In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
So since the season ended, all has actually not been that quiet on the Pittsburgh Pirates front. The Starling Marte-to-the-DL stint at the end of the season still has many of us scratching our heads. There have been rumors of Andrew McCutchen possibly being shopped this off-season. And over the weekend, Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune-Review reported that the recent injury bug that’s hit Gerrit Cole the past couple of seasons could have an effect on whether or not the Pirates decide to offer an extension to the former number-one overall pick.
There are a couple of angles to look at this news from. Many fans will say that the Pirates could be looking for a reason not to extend Cole, and that could be true. He’s going to cost a lot of money, money the Pirates may not have, especially considering Scott Boras is his agent. On the other hand, the fact that he’s going to be expensive might be a good reason not to sign him, and his injury issues might be a real concern.
I think it’s a little of both. I have never expected Cole to stay in Pittsburgh longer than six years, although I’d like him to. If the Pirates could get a deal done to eat only two or three years of free agency, that would be ideal. Signing Cole to a deal deep into his 30s would not be smart for the Pirates. Then again, I think that the type of deal given of guys like Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen, and Gregory Polanco are not the type of deals that Cole would take, especially after his financial spat with the team back in spring training.
If the Pirates don’t extend Cole, they had better hope that Jameson Taillon or Tyler Glasnow develops into an ace. The Pirates lack high-ceiling pitching prospects in the minors now that those two have graduated to the majors, and losing Cole would be a huge blow if either of those two don’t live up to their potential.
Baseball Talk Around the Web
- Maybe people are weighing in on the postseason dominance shown by Madison Bumgarner. Jayson Stark of ESPN explains why most aces just can’t pitch like Bumgarner in October.
- Jeff Bannister’s Texas Rangers were surprisingly swept by the Blue Jays, but they still have a bright future says R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports.
- Dave Cameron of Fangraphs says that it’s time to change the slide rule. Do you agree?
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