Category: sports

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Pirate Morning Report: Who Would McCutchen Replace

There has been a lot of support for the Pirates to sign Andrew McCutchen. It gained some momentum when he was not at the recent Pirate Fest. I was hoping to write this blog after the Pirates made a move to upgrade 3rd base. That still could happen any day now, but I want to put my 2 cents in before this “sign McCutchen” rally gets any more ridiculous. Both social media and the local sports media have been really pushing this. If the Pirates were to sign McCutchen, it would show that they have fallen prey to sentimental slop rather than trying to win games. Let’s make a 13-man roster just for fun. This roster would not contain Konner Griffin, who I think has a good chance to make the team, but it would be unusual for the Pirates to make such a bold move even if he has a great spring training. We will make this roster very basic and then look at who McCutchen would replace on this roster if they signed him. The proponents of signing McCutchen point to the fact that the Pirates had a lot of players not having an OPS over .650, and adding McCutchen would make the team better. Have they not looked? We have a new team. I will pick 13 players to make the team with their 2025 OPS next to their name. McCutchen could have been an asset if he played 3rd base or catcher. He claims that he can still play the outfield, but the Pirates must not feel that way because they rarely put him in the field. In 2025, he played 7 games in the field and only played the entire game out in the field in 4 of them. Let’s look at a possible 13-man roster.

Things could change. Players could be traded. Another free agent could be signed making this even more crowded. Here are the 13 players that could make the team. Where noted I have put some players AAA OPS because of so few appearances in the Major Leagues. Joey Bart .696. Henry Davis .512 Nick Gonzales .661 Spencer Horwitz .787 Oneil Cruz .676 Bryan Reynolds .720 Brandon Lowe .785 Ryan O’ Hearn .803 Jake Mangum .698 Jared Triolo . 667 Jhostynxon Garcia .833 (AAA) Nick Yorke .825 (AAA) Rafael Flores .791 (AAA) The league average for OPS last year was .719. Naturally the Pirates were last with .655. McCutchen had an OPS of .700 last year, which is below league average. I would assume that this is not what you want from your DH. This 13 man roster does not include Jack Suwinski who the Pirates signed for 1 year and could make the team. It also does not include Endy Rodriquez whose short career has been marred by injuries. If he looks good this spring, could he make the team. As mentioned before this does not include Konner Griffin. Do you think he will stay down in AAA for the entire season, very unlikely.

This brings us back to the initial question. If the Pirates sign McCutchen, whose spot on the 13-man active roster is he going to take? Are you again going to stop the development of Nick Yorke, Password, or Rafael Flores for a below-average DH just because he is a franchise icon? All three of these players have spent 4 to 5 seasons at the minor league level. In my view, it’s time to put up or shut up. It is time for the youth movement to begin. The Pirates could swing some kind of trade that may open up some spots. If they sign Eugenio Suarez, the roster will tighten up even more. This is a good thing if, AND THAT IS A BIG IF, the Pirates make the right decisions when it comes to roster construction. Performance during spring training will have some impact on all of these decisions. We all know that spring training performance does not necessarily translate into regular season performance in both ways. At the present moment, the Pirates need to make a few more moves to make this team into a contender. Signing McCutchen is not one of them.

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Sports: Championship Sunday

A lot of people like the first round of the playoffs in the NFL. You will hear them say it is their favorite week of pro football. My favorite week of pro football is Championship Sunday. Maybe because of the 8 or 9 years I watched pro football and the last game of the year was called the NFL or AFL Championship game. It could be because about 90% of the time these two games are better than the Super Bowl. When the Super Bowl gets closer I will probably reblog my feelings on the Super Bowl. I feel that it is the most disgusting event in the history of sports. Getting back to the task at hand discussing the two championship games today. It is a bit of a unique Championship Sunday because for the first time in 7 years the Kansas City Chiefs will not be playing. The Denver Broncos will not have their starting quarterback. Denver and Seattle will be making their first appearance in the Championship game in about 10 and 11 years, respectively. It’s hard to believe but New England has not been to a Championship Game since 2019. The Los Angeles Rams have the most recent success, winning the Super Bowl of the 2021 football season. We have two veteran quarterbacks for the Rams and Seahawks. New England has a young quarterback, and as mentioned, the Broncos have no quarterback. Not really, but Jarret Stidham is 29 years old, has not started a game since 2023, and did not have a meaningful play in 2025. This situation harkens back memories to 1965 when another team, the Baltimore Colts, had their quarterbacks decimated by injury going into a playoff game against the Green Bay Packers to settle who won the Western Conference.

