting .302 BA with 10 HR's (the only other than 1B Bell to have double digit HR's), SS Gonzalez hitting .306 with just over 100 AB's, LF Frazier hitting .340 with 144 AB's, LF Cabrera batting .317 with 227 AB's, Duo of CF Robinson and CF Reyes combining for a .275 BA and 11SB's, RF Polanco hitting .259 and playing good all around ball.

I deliberately left 1B Bell for last - 2nd in NL BA at .346, Bell leads team in all offensive categories but SB. All Star leader in votes at 1B what more can you say. He's gonna get a contract here, how much just becomes the question.

[moore4807]

PITCHING

similar breakdown here for pitchers, BUT only Pirates pitchers shown - not minors or traded.
1) last week pitching stats.
2) June MLB pitching stats.
3) Season MLB pitching stats.
4) after shopping players around, here is modified season stats.

Now for the same old story - GM Moore is gonna jettison the rubbish we've been carrying so far!!
1st "victim" is P Nick Burdi ( -0.6 WAR, double digit ERA, wild flamethrower) is getting shopped around.
2nd "victim" is P Matt Wisler ( -0.9 WAR, 7.82 season ERA, no excuse - it's my bad bringing him in here) Ditto!
3rd "victim" P John Gant (-0.2 WAR 5.36 season ERA, just never lived up to promise) Shopped around also.

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As promised, I shopped all three pitchers around and got a LOT of interest in P Burdi. No interest in Gant or Wisler -so they are on waivers waiting to go to minors (please, please, please, refuse the minors assignment!!)

1) Nick Burdi got a fair amount of attention, especially from NL teams - who I'm not crazy about dealing with for revenge purposes. So my scouting staff picked up on Houston's offer, P Framber Valdez is only 25 y/o and looking like a possible swingman between starter and long reliever, since he's young there is no hurry to force the issue there.

2) Boston's GM put RP Ryan Basier on the trade block, so I went and kicked the tires, asking BOS what they wanted for him, there was a lot, but when I saw a chance to flip SP Wilmer Font for him - I JUMPED at it, RP Basier has a ton more control and movement than Font does, so its a no brainer!

I'm feeling a lot better about our pitching, especially with Joe Musgrove coming off IL and it gives Framber Valdez a back end rotation spot for him to audition while Shoemaker heals.

[moore4807]

Here is MLB standings at midpoint (+1 game) and our current roster.

Positional rankings and team rankings are included too.

[moore4807]

We begin a 3 game set at home vs the Division leading Cubs. As impossible as this sounds, sweeping Chicago would give us 1st place, a series win would leave us 1 game back. Can you believe I'm even talking about this?

Meanwhile my new secretary is here, and her name is Eleanor Rigby, she is a cute one and I wonder if her giggles mean she is an airhead or just nervous. I'm already seriously missing Penny Layne, excuse me Vice President Layne!

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That hope was short lived... Behind by a run all night long.

SP Archer wasn't sharp and on his game as he usually is, P Brubaker wasn't bad considering what he faced. Hopefully he will challenge the hitters more in the future. Brasier and Burrows both gave up one run each - not enough sample size to go on.

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Toronto has offered us a trade 36 y/o John Axford for a player I'm sure I will mess up his name.. 21 y/o 2B Victor Ngoepe (go-epi??). Ngoepe is a true low minors player, his speed/baserunning is good, his offense not so much. This still sounds like a decline to me. Maybe shake their tree and see what might fall out for us instead.

Dodgers RP Joe Kelly is going to be on the shelf for another two months they say, he reinjured is elbow and that's all we know.

Tampa Bay is making a big splash for a big bat, they just traded for the Chicago(A) big bopper 1B Jose Abreu. Abreu and cash will be going to Tampa Bay while 28 y/o speedy OF Guillermo Heredia and a minor league C head to Chicago(A). Tampa is banking big on Abreu as he has a $16M salary and half of that is left, Tampa surprised me by spending big to win this year.

