Ummm.... ate some crow on that along with Zippo I remember .
....but in my heart of hearts I always excused my defeatism with the Therrien plus trades caveat!
I still think we would have been nowhere without those moves :stuckup: .
I agree. There was no excuse for the team to be outside of a playoff spot at any point last season. Thankfully the move was made, and off they went.
As far as this season...arguments....I think Staal at wing is dead. I *really* liked the way Bylsma rotated the three during the playoffs. I know he can't do that all season long, but I thought that was a brilliant use of the resources. Can't promise the "free up the cap space" argument won't pop up though...
The biggest argument will involve Sid and Geno. Either the powerplay or who's the better player. But it will be there.
Unless I missed it there are no comments on the Kessel trade and his subsequent signing for over $5 million per year for five years. Boston got a faily nice return for being under the gun but still a couple of picks that might become nothing. And the picking of Staal over Kessel certainly adds an element to this story.
Unless I missed it there are no comments on the Kessel trade and his subsequent signing for over $5 million per year for five years. Boston got a faily nice return for being under the gun but still a couple of picks that might become nothing. And the picking of Staal over Kessel certainly adds an element to this story.
as it's turned out so far -- while the guys shero passed on (toews, backstrom, kessel) are arguably better players in a vacuum, staal is looking like the best fit for a team that already had crosby and malkin.
as valuable as those other three are, it's hard to imagine the pens winning the cup last season with one of them in place of staal.
as it's turned out so far -- while the guys shero passed on (toews, backstrom, kessel) are arguably better players in a vacuum, staal is looking like the best fit for a team that already had crosby and malkin.
as valuable as those other three are, it's hard to imagine the pens winning the cup last season with one of them in place of staal.
Arguably is the word. Seems a parallel to the Fleury pick a few years before to me. The Elder Staal has been arguably the better pick . . .arguably . . . but certainly was not the better pick for the Pens. And both Fleury and Staal may still turn out to be the best players to boot. I certainly am not complaining.
Questions of contracts with Letang and Gonchar along with Gogo's play will be the main talk this whole season. At least thats what I will put a bet on.
2nd place will be who gets the dedicated spot on Malkins wing.
It's not just the Penguins. These days, fans of every sport think they deserve to see their team win 100% of the time and as soon as things go wrong, they demand a change in the position it's easiest to make a quick change in.
Even though I'm not a Pirates fan, they've got their crap together now also.
Huh? How could you come to this conclusion? The certain 100 losses this year? 17th losing season which is almost certain to reach 18 next year? No commitment to spend more than a bottom three in the league salary or to trade away any player that is up and coming who might earn more than a couple million dollars other than a vague 'we may spend more someday'?
In all seriousness what tagible thing or things have the Pirates done to show definitively that they are serious about ever being competitive? They may someday, I doubt it to the point of not believing a word that comes out of any of their mouths, but I suppose theoretically it is possible. But what tangible proof right now is there that 'they've got their crap together now'? All I see is tangible proof of the opposite.
Huh? How could you come to this conclusion? The certain 100 losses this year? 17th losing season which is almost certain to reach 18 next year? No commitment to spend more than a bottom three in the league salary or to trade away any player that is up and coming who might earn more than a couple million dollars other than a vague 'we may spend more someday'?
In all seriousness what tagible thing or things have the Pirates done to show definitively that they are serious about ever being competitive? They may someday, I doubt it to the point of not believing a word that comes out of any of their mouths, but I suppose theoretically it is possible. But what tangible proof right now is there that 'they've got their crap together now'? All I see is tangible proof of the opposite.
Giving $6M to Alvarez?
Giving nearly all of their mid-late round picks above-slot money this season? The Pirates are doing the right thing under Huntington in not giving midlle of the road vets our limited resources, but by spending money in the draft. That's the way it should be done, as evidenced by teams like TB, FLA, and Oakland.
People are so up in arms because we traded away mediocre baseball players, with whom we lost plenty of games, with limited forseeable control over for tons of years of control and some prospects who very well may turn into something.
We'll see just how committed we are in this upcoming draft if Bryce Harper is still available when we're up.
Giving nearly all of their mid-late round picks above-slot money this season? The Pirates are doing the right thing under Huntington in not giving midlle of the road vets our limited resources, but by spending money in the draft. That's the way it should be done, as evidenced by teams like TB, FLA, and Oakland.
People are so up in arms because we traded away mediocre baseball players, with whom we lost plenty of games, with limited forseeable control over for tons of years of control and some prospects who very well may turn into something.
We'll see just how committed we are in this upcoming draft if Bryce Harper is still available when we're up.
$6 mil. to Alverez followed by picking a player nobody had even in the top 20 or 30 at number 4 the next year because he would sign and for cheap. Granted they spent a few million dollars on some later picks but their payroll now (and for the better part of this year) is $24 million dollars. Read that again, $24 million dollars. Until the Pirates actually show some proof that they will spend on a payroll at some point that is not below what most minor league teams pay, then they have proven nothing. Right now I see no reason to give them any benefit of the doubt. If this ownership has proven nothing over the past two and a half decades that they have owned the Pirates it is that they will never spend a dime that will cut into the tens of millions that they make each year. Spending some baseball equivilent of chicken feed on some minor leaguers while keeping the payroll one twentieth of some baseball teams does not convince me that they have changed a thing. Combine every dime that they spent on payroll for their entire team, and those $9 million in bonuses to draft picks that has you all excited over the future and it is almost less than what the Yankees spend on one player. As far as I am concerned the $9 mil. spent was cheap smoke and mirrors to keep the suckers coming through the turnstiles. I see absolutely nothing to think otherwise and a LOT over the years to support my point of view. I really wonder what has changed to think otherwise. The Nuttings still own the team and still have not spent anything substantive. I hope that I am proven wrong, but I know that I am right. If any of those players turn out they will be gone faster than you can say Nutting paycheck. And the Pirates will never have a payroll above bottom three in baseball as long as they are owners. Believe what you will. There is a whole lot more to support my point of view than the opposite. But who knows, maybe someday Lucy will not pull the ball away and will let Charlie Brown kick the football. Charlie Brown sure believes every year that this is the year she means it. Maybe the Nuttings really, truly mean it this time too. Heh.
We'll see just how committed we are in this upcoming draft if Bryce Harper is still available when we're up.
Although I would like to believe that, I think we're not in position to. We'll definitely have a top 3 pick but I doubt Harper makes it past the Natinals who will more than likely have the 1st pick.
But if we do have a chance to and we select him and pay him (Boras client) then I'll have a little more faith in the ownership.
When your team is mainly pre-arbitration payroll doesn't really mean talent. See: 08 Rays
When your team under the present ownership has only spent beyond a bottom three payroll one year (the first in the new stadium) in almost three decades of ownership, who you are developing in the minors means nothing if you do not believe that they will spend a dime or keep those players, or to add to them to round out the team and fill in holes (as TB did) even if they do develope. So, even if the Pirates become a more productive pipeline of talent to St. Louis, Chicago and the Yankees as they become better at drafting and developing talent. That is supposed to make me excited? What in the Nuttings behavior makes you believe that when the rubber hits the road and it comes time to put up or shut up that they will put up? They have been one of the top three revenue producing teams in the league for years now, better than the Yankees, Red Sox, St. Louis or the Cubs. THe Nuttings give that up and actually open their walletsand NOT make an obscene profit for even one year ever? Please.
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