- This topic has 127 replies, 20 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 2 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Does Nate know that our very own St. Louis Cardinals have the highest payroll number in the NL Central division this year?
Management has certainly made mistakes in player evaluation, but they have consistently worked to put a winning club on the field. Obviously all teams have, or at least should have, two main goals each year. One is to be financially sound, and the other is to put out a good product. The Cardinals do this really well.
Having the highest payroll in the NL Central isn’t a high bar. The only team that should have a higher payroll is Chicago.
2020 & 2021 stl opening day payroll ranked 10th of 30 teams (Cots). STL ranks 12th this season currently.
I suppose Arb cases still pending is why 2022 totals are listed as “estimated”.
Pirates currently 28th.
Having the highest divisional payroll may not be a high bar, depending on your division, but it is a factor to success. You want to compete against your peers, because the post season structure is such that winning your division is the most important goal of the long season.
Last year we had a better record than Atlanta, but they won their division and got hot in post season to take the prize.
Where Nate misses the point a little is his insistence on winning the World Series is the only measure of success. Obviously that is your ultimate goal, but in today’s game with divisions and wild cards, you need to be good enough to get to the post season. Being the best team in the league over the regular season is not a guarantee of a championship.
Now I do think MLB needs to change their post season structure. Last year it should have been set up so that in theory the Dodgers and Giants could have faced each other in the NLCS. Regular season record should be a consideration in seeding.
Pirates, Rich Hill In Agreement On One-Year Deal https://t.co/8uIYdr4xrb pic.twitter.com/TuH6GRPkY3
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) December 27, 2022
It still wouldn’t surprise me to see this guy get traded this offseason.
#Pirates, Bryan Reynolds were reportedly around $50MM apart in the unsuccessful extension talks that led to the outfielder's trade request last monthhttps://t.co/CW0ItsHyXa pic.twitter.com/3BAku6KuIn
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) January 4, 2023
A real retro signing…
Pirates To Sign Andrew McCutchen https://t.co/o6XJStkmwz pic.twitter.com/AEUQHgXzAv
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) January 13, 2023
Locking up their best hitter.
BREAKING: Outfielder Bryan Reynolds and the Pittsburgh Pirates are in agreement on an eight-year, $106.75 million contract extension with a team option for 2031, according to sources familiar with the deal. It includes a form of no-trade protection.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) April 25, 2023
Bicycle:
Like Ollie Marmol says, “You ether win a championship or it’s a disappointment.” If not winning the WS was a successful season then all the WS losers would have a parade.
I would also suggest that what the FO has put on the field the last five or six years is NOT a good product.
what the FO has put on the field the last five or six years is NOT a good product
The product sells like gangbusters. Attendance and ratings. If they spent more to upgrade the product, would revenue increase enough to cover it? They must not think so.
If you were a free agent, would you sign here? Can’t be a coincidence Tellez was dropped with a week remaining in the season with a $200 K bonus just four plate appearances away.
Two facts, take them for what you will:
1. Ethan reports that the Pirates would owe Rowdy a $200,000 bonus if he reaches 425 plate appearances.
2. Rowdy has 421 plate appearances. https://t.co/edbsg7vCCf
— James Santelli, Fan of #1 Pitt Volleyball (@JamesSantelli) September 24, 2024
Rowdy Telez is almost as good of a name as is Tommy Lawless…Either one would be a perfect name for the front man of a heavy metal band.
Charles Comiskey would have pulled the plug on Rowdy’s campaign at exactly 424 PA’s. Really, the only obtainable bonus monies for Rowdy could be realized from those PA’s. All-Star appearance for Rowdy? I don’t think so. 3rd place MVP? Not in a million years. 2nd place MVP? That’s a good one! 1st place MVP with the name “Rowdy Tellez” attached to it? You’d have a better chance of hitting the Powerball jackpot…..on two consecutive drawings.
Yeah, that is lame of the Pirates to do that. I think the damage it will cause to the goodwill of the rest of the team, not to mention getting other players to go there could very well be more than a $200K hit.
No way to empirically measure that, but that is something class organizations don’t do.
Swept by the Cards and lose your job!
Derek Shelton has been relieved of his duties as Pirates Manager.
Pirates Bench Coach, Don Kelly, has been named manager. pic.twitter.com/dOO9dDwf5t
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 8, 2025
Good luck to Don Kelly.
Unless some of those young players start to produce they won’t win much.
Sort of sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
The Pirates stayed with him for almost 750 games and a W/L pct. of .410 so I’d say he received more than a fair shake.
This leaves Bud Black as the only MLB manager I would NOT trade Ollie Marmol for. And how long can Black last?
I’m just glad Shelton was able to stick around long enough to gift us the Shugart debacle the other night. Refresher: Shelton brings in a reliever (Chase Shugart) with bases empty and a one-run Pirate lead in the 6th. Walk, homer, single, single, single. Five batters faced, five reached safely. And Shelton still left him in (to give up a double that put the Birds comfortably ahead). Then, with the game now largely out of reach, he finally removed the reliever.
I’m really gonna miss Derek Shelton. Don’t know how Ben Cherington keeps his job, but that’s another question.
Neither the Pittsburgh or Colorado jobs have been desireable for several seasons. Ownerhsip issues have created talent issues on the field. Both those franchises have had good runs at times, but have been unable to sustain anything. Good luck to anyone who takes those jobs.
Whenever a Pittsburgh Pirate manager is the topic of a converation I always wonder why Danny Murtaugh isn’t a member of the HOF. I mean, you could make a case that his net bottom line as a Big League manager is as good or better than Whitey’s. His career managerial W/L is .540 to Herzog’s .532 and Murtaugh managed two WS championship teams to Whitey’s one. Herzog’s team’s won 161 more regular season games than did Murtaugh’s but I still say there’s a solid case for Murtaugh belonging in the same club as Herzog.
I went back and looked again and noticed that Murtaugh’s overall post-season record is 12-16 for a skinny .429 W/L pct. but 2 for 2 in WS ought to count for something. In any case, maybe I’m partial simply because he was a household name when I was cutting my teeth as a fan.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.