Back in those days, since there were only 14 teams, if there were any ties, they were played off on the field. The Packers had beaten the Colts twice during the regular season, and they did get home field advantage. Not only did the Packers get home field, but the Colts were without Johnny Unitas and their 2nd-string QB Gary Cuozzo due to injuries. They wound up starting Tom Matte, a former Ohio State quarterback under Woody Hayes. He had played running back for the last 5 years for the Colts. You can imagine how little he threw the ball in a Woody Hayes offense in the early 60s. The Packers went into the game as solid favorites. On the first series of the game, odds changed dramatically. Bart Starr threw a pass in flat about 7 yards down the field to tight end Bill Anderson. He turned and was hit immediately by the Baltimore defender. The ball popped out and was picked up by a Baltimore player who returned it for a touchdown. What I find interesting about the play is that under today’s rules, the pass may have been ruled incomplete. Not only did the Colts jump out to a 7-0 lead, but Bart Starr was injured on the play while trying to make the tackle. The Packers were down to their 2nd-string QB Zeke Bratkowski. The Packers were able to move the ball most of the day but kept making mistakes, and the Colts had a big goal-line stand in the 1st half. The Colts managed to kick a field goal and had a 10-0 lead at the half. The Packers continued to move the ball and finally scored late in the 3rd quarter. The Colts were holding on and looked like they might pull off the big upset. With about 2 minutes to go, Don Chandler had a short 22-yard field goal to tie the game. It carried right over the left upright, and many thought it was no good, but the officials called it good to tie the game. Like everything else, the NFL waited about 3 to 4 years so it would not be obvious, but this was the impetus to make the goalposts longer so it would be easier to tell if the kick was good or not. The game went into overtime, and after two exchanges on offense, the Packers, on their 3rd possession in overtime, drove down the field, and Chandler won the game on a similar length field goal. This one was right down the middle, and the Packers escaped with a 13-10 overtime win.

Will we see an unknown backup send the Denver Broncos to the Super Bowl? I have a feeling we will. Denver does have the home-field advantage. The high altitude may affect the Patriots more than the Broncos. The Broncos had a thrilling overtime win against the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots were practically handed their victory on a silver platter by C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans. Even as inexperienced as the Bronco QB is, I do not see him playing as badly as Stroud. Drake Maye, the young QB for the Patriots, has a tendency to fumble a lot. This game will boil down to who runs the ball better. Yes, turnovers can be a factor, as they are in any game. Even with their QB, I think Denver has what it takes to pull this one out. In the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks have been dominant. Eleven of their fifteen wins were by 8 points or more. Their 3 losses were by a total of 9 points. They have won 8 in a row. The two games with the Rams have been close, hard-fought games. In the 2nd meeting, Seattle made an unbelievable comeback, scoring 16 points in the 4th quarter to wipe out a 30-14 deficit. The game went into overtime, with the Rams scoring a touchdown. Seattle scored a touchdown and then made their 3rd straight 2-point conversion to pull it out 38-37. The Rams have had 2 hard-fought playoff wins. Will that take it out of them or make them tournament tough? Again, I think home field will be a factor, and Seattle will pull out the win. Either way, I know I will be watching because, in my view, this is the last week of the professional football season.

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Sports: College Football Playoffs: Championship Game

Tomorrow night the college football season will end with Indiana and Miami facing off in the 2nd 12-team playoff championship game. Indiana has been very impressive with 2 blowout wins against Alabama and Oregon. Miami had to play a first-round game, which was a tough defensive struggle against Texas A&M, winning 10-3. They shut down Ohio State in the first half, and the defense added a pick-six to build a 14-0 halftime lead. Ohio State tried to come back, but the Miami offense was able to move the ball in the 4th quarter to pull out a 24-14 win. Against Mississippi, the Miami defense went into more of a bend-but-don’t-break mode, keeping them out of the end zone 4 times, limiting them to field goals each time. It was the difference in their last-minute win, 31-27. Indiana is the favorite, and rightfully so. They have been as impressive as any team could be in their first 2 playoff wins. Fernando Mendoza has had the hot hand in both of their wins. For the two games, he is 31 for 36, gaining 369 yards. That is an 86% completion rate. He has 8 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions. I have been split every round with my predictions. I also think Indiana will win the championship game. I do not see how you can go against them. Will I be shocked or even surprised if Miami pulls off the upset? Absolutely not. Here is what they have to do.

