Smart

by Charlie Wilmoth on Jan 12, 2007 1:30 AM EST in News

Junk like this just drives me crazy.

For most of this offseason, Littlefield has focused on LaRoche, the Braves' 27-year-old first baseman who hit 32 home runs last season. He has done so to the point of telling agents who represent hitters through free agency that the Pirates will make no move until they know for certain if they can land LaRoche...

...[T]he sides have exchanged other proposals, with Atlanta's wish being Gonzalez plus another player, possibly center fielder Chris Duffy. The Pirates' position on that, as one team official put it, was that "we'd be creating two holes to fill one."

Got that? Littlefield won't make any moves until he knows whether he can get LaRoche, and he probably can't get LaRoche because he won't trade Duffy. Littlefield has been completely paralyzed this offseason, and the reason why is apparently because Chris @#$* Duffy is so incredibly important. Why a 26 year-old with a blah minor league pedigree, a record that demonstrates questionable commitment to baseball, and a .700 career OPS should be so important as to completely derail an entire offseason is completely beyond me. By the way, that last bit of non-logic about "creating two holes to fill one" shows that the Pirates would agree with the narrator in the poem "Smart" by Shel Silverstein:

My dad gave me one dollar bill
'Cause I'm his smartest son,
And I swapped it for two shiny quarters
'Cause two is more than one!

So here are the two holes Littlefield doesn't want, at closer and center field.

O O

And here's the hole Littlefield would rather have, in the middle of the lineup:

Me, I'd rather worry about the two little holes, but unlike the narrator in the poem, I'm not, you know, "Smart."

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Comments

Duffy

We don't have any CF talent coming from the minors, so we can't trade him.

Ohhhh, crap. Forgot about that one kid, you know, the #1 draft pick. What's his name again?

It's A New Pirates Generation, everybody shout "Let's Go Bucs!"

by Cory on Jan 12, 2007 1:13 AM EST reply actions

Nice use of graphics, Charlie

I like Duffy, some, if he'd hit .280 and take some walks he could be a force, but criminy, it's not like we're talking Jim Edmonds or Andruw Jones here.

Memo to self: Narrow down options from poison, slitting wrists and bullet to the head.

But then who would man the Win Meter?

by bucdaddy on Jan 12, 2007 1:49 AM EST reply actions

DL

"He has done so to the point of telling agents who represent hitters through free agency that the Pirates will make no move until they know for certain if they can land LaRoche..."

Is it Trot Nixon's agent? Hope it's a one-year deal. I'm getting bored waiting for the Pirates to do something, but I'm also part of the crowd that is happy to see Littlefield avoid mistakes.

by bolton on Jan 12, 2007 6:59 AM EST reply actions

I think

I get this reasoning and it scares me. I don't agree with it, but I think I can see the "logic" behind it. I am now painfully depressed and will seek counselling.

It's not Duffy's offense that I think the Pirates are scared of losing (although this is an organization that though Adrian Brown was MLB caliber). It's his defense - you win with Pitching (Gonzalez) and Defense (Duffy), not offense (LaRoche).

Geoff Jenkins, while expensive, might be a decent gamble. It would accomplish a few things - import a name MLB player (always important), boost payroll (regardless of how much Milwaukee kicks in) and add a potential rebound candidate to the offense. Plus leadership and whatever else. if you could get Jenkins cheap (and I mean Javier Guzman cheap) then why not? For a team that won't do anything this year, it might pay off to stick Jenkins in RF and the 5 spot of the lineup and see if he bounces back. If not, well, this is the team that let Burnitz play last season.

Will this happen - probably not. But of all the possibilities, I would rate this one as accomplishing the most on Littlefield's checklist.

by Greg Schuler on Jan 12, 2007 9:09 AM EST reply actions

Agree on Jenkins, and as for Duffy...

I don't disagree with Charlie's theory on holes, but, as Duffy apologist, I think his future value may be higher. It would be a good trade, Duffy and Gonzo for LaRoche, but I can respect not doing it based on perceived/potential future value.

azibuck

by azibuck on Jan 12, 2007 9:16 AM EST up reply actions

Here's the difference

Between a Billy Beane and a Dave Littlefield.

If Adam LaRoche is the guy you have to have and you can make the trade, you make it - send Gonzalez and Duffy and get back LaRoche. A good GM doesn't sweat replacing Duffy or Gonzalez - both, honestly, are pretty fungible positions and it shouldn't be impossible to replace the lost production. Torres is your closer and you let one of the many relief prospects fight for a job. And you look for a guy like say Brady Clark and put him in CF for a season until McCutcheon is ready.

Duffy may break out and Gonzalez may stay healthy and productive. But Torres should be able to replace Gonzales over a season and if McCutcheon is for real, he's coming up sooner than later.

That's the difference and it pains me to no end that Littlefield can think like this.

by Greg Schuler on Jan 12, 2007 9:21 AM EST up reply actions

The difference between Beane and DL

Is that Beane wouldn't find himself in a situation where Adam LaRoche or anyone else is "the guy you have to have."

azibuck

by azibuck on Jan 12, 2007 12:24 PM EST up reply actions

giving up a player to get geoff jenkins...

...i think i just threw up in my mouth a little bit

by johnnycuff on Jan 12, 2007 11:00 AM EST up reply actions

And

Charlie: Me, I'd rather worry about the two little holes, but unlike the narrator in the poem, I'm not, you know, "Smart."
Dave Littlefield: I'm [the Pittsburgh Pirate General Manager, Charlie] and I [won't treade Duffya nd Gonzalez]!
Charlie: That's the way [most Pittsburgh fans] wanted it.
Dave Littlefield: It ain't the way I wanted it! I can handle things! I'm smart! Not like everybody says... like dumb... I'm smart and I want respect!

by Greg Schuler on Jan 12, 2007 9:14 AM EST reply actions

Oh, BTW

Duffy is going to be 27. If he has a prime coming, it's now or never. Roll of the dice, cause it ain't like he's 22 and might have a glorious 12-year career ahead of him.

And I don't disagree with Dejan too much, but he refers in today's piece to Jenkins having a "rare" off season last year. I'm sorry, but 32-year-old-plus players who have off seasons are 99 times out of 100 on the permanent slide and will not, repeat, will not bounce back (see: Casey, Sean, and Burnitz, Jeromy). He'd have to be EXTREMELY cheap for me to worry about him. And the same applies to Trot Nixon, who has been on more than a one-year slide (tho, OK, he might be useful in a platoon; he might be finished too) ...

Geez, why do I care?

Dropping the Win Meter to 63, just out of pure peevishness.

by bucdaddy on Jan 12, 2007 10:56 AM EST reply actions

Oh damn

I started arguing with myself over at Honest Wagner and now I'm not so sure. For their part, the Braves could put Duffy in center, move Andruw to a corner and have a seriously formidable defensive outfield. If we give him up, which might not be a great idea.

by bucdaddy on Jan 12, 2007 12:11 PM EST reply actions

Strengthening the opponent

Trades should be done to improve your team. Worrying about how the player you trade might affect the performance of your adversaries is secondary, if not wholely unimportant. The only time you should consider how the other team might perform with your player is if you're looking to use that information as leverage in a trade, but even then it shouldn't govern your thinking.

by Willton on Jan 12, 2007 12:58 PM EST up reply actions

E-lodge

I didn't mean it was a consideration -- you want a trade to work well for the other guy too, so he'll want to deal with you again -- I was just making small talk, just saying there might never be a ball hit the ground in that outfield.

by bucdaddy on Jan 12, 2007 10:28 PM EST reply actions