Finally the International Free Agents period starts today, but the OSA didn't release their picks, its just a blank screen under the top prospects line. I will have to look them up individually.

[moore4807]

We lose again.
SP Madison Bumgarner did his job and held the Cubbies scoreless through six innings, scattering three hits. but the bullpen couldn't keep up. There was some angry chattering during and after the game about 3B Kris Bryant getting HBP twice in the game, Mgr. Clint Hurdle ended up talking to the umps at one point to say that, 3B Bryant gets hit because he crowds the plate trying to get an advantage - the ump said he knew, but was going to warn both benches anyway. That made Hurdle mad enough, but he refused to talk about it at the post game press conference.

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Today we got a trade offer from the Chicago(A) White Sox. The want 3B Brian W Anderson and are offering 26 y/o RP Jacob Lindgren, a high heat thrower with the associated control problems. I couldn't find anything suitable with Toronto, so I'm gonna kick the tires and see what else White Sox GM Rick Hahn might accept for P Lindgren.

Toronto continued its shopping spree in the NL Central Division, finding a trading partner with the St. Louis Cardinals, RP Ryan Fierabend is the main piece to showcase here, being traded to the Cardinals for three minor leaguers.

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Swept out of our own stadium! Once again it wasn't the SP fault as Joe Musgrove went six innings scattering 5 hits and fiving up only one run, then the doors came off in the next three innings with RP Rodriguez and Yates both surrendering multiple runs each.

[moore4807]

After watching the Cubs expose my bullpen for its deficiencies, I sent 1B Erich Weiss back to AAA to bring an extra RP back up. The only reasonable choice was LHP Corbin Clouse as all other AAA RP's were tired also.

The Manager's meeting tonight was grim and Joel Hanrahan said he simply has no idea what to do, Kirby Yates has been horrible - yet insists to Hanrahan that he is "fine". Mgr. Hurdle seems ok going with Coach Hanrahan's suggestion we let it ride the rest of the week. I disagree, but will listen to my new pitching coach, as I don't have many other options right now. I have the whole coaching staff go over RP Jacob Lindgren's scouting report, Pitching coach Hanrahan quips "he looks like half of our bullpen already, just with better numbers!". We break up after notifying 1B Weiss by phone, and calling AAA to get Clouse sent up for tomorrows game here with Milwaukee.

Houston Astros flexed their hitting skills and DESTROYED Colorado in their own house, by the football score of 33-7. 2B Jose Altuve not only went 5-7, he also hit for the cycle. Altuve's .362 BA is leading MLB making him a strong MVP candidate.

[moore4807]

First off - Isn't this embarrassing. I wrote the Pirates off as swept after three losses in consecutive games, what is wrong with that you might ask? Well if you're playing FOUR games against the Cubs of course. we have a Thursday afternoon (405pm) game to play too.

Also after a couple back and forth phone calls with White Sox GM Rick Hahn, some conversations with Mgr. Hurdle and coaching staff, we strike a deal for RP Jacob Lindgren, surprising Mgr. Hurdle, I swapped LF Adam Frazier, netting us $1M in cash and P Lindgren for Frazier. The reason is Frazier is expected to ask and probably get $3M or so in arbitration, while Lindgren can be had for $800K-$900K for another year.

The toughest part is actually meeting with Frazier after he was told of the trade by Mgr. Hurdle, Adam was visibly emotional and he thanked me for letting him play here and giving him a chance elsewhere to play. I didn't know what to say, except to thank him for his efforts and wishing him luck with his career. I actually felt emotional myself and wanted to tell him the whole story but knew I would only complicate matters by doing so. I made sure he was taken care of personally on getting to Chicago, my new secretary didn't miss my curtness when I said I would handle arrangements for his travel. I made sure he got a charter flight and a first class hotel, paid for on my personal credit card, and Eleanor asked me later if she did something wrong. I said no - it was a baseball decision where the player means something more than just a name...


