Pirates news and professional analysis
Since the end of last season, the number one topic surrounding the Pirates organization has been will Andrew McCutchen be traded.
The much talked about trade discussions between the Pirates and Washington didn’t result in McCutchen being dealt. However, most people still feel it’s only a matter of time until that happens.
Ken Rosenthal reported last weekend that the Pirates have decided to grant extensions to general manager Neal Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle, whose contracts are set to expire at the end of the season.
The Pirates haven’t announced it yet and it’s hard to tell when they will. They always seem to enjoy being secretive over such matters.
The MLB Draft doesn’t seem to get the attention that the amateur drafts in the 3 other sports receive but they are just as important to each teams individual long term success.
MLB will begin it’s 2017 players draft tonight and it will be televised on the MLB Network.
Tonight, the Pirates will have four picks (12th, 42nd, 50th and 72nd) in the first night of the draft. Unlike the drafts in other sports, it will be years before these players will have a shot at the majors and before we can properly evaluate how each individual team drafted.
With the struggles of the Pirates this season, there has been some chatter that both Neal Huntington and Clint Hurdle’s jobs could be in jeopardy. Both guys are in the last year of their contracts with the team.
However, a report last night suggests that both are safe and will be signing contract extensions before the end of the season.
Pirates (23-28) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (31-21)
Monday: RHP Trevor Williams (2-3, 5.93) vs. RHP Randall Delgado (1-0, 3.82), 4:05 p.m.
Tuesday: RHP Ivan Nova (5-3, 2.83) vs. LHP Robbie Ray (4-3, 3.45), 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday: RHP Chad Kuhl (1-5, 6.29) vs. RHP Zack Godley (1-1, 1.99), 12:35 p.m.
NOTES: The Pirates are in last place in the National League Central, 4 ½ games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers. … The Diamondbacks are in the third place in the NL West, two games behind the division-leading Colorado Rockies. … The Pirates lost two of three to the New York Mets over the weekend. … The Diamondbacks have lost two games in a row following a five-game winning streak. … Pirates 2B Josh Harrison is on a 10-game hitting streak, going 17-for-44 (.386) with two doubles, four walks and five strikeouts. … Diamondbacks C Chris Iannetta is 8-for-28 (.286) in his last eight games with two doubles, three home runs, one walk and eight strikeouts. … Williams and Nova are both 1-0 against the Diamondbacks in their careers while Kuhl has never faced them. … Delgado is 0-1 against the Pirates in his career while Ray is 0-2 and Godley has no decisions.
The 2017 Pittsburgh Pirates have many problems and they are many.
Take your pick: No Jung Ho Kang, Starling Marte‘s suspension, various Pirate injuries, terrible team defense.
You want me to continue?
Here’s one that’s starting to get talked about and frankly, it was a huge problem last year.
Let me start this by saying this is all Starling Marte‘s fault.
Marte’s selfish and idiotic decision to knowingly use PED’s crippled Clint Hurdle‘s lineup options and killed any chance the team had of competing in the NL Central.
All that being said, due to slow starts by nearly every team in the division, the Pirates are only three games out of first and two games behind the Chicago Cubs.
At last season’s MLB trade deadline, most Pirate fans criticized GM Neal Huntington for once again not making a splash move.
He was also justifiably ripped for giving away Francisco Liriano in order to dump his salary.
Ten months later, it’s looking like another move that Huntington made could be his best trade ever as Pirates general manager.
Definitely not the debut Tyler Glasnow was hoping for.
Not being able to find the plate ended the rookie’s night before the third inning.
Glasnow’s final line: 1.2 innings, 4 hits, 5 runs, 5 walks and 1 strikeout. The problem was that of his 64 pitches, he only threw 35 strikes.
Two concerns that scouts had about Glasnow heading into the season were holding runners on and could he throw enough strikes.