Riverbrian

As much as I complain. I'm optimistic every opening day and probably optimistic to a fault but I don't know any other way to be. I like having a reason to get up in the morning. I still think this team is closer than most realize but there is still time to widen that gap before the off-season is over. I even stay optimistic in August when it's clear the season is over and they sell like they did because at the very least... they are moving in a direction toward something. My optimism gets challenged when they sit still and the past three seasons have been... well... basically sitting still at least until this trade deadline. That just leads to me pointing at the upcoming wall. Wall! Wall!... You're going to hit a wall! Luckily... it allowed me to brace for the upcoming crash. How's that for optimism?

No Idea but if I had to guess. Falvey and Shelton would leave at the same time. A new Front office would want their own manager. I have no idea if Falvey's back is actually against the wall... but if your back is against the wall. You'd want someone you know and trust in that dugout. I guess... my guess is that these two would have to counting on each other and would enjoy or suffer the same fate.

I've thought about this a lot. More than I should because the actual answers are out of the reach of my living room in North Dakota but I have thought about this a lot. I think the type of player that they drafted plays a role even the type of player drafted is subject to development criticism because of the 3 outcome focus we should be asking the question... where is our 3 outcome dude to play 1B. That's historically where you put the biggest of the big boppers and we have been Arraez, Solano, France the position since this regime stepped foot in the door. Morrison, Cron were just one year guys that they just kept plugging in every year with diminished talent as the years went by. In the end... I keep going back to utilization and I have a hard time shaking it. I don't have the same complaints on the pitching side of things. They are getting some results... not the results that everybody wants but I'm seeing potential, improvement and I'm seeing utilization. On the pitching side there is no choice. You can't hide any pitchers so if you are on the roster... you are going to get utililzed, you will be allowed to work through some things. It's sink or swim so they all get opportunity and I could be right or I could be wrong but it seems to be working out ok. Again not to the degree that many of us demand but you can see the development working on the mound. At the very least... We just traded a bullpen full of development for fairly decent return packages and they are not filling space with the Bundy's of the world. At least they haven't been in the past few years. On the offensive side of things... I don't see the same things at the major league level. I see screwing around. Trying to Frankenstein a roster together. I see all left handed hitters strip mined for parts. Endless string of cheap one year vets filling holes that teams like Milwaukee and Cleveland utilize to the tiny-est degree. Outside of Arraez and Jeffers... I see nothing successfully developed to a value level that they could acquire something decent in a trade. Maybe some points can be rewarded for Castro... otherwise it is just question marks and failures since covid and perhaps longer. It's a pile of diminished value instead of increased value. Larnach Strip mined for parts, Kirilloff strip mined for parts, Gordon failed, Rooker very succussful after basically being given away to complete a trade. Miranda failed, Celestino OMG, Lewis a big question mark at this point, Julien strip mined for parts heading toward failure, Wallner strip mined for parts. Martin and Lee are incomplete yet and firmly question marks at this point, Keaschall looking amazing so far. Still has to continue performing to really remove the question mark. I may have missed some but that's 15 players run through the filters over the past 5 years. 3 Per Year on average in an organization that has to produce an average of at least 5 a year (Including pitching) just to maintain a budget that allows them to offer bigger and better free agents. What are the results... 3 out of 15... Maybe 4 are making anyone comfortable at the moment. It's a big stinking problem. And I have seen continually... from those who publish such things... A highly ranked minor league system year after year that just keeps crashing and breaking against the side of the major league wall making it necessary to sign Ty France and play him every day like he's Bryce Harper.

The organization has to commit to it.

