SB Nation Pittsburgh Editor's Pick

Huntington at VT Round Table

by NHpiratefan on Nov 12, 2011 10:24 PM EST

Round table event to support Vermont Farmers Disaster Relief Fund was hosted by Buster Onley and had Huntington, Theo Epstein and Brian Cashman. Great discussion of baseball issues, Huntington took some heat on the Bay trade, while some praise on Tabata.

Very impressed by Huntington's honesty and frankness. He stayed long after the discussion to meet with Pirate fans and answer questions.

Alright, on to Pirate information: On Marte - Needs time in AAA. Projects him to spend all of this year and the start of 2013 in AAA. However, he said he is a better CF than McCutchen now. When asked if McCutchen would move to LF, he said he was not going to tell him that.

On Yoennis Cespedes - Pirates are out on him. Too expensive. He motioned over to Cashman that he (the Yankees) were going to get him.

On Grossman - Had surgery and will resume baseball activities in 4 to 6 weeks. Should be full force this spring however it may sap some power this year. Not concerned about long term effects from the injury.

Taillion - Working on establishing the fastball down in the zone. Can dominate with breaking pitches at his level, but working on how to pitch and polish his pitches.

Cole & AFL pitchers - Not concerned about his Futures blow up. He was trying to throw 147. Was great to see 4 Pirate pitchers throw 98 or better in a day.

Jeff Locke - Needs more time in AAA. Sees him as a future starter with some more location work.

Expects McCutchen to lead by example and Walker to lead the team this year. Starts with those two.

Still expects big things out of Alvarez this year and is not looking at any sort of replacement at 3B, just contingency plays in case Pedro is not in shape or not productive early in the year. Great event for an area that is still recovering.

Many good deals in auction items can be found here

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

That is definitely some frankness. You’re lucky to be able to chat with him or just attend an event where he’s in the discussion. Let’s all hope Alvarez has a bounce back year – that would do wonders for the organization.

by CO_Bucs on Nov 13, 2011 12:25 AM EST reply actions

did u ask about possible free agents?

by Crusade on Nov 13, 2011 7:12 AM EST reply actions

I can tell you the answer:

“It’s a very weak market. We’ll continue to look for free agents who are a fit for us and who can help improve our ballclub.”

You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.

by WTM on Nov 13, 2011 7:43 AM EST up reply actions

Great post!

Thanks for the info.

Sure we can be able to obtain a U bat. Like a Benemit.

by BadAndy on Nov 13, 2011 7:34 AM EST via mobile reply actions

He's fun to talk to,

isn’t he?

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Nov 13, 2011 8:57 AM EST reply actions

Really impressed

Felt like he wanted to stand around and just talk baseball with people.

by NHpiratefan on Nov 13, 2011 9:20 PM EST up reply actions

When IAPiratesFan and I went up to MIL

on the last Monday of the season, he was in the dugout, and I called him over and introduced myself (he had recently done the Rumbunter Podcast for the first time), and we shot the breeze for about 15 minutes or so, uninterrupted. Just really nice, and yes – he would talk about baseball for about 3 hours if he could.

When we taped the latest podcast this past Tuesday night, he said a few things that we couldn’t (actually, promised we wouldn’t) use, but perhaps I can relate that at the next Gathering.

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Nov 13, 2011 9:50 PM EST up reply actions

Tell us!

Stop blackmailing me into coming to the Gathering that’s 4 hours away, but only during baseball season. The rest of the year its about an hour. :(

Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend

by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Nov 13, 2011 11:36 PM EST up reply actions

Hey - it's an 8-hour drive for me,

and that hasn’t stopped me 2 years running!

Perhaps 3rd time’s the charm for you…

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Nov 14, 2011 12:39 AM EST up reply actions

it’s an 8-hour drive for me,

Bitch please.

by BlindSquirrel on Nov 14, 2011 7:14 PM EST up reply actions

hahaha!

Hey – I told you before – start saving up, mate.

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Nov 14, 2011 7:34 PM EST up reply actions

Ya

Bitch please

Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend

by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Nov 15, 2011 11:51 AM EST up reply actions

:D

by BlindSquirrel on Nov 14, 2011 7:14 PM EST up reply actions

Thanks, NH.

Both of you.

by bucdaddy on Nov 13, 2011 10:40 AM EST reply actions

Thanks very much for the summary, NH. Huntington is a pretty engaging guy to listen to when he’s actually willing to, you know, talk.

No jinx no jinx no jinx.

by Suffering Buc on Nov 13, 2011 12:59 PM EST reply actions

Thanks NH

Good post for a good cause.

