Beyond the Box Score - 2019 BtBS Team PreviewsA Saber-Slanted Baseball Communityhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47305/boxscore-fv.png2019-03-29T12:00:00-04:00http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/rss/stream/179973762019-03-29T12:00:00-04:002019-03-29T12:00:00-04:002019 BtBS Team Preview: San Diego Padres
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<img alt="MLB: San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-XY2vDQOxmy_2XzS5jgvCJqHAIU=/0x0:3094x2063/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63319522/usa_today_12431065.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>By developing— and promoting— prospects while spending big in free agency, the Padres have become a model franchise.</p> <p id="cXwTVK">The <a href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">San Diego Padres</a> made me work harder than I intended. This is the last entry in the BtBS Team Preview series. Managing editor Matt Provenzano created the preview schedule on January 17th, and the writers divvied up all the teams that day. As such, I’ve had more than two months to ponder this article.</p>
<p id="VF9jt8">Isn’t it oxymoronic that having too much time to think about something makes it tougher, not easier? I had what I thought to be a solid angle to use for the Padres preview, but it was more or less ruined... by the Padres. Here’s the lede I intended to write:</p>
<p id="LAJyTI"><em>“You don’t really care about the 2019 San Diego Padres. The team finished 66-96 last year— their eighth consecutive losing season. They won’t be any good this year either, but the wins and losses are irrelevant. </em></p>
<p id="wiXz0c"><em>The goal is the near future— probably 2020 or 2021— for which the franchise is built to dominate. As Jeffrey Paternostro said of the Padres’ farm system in </em><a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/47305/2019-prospects-organization-rankings/"><em>Baseball Prospectus’ organizational rankings</em></a><em>, ‘This is the best system I’ve ranked in my time as BP’s lead prospect writer. I don’t think it’s all that close.’</em></p>
<p id="lr7lwf"><em>Instead of writing a preview for the 2019 Padres— who you don’t care about— I’m going to preview the 2021 Padres. That’s the iteration of the team that will matter most.”</em></p>
<p id="SBAWI3">That was what I planned to write when I accepted this writing assignment back in January. Since then, they’ve signed <span>Manny Machado</span> and promoted Fernando Tatís, Jr. <span>Chris Paddack</span> struck out 20 out of 54 batters faced in Spring Training, and, <a href="https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2019/3/13/18260883/matt-strahm-san-diego-padres-starter-reliever-fastball-changeup-slider-spring-training">as Patrick Brennan pointed out</a>, <span>Matt Strahm</span> is ready to make some noise as well.</p>
<p id="gTZWrP">I can no longer write, in good conscience, that the 2019 Padres are irrelevant. This team could be ready to win <em>right now. </em>Furthermore, they’re building a winner in the most fan and player-friendly manner.</p>
<h2 id="3opV86">Prospects</h2>
<p id="aYNqco">As Paternostro summarized above, this farm system is more than just the best in baseball; it’s the best in recent memory. Padres prospects occupy ten spots on the <a href="http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2019?list=prospects">MLB Pipeline Top 100</a>. At the front of the list is 20-year-old shortstop Fernando Tatís, Jr., who is ranked second overall on nearly every top prospect site. He’s a do-it-all talent whose game is so complete that he became the youngest position player to start on Opening Day since <span>Adrian Beltre</span> in 1999.</p>
<p id="rJHoUe">Tatís will be joined in the lineup soon enough by fellow prospects Luis Urías and Francisco Mejía. Urías is a slick middle infielder himself who will probably become a permanent second baseman in deference to Tatís, and his excellent contact skills and walk rate should make him an ideal table-setter. Mejía has been ranked one of the top three catching prospects in baseball each year since 2016. He’s a switch-hitter who made headlines with a <a href="https://www.mlb.com/cut4/francisco-mejia-didn-t-realize-he-had-a-hit-streak-until-40-games-c264496348">50-game hitting streak in the minors</a>.</p>
<p id="umImOB">The other seven members of the MLB Pipeline Top 100 from the Padres are all pitchers. If there was such a thing as a Spring Training Cy Young Award, Chris Paddack might have won it with his strikeout rampage. He earned a rotation spot on the big club despite just seven starts in Double-A and none at all in Triple-A. Left-hander MacKenzie Gore has an even higher ceiling, despite being younger than Tatís. </p>
<p id="FRm44w">About a half dozen additional pitching studs would also top other team’s organizational lists. Pretty soon, the Padres will likely have the “good problem” of too many excellent young pitchers and not enough innings to go around!</p>
<p id="zCQesq">The best part of their wealth of developmental riches is the way in which the Padres are handling them. Tatís and Paddack both made the Opening Day roster, service time manipulation be damned. <span>Joey Lucchesi</span> earned a full year of service time last year as well. While other clubs blatantly repress their most able prospects— such as the <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/">Blue Jays</a> with <span>Vladimir Guerrero</span>, Jr.— it’s refreshing to see San Diego put the best players on the field.</p>
<h2 id="a0o6Fx">Free Agents</h2>
<p id="QQYWIc">The Padres are celebrating their 50th birthday this season. On May 11th of their inaugural year, Nate Colbert hit his sixth home run. He has remained the franchise leader ever since. It’s a bad look for a half-century old ball club that no one has managed more than 163 dingers in team history. However, the person who will break Colbert’s record is probably on the 2019 roster.</p>
<p id="41GrFu">The Padres were one of two teams to win the free agent lottery this offseason, snagging third baseman <span>Manny Machado</span> to a ten year, $300 million contract (the other being the Phillies with Bryce Harper, of course). <span>Machado</span> needs no introduction; he has accumulated 30.3 fWAR since his 2012 debut. He’s slugged 175 homers through age-25, making him a near lock to top Colbert’s record over the next decade.</p>