Meanwhile in MLB trades the Cardinals ae continuing to wheel and deal, this time sending 33 y/o C Matt Wieters to Miami for RHP Trevor Richards. This is a great trade for the Cardinals according to our head scout Joe DelliCarri, as P Richards numbers indicate he will play a pivotal part in future Cardinal campaigns, while Miami picks up a serviceable C at a low price ($1.5M) for 1/2 a season.

[moore4807]

Well my Pirates made me eat my words! literally! Clubhouse prankster and class clown SP Chris Archer had a table set up in the clubhouse with a nice steaming bowl of alphabet soup, and guess what else? Large colored kids spelling blocks with "no sweep" spelled out in front of the setting. I sheepishly but gladly sat down and ate my words in front of the cheering squad of players and coaches...

SP Dario Agrazal hung tough and pitched his butt off (6 IP, 8H, 4ER, 2BB, 7K's) and this time the bullpen of Clouse, Burrows, Kela, and Brazier made it stand up giving up only one more run in the 12th inning. Our bats walked the bases full then 2B Kramer stroked a single in the bottom of the 12th inning to bring home the winning run.

Oh yes, while I'm confessing my sins here Mrs. Rigby covered my butt by having 1B Erich Weiss NOT report to AAA and she got him a hotel room for another night, knowing I was concentrating on the deal and the losing streak Mrs. Rigby's wise choice made it very easy to reinstate 1B Weiss before our game today, and he was dressed and pinch hit in the game. I made sure to thank Eleanor for her work and even got her a gift card (on my dime) to dinner for her and her husband.

[moore4807]

The GM job has suddenly heated up to loosen your tie and take off your jacket warm here...

First thing I saw yesterday on my desk was the Trade Block announcements from MLB... and guess who is back on it? Reds SS Jose Iglesias! I picked up the phone and call the Reds front office for the 20th time it seems... GM Nick Krall picks the phone up laughing, "I guess you still want my SS" he begins the conversation with.

I get right to the point knowing he needs cash and contracts taken off his hands and on the table, while still getting what he thinks is an advantage over me in any deal. Since I already have the owners approval on this player, its now time to offer MY best last offer first. I offer RP Kirby Yates ($3.1M) and $2M in cash, in exchange for for SS Iglesias ($2.5M). GM Krall doesn't say anything and I know he's crunching numbers in his head, so I do the math for him. "That's around $600K left over after paying for RP Yates salary for this year, and your saving $1.25M on Iglesias salary"

There is still silence on GM Kralls end of the phone.. I push him a little bit. "Cmon you can't get a better offer than this unless you play with the big three (NYY, BOS, LAD)" Krall asks to call me back, I tell him by midnight or I'm pulling the offer. GM Krall counters with noon on the 5th. and I agree

As soon as I get in the office, Mrs. Rigby is waiting with three fingers held up (three phone calls waiting - meaning they don't want to leave a message). I ask her whos calling and she recites as if from memory - Joe DelliCarri, Arizona GM Mike Hazen, and Asst GM Neal Huntington. I figure I'll be killing two birds with one stone if I have Eleanor tell Joe and Neal to get their backsides in my office chairs pronto, and I lean back and pick up GM Hazens line flashing...

GM Hazen is right on the line, we exchange formalities, then "Mike" as he wants me to call him, asks if I want RP Archie Bradley? Neal has just walked in the room so I grab my legal pad and scratch Bradleys name with question marks after it, Neal quicksteps it out of my office again, presumably to go get his info and ask Joe the same question. I ask "Mike" to hold on as I'm going to our "War Room" to address this issue. I tell Eleanor to send everybody to the war room, and I'll need the audio visual guy to come in there too. Then I shock Eleanor by including her in my "everybody"... I grin and head down the hall...

