Official 2012-13 Pirates Off-Season Thread

[MWB]

Edes saying Melancon could also be going to Pirates.

[kovyfalcon27]

Why is it taking so long to find out the last three players who are probably minor league nobodies?? Seems weird.

[Rocco]

Only thing you are missing is the quick overreaction.

I saw someone on Twitter describe Hanrahan as 2003 Aramis Ramirez. How's that for overreaction?

[FreeCandy44]

Good friend decided to buy me a pirates shirt for x mas. I am now the proud owner of a Pedro shirt. The man who I ripped all summer. My friend thought this was hilarious.

[offsides]

Good friend decided to buy me a pirates shirt for x mas. I am now the proud owner of a Pedro shirt. The man who I ripped all summer. My friend thought this was hilarious.

With friends like that, guess you don't need any enemies.

[ville5]

Cause all the reporters died of laughter when they found out dopey opie gave up Jones and Hammer for four scrubs??

[beerman]

Only thing you are missing is the quick overreaction.

I saw someone on Twitter describe Hanrahan as 2003 Aramis Ramirez. How's that for overreaction?

Lol I saw that one, by far the funniest thing I saw yesterday.

[Fire0nice228]

I like Hanrahan so I'm disappointed to see him traded but it did seem like his best pitch last season was "ball 4". I'll always remember a save he had against the D-Backs right around the all star break where it only took him like 13 pitches to strike out the side to win. I was pumped. oh well.

RTJR

[Tim Thomasen]

Bob Smizik doesn't like the return the Pirates got for Hanrahan

http://communityvoices.sites.post-gazet ... s-the-rush


Therefore, this was a very good deal by the Pirates.


But seriously, I have no problem dealing Hanrahan. He was fairly wild for most of the year and it took him an eternity to get people out and close out games. It was time to deal him for some sort of return.

[FreeCandy44]

My goatee is still better then Joel's.

[SolidSnake]

Now all the pirates need is a 2013 version of Pat Meares. World Series

[pfim]

Hanrahan is a solid reliever, nothing more.

Still, not quite sure I understand the purpose of the trade, other than it being a pure salary dump. They're collecting AAAA 1B/OF types in the hopes that one will break out? Not sure that's the best strategy. I think Pimentel's ceiling at this point is that of Hanrahan, I don't think he's going to make it as a starter.

The other two guys, I would assume won't be difference makers (not that I'd expect one for Hanrahan). If Melancon is one, he's a decent pitcher (don't look at his ERA) but you can find 10 Melancon's on the open market, the Pirates have found pitchers just as good if not better without giving up any player assets in the recent past.

[Mr. Colby]

Of course this is a salary "dump", but what's wrong with that?

How can you justify paying 7 million to a guy who's going to pitch like 60 innings (if you're the Pirates)? I put "dump" in quotes because really it's more of a salary reallocation.

Spoiler:

LOL i said dump

[ville5]

Bottom of screen on MLB network just said Red Sox finalized the trade but didn't show names involved.

[PhantomJB93]

I heard speculation we were giving them a second player and that player was Jones. Pure speculation, but I really don't think Jones is someone we need to trade right now, especially coming off a career year where he was our third best hitter (on a team that could barely hit).

[FreeCandy44]

Is it bad that now Steelers are done and hockey is still locked out, im actually looking forward to baseball season?

[offsides]

Is it bad that now Steelers are done and hockey is still.locked out, .im actually looking forward to baseball season?

Yes

[Troy Loney]

I'm sick of NH, i'm ready to run him out of town. This is such a worthless trade, this looks like the second terrible offseason in a row. I was all for giving him a pass after he terrible 2012 signings of Barmes, Bedard and Barajas...then he turns aroud and signs two more expensive scrubs this offseason and then at the same time ships out his all star closer for a pile of garbage.

[Idoit40fans]

Im not sure what the issue is with this deal. The pirates always have a strong bullpen, you can complain if the bullpen collapses this year, but if that doesnt happen, this is unquestionably a good deal. This is a fine offseason.

[Tim Thomasen]

I'm sick of NH, i'm ready to run him out of town. This is such a worthless trade, this looks like the second terrible offseason in a row. I was all for giving him a pass after he terrible 2012 signings of Barmes, Bedard and Barajas...then he turns aroud and signs two more expensive scrubs this offseason and then at the same time ships out his all star closer for a pile of garbage.

Russell Martin isn't a scrub.

[Troy Loney]

I'd rather they had a GM with some conviction. I don't think NH has any gauge on this team, he's just crossing his fingers and hoping they can compete. All he wants to do is toe the line and make marginal moves that neither make the team competitive now, or help the team compete in the future.

[Tim Thomasen]

I'd rather they had a GM with some conviction. I don't think NH has any gauge on this team, he's just crossing his fingers and hoping they can compete. All he wants to do is toe the line and make marginal moves that neither make the team competitive now, or help the team compete in the future.

Hey your not going to get me to disagree with you on that. I don't think Opie is a good GM for the reasons you named. But outside of letting Karstens go, I don't have that much of a problem for how the offseason has played out so far.

[Troy Loney]

It's patchwork, if they knew they were going to be looking to unload hanrahan at $7M, they should have made that move 2 years ago. It seems has his moves are based on avoiding any public backlash.

I think that dominating 8-9 combo they had last year was one of the key driving factors to getting 16 games over 500. They're weaker in the 8th and 9th going forward, and that was essentially a cost cutting move. It's just a stupid move, especially in conjuction with bringing Liriano in to be the 3rd or 4th starter. He's going to tax the bullpen once a week cause he can't throw strikes.

[ulf]

Am I missing something or do we still only know half of the trade?

[Troy Loney]

Am I missing something or do we still only know half of the trade?

Sands is the centerpiece of the deal, any piece that is going to be deemed lower than Sands is completely worthless.