Pittsburgh Pirates 2025: Paul Skenes! And some other guys.

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Heretic

Son of the Sun

20,517 posts
Thu, Mar 27, 2025 12:03 PM

Season starts today. The team was really busy in the off-season, trading serviceable-to-good pitcher Luis Ortiz for some guy who's currently hurt and swapping out a few anonymous players for a few different anonymous players and, of course, since this is the Pirates, adding a few past-their-prime guys so we can be the 25th franchise with Tommy Pham on the roster AND get Adam Frazier back five years after his expiration date. Like, I get (and had/have) the Cutch nostalgia to bring back a franchise great to finish his career with the Pirates...but this is not the same, not at all.


Oh yeah, high-quality young pitcher Jared Jones also starts the season on the DL due to mystery arm troubles. But, allegedly, surgery will not be needed. To add to the great news, instead of working out one of their many highly-touted young arms in his spot as an audition, they went with the far more logical and thrilling route of deciding to toss a converted (and average) middle reliever into the rotation. And closer David Bednar sucked as bad in spring training as he did last year, making one wonder if, after a couple great years, his arm is gone.


Basically, this is a 70-win team, but Skenes might be able to push them to near-.500. Which is me being optimistic.

birddog23

Senior Member

1,173 posts
Thu, Mar 27, 2025 1:41 PM

Skenes will have 200+ strikeouts and a sub 2.00 ERA and finish w/ 7 wins

Heretic

Son of the Sun

20,517 posts
Thu, Mar 27, 2025 2:46 PM
birddog23 wrote:

Skenes will have 200+ strikeouts and a sub 2.00 ERA and finish w/ 7 wins

That'd be shades of 1987 Nolan Ryan with the Astros. Led the league with a 2.76 ERA and 270Ks...only to have an 8-16 record.

Heretic

Son of the Sun

20,517 posts
Thu, Mar 27, 2025 7:30 PM

One game in: Fuck this shit.

Heretic

Son of the Sun

20,517 posts
Sun, Mar 30, 2025 7:09 PM

Man, relief pitching is such a volatile position where a guy can completely lose it seemingly overnight and go from elite to a near-worthless liability. A couple years ago, Bednar was one of the best (with an argument that he was THE best for at least parts of a couple years) closers in the game. Now, after a shitty 2024, he's still looking like an old dog who needs the Ol' Yeller treatment. Or at least management needs to get it through their heads that it might not be the best idea to have him in high-leverage situations. Shit defense has played a role in his struggles, but two losses and a 27.00 ERA (and a 6.00 WHIP) after four games against a team that at least some considered to be among the worst in the league isn't an encouraging start.


1-3 right now and I'm considering bringing back the NCF "classic" zinger of "BLOWPEN" to describe the relief pitching, with him and Holderman both really struggling.