They need to keep Indiana out of the end zone just like they did against Mississippi. Can they eke out a turnover? This is not easy to do against a team that really protects the ball. In the last 3 games, they have turned the ball over only once on an interception against Ohio State. That was late in the 1st quarter of the Big Ten Championship game. Indiana has not turned the ball over for 11 quarters. The Miami offense has to avoid the 3-and-outs. They need at least to get a 1st down or two on every possession. Indiana’s defense is the best unit that Miami has faced. Special teams are good for both teams, but again Miami needs something to happen in that area if they are going to have a chance. Something negative for Indiana or positive for Miami. Both head coaches are intense. The Miami coach has been quite animated in the previous playoff games. If things do not go well for the Hurricanes in this game, he literally may not survive it. If Indiana wins convincingly, it should go down as one of the greatest seasons in college football history because of the playoff format now in effect. I would love to see an exciting down-to-the-wire championship game. Miami needs a lot to happen to make that possible. Their offense is the key to victory. They are hot right now. My guess is that Indiana’s defense will cool them off. However, if they do not, then it should be a great Monday night of college football.

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Sports: Steelers 2025 Season, Unlucky To Be So Lucky

The end of the Mike Tomlin era came to an end this week. He will go down as one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. This blog is not about him as much as the Steelers and the 2025 season. On a superficial look at the season, it seems like it was essentially the same as the last 3 seasons. After all, the Steelers finished 10 and 7 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. This edition of the Pittsburgh Steelers was a very poor football team that made it to the playoffs almost on sheer luck. They were one of the worst-performing clubs in Steeler history and yet managed to finish 10 and 7. In games where they had huge turnover margins, they barely won. Some of their other wins were very fortunate. Let’s look at this team on both sides of the ball and see how they compare with Steeler teams of the past that were as bad or worse than this team.

Starting with the defense, who certainly had Joe Buck and Troy Aikman fooled as they kept referring to the Steelers as a great defense. Does this sound great to you? In total yards given up, they ranked 26th out of 32 teams. They were 29th in passing yards allowed. In points allowed, they were 17th. There were not that many teams in Steelers history that were ranked lower in the league than this year’s Steelers defense. When they were, they all finished with worse records, with one exception: the 1963 Steelers, who ranked 11th out of 14 teams in yards allowed. They finished with a 7-4-3 record. Their offense was good, ranking 6th in points and 3rd in total yards. All of the other teams with similar defensive records finished well below .500. One Steeler team did finish at .500. That team, along with the ’63 Steelers, had a very good offense. As you will see, this was not the case with the 2025 Steelers.

The Steeler offense ranked 25th in total yards and 15th in points scored. Points scored was the only stat that the Steelers ranked in the top half of the league. The Steelers were 22nd in the league in passing yards and 26th in rushing yards. When you look up and down at the team stats, they look more like Pirate team stats than a team that went 10-7 and won the AFC North. How did the Steelers do it? Many people look at the turnover differential and say that is why the Steelers had a good record. The Steelers had the 4th best turnover ratio, with 27 takeaways to 15 turnovers, for a net of +12. In two games against New England and Indianapolis, they had a net turnover margin of +9. They won those games, but both games went down to the wire. In the other 15 games, they had a margin of +3. In both wins against Baltimore, they were very fortunate. The replay reversal of an apparent touchdown catch in the first Ravens game gave them their first win. In the last game of the season, a missed field goal at the end of the game gave the win to the Steelers. Remember also that it took a game-ending 60-yard field goal to beat the Jets 33-31. Without some of their good fortune and two big turnover games, the Steelers could have easily gone 7-10 or worse.

In the opening round of the playoffs, the Steelers got 3 turnovers but could only put 3 points on the board related to the turnovers. They did this a lot during the regular season. There were 22 Steeler teams that were ranked 4th or higher in turnover ratio over their history. Only 3 of those teams scored fewer points than the 2025 Steelers. One of them was the 2023 Steelers, one of the worst offenses in Steeler history. They did finish 10-7. That team ranked 6th in points allowed and 21st in yards allowed. They were 3rd in the league in turnover ratio. In reality, the Steelers’ lucky season is really very unlucky. If they had finished the way they should have, around 7-10 or 6-11, they would have gotten a much higher draft choice. They would have been more open to a total rebuild. It would have been a more appealing draft pick if they had chosen to trade up. In the next 2 weeks, I expect the Steelers to have a new coach. He may be coming in at the worst possible time. Art Rooney II recently said the Steelers are not looking at rebuilding. The Steelers will have to make some major moves. They have more needs than the Pirates. They will need a quarterback, 2 wide receivers, a cornerback, 2 safeties, and a new lineman on both sides of the ball. Hopefully, the Steelers’ ability to acquire players will also start to get lucky. So far, it has not been lucky or very effective.

