Host Ethan Smith, a Pittsburgh Pirates super fan and writer for Steel City Pirates, follows the Pittsburgh Pirates everyday from the Locked On Podcast Network, giving you news, updates, opinions and reactions on the Pittsburgh Pirates and MLB as a whole. Subscribe today for Your Team. Everyday.
Cutting Tellez 4 AB’s before he’s owed his 200K bonus ????? Absolutely awful. Tellez carried this team too. Guy hit 65/210 in June/July/Aug .310 batting average And was prob the single biggest reason this team was sitting @ 55-52. He earned that bonus. He did. And you think other players ain’t take notice of how the pirates did Rowdy? The Pirates organization is garbage.
Brewer fan here. I'm surprised noone is mentioning Jackson Chourio. Jackson Chourio is on the world series winning team and the Crew couldn't do it without him. Chourio plays every day and is historic. Sure, if I'm a Pirates fan, I'd back Skenes. Like Gary Morgan said, " It's their player, they should absolutely by touting and pushing for him."
Okay. Doing things that “have never been done before” And “making history” Doesn’t necessarily make anyone more valuable or a better overall player than someone else. By that logic Angel Reese is ROY because nobody has ever rebounded at the level she did this year. And my comment isn’t necessarily against Skenes or even saying he shouldn’t be ROY. My comment is to say the argument of “making history” as to why one player is more deserving than the other, IS WEAK. If what Skenes did was so impactful as it pertains to baseball, surely the pirates don’t finish the year 17-31 over their last 48 games. They both deserve it. But “‘making history” in this day and age doesn’t give any player the upper hand. Would be much less disingenuous to just make an argument saying why the pirates would be worse without Skenes and why the Padres would be better with Skenes, if the teams swapped rookies. “History” is irrelevant.
I think Jackson Merrill will end up getting it because A.) he plays everyday B.) he has been absolutely clutch with walk offs and if he werent playing this season, the padres would not be in the postseason.
Three reasons why this is very smart: 1) Reynolds will be 30 next season, he is signed through age 36. Getting him out of PNCs left field is a must for long term health. 2) 1B in free agency is very limited, whereas there are several starting caliber outfielders available. That also applies to the trade market. 3) If he is passable at 1B, he could be the RHH side of a platoon with Tellez. Reynolds would play 1B vs lefties, and bounce between corner outfield and DH vs righties. And if Tellez plays bad like he did early in the year, we can have Reynolds there full time. I see the starting outfield in 2025 being Yorke-Cruz-and a platoon of a lefty hitting free agent (Joc Pederson or Jesse Winker) and BDLC
I would not be opposed to moving Reynolds to 1B. If they do so, this team will be in dire need of corner OFers. Would you trade a SP prospect for a quality OFer?
@@LockedOnPirates Verdugo could be a bounce back candidate. Outside of that, I don't see many realistic upgrades. I don't expect them to spend much. SMH.
The minors of the Pirates is a mess and has been for some time. Not much talent in the system to begin with and what could be there isn’t being instructed to be effective MLB starters. Now they are wasting BiWan Cook by playing him everywhere to test his versatility…or keep his bat in the lineup. Who knows the franchise is a farce
Ethan ...I told you last year to move him to rf bat him third and leave him alone he will quickly become the best in the game. Dave PArker came up as 2nd basement how did that work out?
Ethan ...Please explain to me how analytics makes us a better tem ? And while your at it expalin to me why we keep taking out our starting pitchers while we are winning? Since when did a teams bullpen become more important than the 5 starters? And why do we have bullpen games instead of bringing up a prized prospect for exposure? I dont get really I dont.
Ethan ...Shelton is not the guy and you will see it after he is gone and sadly Cherington is a minor league director at best. You and GAry could do a better job
Ethan thanks to you I bought tickets to the oriols yankees game Monday night 2 for 73 bucks I also have a group of 20 going to the Pirates yankees game September 27th Friday night game I hope we get Skenes. I cancelled my weekend trip to Pittsburg to see us play the Brewers since we are no longer in contention.
Cherrington is mentally challenged!!! WHAT organization doesn't give details of a manager's contract. They know the fans would REVOLT if they knew. Sheltington needs to go!!! Both are HORRIBLE at their jobs
This manager is simply the worst manager we have EVER had!!! Bad fundamentals, bad baserunning , no communication by the outfielders & infielders, worst bullpen management I've ever seen, taking strike 3s always, striking out too much, walking too little, not taking any or making players take any accountability, never argues with umps or show any emotion!!! He is a buddy, NOT A MANAGER. I hope he never gets another job in baseball!! We are guaranteed to have another losing season with this clown
This offseason will be interesting. I believe this team is only a couple of pieces away from contention. Maybe a FA signee will finally exceed expectations.
I sure as hell hope they’re just saying what they have too. Just like Cruz is their ss and then move him next week to the outfield. Cherrington needs to fire him to save his job!!
Who knows what the ceiling is Bednar had a horrible season Hayes is injured again unfortunately and Andy Haines is a terrible hitting coach not making excuses just saying i don't care if we keep him or fire him i see both sides
I was absolutely MORTIFIED about the announcement regarding Derek Shelton today. Here are my FIVE cents: ● Derek Shelton is HIMSELF one of the team's "gaps" that needs to be "closed." Immediately. ● Shelton hasn't learned from his mistakes all season, so there's absolutely NO reason to bring him back. He himself hasn't improved at all, and when the Pirates have won games they've won DESPITE Shelton. ● Shelton totally lacks the talent required to successfully guide a CONTENDING team. With a current .415 career win-loss percentage? Who is he kidding? The incompetent GM and coaching staff also need to go. ● And regarding my previous comment, it takes an enormous amount of arrogance to think you're an effective manager with that kind of win-loss% over the course of FIVE years. And I'm being completely serious here: if I were Shelton, I'd resign for the good of the team. ● The "last straw" moments for me were when Shelton started publicly throwing struggling players under the bus in postgame interviews after a loss (i.e. Holderman, Bednar). Shelton placed them both in various high-leverage situations HIMSELF when he absolutely had other options. Shelton has demonstrated ZERO personal accountability in general, and that's a huge red flag and a really BAD sign going forward.
Ethan, your favorite Marlins fan here again. Watched the series, of course, and kudos for the sweep (the season series, too). Surprised that the decision was made now, as you are. If our teams are disappointing, so be it, but most of us thought the Pirates were playoff material. I guess the other NL Central teams looking up at Milwaukee feel the same. We know the Cubs have committed to Counsell, but the others appear to need close examination of their respective staffs after a season like this.
Ethan ...Please tell me your joking? If he is back he will be fired as soon as they have another 10 game losing streak and then all of them will be gone. You just ruined my supper.
Skenes will be pitching for the yankees or Dodgers so remember to save his arm for them. In the meantime enjoy your role as a bottom feeder for the elite teams.
Ben has been great at keeping us in last place, let him please work for another team, 5 years of losing is enough for me. Compare his record the the KC Royals. Whats the difference?
ethan I was if the small crowd of todays game will make the owner think its time for change? Our stadium should be packed we should be fighting for the division.