I agree with this 100%. The following research doesn't carry a lot of value due to the absence of context such as injuries, talent level and other factors. However... down and dirty, pulled quickly, here are some Pirate utilization numbers. 2025 Ages of the Top 5 AB's: 30, 38, 26, 30 and 37. He was fired in May so this is would be more reflective of Don Kelly utilization. 2024 Ages of the Top 5 AB's 29, 25, 37, 26 and 29 2023 Ages of the Top 5 AB's 28, 24, 26, 36 and 30 2022 Ages of the Top 5 AB's 27. 25, 26, 30 and 23. 2021 Ages of the Top 5 AB's 26, 27, 29, 31 and 24. The best years by record during this Shelton stretch was 2024 and 2023... If that matters since they were also rans every year. Again... the research doesn't mean much but it appears that Shelton was handling younger talent. I take that as a positive. All in All... My opinion... the ages reflected by Pirates utilization could be a reason why their re-whatever is taking forever.

Exactly... It's always the people who hire the people. No sense targeting Baldelli and there is no sense targeting Shelton now. The front office hired Baldelli and kept him employed for 7 years. If Baldelli isn't doing what the front office wants, if he is insubordinate, if he is managing in the opposite direction that the front office is trying to go. He'd have been fired by the front office much earlier. I'm surprised by the number of people on this website and around the world who are hoping out loud or even expecting that the new manager will put the front office on ignore and act like Philip Seymour Hoffman in Moneyball.

I won't pretend to know what the problem is... but there is a problem. Maybe they should... restaff... overhaul the minor league system... if it's complicit. I'd like the front office to look in the mirror first. But... there is a problem that needs to be rooted out. If it were me... I'd be completely focused on improving development as quickly as possible. I would attack the development problem like the Ford Motor Company built Willow Run from the ground up in an incredibly short period time to produce B-24 Bombers needed yesterday for WWII. Will Derek help or get in the way. We will find out.

Given time. You'll be fine.

Time we have wasted on the way.

Derek has my full support. He is the manager of my baseball team. With that said... Not worrying bout the morrow is what got us here because the morrow arrived unprepared. I agree the day can be evil enough and he doesn't need extra burden. But... If he is a Book of Matthew guy... Keep reading to the build your house on rock... not sand part. Because in the future, the rain will come down, the streams will rise and the wind will blow. Rocco's house of sand is gone... Falvey's house of sand is on the brink. May Derek Shelton read Proverbs 22:6 instead or at least listen to Crosby, Stills and Nash.

I generally agree with this. I'm not sure this is what they will do but I think this is what they should do.

Too funny. I'd give him until June next year. That's the end of my rope. IMO... If it was just a two month audition that cost us Brock Stewart. I wonder why he didn't immediately go up to the majors after the trade. He was called up on August 16th when Rodon got hurt. Rodon was ahead of him in the pecking order. To work on something specific in St. Paul? 16 days should do the trick? When is AAA numbers are solid does additional AAA time do him any good? There's a lot of confusion over the trade. And rightfully so.

I won't argue any of this because I don't necessarily disagree. These following points will sound like arguments but they aren't. The post-age-30 decline isn't inevitable. We'd like 5 years from a player but we don't need 5 years from a player to be worth it. Once he hits arbitration it's always a case by case basis. His performance worth the money. If Outman has a great 2026. The Twins are one player closer to contention. If Lewis returns to form, we are two players closer to contention. If the Twins don't contend... (most people are betting on this) His trade value rises. We might get something more than Brock Stewart in return. Again... not arguments. Just squinting and seeing a reason for it.

I agree that it isn't crazy to take a shot with Outman. People will think that we are crazy for not thinking it's crazy. As it currently stands... we have 6 (Buxton, Wallner, Larnach, Martin, Outman and Rodon) outfielders for hard consideration for what is typically 5 OF spots coming out of spring training. If Outman stays and I think he will. Someone else will have to be traded, released or sent down to the minors where they will join 3 (Erod, GG and Jenkins) other outfielders knocking on the door. Outman has the potential to force someone out the door. Myself personally and many disagree with me. I'm reluctant to part with Larnach until someone out performs him because he is one of 5 hitters (Lewis is not one of the 5) on the current roster performing at least average or above average. I just don't believe that Larnach is where you start when it comes to the clean up. I can see a scenario where Outman forces someone out. All in all, I think there is strength in numbers and I'd like to see the club pour as much talent through the filter as possible.

