Pirates Boring at Winter Meetings

by Trogluddite on Dec 11, 2009 8:51 PM EST

and I'm okay with that. I'm looking at MLBTradeRumors.com summary of the Winter Meetings and I would argue (if for no other reason than to pass time until spring training) that boring was good for the Pirates. Why? Let me count the ways....

* The Pirates did relatively little, but so did most other teams. The Astros, Brewers, Yankees, and Mariners were very active, a few other teams made limited moves. One of the more active teams was the Mets, who have been signing stopgap players - much like the Pirates did back in '03 when signing Joe Randa and Sean Casey because we literally had no one to play 3B or 1B. No one signed Jason Bay. No one traded (yet) for Doc Holiday or Dan Uggla or Roy Halladay.

* What the Pirates did is consistent with what other teams did. This tells me that our front office is not getting snookered as in the past. The Bobby Crosby uber-utility man signing is consistent with the Tigers signing Adam Everett or the Mariners signing Corey Patterson to a minor league deal or the Phillies signing Ross Gload. Signing Vinnie Chulk is roughly equivalent to the Astros signing Gary Majewski or the Red Sox signing Fabio Castro or Scott Atchison.

* The Pirates transactions met real needs, not PR (public relations) needs. We need bullpen depth. We need better bench players. We addressed these needs and did so in a prudent manner.

* The Pirates didn't do anything stupid. Want to re-sign Brian Giles for old-times sake? Check out his stats with the Padres last year. Want to trade some prospects for Ollie Perez? Didn't do it, wouldn't be prudent. Want to pick up a "name player" with baggage - Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, or Luis Castillo - just to show that you're serious about spending money? Nope. None of that either.

Did we pull out a "magic wand" and solve all of our problems for next year? No, but there is no magic wand. Let's say the Pirates offered Andy Pettitte or Brad Penny or Randy Wolfe a contract equivalent to those signed. Do we realistically expect that any of those players would sign with the Pirates? Unfortunately, money is not everything for some players and I would argue that these players would not sign with the Pirates (this year) even if we did mortage the future.

Thoughts? Comments? Beer?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the managing editor (Charlie) or SB Nation. FanPosts are written by Bucs Dugout readers.

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Comments

Beer.

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Dec 11, 2009 9:54 PM EST reply actions

cocktails

by BurgherKing on Dec 11, 2009 10:29 PM EST reply actions

yes?

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Dec 12, 2009 12:11 AM EST up reply actions

you know

like, beer. :-)

by BurgherKing on Dec 12, 2009 12:16 AM EST up reply actions

Ah. Thought you meant me.

I was using one of the options provided.

Of course, if “cocktails” had been one of them, I’d have gone with that. Always would, always will. Well, 90% of the time.

TMI, or too obvious, probably.

;-)

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Dec 12, 2009 12:29 AM EST up reply actions

I could also probably be construed

as misinterpreting on purpose to make a lame joke.

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Dec 12, 2009 12:30 AM EST up reply actions

pretty sure we had Freddy Sanchez and Craig Wilson in ’03

by Mr. E on Dec 11, 2009 10:31 PM EST reply actions

We Did Indeed

As the last in my series on being the Pirates GM will make clear. For some reason, I have in my mind that Craig was going to right field (I think that’s the year we traded Giles) and Freddy was not really a 3B – as I recall, he only went there because Randa was so bad and we truly had no one – this is when Neil Walker got shifted to be a Third Baseman and everyone thought that, if he hit, he was our 3B of the future.

by Trogluddite on Dec 12, 2009 8:36 PM EST up reply actions

Anyways

if Kelly Johnson is non-tendered, could he make the switch back to SS?

Also, http://www.prosportsdaily.com/comments/marlins-trying-hard-to-deal-uggla-305686.html

Renyell Pinto possible lefty reliever for Pirates? Strikes out a bunch, walks a ton, throws hard. He could make a nice replacement for Grabow.

by Mr. E on Dec 11, 2009 10:34 PM EST reply actions

Johnson hasn’t played SS since 2003, and isn’t particularly good defensively at 2B.

by ElDuce on Dec 11, 2009 10:37 PM EST up reply actions

Pinto...

seems like a typical NH signing.

by Slick1 on Dec 12, 2009 12:49 AM EST up reply actions

While coming up through the minors...

…Johnson may have played SS, but he was never seen as a guy who’d be able to stick at the position. He can handle 2B, 3B, and corner OF, but that’s about it.

I mean, we could have him stand out there and play the position the same way Bobby Bonilla used to play third base, but that doesn’t actually make him a shortstop.

by Vlad on Dec 12, 2009 7:10 PM EST up reply actions