Uncustomed Heroes of 2024: Pirates

 

It's weird that despite the fact that the Pirates had more things go well for them, bought at the deadline, had a Rookie of the Year and a gold glover, and saw an incredible year for the rotation...and yet not only did they finish with the same record they had in 2023, but they finished in last, which they didn't even do in 2023. I honestly think the Pirates should have been more rewarded for their 2024 season. But this division being a crapshoot, coupled with a horrifying August/September skid, ruined them this year. And so, once again, the Pirates are bottom-feeders, and Bob Nutting's lucky John Fisher is a worse owner than him.

Not helping matters was the fact that, after two straight team-leading years, Ke'Bryan Hayes had a down year this year. Hayes missed time with an injury and only made 96 games this year, in which he hit .233 with 25 RBIs and 4 home runs. They honestly needed a guy like Hayes this year, and he let them down, despite incredible defensive numbers at third. Obviously he can come back from this, it was a rehabbing year, but...it definitely set his stock back a little.

2024 Prediction: Makes that ASG squad he should have made in 2023.

Thankfully, the Pirates weren't completely out of options in the infield in Hayes' absence, as they got a gold glove season out of Jared Triolo, who split the year between 2nd and 3rd and played both admirably. Triolo's defense is the real difference-maker here, he's a .216 hitter despite 9 homers. But that was honestly the leg up this team needed, as Triolo joined Hayes and Michael Taylor as some great defenders who cost the team at the plate. The good news is that Triolo's 2024 ensures that he'll definitely be part of the infield picture going forward.

2025 Prediction: A slight improvement at the plate. Not sure how often he'll get to start though.

Marco Gonzales had come off a few injury-plagued seasons for Seattle, was swapped to Atlanta prior to the season then flipped for cash two days later. Gonzales, kind of predictably honestly, had limited impact on this Pirates team due to injuries, but his material, especially initially, was pretty good. He had three excellent, consistent starts in April, then four weaker starts in July/August before being done for the year. Finished the season with a 4.54 ERA.

2025 Prediction: Minor league deal to see how long he can go before he gets hurt again, a surprise smash in the majors circa June.

Connor Joe's second year in Pittsburgh was pretty similar to his first. He was mostly used as an extra bat and bench piece, or he'd start at DH or 1B, but even compared to prior years his production was down. He only hit .228 this year with 9 homers and 36 RBIs. I suppose by his standards that's a pretty standard year, and you're getting him to just be an extra producer anyway.

2025 Prediction: Gains some new fans in a city he hasn't played in yet, does his thing there.

After his Sox contract ran out, there honestly wasn't much left for Yasmani Grandal to prove. His best years were with LA and Milwaukee, he's not as great both behind and in front of the plate, and he mostly just takes up roster space. But he still wanted to play, so he signed a year deal with the Pirates, and once he was activated he took the catching position over from Henry Davis. In 72 games he hit .228 with 9 homers and 27 RBIs, balancing out to a 0.6 WAR. Fine by most standards, even if by the end Joey Bart was the better option.

2025 Prediction: Backup role for a competitor. 

Michael Taylor was plugged into the Pirates' outfield as a defensive upgrade, and the team hoped he'd find the offensive production he wielded in Kansas City and Minneapolis. That did not happen. Though Taylor was excellent in the outfield, he only hit .193, with 105 strikeouts and 52 hits. The team cut him a week before the season ended and went with rookies.

2025 Prediction: Similar batting results, but I think they'll get a year out of him in a limited role, whoever does go for him [Anaheim?]

Nick Gonzales, after debuting in 2023, was the primary choice at 2nd this year, pairing with Triolo when he didn't have a position to cover. Gonzales was pretty impressive, hitting .270 with 49 RBIs and 7 homers, despite not being the greatest middle infielder. Mostly the team is just impressed that someone could actually hit for average this year.

2025 Prediction: Eventually loses the position to Nick Yorke but still stays an integral member of the team.

Of the two guys the Pirates got at the deadline, Isiah Kiner-Falefa was the bigger name, and was having the better 2024 to that point. The Jays loved IKF because of his versatility and defense. Upon arriving in Pittsburgh, he leveled out, hitting .240 with 50 hits, including 10 doubles, and 10 RBIs in 50 games. Maybe a little closer to his Yankees numbers, but nothing to be overly concerned with.