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The Pirate Morning Report: The 40 Man Roster, Position Players

The Pirates have had a surprising off-season so far. This is their busiest off-season, and supposedly they are not done. If Ben Cherington had just picked up the phone this winter, he would have had a busier off-season than last year. The new 40-man roster has 19 position players. There is talk of Konner Griffin making the team this spring. He is not on the roster, but if that is the case, that puts the Pirates at 20 players for 13 spots. On today’s blog, I will look at who I think has no chance of making the team, then the players that are locks for the final 13, so to speak. I will then take a look at what’s left for the remaining roster spots. This can all change if the Pirates make any more moves, and they say they are, but we all know that means nothing. I will discuss some of the moves they should make.

There are players, and surprisingly not that many, that I feel have no chance to make the team. The Pirates might not feel that way because, let’s face it, they think very strangely at times. Jack Brannigan, a recent addition to the roster, was added to protect him from being acquired in the Rule 5 draft. He is an infielder who has played 2nd, SS, and 3rd. His slash line at all minor league levels is .245/.356/.454. His highest level has been AA. It would be a stretch to see him make the team. Emanuel Valdez was acquired from the Red Sox last year. He played 1st base for the Pirates and was not impressive before his season ended with a shoulder injury. I am surprised he is still on the roster, let alone that he would make this team. Billy Cook would have had a chance if not for all the moves the Pirates have made. He is heading into his age 27 season with little chance of staying with the team this year. If the Pirates make any trades, I would not be surprised to see him as some kind of throw-in piece.

These are the players that will make the team unless they are traded: Joey Bart and Henry Davis. I still would not mind seeing either one traded, but if that doesn’t happen, I do not see the Pirates giving up on Davis at the start of the season. Nick Gonzales will be the shortstop or a bench player. Spencer Horwitz has 1st base locked down, especially the way he finished last year. Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds will be back, with the Pirates hoping for big bounce-back years. The new acquisitions Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn, and Jake Mangum will be on the team when they go up north. If you are counting, that leaves 8 players for the remaining 4 spots.

One of the names missing that many people consider a lock to make the team is Jared Triolo. First, let’s clear something up about Triolo that has been written about him in the offseason. Everyone is saying he finished strong last year. He did not. He had a big-time August. In 109 plate appearances, his slash line was .315/.417/.467. In September, in 107 plate appearances, his line was .240/.290/.380. That is not finishing strong. This gave him a season line of .227/.290/.356 for an 86 OPS+, significantly below league average. When third base is considered the big hole in your lineup and your main position is third base, I think there should be some doubt that you are going to make the team. Yes, he can play all infield positions and is a great fielder, but with that bat, I do not think it is enough to guarantee a spot on the opening day roster. In no particular order, here are the remaining seven players fighting for the four opening day roster spots: Rafael Flores, Nick Yorke, Jhostynxon Garcia, Endy Rodriguez, Jack Suwinski, Esmerlyn Valdez, and last but certainly not least, Konner Griffin. At this point, I am not going to hazard a guess as to who might make the opening day roster. I will say at the bottom of the list is Jack Suwinski. The only reason he was not on the no chance list is that the Pirates gave him a contract. If he has a huge spring, they might consider bringing him up north. It is still way too early to do much speculation, especially with the possibility of more moves to be made.

As mentioned earlier, the big hole in the lineup is at 3rd base. The Pirates could trade or sign Eugenio Suarez. In my mind one of the new trade options could be with the Cubs. They just acquired Alex Bregman. That makes 3rd baseman Matt Shaw expendable. After getting off to a slow start his rookie season. He finished pretty well his last 63 games, slashing .258/.317/.522. He hit 11 of his 13 home runs during the 2nd half. The Pirates have also been linked to trade talks with the Phillies for Alec Bohm. I am sure there are other 3rd base options out there. We can only hope that the Pirates can plug this major hole in their lineup. Spring training is about a month away. The off season has been better than most for the Pirates but that is not saying much. Will they finish this off or has been all it for show. Only time will tell. Hope there will be something to write about before February 1.

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Sports: College Football Playoffs, Semifinals

The bye teams took it on the chin again in the 2nd year of the 12-team format of the college football playoffs. Last year all 4 bye teams lost. This year only Indiana won as they easily disposed of Alabama 38-3. The bye teams’ failures were led by Ohio State, who lost to Miami 24-14. Miami jumped out to a 14-0 halftime lead thanks to a pick-6 in the 2nd quarter. This was the first time Ohio State trailed by 14 all season, and it showed. One of the hallmarks of the Ohio State offense is that they took their time, ate up a lot of clock, and scored. They ran the fewest plays of almost any team in college football. This is all well and good when you are in the lead or the game is close. Despite the fact that they trailed by 14, they came out with no sense of urgency in the 2nd half. They scored on their first two drives of the 2nd half. They only got the ball one more time when the game mattered and could not cash in. Their vaunted defense could not get off the field, and Miami put 10 points on the board that sealed the deal. Oregon completely stifled the Texas Tech offense, and if they had taken advantage of all their opportunities, would have probably won the game 45-0. As it was, they easily won 23-0. In the 4th and final game, Mississippi continued to roll and upset Georgia 39-35. The key play of this game was when Kirby Smart decided to go for it on 4th and 2 on Georgia’s own 33-yard line. There was just under 10 minutes to go in the game, and Georgia trailed 27-24. The play was a disaster that resulted in a 10-yard sack and fumble. Mississippi wasted no time, scoring in just 2 plays and 29 seconds to take a 34 to 24 lead. Even though Georgia did come back and tie the game, we will never know if the outcome would have been different if Georgia had punted. One thing is for sure: the outcome could not have come out any worse. The bye teams are now 1 win and 7 losses in the playoffs. The obvious reason for this is the long layoff that these teams have to take. In the past, with 2-team and 4-team playoffs, the teams’ layoffs were equal. Now that we have this first-round game, the longest the 5 through 12 have off is about 9 to 10 days. The sample size is small, but if this trend continues, there will need to be changes. There are two easy solutions: go to a 16-team format, which would have no byes then, or start the playoffs the week after the field is set and play every week after that. At that schedule, the championship game would be played around January 1, with the pro playoffs not even starting. Let’s take a look at the semifinals.

There is no question Indiana looks poised to bring home the National Championship. They were most impressive in their drubbing of Alabama. They have a defense that nobody really seems to talk about much, and when the chips are down, the offense seems to come through. They will play Oregon on Friday night in Atlanta. Just like in the quarterfinals, they will not be able to mail it in, but with Curt Cignetti coaching, you just do not see that happening. I think Oregon has a chance, but they can’t squander the opportunities like they did against Texas Tech. The key will be, can Oregon slow down the Indiana offense? Both special teams seem to be solid. Of course, turnovers always play a role. Indiana is good at taking care of the ball. Oregon will have to be firing on all cylinders if they are going to pull off the upset. The first game has the two surprise teams: the Miami Hurricanes vs. the Old Miss Rebels. Miami’s defense has been the reason this team is in the semifinals. In the first 6 quarters of playoff football, they gave up only 3 points. No question, Ohio State moved the ball on them in the 2nd half. Maybe they knew that Ohio State did not like to play fast for whatever reason. When the game was on the line and Ohio State had the ball with a chance to tie or win the game, the Miami defense came through to stop the Buckeyes. Mississippi, on the other hand, has been an offensive juggernaut. They have never scored less than 24 points in a game all season. Miami’s offense has come alive somewhat at the end of the season. You get the feeling that if Mississippi can play their offensive game, then Miami just will not be able to keep up. My fearless prediction: Mississippi and Indiana for the title.

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Sports: College Football Playoffs, Quarterfinals

The first round of the College Football Playoff had no major surprises. Oregon and Mississippi destroyed both teams that had no business being in the playoffs. In the two competitive games I was wrong on both games which is no surprise either. Oklahoma jumped out to a 17-0 lead on Alabama. Then Oklahoma started to give the game away. A punter that couldn’t punt and a pick 6 at the end of the half enabled Alabama to tie the game and completely turned the game around. It seemed to deflate the Oklahoma defense and a rejuvenated Alabama offense took over the game. There was no rejuvenating the Texas A&M offense. For the second straight game it really could do nothing. Field goal failures continued to plaque them. A late drive to tie the game ended in an interception and Miami pulled out the 10-3 win. The quarterfinals start on New Years Eve night.

