The Pirates Can’t Do the Right Thing, Even When They Do

4-3-22 – By Gary Morgan – @garymo2007 on Twitter

News broke yesterday from several outlets (I read it first from Alex Stumpf) that the Pirates offered an extension to Ke’Bryan Hayes. The offer was reportedly not up to snuff, but the two sides are continuing to talk. In other words, it wasn’t a take it or leave it offer, and it wasn’t insulting to the degree Hayes’ camp shut it down.

Hey, this is exactly what we want the Pirates to do right?

Apparently wrong.

All I saw were takes that they couldn’t get Reynolds and instead are trying to extend the “wrong guy”. Now, how the hell he became suddenly the wrong guy, we’ll put a pin in for a moment and focus on why they have to do this in some specific order according to most.

The Reynolds saga has been covered extensively, but bits and pieces at different times tend to create a crap ton of fans with partial stories.

Reynolds has been offered an extension in the past, he turned it down and it hasn’t been broached since. This happened before the 2021 season. This season according to Dejan Kovacevic, someone in the organization really screwed up to have this thing go to arbitration, but the rules the Pirates live by include a file and trial situation, they can’t present him an offer while this plays out.

He also reported they will revisit it after arbitration.

I completely understand why that sucks. I really do. What I don’t understand is why so many of you seem to think they shouldn’t be able to do both.

Furthermore, wouldn’t you rather hear them try and fail than not try? Doesn’t it give you some form of comfort that they at least plan to try to keep talent. Or try to keep it?

I guess I can see that people are tired of “try” and just wan to see “do”. That makes sense of course, and maybe 15 years ago you don’t even hear about any of this stuff.

Man, I just don’t mind seeing the friggin’ effort. Thinking back I remember the Huntington regime famously saying they were in on David Price via free agency, which made me laugh at the time. Maybe that’s all this is to most, another David Price situation.

Bottom line, as with actually putting a competitive team on the field, this team is going to have to do it, instead of just say it. Even then, it’ll be the wrong move to many, simply because the Pirates made it.