robert bishop

@daHaze1 @PiratesFaithful Right. Compare them at the end of the season.

@breadguy44 @PiratesFaithful Oh fun! Now compare ops. Cutch was .700. Ozuna is .582. There’s more to baseball then dingers.

There are some things that this team could do immediately to help themselves: -DFA Lawrence -Option Triolo -Recall Garcia -Trade for an average bullpen piece -Option Bubba Chandler to AAA when Jones is activated

@NoahW_25 @garymo2007 That’s not true. Edgleen Perez is a pleasant surprise. Age 20. Elite defensively. .805 OPS at Bradenton.

@garymo2007 I can live with that, but doesn't make me less frustrated that the players we got back for him are not doing good.

David Bednar was dealt because it was going to be his last year of Arb. Not because it was assumed he’d suck. But you knew that, I’m sure.

@daHaze1 @PiratesFaithful LOL. Ozuna is gonna end up hitting 25-30 dingers. On pace for 18. Cutch hit 13 last season.

@PiratesFaithful I’d move Chandler to the pen. I’d DFA Ozuna or trade for back end starter long reliever type. I’d move Mlod to the pen. Monty would get high leverage chance

@djthomas73 @eYARKulation @AGretz Ben’s last 7 trades: W Falter- Sisk, moss W Oviedo - PSWD W Ortiz - Horwitz W Burrows - Lowe, Montgomery TBD. Bednar - Perez, Flores TBD Nicolas - Callihan TBD Priester (out indefinitely) And I think Callihan is gonna work out.

@djthomas73 @eYARKulation @AGretz I would obviously like having Bednar on the team right now but small markets gonna small market. 12 years of control on 2 catchers. Maybe they hit on one.

Rafael Flores, who is 25 years old and so far behind Henry Davis, Joey Bart and Endy Rodriguez on the catching depth chart that he's not even mentioned in passing as an option, has a robust .688 OPS in AAA. The centerpiece of the David Bednar trade.

@GMBCSuperfan Ozuna has been totally abysmal but is still on pace for 18 dingers. Could still hit 30. Cutch hit 13 last season lol.

In Defense of Marcell Ozuna - A Treatise Yes, I’m about to make an argument for continuing to run Marcell Ozuna out there. Strap in, folks. But first, a bit of prologue. I had hoped Ozuna might really suck wind last night -- his home run makes this a bit anti-climatic. But as was mentioned, one HR doesn’t erase his suckitude up to this day. Counterbalancing that is the utter collapse last night for the Pirates, who scored six runs in the second and were up at varying points 6-0 and 8-3 before losing 11-9. The seething anger this morning creates ideal conditions for this defense. I really want to feel your wrath. I truly love taking the alternative viewpoint against a sea of nonbelievers. Some of it is my love of the underdog, but a lot of it is just appreciating a challenge. It’s the consultant in me. I’m also a reformed troll. I’ve got my work cut out today. He’s Done This Before I believe we can and should be patient with Ozuna because there is a high likelihood from past experience that he goes nuclear and carries the team for a period of time. In 2023, Ozuna started May with a .444 OPS across his first 67 PA with just 2 HR. Somewhere right around mid-May, he started hitting home runs and just never stopped. From May 15 through the end of 2023, he had a .947 OPS with 33 HR. It doesn’t always work out that way. In 2022, coming back from an injury-plagued 2021 season, he never quite got right and ended with a .687 OPS with 23 HR. Last year, he started hot with a .901 OPS on June 1 and then faded over the rest of the year. He still ended with 21 HR and a .756 OPS. Of the range of options, with a .687 OPS the low water mark and a .950 OPS at the top, it’s a journey I’m willing to take. I don’t think he’s washed yet. Ozuna is the X Factor “Marcell Ozuna is like a box of chocolates. You ever know what you’re gonna get.” Isn’t that fun, Forrest? I don’t know that there is anyone we could insert into the DH spot and get the potential offensive production represented by Ozuna. It is a gamble, but it is a reasoned gamble. His worst year in 2021 was just a few OPS points below what Andrew McCutchen did last year. But on the top end, he can carry the lineup on his back for weeks at a time. This isn’t some theoretical capability -- the exact conditions were in place three years ago and he ended up with 40 HR. To cut bait now would be to miss out on that potential upside. And I know that is what every degenerate gambler says as they mortgage their home for one final shot at getting even at the craps table. But this isn’t craps -- it’s a skill game, and we’d be backing a player who’s been there and done that. The Lineup Can Absorb It The Pirates have been one of the best hitting teams all season. They are 7th in team OPS in all of baseball. They’ve scored the 4th most runs in MLB, just 11 behind the Yankees leading the sport. The reason we aren’t winning more is not a function of a poor performing offense. In fact, just the opposite. In directing ire at Ozuna, critics are really misdirecting their anger. Yes, he’s underperformed. But what about the bullpen? Go shout that down. This lineup can absorb a guy with Ozuna’s talent and still be at the very top of offensive categories as a team. That’s crazy and worth celebrating. The Bottom Line Now for some pragmatism: Ozuna should not bat cleanup until the bat returns. Imagine how many more runs would have been scored if someone like Horwitz or Gonzalez was batting behind Cruz, Lowe and Reynolds/O’Hearn this year. Ozuna needs to be 7th or 8th until he clicks. He should also sit against tougher righties. Ozuna already has an .852 OPS against southpaws, but his .511 OPS against righties is a drag. Until that improves, let Endy DH against RHP. My original timetable was the end of May, and I’ll stick by that. He’s got a few more weeks. But realistically, we’ve already eaten the shit. We might as well stick around for the chocolate. Is that an expression? It should be.

