Mark Madden: Pirates should move on from 2 faces of failure
TribLIVE.com • • sports
Key Points:
- The Pittsburgh Pirates have shown resilience recently, winning three straight series despite being five games out of a wild card spot with 21 games left, making a playoff push unlikely.
- Key players like Oneil Cruz, Nick Gonzales, Mason Montgomery, and Braxton Ashcraft have performed well, providing hope for the team's future despite injuries to several important players.
- The team's struggles are attributed largely to underperforming pitchers, especially Paul Skenes, and limited financial resources that constrain GM Ben Cherington's moves.
- Bryan Reynolds, the team's second-highest paid player, has been criticized for inconsistent performance, going 33 games without a home run and not contributing enough to wins.
- Suggestions include trading Reynolds and Mason Keller to free up salary space and rebuild, though the overall outlook remains pessimistic with losing seen as ingrained in the Pirates' culture.