<p id="zNRxzW">San Diego also signed the biggest free agent contract of the previous winter, inking first baseman <span>Eric Hosmer</span> to an eight year, $144 million deal. That one hasn’t looked too good just yet. In his first season with the club, he produced a weak .398 slugging percentage. <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/statcast_leaderboard">He was the only player in MLB last year with a negative average launch angle (-1.2 degrees, minimum 150 batted ball events)</a>. Nevertheless, he did manage 18 bombs. He’ll need to average 21 per year for the remainder of the contract to surpass Colbert.</p>
<p id="puZ2iN">Even if the <span>Hosmer</span> contract looks like a bust, and it’s way too early to judge the <span>Machado</span> signing, the Padres are once again bucking the system simply by spending their money. Much digital ink has been used on these pages and others to decry the frugality of MLB teams in free agency. San Diego deserves kudos for grabbing the best players available, actively working to improve their team.</p>
<h2 id="RzfdOh">What Next?</h2>
<p id="bpsl7a">Make no mistake, the 2019 Padres are far from perfect. The current rotation is rather thin, and the prospects have yet to prove themselves. They have too many corner outfielders, while the only true center fielder is <span>Manuel Margot</span>, who carries a career 85 wRC+ into the season. There are holes to fill, which can be accomplished by waiting for prospects to develop, trading for veterans, or signing more free agents next winter.</p>
<p id="TjpKg1">Last year, 91 wins were needed for a playoff spot in the NL. The Padres fell 25 games short. That’s a tall mountain to climb in one season, and most likely they won’t reach the summit in 2019. However, they’ve made great strides and should field a highly competitive roster. Best of all, the Padres are setting a good example for other teams; they’re ignoring service time with regards to player development and spending big money in free agency.</p>
<p id="wKG062">Since the Chargers headed north for Los Angeles, San Diego is the largest single-sport city in America. The fans deserve a franchise worth rooting for, so good for the Padres in doing their best to give them one.</p>
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<p id="QhKT3P"><em>Daniel R. Epstein is an elementary special education teacher and president of the Somerset County Education Association. In addition to BtBS, he writes at </em><a href="http://www.offthebenchbaseball.com/"><em><strong>www.OffTheBenchBaseball.com</strong></em></a><em>. Tweets </em><a href="https://twitter.com/depstein1983"><em><strong>@depstein1983</strong></em></a></p>
https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2019/3/29/18283710/san-diego-padres-are-building-winner-tatis-machado-hosmer-paddack-strahm-lucchesi-margot-uriasDaniel R. Epstein2019-03-28T12:00:00-04:002019-03-28T12:00:00-04:00The Giants remain in a holding pattern, but will soon emerge
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<img alt="MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8xXUv5ALK-kAnGUctCfzflh7q1U=/0x0:4518x3012/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63313465/usa_today_10938522.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Their biggest acquisition did not come on the player side.</p> <p id="sjYcFn">It seems rare in a baseball time such as this, but the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> have consistently “gone for it,” and sometimes in the ways we consider to be irresponsible; or, at least we view it irresponsible with respect to getting the best value, or putting together the most flexible roster.</p>
<p id="A897pw">But you have to admire the chutzpah of scooping up talent when it’s available and putting your best chips forward. Hell, the Giants are the best example out there that if you get into the dance in the first place, it’s always possible to win the whole thing. Their last <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a> win was not even a 90-win team, and none of them this decade yielded more than 95.</p>
<p id="qlkT51">Unfortunately that process of going all in didn’t work in 2018, as the team went 73-89, which was just a total disaster from every angle. The major moves last season—namely, bringing <span>Evan Longoria</span> from the <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Rays</a> and <span>Andrew McCutchen</span> from the <a href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pirates</a>—yielded a mixed bag, as <span>Longoria</span> hit just .244/.281/.413, and <span>McCutchen</span> had a .772 OPS but was better off being shipped to New York at the trade waiver deadline.</p>
<p id="YzwqiQ"><span>Madison Bumgarner</span>, still hobbled after an injury-shortened 2017, didn’t make his 2018 debut until June 5th due to an injured pinky of all things, and he got essentially a half-season of work in—a 3.26 ERA over 129 <sup>2</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> innings. <span>Johnny Cueto</span> tossed just 53 innings after having to undergo Tommy John surgery in early August, so they will be without him for basically all of the 2019 season. </p>
<p id="yRquZm">Jeff Samardzija had issues with shoulder inflammation and a strained pectoral muscle, and pitched just 44 <sup>2</sup>⁄<sub>3</sub> innings. The Will Smith-Sam Dyson-<span>Tony Watson</span> trio were largely phenomenal, though, but it’s hard to compete when you give the lion’s share of starts to <span>Chris Stratton</span> and <span>Andrew Suarez</span>.</p>
<p id="caH24f">The Giants go into 2019 with basically the same squad sans <span>Hunter Pence</span> and <span>McCutchen</span>, and they added just <span>Yangervis Solarte</span> and Gerardo Parra. With a payroll around $175 million they still could have added <span>Bryce Harper</span>, and they were on the list to obtain <span>Giancarlo Stanton</span> after he backed out last offseason, but this is a team that is largely set and finished for the remainder of the season. And while this team won’t be good—God, they will absolutely not be good—there are still things to look at as bright spots.</p>
<ul><li id="Dv2ToR">They do still have <span>Bumgarner</span> and <span>Cueto</span>, even if the latter won’t return.</li></ul>
<p id="C9ka1E">Even though the former will be a free agent, there is hope in the organization that he can be re-signed, and I would imagine they can considering declining prices for free agents, especially now a recently oft-injured one. Cueto will return in 2020 at (hopefully) full form, and that isn’t nothing!</p>
<ul><li id="Cr2Qgy">They still have <span>Buster Posey</span>.</li></ul>