Ohio State and Miami kick things off on Wednesday night. Then there is a triple header on Thursday starting with Oregon and Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl. That is followed by Alabama and Indiana in the Rose Bowl. The last game of the day should be the most intriguing with Mississippi playing Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. To cut to the chase I think the 3 Big Ten teams will win and Georgia. Having said that, I think all the games will be competitive and all 4 picks will have to be on their game to win. There will be no gimme’s in this round. I think this will be the lowest scoring playoffs in history. These are very elite defenses with the final 8. The rematch between Mississippi and Georgia is by far the most interesting. They played a very strange game when they met earlier this year. Georgia scored a touchdown or field goal on every possession they had. There was no cheapies involved. The drives were all over 70 yards. Mississippi did the same thing until their first drive of the 4th quarter. This was when Georgia took their first lead of the game. I will be shocked if this rematch follows the same pattern. I expect all the games to be hard fought defensive games. Turnovers and special teams will be the keys to victory in all four games. A college football fans dream come true will start on New Year’s Eve.

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Pirates Morning Report: The Pirates 2nd Trade

The Pirates made their 2nd trade of the off-season this past weekend. They acquired Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum, and Mason Montgomery. They gave up Mike Burrows. I have a hard time believing how positively this trade has been received by the Pittsburgh media. The same people who think Ben Cherington should have been fired are now thinking he is brilliant. There is no question this trade could work out for all the clubs involved. The Tampa Bay Rays got two high prospects from the Houston Astros. In this blog, I will look at only the players the Pirates received and who they had to give up. The other news is that Japanese star Munetaka Murakami signed a 2-year, 34 million dollar deal with the Chicago White Sox. Another example of Ben Cherington being asleep at the wheel. Let’s look at the players that are involved in the latest Pirate trade.

Brandon Lowe: He is the biggest piece. Brandon Lowe has had some injury problems that have limited his ability in the last 4 years. His 4-year slash line is .241/.317/.444. His OPS+ over this time is 113. Last year he hit 31 home runs; he hit 16 on the road and 15 at home. He was much better on the road overall last year. He had a 134 OPS+ on the road and 98 at home. This bodes well for the Pirates. He is a below-average fielder, and that is being kind. He will turn 32 in July. This may not be a factor in Pittsburgh, but he has not performed well in the postseason. In 120 plate appearances, his slash line is .115/.167/.257. He will become a free agent in 2027. He is going to be a 1-year rental. The good news here is that many times a player performs really well in his last contract year. Even though the Pirates are not saying this, I would not be surprised if he becomes the primary DH. There is little question in my mind that he will be a considerable upgrade no matter where the Pirates use him.

Jake Mangun: Even though Lowe captured the headline, Jake Mangun may be the best piece of this trade. He will be 30 years old in March. He has only played one year in the majors. He does not have any power. He is a switch hitter. He had a nice 2025 season. He slashed .296/.330/.368 for an OPS+ of 96. He stole 27 bases with a 79% success rate. He is a plus fielder. He is essentially Tommy Pham with speed. He spent 4 seasons in AAA ball where he slashed .313/.357/.439. The Pirates may have found their leadoff man. What I find interesting is that the Rays never used him in that role. He batted in the middle of the lineup, 4 through 6. There is no doubt he would be considered a late bloomer. They do happen, and it would be nice for the Pirates if he turns out this way. He is not going to be a free agent until 2031. I would be even higher on this guy if the Rays hadn’t been the ones to let him go. Maybe it was his lack of power. If the Pirates use him right, and that is leading him off, he could be the best thing about this trade.

Mason Montgomery: Left handed relief pitcher. With the addition of him and Soto a weakness has turned into a strength. Montgomery was up and down between AAA and Tampa all of 2025. You have to wonder why? He appeared in 57 games for the Rays. In 37 of them he gave up no runs. In 13 others he gave up one run. His last outing on September 10th he gave up 5 runs in 2/3 of an inning which caused his ERA to jump almost a run to 5.67. He was sent down and never pitched again. Hopefully the new pitching coaches can help him with his command because this guy has good stuff. In 55 innings he averaged close to 13 strikeouts per 9 innings. At the very least he has some great potential from the left side.

Mike Burrows: The bad news is that he went to Houston. Whatever they do, they bring out the best in every pitcher that goes there. Even elite pitchers are even greater when they go to Houston. Gerrit Cole never achieved the heights that he did with Houston, even when he went to the Yankees. In his 2 years in Houston, he had an ERA+ of 164. If you take his best 2 years out of 5 in Pittsburgh, he averaged 130. Take his best two years in New York, and it’s 158. The same thing can be said about the great Justin Verlander. His best years were with Houston. They obviously see something in Burrows. Burrows last year only threw 96 innings, coming off Tommy John surgery. Fortunately, Houston is not in our division.

