Who Are They Fooling?

by Charlie on May 8, 2008 3:05 AM EDT Comment 17 comments

Other teams have called the Pirates to inquire about trading for outfielders Jason Bay and Xavier Nady, but management is not prepared to move either -- or any primary contributor -- until it rules out contending in 2008.

The Pirates are seven games back in the standings already, and they have the talent of a 70-win team. If teams are calling and asking about Bay and Nady, would it not behoove the Pirates to listen?

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I thought the same thing when I read that,

but, like people on here have said many times before, Huntington can’t really come out and say something like…

"Oooohhh look, look, our pieces that we are desperate to trade are gaining value rapidly! What will you give me for them??"

by DITO on May 8, 2008 7:32 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Spin

Of course NH is going to say they will hold the pieces as long as they see themselves as contenders…no way NH thinks that is going to happen this year, but he is trying to A) drive up the price of Nady and Bay, especially given how desperate teams who are actually contending can get in July, and B) appease the non-blogging Pirate fans who don’t want to see these guys moved while the team is only 1/4 of the way through the season (conventional wisdom says 60 games in is when the action heats up—I think Ken Rosenthal mentioned this awhile back).

by SpacePirate on May 8, 2008 8:22 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree

Also, the Pirates does not want to distract the entire team and make the guys mentioned in the press feel like they already have one foot out the door if they still might be on the team for a couple more months.

Charlie, what would you say to the media if you were receiving only lowball offers for Bay and Nady and knew they’d get better as the season progressed?

by scoreboard on May 8, 2008 8:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know it’s spin—hence the title. I just think that, as spin goes, it’s pretty ridiculous.

by Charlie on May 8, 2008 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Or, at least, I think it could be spin. It probably is spin.

by Charlie on May 8, 2008 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

With the Reds contemplating trades

of Griffey and Dunn, maybe we should be aggressive in looking to trade Nady and/or Bay NLT than the end of June. Just a thought.

by patthatt on May 8, 2008 8:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That is a good idea

hopefully teams will be fooled into thinking Nady is a high-average, power-hitter and not prefer the track record of Griffey and Dunn

by DITO on May 8, 2008 8:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

THT win shares

just in case you didn’t realize how much McLouth and Nady are carrying the Bucs:

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/ten-things-i-didnt-know-last-week47/

by DITO on May 8, 2008 8:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

And Jason Bay

is about as valuable to the Bucs as the Giants Fred Lewis is to his team. At least by the stat in the article.

by Thunder on May 8, 2008 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

interesting...

... that three Pirates (Nate, Nady, Doumit) add up to more win shares (or WSAB) than the Pirates actually have. it says a lot about the crappy play of some of their teammates (mainly the starting pitchers, last night excluded, who are alas not named… how negative was Matt Morris’ WSAB?)

by humbucker on May 8, 2008 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Win Shares

One team win is worth three win shares. For no reason other than “Bill James thought it worked well”.

by matskralc on May 8, 2008 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If Huntington was telling the truth...

when he said he rejected offers for Bay and Nady over the winter because their perceived value was lower than his expected value for them then now is the time to trade Nady because we all know he can’t keep up this pace. He’s 30 years old and has never had a “break-out” season and it isn’t going to happen now. This is the perfect time in which to trade him because his stats will only fall as the season progresses. Get some young guys with extreme potential.

The same holds true for Bay who is finally hitting the ball with power to left field, something he didn’t do last year causing many to feel that his bat speed had diminished and also his ability to drive in runs.

Fans have to know that now is the time to trade them when their value is at its highest rather than at its lowest. I urge Huntington to stick to his word and pull the trigger now!

by Illinois Pirate Fan on May 8, 2008 10:11 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

99% agree

I feel like Nady could be good all year, just from watching the solid contact he makes. I just don’t see much of a chance of him continuing his success for seasons to come, even next season, so I agree that he should be gone.

by DITO on May 8, 2008 10:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

We're likely seeing his peak season

Trade him by the deadline. This looks to be the moment when his value has hit its peak.

Steve Z

by steve_z on May 8, 2008 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think you're being a bit harsh, Charlie

Yes, the idea of the Pirates contending this year is ludicrous, and they absolutely have to trade Nady this year. However, the article doesn’t say that NH isn’t “listening” to offers.

by humbucker on May 8, 2008 11:33 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Lets all join hands and pray

that Eric Hinske doesn’t hit anymore home runs in May…maybe NH will steal a starter from a team in contention for the first time

by DITO on May 8, 2008 11:35 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

it's all a dance

with some winks and promises hanging in the air

Buried in that article is a hilarious crybaby remark:

Jonathan Sanchez, the San Francisco starter rocked for seven runs in four-plus innings Tuesday, complained that PNC Park has “the worst mound I have ever pitched on” because it was too flat. No other pitcher, home or visitor, has complained about it, including his pitching counterpart Zach Duke, who had his best outing of the season.

by vherub on May 8, 2008 11:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs