If I were the Pirates' GM, I'd have the most daunting task in the history of sports!
Nah, just kidding.
However, I would have an incredible challenge trying to put together a championship team in an organization with very little depth and minimal talent at the top, to boot.
In fact, one could argue that I should keep losing with my lovable yet low-salaried bunch, ensuring profits (assuming the team doesn't perform so horribly, as to prevent people from showing up), while stockpiling bunches of No. 1 picks, who will eventually explode onto the scene one right after another, bringing several championships back to the Steel City.
But, after 16 years, we can't wait any longer; we need to win now. Plus, I couldn't imagine the fans' reaction if our minor league affiliates, so flush with the hypothetical myriad of No. 1 picks, actually had a higher payroll than the big-league club.
Hey, it could happen; with the way we allocate money towards the draft, while trading away our high-priced vets, you just never know.
Anyway, as the new head honcho in the front office, I'd have one goal in building a playoff-caliber team this season, without sacrificing long-term success (Dave Littlefield) or bringing in high-priced vets (Dave Littlefield).
The key: finding under-valued, positionally-blocked, unneeded, unwanted or otherwise easily-acquired players with below-market values and bringing them to the 'Burgh, simply hoping that they suddenly put it all together (Kyle Lohse), stop being a head case (Jose Tabata, for now), benefit from a change of scenery (Oliver Perez, Aramis Ramirez) or bounce back from an exceptionally tough year—or two (Nick Swisher).
While the team has begun to accrue some nice organizational depth, do they really have the impact potential to bring home a championship? (see Brandon Moss, Andy LaRoche, etc...)
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about 1 month ago
"At their peak, they [Sanchez, Ad. LaRoche] could perhaps be considered one of the best first-second tandems in the NL, exceeded only by Ryan Howard and Chase Utley of the Phillies and (maybe) the Mets' Carlos Delgado and Luis Castillo. Some day Cincinnatti's Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips may be better than all of the above."
I respect this site and its writers, but drug testing may be a good idea after quite possibly the boldest statement I've come across in years of following the Pirates organization.
1) The right side of our infield is a weakness of this team, if it wasn't, we wouldn't be shopping Sanchez and LaRoche (not until the 2009 trade deadline for LaRoche b/c no one wants him now). Come 2011, Alvarez will be at 1B and Shelby Ford, An. LaRoche, a FA acquisition or a 2009 draft pick will be at 2B.
2) http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/pirates/s_591353.html;
3) Votto and Phillips are already better than Sanchez and LaRoche. While I agree that 2B is a very weak position in the NL, you are stating that Sanchez and LaRoche together are better than the likes of Lance Berkman, Derek Lee, Adrian Gonzalez, Prince Fielder, and some guy named Pujols. There's a reason no GM in his right mind would make a 2-for-1 swap with any of the aforementioned names.
I'd put the likes of Uggla & Cantu (FLA) and Johnson & Kotchman (ATL) about on par with the Pirates, and that's being generous. The only teams in the NL in which I can confidently say the right side of our infield is better than is (WAS and SF). The Dodgers and Rockies are a toss-up although I'd much rather have Atkins or Loney over LaRoche.
from about 1 month ago
1) The right side of the infield may not, currently, be among the best around, but they certainly aren't our weakness (starting pitching).
The reason Sanchez will potentially be shopped is because he is a strength of the team when healthy. Unfortunately, he's too far down the road to be affordable enough to keep around when our time comes, but more so because he's actually valuable. Thus, the reason he'd be dealt: to net the kind of prospects that will be around to help us when that day comes. He obviously had a down year, which is why I really doubt he'll be traded this offseason, unless Huntington can find fair value. I'd bet that he expects Sanchez to bounce back next year (esp from the shoulder issue), making him much more likely to be traded toward the deadline.
I won't claim that LaRoche is performing up to expectations, because he's not. However, there are many GMs who'd take 25-30 HRs plus gold glove defense at first base. Add on top of that the possibility that LaRoche puts 2 good halves together, and that makes him even more enticing. I doubt that there's a lacking market for LaRoche, but he's way more valuable to the team than the potential return, especially given PNC's dimensions. Many are scoffing at Huntington for approaching LaRoche about a long-term deal, but there's a reason he's doing it; whether or not LaRoche puts it together, he's still a fine 1st baseman. If you can get him to sign long-term while his value is down, you're making a good investment that could eventually pay great dividends.
And for those that claim we could put the 7-8 million to better use, I can guarantee that the Pirates can afford to keep LaRoche around, while investing elsewhere, it's just a matter of making good baseball decisions now, rather than purely fiscal ones.
2) Didn't read it fully yet, I'll get back to you when I do.
3) I still stand by the quote that heads your comment. Might I be crazy? Sure. But, I think you took it a bit differently than I meant. Of course the guys you mentioned were among the first to come to mind, but I was referring to a package deal. As the GM of another team, would I ever give up a Pujols, Berkman, Lee, etc, for LaRoche/Sanchez? No, of course not.
But the reasoning behind that is because Pujols (for example) is far better than LaRoche. So, I'd much prefer to have Pujols, and instead search for an above average 2nd baseman to complement him.
Basically, what that quote said was that, while there are a bunch of superstars throughout the NL, Sanchez and LaRoche at their best (2006) were better as a tandem than all but perhaps Howard/Utley and Delgado/Castillo. I did not say that in any given year Laroche/Sanchez could compete. However, I did say that their career years put together can rival the expected performance in the NL. Though I did make this statement empirically, the numbers do back it up. Basically, I claimed that if their career years are actually what they're capable of doing annually, they may be alot better than we think, and could be as good as any other 1-2 punch in the NL.
Take a look at these I just compiled: you can check the numbers, yourself - all from MLB.com
LaRoche/Sanchezs career year (2006): 1.766 combined OPS
Your friends' career stats (how we could reasonably expect them to do):
Berkman/Matsui: 1.699 OPS
Lee/DeRosa: 1.634
Gonzalez/Gonzalez: 1.527
Fielder/Weeks: 1.611
and Pujols/Kennedy? 1.766, would you look at that- exactly the same as LaRoche/Sanchez.
By the way, Votto and Phillips are not better than Sanchez/LaRoche - at least not yet: 1.611
Oops, almost forgot:
Cantu/Uggla: 1.608
Kotchman/Johnson: 1.545
I'll be the first to admit, this methodology isn't the best to evaluate players, for a number of reasons, but it does validate what I was trying to say, which I think you misinterpreted.
Thanks for the comment,
-Josh
25 days ago
You must be kidding!
Sanchez and Adam Laroche are not worth nearly as much you think.
Laroche didn't hit until late June last year. No team can afford no production from 1B until mid season!
Sanchez has been injury prone through out his career.
I'd trade Sanchez, Wilson, and LaRoche for what I could get.
Might as well clean house and play the kids.
In addition I would bring as many minor league free agents into camp as I could to see who sticks.
25 days ago
If by "injury prone throughout his career," you mean he's been on the disabled list a grand total of two times, you'd be right.
A career .300 hitter who's 1/2 of one of the best double play combos in the majors, Sanchez had a somewhat down year, though he played through severe shoulder pain and at times an inability to see.
Even if you'd rather trade him, it wouldn't be wise to get rid of him now, like you say; it's in his and the team's interest to let him try to bounce back, which IMO is a pretty safe bet.
While I won't disagree it hurts the team, teams can certainly contend despite slow-starting a 1st-baseman.
Look at Delgado (Mets): Pre All-Star: .248, .328, .455; Post All-Star .303, .386, .606
LaRoche: Pre: .251, .330, .434; Post: .304, .361, .613.
No way you don't consider Delgado a premier player on a contending team. His name was in consideration for the MVP vote! LaRoche is definitely undervalued IMO.
Here's my reasoning for signing them both to extensions:
1) their value is as low as it will be, though they both have above average major league potential.
2) no replacement for either is in sight. Sure, "let the kids play" is great if they're the future of the organization and you can't put a winning product on the field now. But, other than perhaps Shelby Ford, none of our prospects at those positions projects to be anything more than average at best. 3)Trading all the players now would be a money saving move only, bc you wouldn't net any significant cache of prospects. Moreover, the team would be immediately horrible, so no one would ever come to see a bunch of AAA kids who aren't even the future of the organization.
4) Every year that you realize we don't have prospects/money to acquire significant big-league talent at these positions, LaRoche and Sanchez will just make more money. Rather than a series of 1-year deals, just sign them to extensions: neither one is a high injury risk, and surely they'll take a lower annual salary on a long-term deal.
5) If and when LaRoche puts it together, you'll want him long-term - especially since he already prongs great D to the table.
Perhaps I think they're better than they actually are, but I think you are drastically undervaluing them in comparison to their potential replacements and the long-term benefit of the team.
Thanks for the comment; I always enjoy a good baseball discussion.
Josh
25 days ago
sorry about the sloppy formatting, im in the middle of finals week, so i did it kinda quickly..
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