The Pirates have helped themselves with this trade. It would be hard not to help themselves with almost any acquisition. It will depend on how they use these players. Frankly, I like Brandon Lowe as the primary DH. Keeping him off the field should help with the defense and his health. He has not DH’d a lot, but when he has, he has been effective. In 2024, with 150 plate appearances as a DH, he slugged .598. Last year, he only had 39 PA’s but still slugged .638. Mangum looks to be the leadoff hitter that the Pirates have never had. He has speed and a good glove. That is the question. Will the Pirates use these players properly? Only time will tell. Mason Montgomery is another left-handed upgrade for the bullpen. There is still work to be done. The Pirates let one slip through their hands yesterday. It is looking more and more like Eugenio Suarez could be the next signing. Despite his many shortcomings—lots of strikeouts, low batting average, and not a great defender—he too would be an asset. I just can’t see him settling for a 2-year deal. He is going to turn 35 in July. It will be interesting to see if the Pirates take the risk and for how long. You never really know how a trade is going to turn out. If the Pirates had unloaded Mitch Keller in either of these trades I would be feeling a lot better about them. It is good to see the Pirates doing SOMETHING. I’m just not sure it is going to have much impact yet.

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Golf: The Pro Can’t Do This, Why Do You Think You Can?

There are lots of things that seem to frustrate golfers. Everyone wishes that their games were more consistent. Another one is the inability to take their game from the practice tee to the golf course. The reality is that the pros cannot do this either. The tour player is playing the game at its highest level. Their short games are unbelievable. They putt so much better than the recreational golfer. These are all things we can work on and improve. The pros, even though their games are so good, still seem to lack true consistency. They too can never predict how they are going to play based on their pregame warm-up. Let’s look at some examples of both problems. Then I will look at what is the best way to handle the problem, not solve it.

Even at the highest level of the game, the results can be inconsistent. My favorite example of this is when Peter Lonard won the Heritage Classic in the early 2000s. He shot rounds of 62-74-66 and 75 to win the tournament by two shots. His rounds varied by 12 shots worse, 8 shots better, and finally 9 shots worse on the last day. Lonard had won on other tours, but this was his first and only win on the PGA Tour. Even though this is the best example, there are many more instances of players having a great round one day and then shooting badly the next. There have been players who have had the first-round lead in tournaments but shot so poorly the next day that they missed the cut. We have seen players just barely make the cut and then play two great rounds over the weekend to win the tournament. With as much time as these guys work on their games and work hard, you would think they would be a little more consistent with their scores. The point of all this is simple: if this happens to pros on a fairly regular basis, then why do we get so upset when our scores may vary this much on a day-to-day basis? You can explain some of this due to the stress of playing in tournament golf, but certainly not all of it. Let’s get to the second issue before we look at how to handle all of this.

The problem of not being able to take our practice tee results to the golf course is a problem that has been discussed at length in articles, podcasts, and YouTube videos. To cut to the chase, all the solutions to this problem are simply wrong. I don’t care what you do on the practice range. Pretend to play a round. Change clubs at least every 3 or 4 swings. Go through your routine in great detail on every range shot. You are simply not going to fool the brain that this has anything to do with playing real golf. Another thing that proves it really can’t be done is to listen to the tour players after they have shot a particular round. After a very bad round, the player may talk about what a great warm-up session he had, but when he got to the first tee, the wheels fell off immediately. Other times, after a very good round, the player may speak of having a horrible practice session, and then when he got to the first tee, everything just fell into place. Then the final proof of the pudding is to simply watch the players on the practice range. During a big event, many times TV will cover players warming up on the practice tee. These practice tee swings do not even look close to the swings they will be taking coming down the back nine on a Sunday. Check it out. That’s not to say you do not need to practice. You have to take it for what it is worth. Anything from trying a new move or address position to just loosening up the golf muscles. This is what practice is for and nothing more. Do not try to recreate on the golf course. It is just not going to work.

