The Bucs Start Here - A Pirates Do-Over

[luckymann]

Not a huge number of notable trades this offseason, but many of those that did happen have some serious heft to them. The Tigers lock down one of the biggest trades in the league’s history to show they mean business, while the Senators, Reds, Giants and Indians also splash some cash. A number of legendary veterans sign on for multi-year contracts and the Yanks continue their hunt for the right pitching staff to start delivering them some silverware.

Here are the main transactions from over the break:

• 3B John Beckwith: Tigers, 8 years / $135800
• OF Kiki Cuyler: Reds, 7 years / $102400
• P Reuben Curry: Giants, 7 years / $85400
• OF Bob Fothergill: Senators, 7 years / $84200
• 2B George Grantham: Pirates, 5 years / $75200
• C Biz Mackey: Indians, 5 years / $72400
• P Walter Johnson: Yankees, 3 years / $40200
• P Burleigh Grimes: Cubs, 4 years / $39200
• 1B Jack Fournier: Red Sox, 3 years / $36200
• OF Tris Speaker: Browns, 3 years / $36000
• 2B Eddie Collins: Athletics, 3 years / $35600
• 2B Lew Fonseca: Cubs, 3 years / $28800
• P Webster McDonald: Yankees, 3 years / $27900
• P Ray Caldwell: Braves, 3 years / $27900
• C Wally Schang: Braves, 2 years / $24000
• P Hod Eller: Braves, 2 years / $17200
• P Dick Redding: Senators, 3 years / $14520 (extension)
• P Nip Winters: Tigers, 1 year / $11200
• OF Hack Wilson: Red Sox, 1 years / $9990

• OF Pid Purdy and OF Pete Washington from Tigers to Braves for OF Harry Rice
• OF Pat McNulty and OF Johnny Gill from Reds to Tigers for OF Ernie Orsatti
• 1B Buck Jordan from Reds to Tigers for 1B George Scales
• OF Mandy Brooks and IF Leo Durocher from Phillies to Yankees for P Waite Hoyt
• P Billy Burke and OF Dave Barbee from Indians to Tigers for P Bob Osborn and OF Earl Clark

ALL TRANSACTIONS


The Bucs go 12-8 in ST and are once again the pundits’ pick in the NL, with the Yanks favoured across the way in a really bunched field.


FULL PRESEASON PREDICTIONS

[luckymann]

Here's how the new-look Bucs line up on OD.






Deep-divers head HERE.

[luckymann]

An ugly start for the Bucs.





Fortunately no team has been too dominant in the NL so far, leaving them only 5 GB. Despite Gehrig getting off to an absolute flyer, the Yanks have started somewhat slowly as well.




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[luckymann]

Ratings still strong for Dick at the ripe old age of 38, so maybe 400 is even in range.

[luckymann]

The A's have started the year very strongly, with the pitching a good part of the reason why. As is the case here with a gem from The Knight of Kennett Square, who seems to be enjoying his new digs.

[luckymann]

I hope these guys have their life insurance policies paid up...

[luckymann]

He hits a fourth in the late game of this DH just for good measure.

[luckymann]

Far from perfect, but once again the Bucs dig deep, fashioning a 17-12 May to at least retain some proximity to the top of the division.





The bats are hitting for plenty of average but you can't ignore the fact that two mashers were allowed to leave in the offseason and weren't replaced. Grantham is a great player and is playing well (315/409/560 with 5 HR and 40 RBI, good for 1.7 WAR), but what pop he has is more of the gap variety. Same with a couple others. They have just 22 HR so far, placing them 7th in this category, and it seems to me they are going to struggle to score enough runs over the long term.




The pitching improves, especially Brown who wins the monthly prize for his 6-2 / 2.80. It will need to keep doing so, however, especially the lower rotation which remains problematic, with Foster, Streeter and Braxton all having ERAs of over 5 to this point.




The BoSox are back in front of the AL race, although the A's and Tigers sit right on their tail and just 5 games separate the top 7 sides. Despite Gehrig leading all three TC cats, the Yanks are only a game above 500 and will need to get a move on if they want to avoid yet another fruitless season. In the NL, the Cards still hold a healthy enough lead but it is obviously far from over, with everyone bar the Braves close enough if good enough.




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[luckymann]

25 wins last year and Chet continues to improve, as this gem against the Yanks shows.

[luckymann]

Putting him tied for 9th all-time with George Sisler, who is currently an unsigned FA.

[luckymann]

[luckymann]

I plan to just let Marty play as a two-way his entire MLB career because to try and truly replicate his historical path is just too messy. The Braves have been using him as their SP4 and at 2B while Chino Smith has been injured, but now he is back it means Martin has lost that positional role. He has also, for what reason I cannot fathom after this performance, been moved into the rotation.

I'll keep an eye on this as time progresses and provide updates.

[luckymann]

While I think I've got them sorted now, the NeL hitters have been problematic in this save, which is a shame because it has meant they haven't properly replicated the historical how I would have liked.

As a result, Oscar is the first NeLer to reach this plateau.

[luckymann]

A big game for Pie, who is putting together another fine season, in a big win for the Bucs.

[luckymann]

A dogged 14-12 month for the Bucs sees them creep just that bit closer to the top of the standings. Perhaps the most encouraging aspect is that they are still playing a fair way beneath their best and if they can just get the pitching working as it should they may well give this a shake. Brown is certainly doing his bit as he wins back-to-back Pitcher of the Month awards.





Pittsburgh's proximity to the lead is as much to do with the Cards' struggles as anything else, and it is a bunched field once again in both divisions.




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[luckymann]

An interesting move here by Honus. No doubting Spoke's absolute quality - the all-time WAR leader with 155 and 6-time MVP - but at 40 he's on the slippery slope. Fingers crossed he's got plenty left to offer. Let's face it, with all due respect to Chaney White, it hasn't cost them much to find out.



A couple days later he pulls off another trade, one that makes a lot more sense to me although I'm not sure where all of these OFs are going to play. Still, this is a great move.

[luckymann]

I felt this couldn't stand for much longer with the Cubs having both Hartnett and Cochrane as catchers and must admit I was hoping one of them would end up at the Bucs. Not to be, I'm afraid. This is a fantastic get for the Tigers and may well push them over the top in the super-competitive AL race.

[luckymann]

In a season that's looking like there won't be much to celebrate for the Bucs, DB's 200th win is a rare highlight.

[luckymann]

A rough finish to the month, in which they end up going 13-15, leaves the Bucs with an uphill battle from here in their hopes for a 5th straight title.





An injury to Bressler doesn't help matters, and they lose catcher Walt Lerian right at month's end, which - if it proves something long-term - will be a further hindrance to their chances.

It's hard to see why they aren't getting better results, as both the hitting and pitching has been solid. It happens, sometimes, that the raw metrics belie a side's ability to put it all together in a way that wins a lot of games. I think that's the case here.





The BoSox put their foot down with a 19-11 month to take control of the AL, while the Giants take advantage of yet another mid-season meltdown by the Cards to move into first place in the Senior Circuit.




Awards, news, leaders. Lou Gehrig is still leading in all TC categories, while young Satchel Paige is top 3 in each and needs just 53 more strikeouts to claim the all-time season record of 373 by Rube Waddell in 1905.






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[luckymann]

In front and in control, but far from home, this loss will undoubtedly make it just that bit harder to get there.