In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a small-market team. That is no secret. Small market teams must be methodical, decisive. They cannot throw money around. They have to navigate the economic landscape of Major League Baseball at the time while finding market inefficiencies to keep them competitive.
It is no wonder, then, that the club is moving at a slow pace this offseason, as an uncertain labor winds are suddenly swirling
Uh-Oh.
In a column yesterday, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal outlines the current state of affairs as MLB and the MLB Player’s Association continue to talk of a new collective bargaining agreement. The current agreement expires on December 1st, and all indications were that the two sides were fully confident in a resolution by that date.
However, that may not hold true. From Rosenthal’s report:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”Ken Rosenthal” link=”http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/labor-peace-lockout-collective-bargaining-agreement-owners-players-baseball-112216″ color=”” class=”” size=””]The owners will consider voting to lock out the players if the two sides cannot reach a new collective-bargaining agreement by the time the current deal expires on Dec. 1, according to sources with knowledge of the discussions.[/perfectpullquote]Though Rosenthal paints a grim picture, one would have to think that both sides would keep the lessons of 1994 in their minds. The work stoppage that occurred – and the corresponding World Series cancellation – left a black mark that took years to recover from.
Not everyone is hopping aboard the gloom-and-doom train. ESPN’s Buster Olney had this to say:
The two sides–MLB, the union–know how much money is at stake for both sides. Idea the two sides would interrupt '17 season is laughable.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 22, 2016
Indeed, no regular season games are likely to be lost – that would be catastrophic. However, the effects that a potential lockout might have on the Pittsburgh Pirates could be significant. As mentioned above, the Pirates are a methodical, plodding team during most offseasons. Any lockout – no matter the length – that eats into the offseason cycle could cause enough chaos to put Neal Huntington and his staff in an uncomfortable position. This could affect potential trades for Andrew McCutchen, as well as acquiring a much-needed starting pitcher such as Derek Holland or Ivan Nova.
December 1st is almost here, and the Pittsburgh Pirates could be one of many teams affected by last-second posturing from both sides.
Baseball Talk on the Web
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wrote a must-read piece on McCutchen’s perceived trade value.
- This makes total sense. Vin Scully has been awarded the presidential medal of freedom.
- John Dreker of Pirates Prospects chronicles Luis Heredia‘s first start since 2015. (Subscription required)
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