Former GM Jim Bowden: 'This Is The Way It's Always Going To Be'
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) -- Former MLB General Manager Jim Bowden who is now an analyst for MLB Radio joined Cook and Poni on Thursday to discuss the state of the Pirates following the trade deadline.
Bowden doesn't paint a pretty picture for Pirates fans who wanted or expected more.
"The fans in Pittsburgh should understand that this is where the Pirates have always been and this is where they are always going to be," Bowden said. "A very difficult economic infrastructure that makes it extremely difficult to build championship teams."
Bowden added that the Pirates much like other teams are not able to trade top prospects to help them win now because they need to hold on to those top prospects if they have any hope of competing long term.
"Making deals to get younger and less expensive and more controllable," Bowden said. "Unfortunately, those are the kind of seals that we all know in Pittsburgh you have to make."
The Pirates' future, according to Bowden, needs to come from the Pirates drafting and building their own. They won't make then big trade or big singing. It must be draft and develop to be competitive.
One of those players the Pirates have drafted and developed is Andrew McCutchen. What will the Pirates do this off-season with him?
Bowden says that Pirates should not go into it looking to trade him, but listen to all offers and once they find the one they like… pull the trigger. The worst thing they could do is to be holding onto him this time next year unless they extend his contract.
"I would like to see him extended because I would like to see him end his career there," Bowden told the guys. "He is the one you make the exception for, but if you are not going to do that, then at some point you're going to have to get the best possible return you can get."
Bowden also talked about his disappointments on the team and how he expects General Manger Neal Huntington to have his contact extended for sure, but would put it at about a 70 percent chance that Clint Hurdle will return as the Manger.