<p id="str7wu"><span>Posey</span> is still one of the best—if not the best—catchers in the game and the best of this generation, and he’s still very much in his prime. PECOTA projects a 4.6 WARP season out of him, so while the next core will likely be as he is fading, it will still very much be his team to guide into the next phase.</p>
<ul><li id="C6cTr0">Farhan Zaidi.</li></ul>
<p id="Aqhy6N">The biggest acquisition the Giants <em>actually</em> made was in November when they made former <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> and <a href="https://www.athleticsnation.com/">Athletics</a> executive Farhan Zaidi the President of Baseball Operations, which is essentially the GM in new-baseball parlance. Zaidi comes from a legacy of patching together the last run of successful Athletics teams, and then putting together super-teams, full of flexibility, in Los Angeles. Considering their emphasis on diversifying risk but still utilizing payroll, and investing heavily in the international market, there is a lot of hope that this brain trust will be just as successful as the scouting gut of Brian Sabean in yesteryear, which leads me to...</p>
<ul><li id="g41kpf">They already invested heavily in the 2018 international amateur market.</li></ul>
<p id="FmNG68">The Giants got to go over their amateur pool in 2018, and they went wild, signing the second-best prospect to Victor Victor Mesa in Marco Luciano to a $2.6 million deal, and Cuban outfielder Jairo Pomares to $1.1 million. They signed 30 players in total, and while those won’t bear fruit for five or more years down the road, it shows that while the farm system sans Joey Bart is <a href="http://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/25907443/keith-law-2019-ranking-all-30-mlb-farm-systems">decimated</a>, they will have a base of talent to build on going forward.</p>
<p id="dpOVoT">It’s going to be a rough year for Giants fans; there’s no doubt. Innumerable time will be spent squinting to find a bright spot here or a bright spot there, but this was the same organization that won three championships this decade, and added one of the best executives in the game into the fold, with one of the most flexible owners in the game. 2019 won’t be the year, but the next decade is sure to be another Giants decade.</p>
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https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2019/3/28/18285201/team-previews-san-francisco-giants-zaidi-sabean-bumgarner-posey-samardzija-pence-harperMatt Provenzano2019-03-27T12:00:00-04:002019-03-27T12:00:00-04:00The Diamondbacks mediocre offseason will lead to a mediocre record
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<img alt="MLB: Spring Training-Cleveland Indians at Arizona Diamondbacks" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HcBytb-PZ2QlnjSIwePn4Wav5xs=/0x0:3303x2202/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63306751/usa_today_12302513.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A steady decline has led to a rebuild in the desert. How deep do the cuts have to go and what does it mean to the 2019 squad?</p> <p id="nwRx2b">Only two years ago the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Arizona Diamondbacks</a> put together a 93-win season, earned their first playoff berth since 2011, and won the NL wild card game. They made it to the NLDS to face the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>, but were swept out of the playoffs as quickly as they earned their spot. Over three games Dbacks pitchers gave up 20 runs in a series in which they looked severely overmatched. </p>
<p id="LgAxed">Since then, Arizona has been on a rapid downward spiral. They won ten fewer games in 2018 than in 2017, and this past offseason divested their franchise player and let a pair of all-stars walk in their free agent year. </p>
<p id="3Pe9UW">Not only did Arizona divest themselves of <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span>, who was still under a team-friendly deal, but they opted not to resign A.J. Pollock, who ended up with the Dodgers, and former ace <span>Patrick Corbin</span>, who wound up in Washington. </p>
<p id="sJUrY8">Despite it being a painful offseason for Diamondback fans, there is upside in the players they acquired in exchange for one of the best first basemen in the league. The <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span> trade with the <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a> sent Arizona three prospects: catcher <span>Carson Kelly</span>, infielder Andy Young, and pitcher <span>Luke Weaver</span> (along with a competitive balance pick).</p>
<p id="jjZymv"><span>Carson Kelly</span> spent most of his career sidelined behind everyday starter Yadier Molina. Despite success in triple-A, he has had to date two short-stint ‘cups-of-coffee’ in the bigs, both times with minimal success. In 63 games, he has a .415 OPS— not exactly inspiring going into 2019. Currently, he is slated behind <span>Alex Avila</span>, but in due time, he’ll likely have the opportunity to prove himself as the everyday backstop. </p>
<p id="aQzNfI">Similar to <span>Kelly</span>, <span>Luke Weaver</span> never had an opportunity to blossom in St. Louis. So far he has been inconsistent in both his strikeout rate and his walk rate. He has solidified a spot in the D-backs rotation, so this will be the year he can develop into a solid pitcher every fifth day. </p>
<p id="TIQoDr">Despite some major changes to their roster, the Arizona pitching staff is still led by veteran <span>Zack Greinke</span>, who is complemented by 27-year-old Robbie Ray. Ray had the worst season of his career in 2018, where his walk rate nearly doubled from his previous career average. <span>Greinke</span> is 35 years old, and still has three years left on his six-year deal. He remains effective, but his 2018 was a lot less productive than 2017. </p>
<p id="SKFSrs">The projection systems agree that Arizona is going to take a slight step back compared to last year’s above-.500 team. FanGraphs projects the D-backs to finish with 79 wins, while PECOTA has them at 81-81. Although the starting pitching can likely keep them competitive in the division, losing the firepower of 50+ home runs in Goldy and Pollock is tough to overcome. </p>
<p id="QWqALR">Even with steps forward by their new prospects, a breakout year by 25-year-old <span>Ketel Marte</span>, and the pitching holding up, it will be difficult to keep pace with the Dodgers. Looking towards the future, the D-backs hope they see breakouts from a number of MLB-caliber talents in the minors, though per Baseball America, Arizona lacks players with upside to be elite. </p>
<p id="CB4rT0">Arizona may be mired around the .500 level for several years, and 2019 is not likely to be any different. </p>
