Travis Snider.

[Coach]

Great day for the Bucs. It reminds me of how the Pens built. This makes it so this isn't a 1 year thing!

[Crimson's Ghost]

http://floodsportsblog.blogspot.com/201 ... ction.html

[Eaglealum]

The Snider trade I will probably like next couple years...1st reaction was the same as Sportsfans'. Why, Lincolns' stock was at all-time high...couple him with the lottery 1st round pick they gave miami and another prospect and Pence could be in Right field tonight. I don't care about the long term right now...sorry, after 19 years I'm entitled to be a lil selfish here! I wanted a Pence, Willingham, or even Soriano..TAKE A DARN SHOT AT IT!!. It took ya 20 years to get back to this position, jump on it and sell quick next year......All said and done, they should be in this position again regularly and I think the Qualls deal with the Yanks may help the most. Qualls had good numbers pre-New York, where he pitched in a band box(remember Burnetts' ERA dropped 2 full runs at PNC) Plus he's been in pennant chases and is 33 and knows how to pitch. Overall grade I'll give a C+.

[KirkHerbstreit]

My concern with the Trades. Tonights lineup on a consistant basis

Unknown
Unknown
Mcutchen
Jones
Walker
Alvarez
Barajas
Pitcher(Barmes hits like one)
Pitcher

Basically, you have unknowns at the top 2 spots and 2 pitchers at the bottom. Could be 4 easy outs. Neither Marte or Snider has proved a lick in the big leagues. Plenty have hit well in the minros and did nothing in the majors.

[Crimson's Ghost]

very Good point, hope they are good unknowns.

[Coach]

No way EA... The Giants gave up a ton for Pence. Compare Pence's stats to GI Jones.

[Crimson's Ghost]

Pence is not as good as everyone believes he is. Just my opinion. He is good, dont get me wrong. But he was not making the Pirates a World Series contender.

[voncap]

I guess the questions I ask: Are the Buccos better now than before they made the deals? IMO they are. If you ask did they improve enough to stay in the playoff race? I am not so sure.
Did the FO make that "All In" move that many, including myself, would have liked to see? Again the answer is a quite apparent no.

If the goal was to make a move to put them closer to winning the division and be a playoff team this year, then FO did a poor job. If their goal was to just improve the team, then I give the FO a passing grade.

Granted there are some unknowns in the lineup now, but before the deal we had some knowns and they weren't very good. Improving on the knowns' performances won't take a whole lot.

[Coach]

I look at it like this...

If they stood pat, they are likely to make playoffs or at least contend to the end.

If they make the moves they did, they are more likely to make playoffs and MAYBE win one series.

If they go all in, they are slightly more likely to make playoffs, and still only MAYBE win one series.


Even going all in and adding a Pence and a great pitcher...this team still isn't the kind of team that becomes even more likely to win it all. So, what would the purpose be? Now they are more likely to contend next year and the year after and the year after that. They are more likely to have this (and not this good every year!) become more normal to Pittsburgh. The Angels, Rangers, Tigers, and Yankees are all teams that are still better than Pittsburgh (at least on paper...we could win it all this year, you never know) even if we went 100% all in and gave up everything to get Victorinio and Pence and Greinke.

Compare stats for this year- Pence and GI Jones.

At 1-7 I like our team better than I did two weeks ago. We have the capability of putting out 3 very good pitchers should we make playoffs.

[Crimson's Ghost]

Also the Reds haven't added much. Jonathon Broxton helps the Bullpen, doesn't make it lights out. Grilli has better numbers as the Bucs set up man.

They didn't add the leadoff hitter they really wanted to get. Yeah they get Votto back, but the Pirates have a winning record against the Reds the past two seasons believe it or not. I think we have a comparable team, I really do.