BRADENTON, Fla. -- After calling this spring training the beginning of a "new era of Pirates baseball," Clint Hurdle acknowledged he must establish a positive climate in the clubhouse after Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole were traded last month.
In one of his first moves of the spring, Hurdle told his players to ignore the prognosticators who have written off the team for 2018. And they seem to have embraced that strategy.
However, one major-league veteran told me this week at Pirate City that this group also wants to send a message to the men who decided to trade McCutchen and Cole.
"Really, really, really looking forward to the whole 40-something days of spring training and getting ready for the season that, I hope, is going to be a shock to a lot of front office people here," the veteran told me. "You’d be surprised that some of them actually think we can win. Some of them do, especially after the conversations I’ve had. But definitely shocking the baseball world come September when we’re still in it."
Most of the dozen or so returning players with whom I spoke expressed confusion and frustration with the direction of the franchise. They seem to have unwavering trust in Hurdle and his staff to continue to improve player performance, and yes, there is confidence that this club still has enough talented players to compete in 2018.
But to them, trading McCutchen and Cole was a sign ownership gave up on this group. Rather than adding to the core, the Pirates cut payroll by nearly $20 million and still have yet to sign a free agent to a major-league contract.
So, as you could expect, there are quite a few angry players. Some players questioned whether or not the Pirates were truly committed to winning. That anger, though, isn't directed at Neal Huntington. One player called Huntington's job "one of the most difficult in baseball."
No, the anger is directed at Bob Nutting and president Frank Coonelly. "Everyone in Pittsburgh knows who makes those decisions," one veteran told me.
The players don't seem unhinged, though.
It's the complete opposite, really. They're using both trades — as well as others the Pirates have made in recent years — as a rallying point.
"Trust me, this isn't dividing the clubhouse," a player told me.
• Shortly after McCutchen was traded, Josh Harrison released a statement to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports stating he'd prefer to be traded if the Pirates did not intend to contend in 2018. One of Harrison's teammates was not surprised with the bold decision, but there is concern that Harrison could be the next to go.
"He's outspoken," the player told me. "I wasn't surprised at all. We talked about it after it all came out. I just hope he stays. I'm trying to not even think about that happening." -- Lysowski
• Ivan Nova has taken newly-acquired relief pitcher Michael Feliz under his wing. That relationship began weeks before both arrived in Bradenton, though. When Feliz was included in the five-player deal for Cole, he received a call from Francisco Liriano. Liriano, who finished last season with the Astros, had already asked Nova to serve as a mentor to Feliz in Pittsburgh. -- Lysowski
• Based on what Hurdle has said thus far, it appears Adam Frazier and Harrison are the favorites to bat leadoff, followed by Starling Marte at No. 2 and Josh Bell in the cleanup spot. -- Lysowski
PENGUINS
• Jim Rutherford's pursuit of a third-line center almost surely will be limited to precisely that. He's happy with his eight defensemen, he's fine with his goaltending depth, and he doesn't have cap space for a longer shopping list, anyway. But ... don't discount the fact that the GM isn't wild about the team's lack of size on the wings. Zach Aston-Reese's emergence might diminish that sense for now, but there's a thinking within the organization that one good way to avoid wearing down in the playoffs is to not be so small along the wall. -- Dejan Kovacevic
• Could Daniel Sprong go in a trade? Sure. He presents the single most valuable commodity in the business with his scoring touch, plus he's young, inexpensive, and there are a good number of teams who can afford to be way more patient with his overall game than Mike Sullivan can. -- DK
• Piggybacking on the above note, the Penguins are still very high on Sprong and what he can become at the NHL level. With his shot and quick release they believe he could become a legit top-five goal-scorer. Sprong is never going to win the Selke -- which makes him just like the other 12 forwards in Pittsburgh -- but they want to see him compete harder in all zones, offensive included. That means winning 1-on-1 battles, getting his shot off quickly and in tight spaces, getting open to receive shots and drawing attention to himself to best utilize his linemates. Most importantly, they want to see him doing all the above consistently. He's getting close, very close, but the organization has no timeline on when that might be. -- Chris Bradford