Yinzers uber alles

by BostonBuc on Nov 13, 2011 2:13 PM EST reply actions

Good post

On Yoennis Cespedes – Pirates are out on him. Too expensive. He motioned over to Cashman that he (the Yankees) were going to get him.

Boooo, although I don’t blame the Front Office.

Anyone ask about updates concerning an extension for Cutch. That needs to be the Pirates most important endeavor this offseason if you ask me. If we can get two extra years of free agency, we’re looking at a window through 2017. Presumably Walker shouldn’t be too hard to keep around in Pittsburgh, and we have Tabata. Add Cutch, and that looks like a solid core to build around for the next SIX years. In addition, maybe we can keep around Morton or JMac around that long. I’m presuming Alvarez will walk after 2016, but that’s a nice 5 year window with him!

Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend

by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Nov 13, 2011 2:26 PM EST reply actions

I've often wondered...

….if a deal in the 6 year/$54-$58MM range would be enough to get Cutch done. Great deal on the Bucs’s part, particularly as it would buy out two years (I think ) of FA for Cutch, but I’d have to guess because of that, he’d be aiming higher.

Jose Tabata is the truth

The following is a list of everything Darren McFadden is bad at: 1) Giving birth. End of list.

by Raybin on Nov 14, 2011 12:37 PM EST up reply actions

Kemp might get 8/160

Now, that buys out something like six years of FA instead of one or two, but setting the market rate… it’s into Kemp’s decline years, and there’s inflation, so let’s say that means that Cutch should be getting $25M for each of his first two free agency years. If his three arb years are 40/60/80 percent of $20M, that makes them $36M total. Plus let’s say $2M for the last minimum-cost year.

So just on a crazy back-of-the-envelope calculation, I think 6/88 would be fair to Cutch. Maybe the guaranteed payout is worth something like $10M to him, but that only takes us to 6/78. Oh well.

Not actually affiliated with whygavs.

by WHYG Zane Smith on Nov 14, 2011 2:31 PM EST up reply actions

Without knowing the Bucs financials...

…6/78 or less seems like something they can do. Anything more than that, and I’m not so sure.

Jose Tabata is the truth

The following is a list of everything Darren McFadden is bad at: 1) Giving birth. End of list.

by Raybin on Nov 14, 2011 2:50 PM EST up reply actions

Thx. Good stuff.

NH is always good in these forums—-too good for his own good. Can you imagine if Theo or Cashman made similar comments about Cutch for one of their big guys. Talk about a media shit storm. I went to an event w NH a few years ago and he chuckled when talking about McLouth’s gold glove.

by Horace Clarke on Nov 13, 2011 4:18 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Too good for his own good...

Agreed. I don’t understand the logic behind the Cutch – Marte comment. Nothing to gain by making it and lots to lose even if Cutch finds it mildly annoying.

“Never tell anyone outside the Family what you are thinking again” – Don Corleone

"Don Mossi was the complete five-tool ugly player. He could run ugly, hit ugly, throw ugly, field ugly and ugly for power.

by Pagliaroni on Nov 14, 2011 9:34 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, when I mentioned his fielding being sub par by metrics to him he mentioned that the All-star game throw he made left an impression on people, and how reputation seems to be big when it comes to judging fielding

I then asked him why the metrics had him as a better fielder in Atlanta, and if it had to do with them positioning him better and he sidestepped it by saying that the Pirates felt that McLouth’s big skill was going back to get the ball and that is why they played him more shallow than standard, and that’s why he wasn’t deployed at traditional depth.

by Justin Mos on Nov 14, 2011 10:17 PM EST up reply actions

Is there a link to watch it?

by buccobat on Nov 13, 2011 6:03 PM EST reply actions

Cameras were there from Vermont Tech

Not sure if it will be broadcast or not.

by NHpiratefan on Nov 13, 2011 9:23 PM EST up reply actions

Ahem

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2011/11/13/2560041/community-pitching-prospect-7-runoff

Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend

by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Nov 13, 2011 11:39 PM EST reply actions

Vote for Jameson!

by BadAndy on Nov 14, 2011 12:07 PM EST up reply actions

Only vote for him if you really think he’s better than Bundy and Hultzen. That site’s a pretty good resource, and we shouldn’t corrupt it with our homer votes, much as we’d like to.

Anyway, I’ll vote Taillon. I don’t see how anybody can logically but Hultzen ahead of him. Taillon’s upside is a fair bit better than Hultzen’s. And he’s similar to Bundy only a year ahead in development, so I’ll pick him.

No jinx no jinx no jinx.

by Suffering Buc on Nov 18, 2011 11:05 AM EST up reply actions