Pirates Offseason Rumors/Suggestions

[burgh_fan66]

Pirates Offseason Rumors and Suggestions

Feel free to provide whatever is on your mind. If you have some certain players in mind the Pirates should target this offseason through free agency or trade share it with us here. If there is a certain strategy that you think they should follow here is the place to share that.

Basically whatever is on your mind about the Pirates you can post here. Also should any rumors start circulating post them here and we will discuss.

To Get Us Started Here Are A Couple Links

Here is a List of Free Agents

Here You Can See How They Have Performed

[burgh_fan66]

The way I see it there are 4 ways the Pirates can approach free agency this offseason.

1) All In One Basket: This strategy is going after one reasonably big name player such as a M Napoli, B Upton, A Pagan, S Victorino, E Jackson, G Floyd and S Marcum are the ones who jump out to me.

2) Many Small Baskets: This strategy is pretty much the one the Pirates typically use, they identify holes and try to fill them with middle range free agents. The names that stick out to me are R Martin, D Ross, K Shoppach, M Izturis, R Johnson, R Ibanez, K Millwood, J Francis, and J Saunders.

3) Thimble Baskets: This strategy appears to be implying no moves but that isn't correct. This strategy is a focus on trades and low tier free agents. Free agents at this level would be H Blanco, Y Torrealba, J Baker, K Fukudome, F Garcia and D Matsuzaka.

And then there is the way I'm endorsing:
4) Pick A Basket: I wasn't sure how to continue my basket theme here but essentially what I mean is using the fact that catcher is a strong part of free agency and filling that need with a small basket and then going after some risky players who would either count as small baskets with high potential or thimble baskets.

The catcher market appears to be rather deep so there is no need to really go after a risk a small basket guy like Ross, Shoppach or even Martin should be relatively easy to obtain.

In the infield there isn't much so some risk taking is needed. Guys I like are James Loney (Jones to RF, platoon with Sanchez), Jason Giambi (bench bat), Adam Kennedy (bench help), Jason Barlett (injury holding down value), Brandon Inge (down year with bat but good glove), Mike Fontenot (utility) and Jeff Baker (utility). Placido Polanco is coming off a down year but I imagine he'll still get a nice contract with the weak market.

The outfield is deeper but I still would prefer to see a risk taken here with the likes of Austin Kearns or Bobby Abreu both as 4th OFs mind you. Maybe even a Juan Pierre but I think he''l cost too much.

At starting pitcher guys like Ervin Santana and Francisco Liriano are incosistent enough that thier price may just get pushed down and if so they are definitely worth taking a risk on. However one of my favorite targets of the offseason is Scott Baker. He has missed a year plus with injuries but has a ton of upside and could come fairly cheap.

In the bullpen I hope Grilli resigns but I like Kyle Farnsworth as a possible replacement. I'm also high on Jeremy Affledt but think he'll command too much attention. Randy Choate looks like an interesting left handed option. Jon Rauch is one I like as a decent middle reliever candidate. Basically how NH usually does it.

So pretty much my free agent plan is to pick up a good catcher like Kelly Shoppach, sign a hopefully low cost high risk like starter like Scott Baker, build a bullpen like we normally do and scrounge around for a few decent NRI low cost signings to help fill out 1 or 2 spots on the bench.

There is of course more to my strategy than free agency, mainly trade targets, but that is for a later discussion.

[burgh_fan66]

I would like to add the names I listed are just people who I think fit each category I'm talking about.

Ross, Shoppach and Martin are examples of the strong catching market
Santana, Lirianio, Baker are examples of high upside starting pitchers I think may be undervalued
Kearns, Loney, Baker, Matsuzaka etc are examples of some people who I think could be had either for NRI deals or fairly low commitments
Farnsworth, Choate and Rauch are in my opinion going to be inexpensive bullpen options in the Veras, Cruz ilk

I'm not necessarily condoning going after all or any of these guys (except Baker) but I'm trying to show a general idea of how I think the Pirates should approach free agency and that is pretty lightly

[Tomahawk27]

As tempting as it is to go after a guy like Upton, I think we have enough options and have bigger needs that money could be spent on. I could be wrong but when you have options with Marte, Snider, Tabata, and Presley, and Jones if need be, two of them are bound to stick.

