DK’s Daily Shot of Pirates: The Griffin expectation

17 comments

1. Can’t promote a player because he hasn’t overcome struggles because he hasn’t struggled. Sounds like Ben Cherington.

2. This guy could be the best lead off hitter for the bucs down the road, and hopefully it happens soon.

3. 😶

4. You can't waste a season before the lockout, I don't care how good he looks in the spring.

5. The worst thing for Suwinski is staying in Pittsburgh.

6. You just can't justify Jack taking up the spot that belongs to Cutch. It's incomprehensible. 🏴‍☠️

7. Thanks for taking a chill pill, DK. Impassioned vitriol, however justified, is nevertheless unsettling, if not ugly.

8. Very excited to see Griffin when he gets here

9. DK, the problem with all the morons in the FO is, they can run Suwing-ski back, till the cows come home, and internally they have no one who can fix him, if they get embarassed by letting him go, and he succeeds, too bad so sad. DFA Jack and get Cutch signed. Get rid of the anchor on the 40 man.

10. Griffin has the Skenes maturity running through his veins. We need more players who posess that. He just got married too, so he has a good head on his shoulders, and a support system.

11. Suwinski going somewhere else and improving would show Nutting that Cherington and his gang don't know what they are doing? If Nutting hasn't realized that by now, and obviously he hasn't, he never will.

12. If Griffin plays well in Spring Training (defense and offense), bring him up!

13. Thank you DK. Hopefully Griffin can make some strides in the majors. I'm excited for him to make it happen. Great show DK.

14. Word on the street is he’ll spend all of 26 in the minors so the Pirates don’t forfeit a year of service time after the 27 season is lost to the work stoppage

15. You can muddy the water of the Cutch discussion with whatever player you want.

    The fact is Cutch ranked LAST among NL DH last season.
    Cutch’s defense dropped off so much that before the Pirates traded him, they moved him to RF and none of the Giants, Yankees, Phillies or Brewers thought he was good enough to trot out there regularly.

    Cutch is not a vocal clubhouse leader, as has been noted on this platform many times.

    The discussion that needs to happen is “Cutch, we want you back but it’s a bench bat role. You aren’t playing everyday. We signed O’Hearn at $15 M for the everyday DH.”

    At that point, you get into the Suwinski/Cutch discussion. One is 27 but has struggled/one is 39 and, to use a Warren Buffett analogy, is a soggy cigar butt with another puff or two left.

    I think the Pirates thought Cutch would see the writing on the wall and retire gracefully. Instead, he’s taken to complaining on social media.

    Father Time is undefeated. If Cutch wants a bench bat role, that’s fine but it can’t be $5M for a player below zero WAR. The $5M pension tour needs to stop

    I almost never defend the Pirates FO but in this one, they gave him a chance to bow out gracefully. They still have moves to make. If there is room left, bring him back at a reduced price.

    This notion that players get to dictate their terms is ridiculous. The Steelers have forced out almost every “great” and players have stayed away until they got over it. Almost no one gets the Bettis treatment – hoist a trophy and say goodbye. Most athletic careers have a sudden, not successful finality.

    Stop with this inane notion that Cutch gets to dictate his terms. He doesn’t. Life did

16. It worries me that they're rushing him up as a starter!

17. If Jack Suwinski is on the 26 man roster at any point during this season then this a team that will not make the playoffs. Period. Full stop.