Pirates facing Nova dilemma
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Here蘑菇视频 the dilemma: The Pirates need a veteran pitcher to anchor a 2017 rotation that will probably be short on experience.
Ivan Nova, who might be the prize of the limited free agent market this winter, is already here.
Reports say he蘑菇视频 looking for a five-year deal worth $70 million. Is that kind of investment justified for a pitcher who will be 30 next season, and who has a spotty record of accomplishment prior to a string of fine starts for the Pirates?
Nova is a ground ball pitcher and a strike thrower. Does that merit a five-year commitment that will eat a big chunk of the payroll?
Highly unlikely. Nova蘑菇视频 agent says the Pirates have made a couple of offers, but it蘑菇视频 doubtful any of them are near five years and $70 million.
It also makes no sense for Nova to commit to a deal before shopping the free agent market. There may be an offer even crazier than the one he wants.
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鈥淲e stunk. We all stunk.鈥�
There you have it. Pro football is a complex game, but Ben Roethlisberger needed only five words to sum up what happened to the Steelers in Philadelphia on Sunday.
No sense in trying to fluff it up. Anyone who saw the game knew the Steelers were equally inept on offense and defense. Special teams contributed to the mess by having a field goal blocked.
The Steelers were terrible and that has understandably fueled widespread panic. Nothing like a lopsided loss to get the phone lines sizzling on sports talk radio.
It蘑菇视频 too late to do anything about what happened in Philadelphia. Instead, the focus is on this Sunday蘑菇视频 prime time game against Kansas City at Heinz Field.
This will offer some perspective on what happened last week. Was it an aberration or are the Steelers really as vulnerable as they looked against the Eagles?
Le鈥橵eon Bell蘑菇视频 return will help, but the injury report Mike Tomlin offered on Tuesday was disturbingly ominous. He seemed to indicate that Ryan Shazier (knee), Ramon Foster (bruised sternum) and Eli Rogers (turf toe) were not likely to be available for Sunday蘑菇视频 game.
That蘑菇视频 a considerable amount of talent to drain from the lineup.
It蘑菇视频 funny, but two weeks ago the Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals and came away from the game with no significant injuries to report.
Just one week later, and there蘑菇视频 concern about the state of the team and the medical report.
As the coach is fond of saying, such is life in the National Football League.
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You watch MLB games and wonder what蘑菇视频 going through the players鈥� heads, aside from an occasional gentle breeze.
Maybe they鈥檙e so busy socializing with players from the other team that they forget the basics of playing the game.
Case in point: Last Friday night蘑菇视频 game between Washington and the Pirates. Pedro Florimon had come into the game as a pinch runner and was on first base with two outs.
Sean Rodriguez lined a ball that sailed over the center fielder蘑菇视频 head. Replay cameras caught Florimon going at less than full speed toward second while his head was turned toward the outfield, watching the play.
The rule is the same if you鈥檙e in Class A or the major leagues: Two outs, you take off on contact and run hard. If the ball is caught, it doesn鈥檛 matter. At least you鈥檝e had the workout of a sprint.
Florimon scored, but had to slide. A better throw may have gotten him and added a new entry to the endless list of heartbreaking ways the Pirates have lost games this season.
Pedro Florimon, taking it easy? What蘑菇视频 wrong with that picture?