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Bill Brink's Pirates Winter Meetings chat: 12.13.17
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Bill Brink
3:02
Good afternoon and welcome to today's Pirates chat. We'll get going in a minute or so; Clint Hurdle just finished his press conference.
james
3:03
It appears that the Pirates are rebuilding once again.Do you think they will move Clutch and Cole for some pitching prospects?
Bill Brink
3:04
I'm not so sure about rebuilding yet. If they move McCutchen and Cole, then that's the signal. I would think McCutchen is more likely to be moved than Cole based on the asking price, but there are fewer potential suitors for McCutchen than for Cole.
Slammingsam456
3:04
Who do you think that the Pirates should go after in the offseason?
Bill Brink
3:04
A legit fourth outfielder would serve them well. So would a lefty reliever, though they've discussed putting Brault in the bullpen. Power would help but history dictates they probably won't acquire that in free agency.
the Good Pirate fan
3:05
Hey Bill, thanks for taking time out of a busy week to do this. The Pirates have neither fully gone all in (year after 98 wins) nor have they completely torn down, is there a sense that one of those options SHOULD happen or will happen from mgmt?
Bill Brink
3:06
Management is not tipping its hand either way, and judging from what we know about Bob Nutting, his goal is to avoid going all in so that the team doesn't have to ever tear down and rebuild, or sink into debt like the team was in when he took over. Fans can agree or disagree with that, but he feels very strongly about avoiding the financial ruin he inherited from taking place again.
AK
3:06
What are the Pirates going to do with that 2 million dollars international money? Did they even try to sign one of those Braves prospects?
Bill Brink
3:07
They might trade some of it, and they might use some of it, Huntington said. Some of those Braves prospects are still out there.
OHIO412FAN
3:07
What do the pirates have to do in order to be a consistently winning team again? I honestly think their pitching is the biggest concern. I’m not as worried about offense. We have playmakers. What is your analysis of the current roster?
Bill Brink
3:09
The upside of the roster is high ... with lots of ifs. If Cervelli is healthy, if Polanco is healthy, if Marte produces, if McCutchen avoids another slow start, if Mercer can be league average, if Cole keeps the ball in the park, this could be a good team. To be a consistently winning team, they need to improve in the amateur draft, make more Rivero-esque trades and fewer Niese/Benoit-esque trades and get more production out of the players they've committed to that are on the roster.
AK
3:09
Why would the Pirates look for a 4th outfielder? They have Frazier and Luplow. Please don't tell me they think Frazier can handle infield
Bill Brink
3:10
Last season put into stark relief the need for a legitimate outfielder. Huntington implied that they'd like Luplow to start the year in triple-A. Polanco and Marte are not exactly bastions of health, so a true defensive fourth outfielder would keep them from doing the Jaso/Osuna thing from last year.
Mark
3:12
Bill, who would it take beside Gerrit Cole to pry Machado from the Orioles?
Bill Brink
3:12
I should have made this clearer in my tweet/story: Best I can gather, the Orioles listening on Machado is entirely separate from whatever scant interest they have in Cole. I heard they checked in, nothing more, no extended talks.
Bob
3:13
Bill will pirates making any trades at winter meetings
Bill Brink
3:13
I've found the meetings are somewhat like an exponential curve on a graph: It starts low and then everything ramps up Wednesday night. So theres' still time. They signed Morton on the Wednesday and traded Walker on the Wednesday.
OHIO412FAN
3:14
Will the Pirates ever step out of their boundaries and sign at least decent talent that is not of reclamation projects? Will they ever spend the Monday?
Bill Brink
3:14
I do think they'll sign non-reclamation guys. I don't know that they'll ever spend the money on big-name free agents that fans would like.
disappearing Pirate
3:15
Does the amount of the welfare checks distributed each year vary from team to team? Is there any accountability as to how it gets spent?
Bill Brink
3:16
It does vary from team to team depending on market rank as calculated in the new CBA. It is supposed to be spent on baseball operations but that definition is intentionally broad.
OHIO412FAN
3:16
In your opinion, why has this team been so miserable for so many years? I feel the owenership and front is to blame for lack of addressing the needs of this team willing to go the extra mile here and there to win. Instead, they seem to sit back and hope for the best.
Bill Brink
3:18
You can look at it one of two ways. Either they've been miserable for only two years, after three consecutive playoff appearances, or they've been miserable for 22 of the past 25 years. 2017 was largely bad luck. The front office is risk-averse because of the resources it has to work with, as well, though 2015 showed that they will make moves when presented with a good opportunity.
tonysufak
3:18
Well the cats out of the bag. 51million profit last year and they are still crying poor. when will NH be asked this question?
Bill Brink
3:19
He was, by me, during batting practice in April when Forbes' report came out. The short version is, while there are many, many legitimate reasons, backed in data, to criticize the team's spending habits and the budget that ownership provides for baseball operations, it's not like Huntington has $51 million in his pocket that he's not using.
OHIO412FAN
3:20
I know the Pirates are a small market team, but how do think the Pirates could be getting bang for their buck with a small salary and cap?
Bill Brink
3:20
Good drafts and savvy forecasting, either for players under control that they extend or underrated players on other teams they acquire.
matt
3:21
have there been any legitimate trade talks involving gerrit cole and clint frazier?
Bill Brink
3:21
It sounds like the price for Cole is high and teams that have checked in have not found traction, based on reports from other cities and national outlets, so while I would imagine he'd be a guy the Pirates would ask for, I don't think there have been serious discussions as of yet.
Go Bucs
3:21
What are the chances Cole is traded by end of meetings, and who's most likely destination?
Bill Brink
3:22
End of the meetings: probably not. Before opening day: a little higher. Yankees, Rangers, Orioles, Twins and Mariners all make sense, though really there are probably 23 teams that could use a good young cost-controlled starter.
@MrMetsNews
3:23
Has there been any further discussions between the Pirates and Mets about Josh Harrison?
Bill Brink
3:23
Probably, but nothing earth-shattering that's become public or that I've heard.
J. Luplow
3:24
What is my long term upside?  Everyday player? What are my strengths and weaknesses?
Bill Brink
3:26
Hi Jordan, hope you're enjoying the offseason. You've got pop -- 23 home runs at two levels last season -- and your strikeout-to-walk rate was solid. Your defense could use some polish, after minus-2 defensive runs saved in only 181 innings.
Go Bucs
3:26
If Yankees trade for Machado--which I believe would be a long shot--do they have anything left for Cole? I feel like they are the best fit, and maybe Andujar would free up, as he wouldn't be needed anymore.
Bill Brink
3:27
They'd have prospects left for Cole if they so chose, the question is whether they'd want to part with them after giving away prospects to Baltimore as well.
Frank
3:27
Huntington and Hurdle sign 4 Year extensions when they have to know winning the division is far out of reach. Why. No other teams interested in their service.
Bill Brink
3:27
The four years allows them to see through to the next wave if '18 and '19 are lean retool years.
AK
3:28
Can we assume that if Cole is traded, they're going for a quick rebuild? No way they're extending McCutchen. And with both Cole and McCutchen gone, that's not the Pirates' best team. They aren't going to get Longoria or some other 3B option and try to contend if that's the case.
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