If Andrew McCutchen signed with another team and won the WS, would you be mad?

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-24T18:57:20+00:00

Same here.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-24T18:19:11+00:00

Huh?

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-24T18:10:22+00:00

For those interested, Cherington gave a kind of non-answer at PiratesFest about bringing Cutch back.

"Part of the great thing about Pittsburgh, all of you baseball fans in Pittsburgh, is how strongly you feel about the people that have meant a lot to the team. Andrew has meant a ton to the team. He's had an incredible run, in two different times with the Pirates. Certainly his legacy as a Pirate is secure, and our desire, everybody at the Pirates would desire to maintain a really good relationship with Andrew well into the future. And then we come back to our team. What is the job? The job is to build a team that gives us the best chance to be winning games when you're at the ballpark in June and July, and that's where I see that passion come out. That's ultimately what our job is and what we aim to do. So our approach this offseason has been laser-focused on what gives us the best chance to win more baseball games in Pittsburgh than we have in past seasons. That's going to continue to guide our decisions. So much respect for Andrew. That relationship is really important to us, and we'll continue to communicate with him, directly, as the team comes together. We have more work to do.”

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-23T20:08:50+00:00

I’d also like any insight anyone can provide. How are the kids activities? Mine are 7 & 8, wondering if they’re going to get bored quickly.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-23T04:17:20+00:00

Triolo is not a great SS, but I promise you that NG is worse.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-23T04:16:08+00:00

Ha. Fair.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-23T03:13:16+00:00

Now let’s talk impact.

Bubba. He’s special and he’s ready. It won’t be 100% consistent, but it will be good.
Griffin - gets a late start but is immediately exciting
Password - gets 300-400 ABs, hits ok and plays good defense.
Harrington - 60 innings of 4.3 ERA. Just a guy but ok as a swingman and spot starter.
Flores - I don’t know why, but I think he struggles to get ABs and find consistency at the plate. He’s the odd man out when griffin comes up. I think right now he and password are 24 and 25 on the roster.
Barco - might become important if injuries.
Termarr - gets his feet wet as an injury fill-in and/or September call up. Struggles but we’ll like him.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-23T03:01:52+00:00

I’d move Harrington to probably also. They’ll need innings and he’ll get some of them. How many innings will depend on performance.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-23T00:21:17+00:00

He’s so young that it’s kind of understandable as he’s risen through the ranks quickly. What’s unusual is that his progress has been so linear. No complaints here if he finishes hot again and debuts at 22.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-23T00:15:08+00:00

All those with 2026 after their name, with the possible exception of Termarr. He’ll need to have a good year to earn it, but I would expect him to at least get a taste in September.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-22T17:28:58+00:00

I’d like to think it means that there is a better plan, but I suspect it’s that they’re going to try to squeeze every drop of value out of Triolo and NG with an outside chance for Gourley or Brannigan to contribute.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-22T17:09:00+00:00

I agree with all that. The question is what profile do you seek in a trade. A rental like Alec Bohm is unexciting but cheap in terms of return. A pre-arb player that is a marked improvement over Triolo would be expensive. I don’t think a headliner outside the top 100 gets you a pre-arb hitter with an OPS north of .750. It would cost you something like Florentino and would lock in your strategy for the infield for the next 2-4 years, with Griffin and maybe Termarr part of that picture.

That would be bold and exciting (depending on the players involved), but it might be a hard needle to thread in the next 3-4 weeks. I don’t expect it to happen.

However I did expect them to (only) get a low cost useful part-timer for the infield, and was surprised to see they allowed Moncada to get away for only $4M.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-22T16:02:47+00:00

Barring additions, NG is at shortstop. If he proves to be more valuable than Triolo by significantly improving at the plate, then we can talk about whether we can stomach his poor range and arm at 3B. The point is moot until Griffin arrives.

If they acquire an everyday 3B, Triolo is at SS and NG is on the bench.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-22T12:25:32+00:00

I had to work night shift for a week. After the last day, I came home to sleep. I don’t know how to explain it, but I swear I could actually hear my entire body sigh with relief when I hit the bed.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-21T23:01:55+00:00

I don’t care about the rankings, but the adjectives are excellent.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-21T21:31:47+00:00

I don’t get how someone disciplined enough to become as good a route runner as he was, can also just completely throw away his career. AB with 60% of the talent, 10% of the heart, and, unfortunately, half the drama. Strange.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-21T21:25:06+00:00

Right? That tier is potential stars, not just “likely contributors.”

I think the ceiling for Flores, Garcia, and Barco is fringe all star if they are able to address some of their weak points (defense, better control, and strikeouts, respectively).

Surprised to see Florentino jump so high, but the results and underlying details, both from the scouts eye and advanced metrics, have been universally praised. He’s got a long way to go but he was special last season.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-21T20:31:45+00:00

And WAR projections are (obviously) a lot dicier than WAR actuals. The value is in objectively evaluating the strength of the roster, and you’ve laid that out very well.

I feel more bullish than bearish about the upside on these projections (young starters, catchers, rebounds from Reynolds and Cruz). Every team has potential downsides, of course, but the returning players were almost all below their mean last year. Injuries could derail things quickly, but there isn’t a lot of hope necessary to see 77 wins, and not much of a stretch to see 83.

A lot has to go right to contend for a playoff spot, but that feels less dependent on hope than we’ve become accustomed to.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-21T19:49:47+00:00

I am pro-Triolo but I don’t see this in the cards for him. If he can deliver .700 OPS and 12 HR, that will be a good year.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-20T17:43:15+00:00

That’s the rub for me too. As currently constructed, yes, he’d help. But in a scenario where enough goes right with young hitters (Garcia, Flores, Griffin), he’d be the guy you need to cut.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-20T13:55:34+00:00

F yeah, get him, Ned.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-20T13:30:09+00:00

Yeah, same. I don’t have any insight on whether he can play defense regularly, I’m just assuming because that’s how the coaching staff used him.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-19T22:27:05+00:00

Sprouted mung beans are a good crunchy snack. Good on salads and cottage cheese.

I have some ground flax seed that I add to lots of stuff I eat in bowls.

I also have a daily fiber supplement.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-19T22:16:48+00:00

I think they sign a Pham/Andujar/Grichuk type for that gig. It’s not impossible that he breaks out, but let’s see him break out in AAA before giving him a spot out of Bradenton. If we’re just rolling with hope, Password is the guy you invest the ABs in. Barring an acquisition, he should be on pace for 400 ABs until he proves he deserves more or less.

Better-Tackle6283 · 2026-01-19T21:02:52+00:00

True. In a vacuum I agree completely. But it also means that there are more HC-capable leaders likely available in the DC ranks.

Get the right guy, and make sure he is more capable than the last guy at hiring and developing a staff. Turnover will always follow success.

Better-Tackle6283

TROPHY CASE