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<p style="”text-align:" center>***</p>
<p><i>Steven Martano is an Editor at Beyond the Box Score, a Contributing Prospect Writer for the Colorado Rockies at </i><a href="%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.purplerow.com%E2%80%9D" target="”_blank”">Purple Row</a><i>, and a contributing writer for </i><a href="%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.thehardballtimes.com%E2%80%9D" target="”_blank”">The Hardball Times</a><i>. </i><i>You can follow him on Twitter at <a target="”_blank”" href="%E2%80%9Dhttps://twitter.com/SMartano%E2%80%9D">@SMartano</a></i></p>
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https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2019/3/27/18275045/diamondbacks-season-preview-ketel-marte-goldschmidt-tradeSteven Martano2019-03-26T12:00:00-04:002019-03-26T12:00:00-04:00A simple playoff berth wasn’t enough for the ascendant Rockies
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<img alt="MLB: Spring Training-Chicago Cubs at Colorado Rockies" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GDgYAuKhJMAPT-aNhcT8HVR--u8=/0x0:3676x2451/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63299237/usa_today_12407130.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Rockies will get a chance to finish what they started last season.</p> <p id="j4JFhN">Here’s an interesting question: who were the top three starting pitchers by fWAR in the second half last season? <span>Jacob deGrom</span>? OK, obviously he was the leader. <span>Max Scherzer</span>? Sure, he’s up there. But Patrick Corbin, <span>Gerrit Cole</span>, <span>Corey Kluber</span>, or <span>Justin Verlander</span>? No, none of them were that good, but none other than German Márquez was better than all of them sans <span>deGrom</span> by that metric, putting up a 2.61 ERA and 2.25 FIP in that span.</p>
<p id="TTIISR">Márquez finished with an identical fWAR, 4.2, as fellow rotation-mate <span>Kyle Freeland</span>, a fan favorite who <a href="https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2018/8/31/17803930/kyle-freeland-colorado-rockies-coors-field-pitching">mixed up his repertoire</a> (namely, killing the sinker) and fixed his mechanics to put together an another stellar pitching season, one that Colorado <em>rarely</em> sees.</p>
<p id="4DYyFh">In fact, <span>Freeland</span> had the best RA9-WAR season of any <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a> starter—ever—and both him and Márquez helped the rotation put up a collective 17.9 fWAR as a rotation—fifth best in their history. Their best RA9-WAR season was in 2017.</p>
<p id="4Hz7qc">Even with them seemingly breaking the Coors Field code, some projection systems are expecting a deal of regression, though there are arguments to be made that they are too pessimistic. The bigger, demonstrable change comes out of the bullpen, where <span>Adam Ottavino</span> opted to sign with his hometown <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a>, leaving a <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fmlb%2F2018%2F12%2F10%2Fadam-ottavino-free-agent-babe-ruth%2F2271870002%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.beyondtheboxscore.com%2F2019%2F3%2F26%2F18281303%2Fmlb-team-previews-colorado-rockies-arenado-story-marquez-murphy-ottavino" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Babe Ruth-sized</a> hole in their personnel.</p>
<p id="xFyJZE">That leaves with them with <span>Wade Davis</span>, whose $52 million contract already looks like an albatross as he put up a disappointing 89 ERA- debut season, and his bullpen companions are a series of reclamation projects sans Seung Hwan Oh, who regained his form after a lackluster 2017. The rest include former <a href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Indians</a> bullpen piece <span>Bryan Shaw</span>, and former <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Rays</a> bullpen ace Jake McGee. There’s upside there, of course, but there’s also the clear chance for some catastrophe.</p>
<p id="Dgnh9E">And like many Rockies ball clubs, the offense is sure to be firing on all cylinders. The organization just made a major commitment to their future on the position player side by inking star third baseman <span>Nolan Arenado</span> to an eight-year, $260 million deal. They signed <span>Daniel Murphy</span>, off a 115 wRC+ post-trade deadline with the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a>, for $24 million over two years. They join an existing core of <span>Trevor Story</span>, <span>Charlie Blackmon</span>, and <span>David Dahl</span>, and they look to produce a projected 15.1 wins.</p>
<p id="eMxwRE">Ultimately, those won’t be the players who decide their season. If those players get you from 48 to 63 wins (via the replacement team formula), and then Márquez, Gray, and <span>Freeland</span> bring you to 71, then a good portion of their fate falls in the hands of the role players, the bullpen, and the back-end of the rotation. Does Raimel Tapia finally break out? Is Ian Desmond going to be a replacement level (probably)? Do <span>Davis</span>, <span>Shaw</span>, and McGee bring a win, or four, to the table?</p>
<p id="fqwIMc">That’s the difference between 81 and 85 wins, or 85 wins and 89, all the difference in a league where it could be a dogfight for that second wild card, and considering how far the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> fell last season, another perfect storm could lead them to Game 163 again if the chips fall a similar way.</p>
<p id="4hIDIA">This is not your father’s Rockies, that’s for sure. With a position player core and a starting rotation that has seemingly shattered the curse of Coors Field, the only thing that can stop them are the natural upper limits of the Dodgers, or if they run into another buzz-saw like Milwaukee in the postseason. Those are things out of your control, and they took care of everything on their side of things.</p>
https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2019/3/26/18281303/mlb-team-previews-colorado-rockies-arenado-story-marquez-murphy-ottavinoMatt Provenzano2019-03-25T12:00:00-04:002019-03-25T12:00:00-04:00The Dodgers have already clinched the NL West