• Dion Phaneuf might be Phil Kessel's friend, but the newly-acquired Kings defenseman was more than effusive in his praise of his former Toronto teammate when I asked about him Thursday morning. "I think it’s one of the most underrated things about Phil as a player is his passing," Phaneuf said. "I first-hand got to play with him for a long time. I saw the ability but he was always known as the shooter. But his playmaking ability is starting to get noticed, a lot more recognition. He can pass the puck. He’s shown that and he continues to do it." If you saw Kessel's 80-foot saucer stretch pass to Sidney Crosby to spring a 2-on-1 with Zach Aston-Reese in the first period Thursday, you know this already. -- Bradford
STEELERS
• Kevin Colbert said Thursday the team will start evaluating potential free agents next week as it continues its offseason plans. But, as Colbert noted, those free agents can change on an almost daily basis here starting soon. Teams can start using franchise and the less-popular transition tags starting Feb. 20. And as teams begin paring down their rosters to get into compliance with the salary cap and free up spending money, there will be veterans who are added to the free agent market. One player to keep an eye on for the Steelers is Lawrence Timmons. The Dolphins were less than thrilled with what Timmons brought to the table in 2017, though that wasn't a surprise to one Steelers source who predicted it in the preseason. The Dolphins thought they were getting a veteran linebacker who they could plug right into their defense. But, as the Steelers official told me, Timmons needed a lot of coaching to get to the point where he was as effective as he was in Pittsburgh's defense. The Dolphins would like to upgrade at inside linebacker, though releasing Timmons will only save them $1 million in cap space. -- Dale Lolley
• The Steelers are much more likely to dip into the starting safety market than they are to grab a long-term answer at inside linebacker. While they'll probably also sign an inside linebacker in free agency, it's more likely to be an aging veteran who can at the very least provide depth while also serving as a fallback option to whatever rookie they draft. The crop of potential free agent safeties also is much better than the inside linebackers. And consider one of the top safeties available last season, Barry Church, was signed by Jacksonville to a four-year, $26 million deal. That is the same total deal to which the Titans signed Jonathan Cyprien. There's a good chance the Steelers can afford to swing a deal like that -- and sign Le'Veon Bell -- while also signing a veteran inside linebacker, say, a Gerald Hodges-type, to a veteran minimum deal or something close to it. Then, all they will have to do is get an inside linebacker in the draft who is ready to plug and play. -- Lolley
PITT
• Pitt AD Heather Lyke can't be happy with the crowds, or lack thereof, at men's basketball games. The announced crowd was just over 2,000 for the latest home game against Boston College. And it was a game that saw the Panthers blow a 15-point lead with seven minutes remaining in the first half to lose by 23. Kevin Stallings is probably safe, thanks to a $10 million buyout on the remainder of his contract. But if Lyke can convince some donors that she can make a better hire, Stallings could be in trouble. The Panthers haven't shown much life down the stretch this season and have the look of a team that has given up. That's not a good sign. And the fact there were about 50 kids in the Oakland Zoo isn't a good thing, either. Apathy is a program killer. -- Lolley
• How bad was it Tuesday night? Sam Clancy was in attendance at the game, and at 59 and broken down from more than a decade of professional football, he was the most talented Pitt player in the building. -- Lolley
PENN STATE
• Penn State not continuing the football series with Pitt was a no-brainer for this athletic administration. Sandy Barbour hinted at it many times and then last spring during a coaches caravan stop in Altoona acknowledged that the model Penn State wants to follow for scheduling with this nine-game conference schedule allows them three tune-up games and every fifth year they want a marquee opponent in one of those slots. That certainly works now that Penn State is rolling but 10 years down the road who is to say a game with Pitt doesn’t help fill the stadium if it’s needed? Don’t rule out the series returning at some point but anything beyond a 2-year agreement at this point sounds like a stretch. – Audrey Snyder
• Scouts from the San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies were among those in attendance for Penn State vs. Ohio State basketball Thursday night. Penn State’s best pro prospect at this point is sophomore Tony Carr who already is garnering NBA interest. The program’s outlook next season will largely be tied to whether or not Carr is here for it. That’s also why Pat Chambers’ job the past couple years has been secure. Landing the Philadelphia talent and keeping it here is a big reason why Chambers has had a long leash in Happy Valley. Had they not retained him, this talent would’ve walked and it would have been the same old Penn State basketball story. – Snyder