Since I'm thinking about Eleanor, I grab the phone and make sure GM "Mike" is still waiting. Then I call over to my former secretary and current V.P. executive director Penny Layne, she is busy but her secretary will tell her of my offer... That makes me chuckle as Neal, followed by Joe, followed by the A/V guy (cant EVER remember his name either, good "kid" though) and then Mgr. Hurdle and Eleanor who closes the door.

I backfill everyone and pass around our scouting report on both SS Iglesias and RP Bradley. GM "Mike" is extolling RP Bradley enough that Neal asks "Why are you shopping him then?" GM "Mike" says its a personality conflict in his locker room and needs to be resolved. That makes Neal look at me and make a cutting motion with his hand across his throat... Joe shakes his head and points to the folder of Bradley, then nods yes...

Suddenly Mrs. Layne strides into the room, and you can notice a confidence in her demeanor and carriage that wasn't there before... She settles in an empty chair and starts perusing the papers without bothering anyone. Mgr. Hurdle wants to get his coaches involved, particularly PC Joel Hanrahan. I ask GM "Mike" what/who he wants for Bradley? "Mike" replies he would like RP Rodriguez from us. I tell GM "Mike" we will be in touch soon and hang up with him.

SS Iglesias is almost a forgone conclusion, as I get unanimous agreement from the group. PC Hanrahan has joined us and he is slightly reluctant as he thinks he can get RP Yates back on track, but admits it is a tantalizing trade, especially if we can get RP Bradley as a replacement player in the other deal.

So as we wait for the call from Cincinnati to start the ball rolling, Neal Huntington says to me - Boss I got good news and bad news... Rolling my shoulders into my neck I give him a long look and say "Okayyyyy…"

He then laughs and says the bad news is I spent $5M of your money... The good news is ALL four International players we made offers to have signed overnight and are waiting for our confirmation. I say "That is good news!" Neal breaks out their files from his briefcase and we pass those files around the room for review.

At 1015am GM Krall calls back accepting my offer and we both agree and start the paperwork to the league office - PC Hanrahan says he will go inform RP Yates and Mgr. Hurdle is going with him...

My wife calls and reminds me I have to at least stop home for my kids leaving for summer camp, EVEN if we have a game... I'm thinking I'll have to make it quick but will go home for lunch...

[moore4807]

We have a weekend set coming up at home against Milwaukee.

Two of our International free agent signings are included here with scouting reports

[moore4807]

We said we wanted to see what Framber Valdez could do (7IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 9K's) well he certainly can pitch, with the unwanted side effect of getting injured before the first game is done. Well done overall is my prognosis

Erik Gonzalez has been doing some fill in work at 3B lately. He showed off tonight with a 2-2 AB, 2R, 1HR, 2RBI, and 1IBB for his line today. He's making it difficult for Mgr. Hurdle to NOT put him in the lineup!

Our brand new acquisition at SS, Jose Iglesias had a good start 2-4AB, 1R, 1RBI, and 1SB!. Not bad, not bad at all

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Here are the other two International Free Agents we signed. The 1B Soto has a nice chance to turn out to be a big bopper in the future.

NYM SP Jake DeGrom is piling up the wins this year, and he just made the Phillies his latest victim. DeGrom is now 12-4 after the latest smackdown he gave, a four hit shutout with 8 K's. That is dominance!

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I got the phone call about 630am Saturday morning from GM "Mike", he sounded almost like he was under a lot of pressure, "Listen Jim - its early but I got to move RP Bradley, like today!!! As I sat up in my recliner from watching the local news, I decided to antagonize him a little. "Look Mike, we hashed this over yesterday, I don't want to move Rodriguez and your not making me confident I want RP Bradley with this sales pitch..." Now definitely sounding desperate Mike went on to say, MAKE me an offer! I have to do this!

So armed with that information I decided to go for broke, "I want RP Bradley, your #1 OF prospect (17 y/o CF Alvin Guzman) and cash to make the deal..." he laughed, expecting me to laugh with him, and he said "I cant do THAT! I'd need more in it or I'd get fired!!!" I said ok who do YOU want to make that deal happen? He said 1B Bell or RF Polanco.

