2025 Pittsburgh Pirates

Another series win. Sweet. Should have been a sweep against the struggling Marlins but small steps are a good sign. This could all change in this 4 game series on the road against the Cubbies and then the Tigers, who are both playing lights out this past month. Looks like 2 of the Cubs games are against former Bucs pitchers Charley Morton and Tallion. Hope they can at least break even on this trip.

 

Congrats, I guess, to Cutch passing Clemente on Bucs all time HR list.

 

What's interesting is he has hit 98 HRs while playing for other teams. So the 241 for the Pirate is a bit of a silly stat. Clemente and Stargell never played elsewhere while Kiner and Cutch did.

 

Another 0-0 type game with Skenes as pitcher....

 

He, again, won't get a W today but lowered his ERA to around 1.8 and remain at 4-6. Could be worse for him, his name could be Keller with a 1-9 record. Still scoreless heading to top of 8th with Santana and Bednar still available.

 

OK - Bucs get a W in another............one run game. 1-1 on murderous road trip so far. Bednar has certainly settled down after his demotion. Liking it. He and Santana able to hold down the mighty Cubbies.

 

Bucs get an L in another......one run game. How strange yet predictable.

 

It is so frustrating to follow a team that has a potential championship pitching staff, but a pop-gun offense that dooms them to last place in a weak division.

Such a shame that this teams management refuses to go the extra mile to put a contending team on the field. You know that occasionally even the best pitcher has a dud of a start and the bullpen gets strained, which can affect a team for several days. A contender would have an offense that could step up and ward off a short losing streak until the pitching gets a chance to reset.

Not our Pirates...our big move was acquiring Horwitz, who may be a decent role player in the long run, but is essentially John Jaha at his best, then signing Pham, who couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat, and the endless parade of middle infielders who can neither field or hit. Kiner-Falefa is not an everyday SS, despite being played there, and offers little punch to an offense that desperately needs some. Hayes is a lightweight with the bat. The only threats in the line-up are Cruz and Reynolds. Davis and Gonzales are struggling to establish themselves as long term everyday players.

All in all, the future remains bleak in Pirateland.

 

HITTERS H-AB R HR RBI AVG
O. CruzCF
1-3 1 0 0 .223
B. ReynoldsDH
0-4 0 0 0 .223
N. Gonzales2B
1-4 1 0 0 .250
S. Horwitz1B
2-4 0 0 1 .227
A. CanarioRF
0-3 0 0 1 .208
A. FrazierLF
0-4 0 0 0 .254
K. Hayes3B
0-4 0 0 0 .229
B. SullivanC
0-2 0 0 0 .167
H. DavisPH-C
0-1 0 0 0 .194
I. Kiner-FalefaSS
0-4 0 0 0 .284
No words needed, this lineup is horrific. Skenes has a .178 era, this team is beyond awful.

 

Very good starting rotation. All wasted because your best hitter is Kiner at .284… no one even close. Embarrassing to say the least. Wish I got paid millions to have a batting avg of .200!

 

This lineup is the worst I have ever seen. It is like having a lineup of Pham, Pham, Pham, Pham, Pham, Pham, Pham, sausage, and Pham.

 

There is absolutely no justification to keep certain players on this roster any longer. Pham has to be released, regardless of how much they owe on his contract through the rest of the season. Frazier should be traded now, while he may have some value. Keller, Falter, Bednar, Santana, Heaney, Kiner-Faleefa, Hayes, Cruz, Bart, Gonzales, and Reynolds as well. Get what you can and promote as many players from the minors as needed. They can continue to learn at the big league level. Certainly couldn't do worse than what's already here.
What's the worst that can happen? They'll continue to lose? I would even seriously consider moving Skenes for a boatload of MLB ready talent.

The caveat to moving Skenes would have to be that Cherington NOT be the GM at that point. I have been patient long enough. He's in his 6th year as the primary mover and shaker and has failed terribly. Knowing he had a blossoming pitching staff heading into this year, he should have been burning up phones in an attempt to get some LEGITIMATE offensive players. Not Pham, Not Frazier, not any of the endless string of no-name banjo-hitting middle infielders the Pirates always seem to bring in like some stray puppy they found and say "Dad, can we keep him?", not Horwitz (at least at the price they paid).

Even though we're only a month from the draft, I'd remove Cherington now and not let him screw up a new infusion of talent. If he takes a high school player of any type, he should be fired on the spot and have someone else complete the draft. They need players who can move rapidly through the system and start to fill in the gaps that exist.

 

It's absolutely criminal that the front office isn't supplying some bats to help Skenes and Cruz, two young stars while they have them under contract.