So, what’s a mother to do? Number one, do not look for a solution to either problem. There is none. If there were, then you would not see the wide variance in the scores of tour players. What can you do when your game is going south? It starts with the first tee. Expect nothing and be ready for anything. If things are not going well, then get very conservative. Get the ball in play. Shoot for the middle of the green. Even in putting, just lag the ball to the hole on even shorter putts in the 15 to 20-foot range. Try to make some changes in your address position. Stand closer, open or close your stance, and change your ball position. I would not try to make any swing changes. You might try changing your rhythm or tempo. Sometimes swinging faster or slower will help. Be patient. Sometimes what changes a round is a lucky shot or a long putt that drops. All you can really do is as much damage control as possible and hope something turns it around. Finally, just accept it, get through it, and enjoy the day. Believe me, easier said than done, I will vouch for that. When it comes to practice and pre-round warm-up, you have to change your outlook. To be fair, there are just as many stories of guys having great or bad warm-up sessions and going out to play great or poor rounds. Do not look at any form of practice as the fastest route to game improvement. There are lots of golfers out there who really enjoy practice, and that’s great. It still boils down to once you get on the course, you have to find ways to perform. That is really the key to golf. I am not too sure there is really a wrong way to practice. What is wrong is what people expect from practicing. Remember, expect nothing and be ready for everything. It is your only hope in this goofy game.

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Pirates Morning Report: Updates

As November comes to an end, the Pirates are making more national noise than normal. They are not really doing anything, but for some reason, the national media thinks they are going to be more active in the free-agent market. They have been connected to Kyle Schwarber and J. T. Realmuto. They supposedly offered a deal to Josh Naylor, but then that was disputed. They may try to sign their no. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin to a long term deal. There have been at least 3 MLB insiders who have written that the Pirates are going to spend more money and make a splash in the free-agent market. Most people around here are taking the attitude of, I will believe it when I see it. I take the same view, plus I really do not want to see the Pirates make a so-called big splash in the free-agent market. J. T. Realmuto has seen better days. Last season, his OPS+ was 91. Joey Bart’s was 96. You could argue that Realmuto is better defensively, but his contract last year paid him almost 24 million dollars. Now he may not make that with a new contract, but Joey Bart, who is arbitration eligible, is projected to make close to 3 million. I do not think Realmuto should be signed by the Pirates. They have greater needs at corner outfield and third base. Schwarber would be a huge upgrade at DH, but he is not going to help where the Pirates need it most. There are only 3 free agents that I feel the Pirates should consider signing: Munetaka Murakami, the third baseman from Japan; Kyle Tucker; and Bo Bichette. These are the only free agents under 30 years of age. Cody Bellinger is 30 years old, but I think he won’t be worth the price. Konnor Griffin is being talked about as the possible starting Pirate shortstop. He has played centerfield, allowing Bichette to move to shortstop. This would also put Oneil Cruz in right field, where he belongs. Cruz could be the DH also, which may be the best move of all. Despite all the media talk about the Pirates spending, I will be surprised if they do. I still think the best way to improve the team is through trades with Bryan Reynolds and Mitch Keller as the trade chips. Now let’s look at what the Pirates have actually done.

So far it is nothing more than the same old Pirates. Not only in what they have done but also in what they have said. First of all, they had to move some players out of their 40-man roster to protect players from the Rule 5 draft. The Pirates made this sound like they had some tough decisions to make. You’ve got to be kidding me! They let go of Colin Holderman, Dauri Moreta, Alexander Canario, and Ronny Simon. Apparently, Cam Devanney went to Japan. Here is who they left on the 40-man roster: Cam Sanders, 29 years old, with a lifetime 4.39 ERA in the minors and 6 major league appearances. Enmanuel Valdez is going into his age 27 season with a lifetime OPS+ of 87. His lifetime slugging is .392 with 2 years in Fenway Park. Will Robertson heads into his age 28 season with a lifetime major league average of .129. In six minor league seasons, he has a slash line of .247/.334/.458. I do not know if the Pirates will make any more roster moves. If they lose anybody in the Rule 5 draft, could they be any worse than those 3? They could have easily made more room on the 40 man roster. Hopefully, they won’t lose anybody, but time will tell. Then they signed Jack Suwinski and Yohan Ramirez. The combined deals came to about 2 million dollars. Not a lot of money by today’s standards, but why sign them at all, especially Ramirez? Since 2020, he has been with 8 teams and twice with the Pirates. He has a career ERA of 4.71 and an ERA+ of 90. He averages 4.5 walks every 9 innings. Now that’s a guy you want coming in when the game is on the line. If the Pirates lose a pitcher in the Rule 5 draft, he could not be this bad. Obviously, the Pirates are hoping for a miracle when it comes to Jack Suwinski. Maybe he should try batting right-handed; it would make about as much sense. They made a couple of their typical minor league signings. When you look at the way this organization thinks and performs, even if the Pirates were to sign a top 10 free agent, it would probably wind up being a big waste of money. They need to be giving all that potential money to one person: Paul Skenes.