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Bill Brink's Pirates chat: 7.25.18
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Garrett
12:31
Who gets a spot on the 25 man roster first, Jung Ho Kang, Kevin Newman, or Kevin Kramer?
OHIO412FAN
12:31
Is it likely the Pirates call up Kang this year? Will he get another major league shot?
Bill Brink
12:32
Kang is going to start swinging a bat here soon because whatever was wrong with his wrist has settled down. He could be up in a couple weeks or possibly when rosters expand in September. He'll start as a power bat off the bench and get a start or two, and they'll see where it goes.
Bill
12:32
In your opinion what is the percentage that NH makes a deal in the next week? I think another bullpen arm needs acquired at minimum.
Bill Brink
12:33
I'd say high percentage they do something, and I'd agree that bullpen is a likely spot to upgrade.
OHIO412FAN
12:33
Are the Pirates for real, legit? I always heard the talk from Clint Hurdle before the winning streak about how they believed they had the right group of guys.
Bill Brink
12:34
I thought they might not be as good as they were through mid-May and definitely not as bad as they were in June and early July. They will probably eventually lose a game, but maybe they're closer to the early part of the season than June, and an upgrade or two and some health could make them more than that
Esteban Loiza
12:35
Adam Conley is getting some hype. Is there an Adam Conley in waiting out there who maybe hasn't been shifted to the bullpen yet that Huntington can do a voodoo JA Happ initial acquisition on and surprise us?
Bill Brink
12:35
Possibly, but those are tougher to predict when teams don't have their staffs working with the guy every day and learning his pysche
Mike
12:35
What does it take for a player to be made a “top prospect”? With the way will Craig is hitting do you think he’s on his way to becoming that?
Bill Brink
12:38
That's a good question, and I won't have as good an answer as the people who do prospect stuff for a living, but I'll give it a try. It's a combination of proximity to the majors, current skills, future projection and position. Players in the middle of the diamond -- catchers, pitchers, second basemen, shortstops and center fielders -- are more valuable because they're harder to find, and players often move off those positions as they advance through pro ball. A 19-year-old with great raw ability could be ranked below a 23-year-old in triple-A because the triple-A guy has shown he can perform at a high level. It's more art than science. Craig might have some trouble getting there because of his position and his lack of a run tool, but if his bat continues to play like this, he could get there.
Wayward
12:39
Am I the only one that thinks NH should pursue marginal upgrades as in the BP rather than some grandiose SP or an impact bat?  I still think this teams best years are right in front of them and any trade focused solely on win now is a little misguided?
Bill Brink
12:39
In the sense that they won't lose anybody of importance to free agency this offseason, you could be right. Huntington will have to weigh the long-term outlook with the fact that his team is on fire and only six games out.
OHIO412FAN
12:40
What do the Pirates need to do in order to get to the postseason?
Bill Brink
12:40
Beat the Cubs a bunch of times.
(Continue to pitch well, add a reliever, get some offensive help from someone in their infield.)
Cos Nation
12:41
Alright, since you doused the Degrom dream for all of us, how about Big Game James Shields and joakim Soria.  Both are rentals. Half of Shields' contract is being paid by the Padres.
Bill Brink
12:42
The way Shields is pitching now he's not a huge upgrade, but he does push everyone back a spot and add depth, which is important with Kuhl out for a while (and Shields has been much better since April). Soria would make a ton of sense and they're familiar with him as well.
Wayward
12:44
Outside of Meadows and Newman, who in Indy has the highest trade value, and what could it get the Bucs?
Bill Brink
12:46
Well, Keller, but I don't think he'll be on the table. Newman and Kramer have value. The market changes by the day -- Eovaldi probably already reset it for pitchers -- so it's tough to say exactly what they could bring, and it also depends on how much the acquiring team likes them.
El Coffee
12:47
Would you look at Matz as well for a possible LHP with Happ?  His talent is undeniable and he would be a great fit in our park in my opinion.
Bill Brink
12:48
I don't think they'll get Happ, let alone both of them. Matz is controllable and having both a healthy and a good season, which has been a struggle for him, so the Mets could look to capitalize, but I don't think they'll start trading their young starters without a firmer front-office plan.
John
12:48
Would Tyler Eppler be a candidate for a spot start in the future? Seems to be putting together a good year
Bill Brink
12:50
I think so. He's had a nice season, better than his first go-round in Indy last year, and he's doing a better job of keeping the ball in the park.
Dinosaur
12:50
Does it help in the negation process if the team you are negotiation with is in town for series at the deadline? I only ask because a few Met’s names have been brought up in conversation.
Bill Brink
12:50
Not really. Everything is done via text and e-mail these days. Sometimes free-agent negotiations go better in person, but not trades as much.
Morty
12:51
why bring up Frazier?  He's hit even worse in Indy than in Pittsburgh?  Is it because Moroff was just optioned and can't be brought back yet?
Bill Brink
12:51
That is indeed part of it. Moroff can't come back up for 10 days unless someone goes on the DL.
Dinosaur
12:51
How will this team be received when they come home tomorrow as they haven’t been in town since the break?
Bill Brink
12:51
Given that they'll either have won 12 in a row or 11 of 12, I'd say they'll get a nice reception.
Charlotte John
12:53
hypothetical, would you trade the pieces back to Houston for G.Cole
Bill Brink
12:53
You'd have to think about it given the way Cole's pitched and the way Feliz has pitched, though Musgrove looks like a solid addition.
Buccoragg
12:53
Barring trades, who are the starting 5 pitchers next year?
Bill Brink
12:54
Taillon Nova Musgrove Kuhl Williams? I don't see much change. Keller will be banging on the door and it's possible Kingham outpitches one of them.
Cannonball
12:56
Is Dickerson starting to enter NL MVP conversation?
Bill Brink
12:56
It's wide open in the NL, and he's having a good year, but I'd still have him behind several players. If he keeps it up he could get some down-ballot votes, though.
Drew
12:56
Given the way he has swung the bat all year and the with streak he is on now, should the Pirates be looking at signing Dickerson for the near future and make sure they have depth in the outfield with Marte, Polanco, Meadows and Dickerson.
Bill Brink
12:57
I don't think so, because all three are starting-caliber players. It's tough to rotate them through. They're probably better served moving one and improving a weakness elsewhere.
Facts!
12:58
A few chats ago, a chatter made the comment that the Pirates "slashed" payroll after 2015, and you basically said there was validity to their question. This narrative couldn't be more wrong, and when I see someone perpetuate it, it bugs me. Sure, you can question whether the moves were right, but the Pirates increased payroll a lot during and after 2015. The madness needs to stop!
Bill Brink
1:00
Hi, Ethan, good to have you with us. According to the AP's reporting of season-ending salaries, the Pirates finished 2015 at $98.9 million. They opened 2016 at $98.7 million and ended it at $99.8 million. They did not slash it, you are right. What they also didn't do -- and what the answer was intended to get at, though why should I be precise with words, it's not like I write for a living -- is sufficiently add talent to a 98-win ballclub.
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