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<img alt="National League Tiebreaker Game - Colorado Rockies v Los Angeles Dodgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TiwNqYXw6FCaIrLgoP51erFqr7I=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63294981/1044363448.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Harry How/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A seventh divisional title and two NL pennants isn’t enough, though.</p> <p id="wb7K1L">Before Hyun-Jin Ryu throws the first pitch on March 28th, the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> will have already clinched the NL West crown for the seventh year in a row. They won’t mathematically clinch the division until September or so, but there it’s hard to think of a plausible scenario in which this team doesn’t win the West. Even in an absolute worst-case scenario, the Dodgers will still come out on top.</p>
<p id="5flKYi">Even last year when <span>Corey Seager</span> went out for the year with Tommy John and <span>Clayton Kershaw</span> battled health issues again, and <span>Kenley Jansen</span> looked mortal for the first time and they under-performed their Pythagorean record by 10 games, they still won the division. Yes, they needed to play a 163<sup>rd</sup> game against the <a href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a>, and yes, they needed the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> to collapse, but it’s hard to imagine their luck being any worse than it was in 2018.</p>
<p id="WtXePc">They have too many fail-safes. If somebody gets hurt, it just means that one of their supremely talented bench players will finally get some playing time. This is a team that even after trading <span>Yasiel Puig</span> and <span>Matt Kemp</span> to the <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a>, almost didn’t have room for <span>Alex Verdugo</span>, not to mention Andrew Toles. Ross Stripling is listed seventh on the FanGraphs rotation depth chart, and he had a 6.18 strikeout-to-walk ratio last year.</p>
<p id="TkN8eA">The Dodgers led the majors in positional fWAR and non-pitcher wRC+ at 118. That might not repeat in 2019 as they’ve arguably gotten slightly worse. The Dodgers replaced <span>Yasmani Grandal</span> with <span>Russell Martin</span> which is a clear downgrade. They’ve also switched out <span>Kemp</span> and <span>Puig</span> for AJ Pollock and <span>Verdugo</span>. <span>Verdugo</span> should be better than <span>Kemp</span> going forward, but replacing <span>Puig</span> with Pollock is a little risky since Pollock has had trouble staying healthy and he’s more expensive than <span>Puig</span>.</p>
<p id="Xalzs1">The Dodgers may have gotten a little worse on offense, but there’s still a gulf between them and their closest divisional rivals. The Rockies and Diamondbacks didn’t improve this offseason, so Los Angeles is as sure a divisional favorite as any outside of Cleveland. </p>
<p id="Cm2TMR">Now, even if the Dodgers looking to win their seventh divisional title in a row, that doesn’t mean the season will be a success. This isn’t a team that is satisfied with making the playoffs. They’ve been to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a> twice in a row and lost both times. The season will only be successful if they end a 30-year championship drought.</p>
<p id="xpCWct">They’re not going to be like the 2010-11 <a href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Texas Rangers</a> and lose two World Series before going into a tailspin. They could, however, become the Bills. They could keep going to the World Series and losing, year after year to the <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> or <a href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a> or <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a> until Julio Urías is on his retirement tour. The good news is that it’s hard to imagine the Dodgers being noncompetitive. If they keep fielding super-teams year after year, they’re bound to get a ring.</p>
<p id="MOoshf">Just because the window is wide open doesn’t mean that the Dodgers aren’t in a transitional phase. They’re just fortunate and good enough that their changing of the guard occur imperceptibly. As mentioned earlier, Ryu and not <span>Clayton Kershaw</span> will pitch on Opening Day. This will be the first time since 2010 that <span>Kershaw</span> hasn’t taken the bump to begin the season.</p>
<p id="m56xoD">That’s not an indictment of his talent. <span>Kershaw</span> is still one of the best starting pitchers in baseball, but he’s no longer the best. That’s before getting to the question of his health. Kershaw hasn’t played a full season since 2015, and he’s already missing a start with shoulder soreness.</p>
<p id="mX3VEc">Even if this time he misses at the beginning of April is the only time he isn’t active this year, there’s also the concern of his declining fastball velocity. He didn’t hit mid-nineties with his fastball last year, only maxing out at 93.79 MPH. That’s three MPH slower than his 2017 max. It’s easy to see why Kershaw relied on his slider more than ever in 2018 actually throwing it more often than his four-seamer.</p>
<p id="RzvCj0">Kershaw may not be the same, but the Dodgers will move from his peak unharmed. <span>Walker Buehler</span> and Julio Urías are each worthy successors to Kershaw.</p>
<p id="V4hCd9">The Dodgers also lost Farhan Zaidi to the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a>. Zaidi was the General Manager of the Dodgers for the last four years. Going through a brain drain is never beneficial to a team, but losing one to a historical rival, and one that’s won three championships in the last decade is especially bad.</p>
<p id="3kHQPl">That’s a concern for later though. For 2019, however, the Dodgers have little reason to worry. Last season, they played about as poorly as they could, and they still won the National League pennant. There will come a year where the Dodgers don’t win the NL West, but that year is not this year.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="NkzJPg">
<p id="uOF0Y3"><em>Kenny Kelly is a writer for Beyond the Box Score and McCovey Chronicles. You can follow him on Twitter @KennyKellyWords.</em></p>
https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2019/3/25/18280257/mlb-los-angeles-dodgers-series-preview-seager-kershaw-puig-kemp-dbacks-rockies-verdugo-martinKenny Kelly2019-03-22T11:00:00-04:002019-03-22T11:00:00-04:002019 BtBS Team Previews: Cincinnati Reds
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<img alt="MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AAPhakY8fIBx-_0KfcMEsy7ZHok=/0x7:1950x1307/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63280813/usa_today_11336003.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A lot of “ifs” need to break right for the Reds.</p> <p id="mq9vGm">“If” defines the most important events in all of our lives. <em>If</em> you hadn’t looked up from the bar just as your future spouse walked in, you would never have met. <em>If</em> you submitted your job application an hour later, they would’ve hired somebody else. <em>If</em> you had closed the front door all the way, the wind wouldn’t have blown it open and your cat wouldn’t have run off.</p>