@PiratesTalk Unlikely to amount to anything but the “other “ catcher acquired in the Bednar trade is just 20 and has an OPS of .805 in Bradenton. Supposedly elite defense and weak bat but .337 BA is far from weak, at least for now.

What stinks is if Bucs proactively seek relief ahead of deadline, then they'll overpay. Last year they had the best reliever on the market and didn't get anything back higher than an 8th ranked prospect. #HopeImWrong

@Jason_Shetler He definitely missed on hitting any pre-covid trades. Musgrove trade tree is still bringing back guys I guess. Most trades have been inconsequential for both teams. A few guys still floating around like Suero, Jeter M, Delgado that could turn into something...

@breadguy44 That’s a good question. I honestly don’t think Cherington has really “lost” a trade outright. The return on the Marte, Bell & Taillon trades were underwhelming, but none of them made an true impact on the other side.

Spencer Horwitz currently posting an OPS right at .800, and having a 1.1 WAR that is tied for 4th among MLB 1B needs to be talked about more. #Pirates

@amyknowsball Sadly, this is the pinnacle of her social career.

Yeah this ain't it.. keep that date to yourself. You're embarrassing yourself more than him, especially with that dying horse laugh. Ma'am, the stable called

@eYARKulation @ballsandgutters @Pirates @AustinOravec @JohnDreker Yeah. Those arms are gonna get costly in a hurry. I'm sure most would disagree but Jones sort of fits the profile of a guy Ben would trade early if he has a big season.

@breadguy44 @ballsandgutters @Pirates @AustinOravec @JohnDreker Jones too

.@pirates first time Arb eligibles after this year: Skenes Triolo Mlodzinski Horwitz Gonzales J Jones H Davis E Rodríguez @AustinOravec @JohnDreker

@rjh9aer @KalistaAndrew probably.

@breadguy44 @KalistaAndrew More likely just your basic Ped State coping and seething

No better coach for developing a strong armed, big bodied, pocket passer. Sky is the limit! Huge get.

@CWolfPGH think MLB still has him listed at 165lbs. Unless dude is 5'2" that can't be right...

Axiel Plaz is the best catching prospect in the system - In High-A Greensboro: - .348/.406/.583 (.989 OPS) - 150 wRC+ - 6 HRs - 9 doubles - 28 RBIs Last night, he went 4-4 with 2 HRs and 2 doubles His .348 average leads the entire South Atlantic League

Murf Gray checking in at #77 👀

@paralacalle2250 PGH traded its #13 starter that was arb eligible. If they received a case of Gatorade it would be a win.

@CALLAS_33 LOL. Sadly, this is her career highlight.

I get sharing details with your friends, but do we really need to put this dude on blast like this for the entire internet? Doesn’t sound like he did anything harmful. This is the type of behavior that scares dudes away from trying at all

@pookie_770 Pretty sure most of the men under 40 are either dead or missing a limb or two.

Why the divorce rate in Russia is so high with women like this :