This will be my last Pirates post due to the fact they...Pirates...are any of the left?? I'm not talking about the ones that go aaaarrrrhhhh me maty. I've been saying it for years that the Pirates aren't even trying to compete. I wonder when they will put the pierogies in the infield, the Pirate parrot can pitch, and the Pirate will catch (college humor). Maybe they can get some lucky fan to play in the outfield. Pretty soon they will give everyone lawn chairs for the fireworks. Personally I'm looking forward to the new football season and the rumors that the Steelers are going to sign Michael Vick.
Do you know how to tell who will be the next Pirate traded??? Just check the salary chart. I put my money on Freddy Sanchez. I think the Pirates are shooting for a roster with all players at the league minimum.
Player
Salary (US$)
6. Jason Bay (traded away last season to Boston)
7,800,000
1. Jack Wilson (just traded)
7,400,000
7. Adam LaRoche (was in Pittsburgh a week ago to Boston)
7,050,000
10. Xavier Nady (traded last season to yankees)
6,550,000
2. Freddy Sanchez
6,250,000
3. Ian Snell (just traded)
3,200,000
12 a. Nate McLouth (traded this season to Atlanta for I guess money (what the analysts say))
2,500,000
4. Paul Maholm
2,500,000
5. Matt Capps
2,425,000
6. John Grabow
2,300,000
7. Zach Duke
2,200,000
8. Ryan Doumit
2,150,000
9. Ramon Vazquez
1,875,000
10. Tyler Yates
1,300,000
11. Craig Hansen
825,000
12. Lastings Milledge
452,000
13. Joel Hanrahan
420,000
14 a. Andy LaRoche
413,500
14 b. Ross Ohlendorf
413,500
16. Brandon Moss
411,500
17. Charlie Morton
405,000
18. Jesse Chavez
402,000
19 a. Luis Cruz
401,500
19 b. Phil Dumatrait
401,500
19 c. Jeff Karstens
401,500
22. Donnie Veal
400,000
23. Jason Jaramillo
400,000
12 comments:
Follow up on my earlier post:
Freddy Sanchez (traded this season to San Francisco)
Your last Pirate post? How are we in the Harvey diaspora suppose to keep up with the team without your commentary?
That is an amazing compilation. Neal Huntington may say that he wants to win or improve the Pirates' chances or enhance the value of the club or whatever euphemism he wants to employ. I am sure he believes he is trying to do just those things. However, there is no longer any doubt that if your salary tops the Pirate payroll, you will be traded.
Maholm, Grabow and Capps should be worried (or excited).
The only good that can come from all these departures is that Neal Hungington's salary must be close to the top of the Pirates' payroll now.
Grabow goodbye
Beat me to the punch, In case you didn't know-Burnett: Pirates the 'laughingstock of baseball' http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09212/987607-63.stm.
Though my Dad made a good point, even with the Pirate all-stars such as Freddy, Bay Wilson etc. the Pirates still were terrible so I can't get too upset over the trades. It just means that I have to learn a new roster of players who will perform at a sub-.500 season. And maybe by shear luck of high volume trading all the stars will a line.
Finally, the last time the Pirates were good was when I was finger painting in Kindergarten. Though I have hope, Lets go Bucs!
The Pirates were not good, but it is a mistake to think it was because of Freddy, Bay and Wilson. (see: the LaRoche's, Moss, losing Doumit and, mostly, pitching). Not only are the Pirates worse without Freddy and Wilson, but, unlike the other positions, there is no one in the organization that can come close to replacing them, for many years to come.
Jack Wilson is a career .270 hitting shortstop with a good glove. Freddy is a career .300 hitter. Good luck in replacing them. It is possible that if the two become free agents, we will sign them, but it would be somewhat strange.
There is nothing wrong with dismantling a bad team for the hope of something better, but I think it should be done by examining the quality of the players by position, not by salary.
The Pirates will still reap the benefit of the stadium and the fireworks. There is no reason to jump off of the Roberto Clemente Bridge. At least no one is threatening to move the franchise. But here are some thoughts on the trading frenzy:
1. Professional sport teams are a sort of granfalloon. ("If you wish to study a granfalloon, just remove the skin of a toy balloon." — Bokonon in Cat's Cradle) That is why I would love to see a requirement that each team has a Ryan Malone or a Charlie Batch. If the Pirates traded the whole team to Cleveland for the Cleveland team, would it still be the Pittsburgh Pirates?
2. Trading all your current talent for prospects caters to that little voice of hope inside of all us that says "a bird in the hand is worth LESS than what may happen in the future." We often like to give up the known for door number 3. It is OK for us fans, but I just hope Neal Huntington is not a hopeless romantic.
3. Will we ever have another Roberto Clemente or a Bill Mazeroski or a Willie Stargell? Or have we entered the era when we play the young players and trade the stars for more young players?
4. We seem to be following the path of the Montreal Expos. For years they relied on a great farm system, but wouldn't or couldn't keep their stars. Some of you may be asking, "Who are the Montreal Expos?" That is my worry.
"That is why I would love to see a requirement that each team has a Ryan Malone or a Charlie Batch."
Why limit it to just a single player? It's still a granfalloon.* Why not require the entire sports team to be made up of players who grew up in the broadcast area of the team? I think you'd start seeing alot of pro-sports support for local high schools and colleges. If nothing else, when your team won, you'd really have something to be proud of.
* A granfalloon is the lumping together of many diverse elements into an abstract collection, and to then think and speak as if the abstract collection is one single entity capable of performing actions. This phenomenon leads people to say things like "the government runs the country." I hope you realize (or will soon) just how absurd the previous sentence is. Frederick Mann
I agree with Myk as long as we relocate Pittsburgh to the Dominican Republic or Japan. No offense to the Grove City Baseball.
Relocating Pittsburgh to the Dominican Republic or Japan may be one of those things easier said than done.
FIFA recently voted to restrict the number of foreigner players on club team's to 5 out of 11 on the starting lineup. (likely violates EU laws)
Relocating Pittsburgh is probable easier than trying to sit through a Pirates' game.
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