<p id="pqVcDe">However, “if” is unreliable. Too many “ifs” will almost guarantee failure. <em>If</em> your car doesn’t need a new transmission, <em>if </em>you don’t get sick and miss work, and <em>if</em> you eat ramen for dinner five times per week, <em>then</em> you can pay your rent on time. That’s no way to live.</p>
<p id="j4aNi1">There are several big “ifs” that apply to every baseball team, such as <em>if</em> <span>Mike Trout</span> stays healthy and <em>if</em> <span>Justin Verlander</span> doesn’t lose velocity. There’s no reason to expect either of these problems, but the unexpected does happen to every team over the course of a season. That’s why predicting baseball is so difficult.</p>
<p id="CMe9bz">The <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Cincinnati Reds</a> believe <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/alex-wood-discusses-his-trade-to-reds-c302208004">they can win the NL Central in 2019</a>. They’re right! They absolutely can win the division this year. However, they’re relying on a whole lot of “ifs.” We’ll examine some of those “ifs” starting with the safest and progressing toward the least likely, including an “If” rating from 1-10 with one being completely safe and ten nearly impossible.</p>
<h2 id="ppqQhU">If they score enough runs...</h2>
<p id="UGL9an">This one should be a piece of cake. The Reds finished eighth in the NL in runs scored last season, and improved their offense significantly. </p>
<p id="q6zKoH"><span>Joey Votto</span> remains a stalwart in the lineup, even though his power dissipated. <a href="https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2019/3/18/18268401/joey-votto-decline-cincinnati-reds-popup-barrel-rate-statcast-walk-exit-velocity">Earlier this week, I explored what his decline looks like</a> and you know what? He’s still a three-win player, even without power. That’s excellent!</p>
<p id="fFOmlY">With a 135 wRC+ last year, <span>Eugenio Suarez</span> may have surpassed <span>Votto</span> as the team’s best hitter. <span>Scooter Gennett</span> has quietly become one of the league’s best second basemen. His 4.5 fWAR in 2018 was second in the NL at the keystone behind only <span>Javier Baez</span>.</p>
<p id="UqMuou">The offense should also improve due to some key changes made this offseason. Gone are <span>Billy Hamilton</span> (69 wRC+) and <span>Adam Duvall</span> (81 wRC+, traded last July). They’ve been replaced with <span>Yasiel Puig</span> and <span>Matt Kemp</span>, as well as a full season from <span>Jesse Winker</span>.</p>
<p id="GRpygT"><strong>Offense “If” Rating: 2</strong></p>
<h2 id="cZFq0w">If the rotation improves...</h2>
<p id="fUM5My">Perhaps this should be “If the rotation improves <em>enough...” </em>Improvement is almost certain, given how awful the pitching staff was last season. They finished last in the NL in FIP (4.68) and runs allowed (819).</p>
<p id="ZsiWiY"><span>Luis Castillo</span> led the starters with a 4.30 ERA and 4.32 FIP. Most of the others were considerably worse. <span>Homer Bailey</span>’s disastrous contract is gone. <span>Sal Romano</span>, who threw the second most innings on the team despite a 5.31 ERA and 4.95 FIP, might not make the team.</p>
<p id="1U4JYh">However, if the goal is winning the division, the rotation still probably doesn’t make the grade. The new additions are <span>Sonny Gray</span>, <span>Tanner Roark</span>, and Alex Wood. <span>Gray</span> has been a Cy Young candidate at his best, but hasn’t been anywhere near that level recently. <a href="https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2019/1/5/18169216/gray-sonny-yankees-new-york-changes-slider-corbin-patrick-effectiveness-mlb">With a change in approach, the Reds hope he can rebound</a>. <span>Roark</span> is durable, but his 8.4 percent swinging strike rate last year was sixth lowest in baseball among all qualified starters. Wood is perfectly fine, but he’s already hurt.</p>
<p id="cnWNxb">There’s still no ace in the bunch, and arguably no one that would make the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> rotation at all (<a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/fantasy/dc/">the Cubs are projected to finish last by Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA</a>). It’s a better rotation than last year’s Reds, but that’s not a high bar.</p>
<p id="Fqg5F8"><strong>Rotation “If” Rating: 5</strong></p>
<h2 id="H0Fwpd">If the defense up-the-middle isn’t awful...</h2>
<p id="bkq9s6">Remember the part where <span>Billy Hamilton</span> isn’t there anymore? If we’re just talking offense, that’s great! They’ll miss him an awful lot on defense though. <span>Scott Schebler</span> is the most experienced remaining center fielder, and he’s sort of average-ish? There’s a lot of questionable hits allowed on his Statcast catch difficulty chart.</p>
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<p id="7pgBSd">Moving to the infield, we return to <span>Scooter Gennett</span>. Again, the offense is fantastic. However, he brings a -3.9 UZR/150 at second base. <span>Jose Peraza</span>’s -3.3 UZR/150 at shortstop isn’t a lot better.</p>
<p id="XSmChm">Super prospect Nick Senzel fits into the conversation... somewhere. <a href="https://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-cincinnati-reds">Roster Resource</a> lists him as the top minor league second baseman, but that’s not really accurate. Senzel is a natural third baseman, which is a problem because of the whole <span>Eugenio Suarez</span>-is-awesome thing. It would be convenient if he could play center field, but that’s a stretch.</p>
<p id="6ddvAX"><strong>Up-the-Middle “If” Rating: 7</strong></p>
<h2 id="PuBnDa">If the other NL Central teams collapse...</h2>
<p id="CUDV9x">The factors already listed are all (somewhat) within the Reds’ control. However, winning the division requires the other four teams to win fewer games than they do. <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=Standings">FanGraphs projects all five NL Central teams to finish within nine games of each other</a>, with none worse than 79-83.</p>