My sincere apologies. I agree 100% that civility is necessary.

Thanks for the parameters. When I get a chance I'll read through it because it looks interesting. It's from 8 years ago but I'd imagine it's still relevant because there are X amount of players that play in a given season and only X amount of ways that they enter into professional baseball and I assume the overwhelming majority are through the draft with IFA's taking up the majority of the rest.

That person was me. And I fully understand what I was saying. You don't understand and your lack of understanding is obvious with every elementary point you make as you consistently prickishly respond with elementary garbage rooted in your lack of understanding. Step up your game. If you can't step up your game... I'd learn to post without the insulting adjectives but you don't want to do that. You are just an internet bully with nothing to back it up. There are tons of you out there and they all vote on November 4th. God help us.

That's what your elementary brain interpreted falsely and you belligerently responded to what your elementary brain could absorb falsely. Now you are grasping at elementary points. I'm in no Tizzy... I'm just acting like you.

Again... Elementary Garbage. I'd have that discussion with people who don't realize that baseball players placed in a lineup can contribute. Is this all you got? You need to step up your game.

I repeat... That's all you have to offer? That's it? That's all you got? Bader improved from a .622 and .657 to .796 and you pump your chest thinking you are offering something substantial with your powers of player assessment on one player. That's all you have to offer? Posters like Jorgenswest and others are way beyond this elementary crap you spew. Yet, you spew it so belligerently.

Again... It's not Harrison Bader. It's Henry Mendez and Geremy Villoria. The net result of your victory lap. We paid about 3 million for Mendez and Villoria. If either of them pay off in 2027. Take your victory lap. Until then shut up. I used to own a 2015 Dodge Dart. Had the car for about 6 years. It was a good car but every winter there were moments that I was stopped at a stop light with about 4 cars behind me. The light would turn green and I would spin my wheels going nowhere while the cars behind me honked. Eventually I realized that I needed a different vehicle with all wheel drive in order to stop spinning my wheels going nowhere. Maybe... Just Maybe... It's not an issue with Bader himself. Maybe it's Winter. I've tried to tell you that but you are too "incredibly stupid" to get it.

I'm not questioning your sources. There are obviously parameters set on the data that produces the number you quote. I had to count for myself. I did a rough count... I may have missed a name here or there, I certainly didn't double or triple check for accuracy. I literally tried to count as quickly as possible in order to not spend a lot of time on it. I probably included players who were drafted and didn't sign in 2019. I didn't take note of length of time in the majors... but I counted 196 players from the 2019 draft that have played in the major leagues. Let's say I over shot or under shot by 20 we are still quite aways from the 45 players on average per draft that would represent 1.5 players per team. If true. 1.5 players per team per draft will take on average 17.3 Years to staff the 26 man rosters of all 30 teams. There has to be parameters that need to be investigated. I'd guess that a bell curve probably needs to be implemented to the 1.5 data you are quoting because 2019 would probably be a peak draft year reflective of the peak of a typical ballplayer. In other words... there are probably more players in the major leagues from the 2019 draft than players in the major league from the 2025 draft or the 2005 draft.

That's all you got? That's all you have. You are nowhere near Jorgenswest level. He's trying to be polite with you. And this is all you have... this... attempted Harrison Bader victory lap. Once again... you don't understand the point. BTW... It's not Harrison Bader... It's Henry Mendez.

I don't see a Bader here. Who is going to play CF in 2026? Have you ever worked with a budget... What happens when you run out of money? Don't use words like "Stupid". Especially when you are too stupid to understand what stupid means. BTW... Don't answer the questions I asked. I'm not interested in anything you have to say.