At least the Pirates ended their dismal west coast road trip with a win. The Pirates got great pitching from Gerrit Cole and three home runs from Andrew McCutchen to avoid a sweep in San Diego. Nonetheless, the Pirates ended their trip 3-6 and lost all three series. That’s not going to get it done in a pennant race. The Pirates return home, but with the calendar running out of games, it may be too late to make a serious run at the division title. Especially after this disappointing trip.
· The Pirates are really frustrating to watch at times. They looked like possible World Champs in beating up on the Cardinals and Brewers at home after the All Star Break, only to play bad baseball against struggling San Francisco. The Pirates have lost five of six to the lowly Giants. That’s a team you need to beat up on. Instead, the Pirates have struggled against some of the weaker teams. It’s one reason why they won’t win the division when all is said and done.
· Don’t look for any major deals by the Bucs when the trade deadline comes and goes tomorrow. I would not be at all surprised if Neal Huntington makes a deal or two, but it’s not going to be a blockbuster. And it’s not going to include any of the Pirates’ top prospects, nor should it.
· As much as the fans would not like it, I’d still trade Andrew McCutchen if I was offered a heck of a package in return. I like Cutch a lot, both as a player and a person. He’s having a heck of a year, and teams have to notice that he’s looking like the guy who won an MVP not long ago. He also has just one more year on his contract, and I find it hard to believe the Pirates will sign him beyond next year. So, would I trade him? Yes, if the Pirates got a great return. Do I want to see the Pirates trade him? No, not at all.
· I’ve never been big on trade deadline deals, especially for rental players. Most of the time there is minimal impact by the new player. The cost usually isn’t worth the return. The Cubs may not have won the World Series last year had they not traded for reliever Aroldis Chapman. To get him as a rental, the Cubs gave up a young shortstop many scouts think will be a future superstar. Was it worth it? Only time will tell.
· The Pens’ offseason is nearly complete. By signing Conor Sheary to a three year deal, the Pens avoided arbitration with any of their players. Now it’s up to GM Jim Rutherford to find a third line center, and see if fourth line center Matt Cullen comes back for another year at age 41, or decides to retire. Rutherford now knows how much money he has to work with. He also knows that the longer he waits the better his chances are to get a player for what he wants to spend, rather than overpay. The Pens still don’t know who will back up Crosby and Malkin up the middle, but they will find the guys. It’s just a matter of time.
· Homer City’s George Coury was profiled by WTAE-TV this past week. Coury is a Pirates’ diehard. He estimates he’s only missed 22 home games in the last 50 years. That’s dedication, especially when you consider the Pirates had 20 straight losing seasons. George is a great guy and a real baseball nut. It was nice to see him recognized.
· The Steelers are now in camp and Latrobe is bustling. Antonio Brown showed up in a vintage Rolls Royce. I can only wonder what guys like Joe Greene thought when he saw that. Alejandro Villanueva got his long-term deal when he signed on the first day of camp. Good for Big Al, and for Big Ben, the quarterback whose blind side Villanueva will protect. Absent is Le’Veon Bell, who will make over 12 million dollars when he does report and sign his franchise tag. Bell doesn’t have to be in camp, but he needs to be there. He’s a very important part of the Steelers’ offense. I expect Bell to show up eventually, just not anytime soon.
· Leave it to Ben Roethlisberger to make headlines when he said he wasn’t guaranteeing he’ll play beyond this season, and that his wife would be fine with that. Good grief. Retirement talk is the last distraction the Steelers need as they start camp and get ready for the season. Come on, Ben. Leave that kind of talk for after 2017.
· Former Penn State star John Urschel retired from the NFL this past week, leaving behind a promising career with the Baltimore Ravens. Urschel’s retirement came out of the blue, and just days after it was revealed that nearly all of the brains of former NFL players examined following their deaths tested positive for CTE. Urschel is a noted mathematician, who is working on his PHD at MIT. He may go down as the smartest guy who has ever played football. So for Urschel, being able to use his brain beyond football outweighed playing the game he loves. Urschel will do great things in life. He’s lucky to get out of the game healthy.