<p id="ExYpee">All four non-Reds NL Central teams finished above .500 last year. Even if they improve 20 wins from last year’s 67-95, odds are at least one other rival is still better. They’re probably not a last place team anymore, but it’s tough to envision the <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a>, Cubs, <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a>, <em>and </em><a href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pirates</a> all backsliding in the standings.</p>
<p id="akSqNd"><strong>NL Central “If” Rating: 9</strong></p>
<h2 id="djUXHq">...then the Reds will win the division.</h2>
<p id="kJp9S5">Not going to happen. Sorry, Reds fans. However, given that they’ve landed in last place every year since 2015, success might have to be measured more incrementally. Reaching .500 would be a nice start, and that’s a realistic goal.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="cXc5eR">
<p id="xnROUh"><em>Daniel R. Epstein is an elementary special education teacher and president of the Somerset County Education Association. In addition to BtBS, he writes at </em><a href="http://www.offthebenchbaseball.com/"><em><strong>www.OffTheBenchBaseball.com</strong></em></a><em>. Tweets </em><a href="https://twitter.com/depstein1983"><em><strong>@depstein1983</strong></em></a></p>
https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2019/3/22/18272360/2019-btbs-team-previews-cincinnati-reds-votto-eugenio-suarez-luis-castillo-puig-roark-gennettDaniel R. Epstein2019-03-21T12:00:00-04:002019-03-21T12:00:00-04:00The Cardinals, as always, continue to put out a competitive squad
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<img alt="MLB: Spring Training-Washington Nationals at St. Louis Cardinals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0De7-phtwEJ5mzxQKpVuzb7BCxg=/0x179:1626x1263/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63275493/usa_today_12327562.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>After adding a great first baseman to an existing squad with promise, they look to compete in a tough NL Central.</p> <p id="SwVoRo">For The Classical about four years ago, usually non-baseball-writing-and-podcasting Matt Christman <a href="http://theclassical.org/articles/the-st-louis-inexorables">wrote</a> about the <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a>, and how they over the years bedeviled his treasured <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p id="kk9Wmc">“Their victories don’t have the same air of economic determinism as those of the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a>. They’re not the small market underdog that their apple-cheeked, where-did-you-go-to-high-school asking fans imagine them to be, but they’re not economic behemoths, either. The Cardinals tend to rank right smack in the middle of the pack for team payrolls. The Cardinals recent victories, specifically their two uncanny <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a> runs, don’t feel like an expression of brute economic reality. In some ways, they are an expression of the team’s unparalleled and inarguable and (ugh) actually admirable organizational brilliance.”</p></blockquote>
<p id="rOGdAB">Without any major advantage in payroll or media market or really any other structural factor, the Cardinals continue to churn out major leaguer after major leaguer, competitive team after competitive team, and BABIP god after BABIP god until they squeak their way into another World Series win.</p>
<p id="rxJjU1">So while the Cardinals didn’t add <span>Manny Machado</span> or <span>Bryce Harper</span>, and they very well could have, they still have brought two stars into the fold over the last two seasons without really touching the checkbook.</p>
<p id="R5h8Jt">The first one has yet to bear its true fruit, as they capitalized on the <a href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Marlins</a>’ tear-down to snare <span>Marcell Ozuna</span>, the price being a total of a top one-hundred pitching prospect in <span>Sandy Alcantara</span>—and its not like the Cardinals don’t spit out those, which we’ll get to—and a top-ish prospect in the light-hitting <span>Magneuris Sierra</span>, whose profile looks more or less like a fourth outfielder at best. <span>Ozuna</span> had a “mere” 106 wRC+, but that also constituted a 131 wRC+ in the second half and what was, still, a nearly-three-win season.</p>
<p id="U4AbBg">Then they went out and added who is easily the best first baseman in the game in <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span>, who just had his sixth-straight season of more than 4.3 fWAR. Ho hum. The price for him was actually real in a way <span>Ozuna</span> wasn’t, as they gave up <span>Carson Kelly</span>, a promising catching prospect, and <span>Luke Weaver</span>, who has had some issues with results but has a pitch mix that <a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/adam-wainwright-luke-weaver-and-passing-the-torch/">looks</a> incredibly, incredibly promising.</p>
<p id="5Zk10N">The two of them join, as I said, an existing crew of almost completely, quality players churned out from the ether. <span>Harrison Bader</span>, a 2015 third-rounder who looks like a Fallout NPC, put up a 3.5 fWAR season buoyed by excellent hitting against lefties and great outfield defense. And nothing sums up Cardinals excellence better than <span>Matt Carpenter</span>, a 13th rounder who filled in at first base after <span>Albert Pujols</span> and immediately became an important piece; he’s hit better than a 115 wRC+ every full season, and he had an incredible stretch last year where he hit .312/.414/.660 from May 1st to August 1st.</p>
<p id="swbcI2">The pitching, as would be expected, follows that same Cardinals model. <span>Miles Mikolas</span>, the MLB-to-NPB-to-MLB wonder who crashed back on to the scene has now signed a $15.5 million extension after his 2.83 ERA season. <span>Jack Flaherty</span> looks to top his 85 ERA- rookie year, and they’re surrounded by a largely similar cast of characters including <span>Adam Wainwright</span> and <span>Michael Wacha</span>, who should be about one-to-two-win players in their own right. <span>Carlos Martinez</span> will miss the start of the year with shoulder issues, and former top prospect <span>Alex Reyes</span> will likely make the team as a reliever, so a lot does hinge on health there.</p>
<p id="0mJNk1">FanGraphs puts this squad as an 85-win one. That was enough to miraculously win a World Series in 2006, and it could very well be enough today. They are in a tight division with a stagnant <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a>, non-spender <a href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pirates</a>, the returning pennant winner Brewers, and <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a> who could be bad or could be mediocre, so this is all, like most of the teams in the division, up for grabs. John Mozeliak churned out yet another contender, as he is so often wont to do, and if they don’t, it’s not like they didn’t put all of the right pieces in place.</p>
