Bucs Dugout Podcast

The Bucs Dugout Podcast is back. David and I discuss Larry Broadway and

Kyle stark; the Jeff Karstens and Charlie Morton decisions; the signings

of Russell Martin and Jason Grilli; whether the Pirates should trade

Joel Hanrahan; and much more.

In the latest edition of the Bucs Dugout Podcast, David and I review our preseason projections, which, as it turns out, were a little too pessimistic. We discuss the futures of Clint Barmes, Joel Hanrahan and Jason Grilli, wonder about the impact of Andrew McCutchen's August swoon on the Pirates' fortunes, and ask how the Pirates ought to evaluate Clint Hurdle after what turned out to be a rough season for him.

David, Wilbur Miller and I talk about the futures of Neal Huntington and Greg Smith, and we review the seasons the Pirates' top minor-leaguers have had. Thanks to Wilbur for joining us, thanks to David and Wilbur for working through a ton of technical issues with me, and thanks to me for spending like three hours editing this stupid thing. You are welcome.

David and I discuss the way we think about the remainder of the season. We also discuss the Astros series, the upcoming Cubs series, what's going on with the Pirates' injuries, and a few topics from around baseball.

David and I are in fine ranting form as we discuss the release of Erik Bedard, the promotion of Chase d'Arnaud and Major League Baseball's TV deal with ESPN. We also examine the Pirates' recent struggles (taking on the Pirates' decisions to favor veterans over youngsters) and ask how much the Bucs' upcoming opponents matter.

David and I discuss the Padres series; the Pirates' awful bullpen and roster management; the departure of Juan Cruz; the reasons for the Pirates' recent slide; and Melky Cabrera, Andrew McCutchen and the batting title.

David and I discuss the Pirates' draining 19-inning win, roster moves the Pirates might make in its aftermath, and the Pirates' chances of holding off the Cardinals and either the Dodgers or Giants down the stretch as they continue to battle for a playoff spot.

David and I discuss A.J. Burnett's one-hitter, as well as the Pirates' trades for Travis Snider, Gaby Sanchez and Chad Qualls and the impact of those moves on the Pirates' roster. After the flip, I talk about Snider with Tom Dakers of Bluebird Banter, who isn't a fan of the deal from the Blue Jays' perspective.

David and I discuss James McDonald's struggles, Kevin Correia's trade request, the debuts of Wandy Rodriguez and Starling Marte, the possibility of dealing Joel Hanrahan, what we expect the Pirates to do at the trading deadline, and whether the Bucs are well-positioned for a playoff run.

Finally, an actual trade to discuss! David and I discuss the Wandy Rodriguez trade -- what the Pirates are getting, what they gave up (in Robbie Grossman, Rudy Owens and Colton Cain), and what the addition of Rodriguez means for their rotation beyond 2012. We also discuss the possibility of adding an outfielder, specifically focusing on Shane Victorino and Alfonso Soriano. We talk about the ongoing Jose Tabata saga and briefly reexamine Neal Huntington's job performance.