2025 Prediction: Well seeing as they hung onto him, he'll be a starter, a useful contact bat, and one of the shining stars of the Pirates' first half. This might be the place for this guy.

And then you have Bryan de la Cruz. De la Cruz was traded to Pittsburgh because he could provide a useful power bat. For some reason, on the plane from Miami, he forgot how to do that. In 44 games he hit .200, with 17 RBIs, 3 homers and 52 strikeouts, culminating in a -1.1 WAR. The Pirates cut him after the season.

2025 Prediction: Will have a bounce-back season with Atlanta, as he’ll make up for all those OF spots held by veterans this year, and will become an even better power bat.

Coming Tomorrow- Unsurprisingly I have a lot of Rangers. Not because they were good, just a lot of them got hurt.

This Trade Makes No Sense: The M's' Turn to Give Up

 

The first month of this offseason consisted of the Braves, in order to clear space, giving up on Kyle Wright, Nicky Lopez, Michael Soroka, Jared Shuster and Braden Shewmake. All people that were looking like they could help going forward, thrown out the window to make space for an Aaron Nola signing that did not happen. It was very enlightening, and positively soul-crushing, to see which young players the Braves didn't care about in the event of spending more money on someone big.

Then a team I liked better did it, and now I'm equally baffled.

Okay. So. Remember how we all thought Jackson Kowar coming over from Kansas City meant that the Braves had a role for him? They did. As bait. Kowar, along with another young pitcher, is the return going to Seattle, in exchange for....two players I understand and one I absolutely, positively do not.

The Mariners had two people who had begun to waste space on their team, and they made more sense in Atlanta. Evan White was a gold-glove first baseman in the sole season he was healthy for, and thanks to Ty France, hasn't really had room to play 1st base lately. Yes, in Atlanta he'd be backing up Matt Olson, but he also works as a defensive antithesis to Olson, and he may have a role in this team going forward. Or, and knowing the Braves' strategy this could also be it, he's bait for another trade. Marco Gonzales I also get, cause he's been rough lately, was injured for a portion of the year, and was holding up the train of rookies for a bit. Gonzales might be a good piece for the Braves to build on, either he fits in as a surefire low-rotation veteran or he's cooked and a rookie can step in.

But...remember, like...three years ago when the Mariners traded Robinson Cano to the Mets for Jarred Kelenic among others, and everybody went 'ohh noooo, stupid Mets, why'd you give the best prospect in baseball away?', and then Kelenic got even better in the minors? The Mariners knew something about Kelenic. That's why they kept their faith in him after a few seasons of shoddy MLB work. They knew that what showed up early in 2023 would happen, and that Kelenic would come into his own for them.

....so they traded him to the best team in the NL in exchange for cap room.

I...every moment I start to get why the Mariners would dump Kelenic, I get it less. I know now that it's a cap room move. The Mariners wanna save space and make a big signing, maybe some big Japanese player who's asking for a lot of money and wants a deal done this week, maybe this was made in direct response to that. So that I get. But...why cut Kelenic right when he's getting good? Why give up on the guy who was about to be one of your marquee guys alongside Rodriguez, France and Crawford? Why give him to Atlanta, who are now without Eddie Rosario and could honestly use another outfielder? Why...HELP the Braves??

What's going to make this move even more baffling is if the Mariners somehow don't get Ohtani now. They made this move so they can have room for Ohtani. Well, Ohtani might not pick Seattle. Remember, he wants a team with pre-existing Japanese players. The Mariners don't have any right now. They have a Japanese AMBASSADOR, but none on the team at the moment. So, like...unless there's something bigger at play, I'm not entirely sure this was the right move for Seattle, especially the 'giving up Jarred Kelenic before his prime's even a thing' bit. The Braves benefit, of course they benefit, but they didn't really have to. 

I am hoping there is a companion move coming from Seattle. Or else this is likely the most baffling thing they've done since...well, since trading Paul Sewald to Arizona. 

Shake Seattle & Roll

 

You wanna know why I'm convinced that the Mariners are breaking their 21-year postseason streak this year? Aside from the fact that they're in a great place in the wild card race and have their best team in years?