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https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2019/3/21/18275568/mlb-team-previews-st-louis-cardinals-goldschmidt-ozuna-bader-carpenter-mozeliakMatt Provenzano2019-03-20T12:00:00-04:002019-03-20T12:00:00-04:00The Pirates are falling behind in the NL Central
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<img alt="MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RZs6zjM4rr2CySCWgTmLW94hc9s=/0x0:4674x3116/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63265879/usa_today_11312925.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The team that did the least in the NL Central is still only a stone’s throw-away from being competitive. Unfortunately, they are hamstrung by ownership. </p> <p id="QOlpT6">It wouldn’t have taken much for the <a href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pirates</a> to keep pace with the rest of the National League Central. After all, the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a>’ starters are aging and inconsistent, the <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a> have regularly posted wins in the mid-80s wins and are projected for much of the same, and the <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a> have been basement dwellers. The biggest difference has probably been the <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a> increasing their payroll to more-than-double the Pirates’, a middle-of-the-pack $118 million versus the Pirates pathetic $57.6 million. </p>
<p id="t2Fq5Z">Even so, PECOTA projects Pittsburgh to be in the thick of the wild card race, hovering around .500. FanGraphs’ projected standings are similar, though remarkably more bullish on the Cubs, and subsequently less-so on the Pirates, who are projected to be in last place with 79 wins. </p>
<p id="596PAx">Last season the Pirates managed to finish the year 82-79, their best record since their consecutive wildcard seasons in 2014 and 2015. They managed to finish above .500 by not necessarily doing any one thing well, but by not doing anything remarkably poorly. Their starters’ ERA ranked 10th in the National League, but third in the division, and their relievers had the fourth-best strikeout rate in the NL.</p>
<p id="v23cVi">On the offensive side of the ball, only two players hit more than 20 homers, with <span>Gregory Polanco</span> leading the team with 23 and <span>Starling Marte</span> hitting 20. Overall, Pittsburgh’s offense placed seventh in the National League by wRC+, and eighth in fWAR. </p>
<p id="uURiSg">This offseason, however, Pittsburgh did little to answer the moves other teams in the division made. St. Louis traded for one of the best first basemen in the league, in <span>Paul Goldschmidt</span>, the Brewers signed <span>Yasmani Grandal</span> and <span>Mike Moustakas</span>, and the Reds acquired <span>Tanner Roark</span>, <span>Matt Harvey</span>, <span>Yasiel Puig</span>, Alex Wood, <em>and </em><span>Matt Kemp</span>. </p>
<p id="Fcf2xX">The Pirates countered all these big league moves with... a pile of minor league free agent signings. They did add <span>Lonnie Chisenhall</span>, who will fill in for <span>Gregory Polanco</span>, who is out until at least May following shoulder surgery. They also acquired <span>Jordan Lyles</span>, who is slated to be their fifth starter. </p>
<p id="XNUIYH">Beyond the two uninspiring moves at the major league level, the Buccos landed <span>Melky Cabrera</span>, <span>Nick Franklin</span>, <span>Francisco Liriano</span>, and <span>Brandon Maurer</span> on minor league deals. While it cost PIttsburgh next to nothing for all those players, and any value they extract out of the deals is surplus value, each of these players is severely flawed at this point in their career, and they would be naive to think they’ll capture lightning-in-a-bottle in more than one. </p>
<p id="o7aFbI">The big wild cards here are the continued advancement of flame-throwing number-one starter <span>Jameson Taillon</span>, and <span>Chris Archer</span>’s evolution with his deteriorating fastball. 2018 was a pivotal developmental year for <span>Taillon</span>, who threw 190 innings for the first time in his young professional career. The 27-year-old posted a 3.6 fWAR, striking out nearly 23 percent of batters faced, and lowering his walk rate a full two percentage points to 5.9 percent.</p>
<p id="h8f5nQ">The Pirates shed two good talents in outfielder <span>Austin Meadows</span> and starting pitcher <span>Tyler Glasnow</span> to obtain <span>Chris Archer</span> for him to put up the worst season of his career. In 52 ⅓ innings, Archer posted a 4.30 ERA, and his lowest strikeout to walk rate since 2014. </p>
<p id="ew6FOk">For 2019 to really go well for the Pirates, they need a lot of breaks to go their way. A resurgent season by Archer, another step-forward by Taillon, and a lottery winner (or two) in the plethora of one-year minor league deals could position them well going into the summer. </p>
<p id="wy2zer">The challenge for fans is to remain optimistic, even knowing that it’s likely that divisional rivals will add to their team, while yet another Pirates team stands pat. Getting ownership to agree to add pieces and increase payroll mid-season is highly unlikely, and General Manager Neil Huntington’s hands are pretty much tied; that’s the reality of the Nutting ownership tenure, and the subsequent expected fate of the 2019 Pirates. </p>
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<p style="”text-align:" center>***</p>
<p><i>Steven Martano is an Editor at Beyond the Box Score, a Contributing Prospect Writer for the Colorado Rockies at </i><a href="%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.purplerow.com%E2%80%9D" target="”_blank”">Purple Row</a><i>, and a contributing writer for </i><a href="%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.thehardballtimes.com%E2%80%9D" target="”_blank”">The Hardball Times</a><i>. </i><i>You can follow him on Twitter at <a target="”_blank”" href="%E2%80%9Dhttps://twitter.com/SMartano%E2%80%9D">@SMartano</a></i></p>
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https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2019/3/20/18273374/mlb-team-preview-pittsburgh-pirates-potential-payroll-taillon-archer-polanco-marteSteven Martano