Pirates GM Neal Huntington: Bucs Are Hungry To Win
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) -- Pittsburgh Pirates GM Neal Huntington joins Sportsradio 93-7 The Fan's Vinnie & Cook to preview spring training and the season ahead.
Huntington likes the psychological makeup of his club so far.
"We've got a hungry group here that is ready to take that next step and transition from three years ago being one of the worst teams in baseball, two years ago having a fun half-season, and last year playing meaningful games in September for the first time in a long time in Pittsburgh to being that club playing playoff teams in October," he said. "In terms of an identity, we just show up every day. We've got to grind it out every day. We're going to wear people down, and we can't afford to take days off. We've got to show up to get better every single day, and we've got a group that's hungry to do that."
Huntington likes what he has seen from pitcher Gerrit Cole, but is still cautious about bringing him up to the big club.
"For him to reach Triple A in his first professional season is a good sign for him," Huntington says. "We're looking forward to bringing him up when we feel like he's ready to go. The worst thing we can do to a young player is rush him to the big leagues. We've got to make sure we remain patient in our development process."
Huntington also shares his thoughts on Russell Martin, Garrett Jones, Neil Walker and what to expect from the starting rotation.
