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 went into the offseason without much hope of re-signing SP Ivan Nova. Is their luck changing? Recent reports hint in that direction, as our friend Stephen Nesbitt reported:
Neal Huntington told fans the Pirates "are still engaged" with Ivan Nova's camp and hope to find common ground. (I, too, am still engaged.)
— Stephen J. Nesbitt (@stephenjnesbitt) December 11, 2016
We have talked extensively in the past about Nova’s market value. We – and others – made sure to note that the lackluster starting pitching free agent market would perhaps inflate his market. But none of us could have foreseen that Nova would go into mid-December without several offers of note. Nova’s agent has publicly opined that his client has received offers in the three-year, $36 million range.
Even though Neal Huntington has hinted that next year’s budget may be tight, the Pittsburgh Pirates absolutely should pounce at offering Nova a deal along those lines, should the market continue to push back against Nova’s original demands. The shorthand between the team and Nova as a result of the right-hander’s two months with Pittsburgh could be seen as a factor that would justify pushing the budget to any self-imposed limits.
Piratefest Reaction Podcast
In case you missed it, Steve Kubitz and I took to the Pirates Breakdown Podcast to recap Piratefest and sound off on the sound bites that came from the Q&A sessions. Here’s a handy way to listen, and please see below on how to subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss an episode.
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Baseball Talk on the Web
- Each week, MLB Trade Rumors puts out a roundup of the best in independent baseball media. PBD is honored to be featured, and would like you to click here to read the latest installment. Tons of great reads all around.
- David Laurila of Fangraphs chimes in on the Andrew McCutchen situation.
- Pitchers often change their deliveries and pitch selection because of injuries, but you don’t hear such changes spoken publicly about it. Hardball Talk shows how Stephen Strasburg is being a bit more open about the changes.
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