Comments on: Pirates Prioritizing Finding a Catcher, Yankees a Match

By: Ian Rothermund

Ian Rothermund — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:53:00 +0000

Some people’s comments nearly inspire me to throw my computer across the room. Anyone here think that maybe Sanchez’s down year was in part due to making the jump to AA, and in part to suffering the injuries he did the year before. To assume he would have hit .300 or over would have been a ludicrous projection. His defense isn’t good enough? All I’ve heard in regards to his defensive abilities were that, even if he didn’t necessarily improve his offense from this year, he would still ultimately prove to be a viable option down the road. He’s a loser? He stinks? You’re the one sitting on your computer bitching about him while he’s out there getting paid to play a boy’s game. Give it until the all-star break in ’12 to let him have it. It’s about growth, hence, the “farm system,” not running up numbers in games that essentially don’t even count in the first place.

By: Vince Riedy

Vince Riedy — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 02:40:00 +0000

Francisco Cervelli is poor offensively and defensively and there are zero indications he will improve.

By: Matthew Spicer

Matthew Spicer — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:26:00 +0000

The big difference in those statistics you gave for Sanchez and Curry is that Curry put up those numbers in only half a season after skipping a level to make what you sometimes say is the hardest jump for hitters that much harder, while Sanchez put those numbers up over a full season after spending the entire previous season (and even the very end of the season before that) at high-A. Also, you did not address the part about Sanchez’s defence. I hear that sometimes as well, and I always wonder if there’s any legitimacy to those claims.

By: Tim Williams

Tim Williams — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:16:00 +0000

There’s definitely a huge middle ground, as there would be with any prospect coming off a down year.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:53:00 +0000

I don’t think Sanchez “stinks”, but I don’t think he’s ready to make the jump to the majors, either. He needs to demonstrate an ability to hit upper-minors pitching before he’ll be ready for a promotion.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:56:00 +0000

IMO, catching will not be a difficult problem for the pirates to solve in this off season, pitching and bullpen are the biggest issues to me.

By: Tim Williams

Tim Williams — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:02:00 +0000

I don’t think he can start in Pittsburgh in 2012. He needs time to rebound from his 2011 season, whether that’s back in AA, or getting a push to AAA like d’Arnaud saw after his poor year in AA in 2010. Overall, the opinion on Sanchez really depends on how you view his 2011 season. Is it a down year or is it proof that he’s a bust? I say it’s a down year. His K/BB numbers suggest that he wasn’t overmatched.

You look at a guy like Sanchez (.241 average, .658 OPS) and you look at a guy like Matt Curry (.242 average, .694 OPS). I’d put more on Sanchez bouncing back from those AA numbers, as Curry struck out 29.8% of the time and walked 9.4% of the time, while Sanchez struck out 18.9% of the time and walked 10% of the time. They have similar numbers, but Sanchez had the better approach at the plate, which shows in his K/BB numbers, specifically with the strikeouts. Yet I think people will give Curry another chance, while listing Sanchez as a bust.

By: Nate

Nate — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:35:00 +0000

Question on Sanchez:

The general consensus of the fan is that he stinks. We’re not seeing power numbers and you read here and there that his defense isn’t even that great. His 2011 wasn’t anything to write home about.

How accurate are these statements? Does his 2011 performance, by itself, negate the possibility of having him start the 2012 season in Pittsburgh? What kind of translation/equivalent would be be looking at? I don’t think it’s crazy idea to have him start in Pittsburgh.

By: KraigK

KraigK — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:07:00 +0000

There’s always Tony Sanchez on the horizon. No wait, he stinks. Scratch that.

By: Ron Leighton

Ron Leighton — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:58:00 +0000

I need to keep telling myself that catcher is a defensive position (along with first and short)