tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post9071986959760431427..comments2023-10-10T12:46:47.186-04:00Comments on The Green Weenie: Locke Magnificent In 1-0 Bucco WinUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-12464493103777263522015-07-09T11:01:55.909-04:002015-07-09T11:01:55.909-04:00Vanimal is the sixth starter, Will. The minor leag...Vanimal is the sixth starter, Will. The minor league depth is weak this year, thx to injuries mainly; to take a snapshot, prob Radhames Liz is the next up after Worley as of this moment (Wilfredo Bosan? Angel Sanchez?) But the Bucs didn't just toss Richard away; he had a contract rider similar to Grilli's that if a club would place him on the 25-man, he had to be called up or traded to that team. The Pirates consider him depth, and apparently the Cubs were the only team that thought he was MLB ready. You're right that Cumpton, Taillon and Kingham being out hurts.Ron Ieracihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08784507810080514099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-66252825094815049092015-07-08T11:01:37.010-04:002015-07-08T11:01:37.010-04:00Also, the Pirates' starting pitching depth thi...Also, the Pirates' starting pitching depth this season has taken a number of hits, and they are one or two injuries in the rotation away from falling way off the pace. Brandon Cumpton and Nick Kingham went under the knife for Tommy John, Jameson Taillon got hurt again and had another operation, and Tyler Glasnow is still a year away. Which leaves Sadler as the next man up. Sadler? Really? He's your sixth starter? No way. Sadler is a four-A guy as far as I am concerned. Much prefer Richard. I just hope this doesn't come back to bite the Bucs in the second half. WilliamJPellashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12774466220683142262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-21165375730628013132015-07-08T10:58:53.504-04:002015-07-08T10:58:53.504-04:00Nice rejoinder for the opposing view, Ron, but I t...Nice rejoinder for the opposing view, Ron, but I think Richard---when healthy---is a bit better than your description of him. He has had two 200 inning seasons to date in the big leagues, which is two more than the entire Pirates starting staff other than A J has, and A J is not going to hit 200 again at his age. <br /><br /><br />I'm thinking of Gene Michael and his philosophy with the Yankees. Any time he could either 1) get a player off the Red Sox roster and onto the Yankees roster, or 2) prevent the Sox from improving themselves by "intercepting" pending trades or free agent deals, he did it. He figured---correctly in my book---that in the ultracompetitive AL East, any move he made like that was worth TWO comparable moves relative to other teams. The NL Central is fast becoming one of, if not the best, divisions in all of MLB, so that's why I'm irked by this development. You don't think the Cubs are twice as glad they got Richard from the Pirates? I do.WilliamJPellashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12774466220683142262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-80141965750922092782015-07-07T17:40:19.752-04:002015-07-07T17:40:19.752-04:00I think you doth protest too much, Will. The Pirat...I think you doth protest too much, Will. The Pirates figured he's seventh on the starting list and didn't have anywhere to stash him. A short-term hit, for sure, but Clayton's resume is as a fourth arm who can eat innings and generally outperform his peripherals. That's handy to have. He was in line for an injury call up and a bubble guy for a 2016 spot, but he's never gone back-to-back years without a big hurt. We'll see if you're right - he is just 31 and may have some tread left, but I think he fits into the journeyman mode. Richard is another poster child for NH's big selling point - we fix broken pitchers and get them back to the show, even if not in Pittsburgh, which is always a nice card to have up your sleeve in the off season.Ron Ieracihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08784507810080514099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-52262646510083424612015-07-07T12:59:14.750-04:002015-07-07T12:59:14.750-04:00Nice outing from Locke, but I still cannot believe...Nice outing from Locke, but I still cannot believe the Pirates gave away Clayton Richard for peanuts, and I don't care WHAT his contract supposedly specified. Even if only to keep him out of the Cubs' hands---and BTW Chicago is breathing down our necks in the rear view mirror and right now would be the Pirates' opponent in the NL Wildcard Game---but even just to keep him away from them, Clayton absoultely should have been brought up. Period, end of story. A bad, bad, BAD move by this front office. Huntington has a history of bonehead maneuvers like this, moves that he inexplicably mixes in along with his usually much more competent actions.WilliamJPellashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12774466220683142262noreply@blogger.com