I've always liked Liriano and thought if he put everything together, he could be great. I remember when he and Santana were a 1-2 punch in Minnesota (I'm pretty sure they overlapped for a year or two, maybe not).

If we could pick up a SP and a reliable catcher, that would address two big needs

[WVNowitzki]

Let's snag Josh Hamilton lol

[burgh_fan66]

Let's snag Josh Hamilton lol

Yeah it would be nice but ... lol

One thing outside of free agency I hope they do is call up the Astros and see if Jed Lowrie is available. He would be an excellent fit at SS and could possibly bat leadoff.

[burgh_fan66]

I feel lost, like something is missing. I really don't know what to do with my evenings anymore. Its sad I've become so involved with this team.

[LetsGoPirates]

I second your feeling Burgh. In the past at least we had hockey to look forward to but...

[WVNowitzki]

Always sucks when the season is over, I feel ya. It gave me definitive television watch on mostly every night.

[JNev]

Ahhhh... What could've been

[tripleplayer543]

Let's snag Josh Hamilton lol

i could see the cheep nuttings doing that right after they buy my ocean front property in kansas.lol it would be nice though

[tripleplayer543]

steven drew will most likely get dropped by oakland and could be cheep because of his struggles of late . but most of all they need a catcher . i could see them going after napoli but only if the nuttings decide to spend a little money. lokks would say the pirates should have the 9th and 13th pick in the june draft could have had a pick at the end of the first had they not sacrificed it for crabby sanchez

[burgh_fan66]

Never been a big fan of Stephen Drew but he is without a doubt the best shortstop available through free agency. Like I said I hope they look around at trade possibilities especially Jed Lowrie but I'm fine with going into next year with Barmes as the starter as long as someone and my preference is Jordy Mercer is also getting some starts.

Looking at the free agent market the shortstop that actually most intrigues me is Bartlett. He had a few good seasons with the Rays not too long ago and his last two seasons (even though this past one was injury shortened) weren't awful. A good buy low candidate who I think might be able to be had for an NRI.

Overall the free agency crop especially the hitters doesn't impress me. The catcher market is deep which is good but the infield is barren and the outfield a little top heavy with Bourn and Hamilton. There isn't too much in the middle though I do like Angel Pagan but he is probably going to be fairly expensive.

The group the Pirates should work with is mainly uninspiring which is why I am hoping to see a different path taken where free agency is largely ignored, with the exception of catcher of course but even there I would like them to look at trade oppurtunities.

[burgh_fan66]

Another portion of the offseason will be who the Pirates tender and who they do not. The Pirates have 8 players who are arbitration eligible.

Joel Hanrahan: 3rd year est 7-7.5 million
Jeff Karstens: 3rd year est 5.25-5.75 million
Charlie Morton: 2nd year est 3-3.5 million
Garrett Jones: 2nd year est 4.5-5 million
Chris Resop: 2nd year est 1-1.5 million
James McDonald: 1st year est 2.75-3.25 million
Neil Walker: 1st year est 2-2.5 million
Gaby Sanchez: 1st year est 0.75-1.25 million

My numbers are just educated guesses, we will see much more accurate predictions here in the next few weeks but that should give a general guideline of what it will take to bring each player back.

So who do you think should be non-tendered in that group?

[tripleplayer543]

Another portion of the offseason will be who the Pirates tender and who they do not. The Pirates have 8 players who are arbitration eligible.

Joel Hanrahan: 3rd year est 7-7.5 million
Jeff Karstens: 3rd year est 5.25-5.75 million
Charlie Morton: 2nd year est 3-3.5 million
Garrett Jones: 2nd year est 4.5-5 million
Chris Resop: 2nd year est 1-1.5 million
James McDonald: 1st year est 2.75-3.25 million
Neil Walker: 1st year est 2-2.5 million
Gaby Sanchez: 1st year est 0.75-1.25 million

My numbers are just educated guesses, we will see much more accurate predictions here in the next few weeks but that should give a general guideline of what it will take to bring each player back.

So who do you think should be non-tendered in that group?

i think they will tender all of them but i expect hanrahan to be traded away and them looking for other options. i think they will make atleast two maybe three trades this off season with there depth of starting pitchers any thing is possible as long as tallion and cole remain pirates im good with that