Well, the Seattle Mariners spend the rest of the season playing teams under .500. The Angels, A's, Rangers, Royals and Tigers. 3 of those teams haven't even won 60 games yet.

Now, on one hand, with a lesser team it'd be an excuse to go 'hey look at all the teams we can beat' and then completely go off the rails and blow this. But with the nearest wild card competitor 4 games behind and falling, and with the only things left to decide in the wild card race being seedings, the Mariners can use the remaining series' of this season to just go crazy. The stakes are kinda low, they're already really a playoff team, and they're just playing for extra points. Only 2 games separate the Mariners from the Blue Jays, currently seeded highest of the wild card teams, and the Jays and Rays have much tougher schedules heading down the stretch. If the Mariners can get some security, move up in the standings and get home field advantage over whichever wild card rival they're handed, that'll give them more of an advantage than they've had in 21 years.

For now, this team can flex. 

Yes, this team is coming off a game where Marco Gonzales, who has for years been the rotation's backbone, got absolutely rocked against the Angels. But the best thing about this team is that Gonzales, while still good and working on keeping his ERA below 4, is far and away the weakest pitcher in the rotation. Logan Gilbert, Robbie Ray, George Kirby and Luis Castillo are all pulling much better numbers right now, and Chris Flexen would probably have been a better guy to keep in the rotation. But, again, Gonzales is the legacy guy and at his best he can eat innings and hold down runs, and even with today's game, the team appreciates that. 

I am assuming Eugenio Suarez will be back in time for a postseason run, but even without Geno I like this team's chances. Julio, France, Crawford and Raleigh make a pretty strong core, and Carlos Santana has 13 homers as a DH. The bullpen is strong, like usual, and Paul Sewald has warmed up to a closing position. There's lots of bench depth and lots of versatile guys. More people feel ready than ever before, and this is without Kyle Lewis, Evan White or Jarred Kelenic. 

The Mariners have a chance to come out strong off the bat in the postseason. Hopefully these last few series can be a good ramp up for them. 

SIDENOTE: Blogger has been messing with blogroll stuff. They've picked a bunch of blogs to simply not comply with RSS feeds and drag to the bottom of blogrolls, and mine seems to be one of them on other blogs. Have no idea how to fix the issue, other than just assuming someone at Blogger will eventually fix the bug. Or something. Anyway, thanks to the people who are reading the blog without the help of blogrolls. 

Coming Tomorrow- A former Cy Young people still striking people out for competitive teams.

20 Years of Rain

 

The chances of the Mariners making the playoffs this year, and ending their 20 year long playoff drought, are...thin, but not zero. 

What it would take, and this is a lot...would be an immense winning streak in the next month, the Blue Jays to completely shut down, and also at least one other AL East team, preferably the Red Sox, to also completely shut down. For this all to work, the Mariners need to be better than the Red Sox, Yankees, A's and Blue Jays. They are not. So it will be very difficult.

But...there is more to say about this Mariners team than there has a lot of recent ones. It's similar to last year, where there's a surprising amount going on. Gonzales, Kikuchi, Crawford, France and Seager have all picked up where 2020 left off, and are a great backbone to the team. But this team also has a healthy Mitch Haniger, Jake Fraley hitting at MLB level, Tyler Anderson having been great in 6 starts, Joe Smith, Drew Steckenrider and Paul Sewald keeping the bullpen together, and clutch ability from Dylan Moore, Tom Murphy and now Abraham Toro. 

So...this is simply a good team waiting for better luck and a clearer division to soar in. And...it doesn't look like the Astros or Athletics are gonna tank anytime soon. 

I mean, look...this team was without James Paxton and Evan White this year, then lost Kyle Lewis, Shed Long, Nick Margevicius and Justin Dunn. Those are some very big pieces, and if they had a little more of people like that healthy, then maybe they would have stood a chance. But now you have to go 'well, if they're all back and healthy next year, will everyone who was good this year be still active, healthy and competent?'. And...I'm not sure. Could we be experiencing the peaks of Chris Flexen's, Ty France's and Jake Fraley's career outputs? Will another piece fall off?

These are the questions we need to ask with the Mariners. There is more going for this team than there has in a while, but...you still have to worry. 