Now that got my attention because when speaking with owner Bob Nutting, he said I wasn't getting more $$ in operating revenue without a concession deal with the PA Sports Authority. So either I reduce my payroll (Which is lowest in baseball anyway) or keep plinking along on a showstring. We spoke of OF Polanco's escalating contract, and "Mike" said it might just work out for the deal.

I told 'Mike" I would get back to him in a couple hours, got showered and dressed before calling out the troops to head to the "War Room" for yet another meeting.

I now have literally EVERYBODY in the "War Room" from my secretary, to Penny Layne, Head Scout Joe DelliCarri, Clint Hurdle, Asst. GM Neal Huntington, even OWNER Bob Nutting on a conference call. Eleanor Rigby was operating the A/V equipment in "Bob the A/V guy's" absence.

Neal Huntington says the deal is fair and is liking the #1 OF prospect more than the RP Bradley in the deal. Joe DelliCarri says its talent for talent, nobody is losing and we get financial relief from this deal to sign 1B Bell. Penny Layne is the second to last to make her opinion known. She is looking hard at the OF options we have internally, and finally says "do it". "That is exactly what I'm thinking" comes the owners voice over the conference call speaker...

An hour later the completed paperwork is sent electronically to the MLB offices in NY. I understand from the grapevine that Gregory Polanco is fuming and "wants a piece of me". The manager and coaches say it's better if I don't see him. I'm a fairly big guy, but not huge, and can look Gregory in the eye and not blink...

I meet him in a clubhouse office and everybody is trying to come in and I finally YELL "Everybody but me and Gregory - OUT!!!".. it happens slowly but it happens.. We agree to sit down and he is pretty controlled but still obviously angry... I explain the truth about his contract and don't try to B.S. him about how no more money from the owner, unless the PA Sports Authority coughs up some improvements or skybox revenue. He listens and is kind of amazed his contract is so much hampering to the team. He explains that his agent told him we were a shoestring operation compared to ARZ. and he will be much better off there... I tell him that I'm doing my best with what I have, and I appreciate him both as a player and as a man for meeting me this way. Gregory laughs and says I didn't deny being a shoestring operation...

We shake hands and walk out together... almost straight into the largest man I've NEVER met in my life standing in front of the door... GOOD GOD! He's gotta be six and a half foot tall AND he literally fills the doorway side to side, not with fat either!! I'm 6'3" and I'm craning my neck back to look up at him, this guys biceps HAVE to be big around as my thighs. Gregory looks at him and says "Whoa! honest my brother, Jack and the beanstalk isn't in here"... to general laughter and the HUGE guy cracking a smile..

The HUGE guy turns out to be Eleanor Rigby's husband, he's a former college football lineman from Pitt. and he was called to "rescue me" if things got violent in the room... I thanked Eleanor and the HUGE dude, who had a easy name to remember, Robert Rigby...

After all the drama, everyone broke up in little groups, I went upstairs back to the "War Room" - where our newest V.P. was cleaning up and putting files back in their folders and making groups of the piles neater...

Penny is admitting she is still having trouble adjusting to the new job, she says its thirty times more than she was making before, and she thinks she's cheating the owner somehow by taking the money... I tell her to stop, she has worked for the Pirates for 16 years and she has kept me from walking into messes with my chin out, and I have over 10 years experience in baseball... I ask if she noticed I was still inviting her to operations meetings? She smiled and said "yes" cause she thought I felt sorry for her... we talked while getting all the papers organized, I asked her to stay for the game, she had to go home to her children and husband, even when I offered to host them too.

On to the next game in an hour...

[moore4807]

Maybe its just me... But this team is showing signs of confidence here, like they are almost expecting to win now. But its way too soon to tell. We have just under half a season to play and the last game before the All Star break is tomorrow.

2B Kevin Kramer and SP Chris Archer were our stars of the game. 2B Kramer is sneaking up on Josh Bell for the lead in HR's