Pirate fans have been 'calling bullshit' on the organization for as long as I can remember. The Pirates have been notoriously near the bottom of the payroll barrel for many years. The fan base has been clamoring for the organization to spend money on quality free agents (usually their own) to return to relevance.
Flashes of success over the last two seasons have reinvigorated the faithful fan base. Ticket sales have increased and the momentum in Pittsburgh seems to be changing. To top it off, the Pirates payroll may tip $70 million dollars this year. Yes, $70 million.
However, is the organization spending an un-Pirate like sum of money to appease the fan base or are they truly trying to get better? The reason I ask this question is because most of their free agent acquisitions are guys that used to be household names amidst the prime of their careers, but are nowhere near the players they used to be.
AJ Burnett for example. Who didn't know AJ Burnett before he was traded to Pittsburgh? AJ was a former front of the rotation star before dropping off considerably. The Pirates traded a few mediocre minor leaguers for him - oh yeah, and made the Yankees pay the majority of his salary. This was a low risk, high reward move for the Pirates. A move that obviously worked out very well and they reaped the benefits of a fantastic season from AJ.
Wandy Rodriguez is another guy that was a front of the rotation guy in Houston for his entire career. Wandy was a high strikeout guy that often dominated opposing hitters. Well, as with some of the others, Wandy began to lose his dominance and started pitching to contact rather than striking batters out. The rebuilding Houston Astros unloaded him to restock their system and the Pirates took a chance. I have to give the Pirates credit here - They had playoff aspirations and wanted to strengthen the starting roation. After a slow start in a Bucco uniform, Wandy pitched well in his last few starts before the end of the season.
Franciso Liriano is still negotiating a contract with Pittsburgh after sustaining a broken arm in a "don't drop the soap" shower incident. Liriano is par for the course for the Pirates though. He was once one of MLB's hottest pitching prospects. He had 3 or 4 great years and seemed destined to assemble a terrific MLB career. However, injuries plagued him and he appears to have lost his effectiveness. I believe Francisco is a high risk, high reward guy with the amount of money his original contract was for. From what we hear, the Pirates are trying to convert him to a low risk, high reward guy in terms of contract. Regardless, Liriano has done nothing recently to make anyone believe he will ever be the guy he once was. BUT, we all know who he is.
Jonathan Sanchez is reportedly working on signing a minor league deal with the Pirates. Sanchez is famous for once throwing a no hitter - the only complete game of his career. Sanchez boasts a 39 - 55 career record and has assembled only one winning season in his career. There is very little risk in this deal for the Pirates (if it culminates), but I'm not hopeful that Sanchez will make the Pirates a better team. BUT, people konw his name.
Russel Martin. Once again, Martin was once one of the better catchers in baseball. He hit for average, had adequate power, and was a quality defensive catcher. In New York, Martin put up nice home run numbers in the hitter friendly park, but his average was awful. He is still a good defensive catcher, but his best playing days are certainly behind him. BUT, Sure - We've heard of Russel Martin!
So, my question is this. Are the Pirates trying to add enough veteran leadership to support the talented young core of the team? Are the vets holding the fort down until guys like Cole and Taillon are ready to take the torch? If so, they may have enough talent right now to compete in the NL Central and possibly make another run at the playoffs. If these moves are a fix, and not just butterfly stitches, then the fan base has been blinded by the amount of cash the Pirates are throwing out there. But, average fans remember former stars and will likely buy tickets to see these old timers play.
Time will tell - Either way, baseball can't get here soon enough. Less than a week until Pitchers and Catchers report!
No comments:
Post a Comment