Coming Tomorrow- A former Mariner, actually, who got the bright idea to suit up for a competitor.

T-Immobile

The 2020 Seattle Mariners. Otherwise known as 'two competent guys named Kyle and a lot of wasted space'.

I don't know how they keep doing this. I don't know how the Mariners can take what works in one season and have it completely fail in the next one. Dan Vogelbach, once the power source of this team in 2019, is hitting below the Mendoza line. Justus Sheffield, once an indicator of things to come in this rotation, isn't winning games. Evan White, who was brought up to propel a new youth movement, isn't hitting, and Jake Fraley, who was supposed to start the season in the outfield, hit a setback. Mallex Smith, Dee Gordon and Shed Long are all struggling as well. It's kind of hard to watch.

The weird part is...from a fundamental level, the rotation isn't too bad this year. Marco Gonzalez, Taijuan Walker, Sheffield and Nick Margevicius are all kind of doing alright, striking people out, doing modestly. They're just not winning games due to the lack of run support, and also because the bullpen is a little rocky this year.

Even if Kyle Lewis, J.P. Crawford and Kyle Seager keep doing well, there's not a lot of hope for this team. The A's, Rangers, and even Astros, have more momentum and are looking at playoff spots. The Mariners fall into the Pirates category of just not having enough good parts to work with.

Coming Tonight: Speaking of the Pirates, a slugger who got off that team at the exact right time.

The Mariners Got Weirder

...I...I give up, man.

The Mariners are just too weird for words. And not even like a fun-weird, like the Rays. This is just depressing weird.

You wanna know who's got the higher W.A.R. in Seattle right now? Tom Murphy, a backup catcher with 53 games and a .293 average under his belt. He's got a higher WAR than Marco Gonzales, Domingo Santana, Kyle Seager, Dee Gordon, and a bunch more people who've been around all season. That's how weird they are.

Not to discredit Marco Gonzales, who has been the rock of this shaky rotation. Even Yusei Kikuchi has been shaky as hell, and with Felix injured and everyone else in disarray, it's nice to have someone like Gonzales with a 13-10 record and a 4.30 ERA. It's not perfect, but for a last-place team, it'll definitely work.

You also have guys like Austin Nola and Tim Lopes who are doing impressive things off the bench, but...not enough of them. You've got Kyle Seager, who's come alive in the last few weeks. And you've got Daniel Vogelbach, who's hit 27 home runs. So...they still have SOME things going for them, but...they're still in last, in a division that will definitely be won by Houston, and will field a Wild Card successor in Oakland.

I keep hoping the Mariners will put it together eventually, but...I guess I just have to keep hoping.

Coming Tomorrow- Speaking of last place teams that were great at the beginning of the season...this one's got a great catcher...

Seattle's 3rd Best

The AL Wild Card race is the least complex one we've had in a while. 3 teams are in contention, not counting the Astros, who are close enough to stepping out of 1st (he says, on Monday when he's writing this): the Yankees, who have it wrapped up, the A's, who have the momentum of the gods, and the Seattle Mariners...who had a good run.

Again, it makes no sense eulogizing these teams in August, because they could take the next month and turn it all around, but despite the recent snap of power, things aren't looking great for the Mariners. James Paxton's injured, and their best pitcher right now is Marco Gonzales, who's...fine, but human. Mike Leake's doing a pretty nice job as well, but he hasn't notched as many wins as they'd like. And...Wade LeBlanc is a starting pitching option. Regardless of his nice numbers, it's not a great sign if Wade LeBlanc has to start games again.

Nelson Cruz has calmed down a bit, deferring to Mitch Haniger as the main source of power. Robinson Cano is technically back, but he's being used sparingly. Mike Zunino STILL can't hit over .200. Kyle Seager still strikes out too much. And even people like Denard Span and Jean Segura, who are playing well, aren't stopping this recent skid.

And it's sad, because the Mariners have been so unlucky in recent years with making the playoffs. They still have the longest playoff drought in baseball, and even with some great teams in recent years, they still haven't gotten anything to happen. And I'd thought this year would be the year, until the A's came along.

I can just hope that something turns around, and they come back and get that last Wild Card spot. I'm not certain, but I just hope they can end the drought.

Coming Tonight: Perennial standout at shortstop for the Giants.