In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
As I sit here trying to determine what topics to touch on in this morning’s edition of the Pittsburgh Pirates Wake-Up Call, a plethora of ideas come to mind.
There have been recent announcements and offseason talk regarding the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, so I figured I would touch on these topics and give my take on them.
Starling Marte Wins Second Consecutive Gold Glove
The Gold Glove award winners were announced for both the American and National Leagues Tuesday. Pirates left fielder Starling Marte was named as a winner for a second consecutive season, becoming one of nine Pirates players in history to win multiple Gold Glove awards.
It’s a #MartePartay!
Congrats to @StarlingMart for going back-to-back & winning his second straight #GoldGlove award! ?? pic.twitter.com/fcKuC5LP7q
— Pirates (@Pirates) November 9, 2016
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Marte is more than deserving of the honor as he is undoubtedly one of the best defensive players in all of baseball. His athleticism allows him to make highlight reel plays on a consistent basis, while his rocket arm makes taking extra bases on him incredibly difficult.
While no Pirates players were in the hunt for any of the major awards, Marte gave the organization and it’s fans something to be proud of.
Even Gregory Polanco took to twitter to take a little bit of credit for Marte’s success.
Me teaching @Starlingmart how to catch the ball so he can get his 2nd #GoldGlove ? pic.twitter.com/9LDEtUPMOb
— Gregory Polanco ☕️ (@El_Coffee) November 9, 2016
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PirateFest Date Announced
The dates for the annual PirateFest event were released yesterday. The family oriented event will be held Dec. 10 and 11 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Admission to the event is free, but autograph sessions will be ticketed and sold prior to the event.
PirateFest is always a highly anticipated event for fans as it allows them to participate in various activities and provides opportunities to actually connect and meet with Pirates players, coaches and front office members.
The event runs from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Pirates Breakdown plans to have a strong presence at the annual event as many of our writers plan to attend. Be sure to check out our site and our social media pages for more details.
McCutchen Deal Discussed?
One last thing I wanted to discuss was an interesting article that Ken Rosenthal wrote for FoxSports.com.
At the 2016 MLB Trade Deadline, the Pirates dealt All-Star Closer Mark Melancon to the Washington Nationals for Taylor Hearn and Felipe Rivero. However, Rosenthal states that according to sources, the teams also discussed another deal involving Andrew McCutchen.
The deal reportedly fell through due to “differences in McCutchen’s perceived value.” It was no secret that McCutchen struggled last season. In fact, he had his worst season as a major leaguer in 2016. According to Rosenthal’s sources, the Pirates asked for a lot in return, including 19-year old outfield prospect Victor Robles, and the deal fell apart.
One of the biggest questions surrounding the Pirates this offseason is whether or not they would deal their former NL MVP. According to Adam Berry’s latest story, the Pirates will listen if teams reach out this offseason in regards to McCutchen. However, they aren’t actively shopping him and believe he could bounce back in 2017.
It’s smart for the front office to listen to any offers for the center fielder, but based on Rosenthal’s article, I’m not sure they’re gonna receive an offer that they see as being worthwhile.
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