I suppose when you’re the Pirates, there isn’t much to do in October but release your tentative schedule for the next year before the city turns the entirety of their sports-related attention to football.

On the other hand, the city has probably hand the entirety of their sports-related attention on football since June. Whatever. They’ve got to release their tentative schedule sometime.

See the schedule here. Series of note per the official release:

The Pirates will welcome two American League clubs to Pittsburgh for the first time since interleague play began in 1997. Pittsburgh will host the New York Yankees from June 24-26 for the first time since Game Seven of the 1960 World Series at Forbes Field. In addition, the Toronto Blue Jays will also make their first visit to the city of Pittsburgh for a three-game series from June 20-22. Pittsburgh will also host the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the final weekend of interleague play from June 27-29.

A Yankees-Pirates series in early May might be interesting; by late June I’m afraid the Pirates will already be well into rebuilding for next year.

Last year at this time, Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez were already in Washington in exchange for a couple middle relievers who wouldn’t even be on the Reds’ Opening Day roster the following year. If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that we can’t wait until the last minute to start talking about trades for this team. Before we know it, it could be too late!

It’s clear that the Reds are in a good position to be sellers this season, and there are a few obvious wares to try to sell. There are also a handful of untouchables and a few guys who could go if the price is right. Time will tell whether general manager Wayne “Kriv-dawg” Krivsky can tell the difference, whether he can correctly identify the right price, and whether he’ll be too gun-shy after last year’s trade deadline debacle to pull the trigger at all.

This week on the Red Hot Broadcast, Jon and I discuss whom we believe to be untouchable, salable, and in-between and what we think would be an appropriate price. We also talk a little about tonight’s game (since it was still going on as we recorded), the standings in the NLC (the Astros have beat out the Pirates for second-worst in the division), and my on-going job search (no, I’m not interested in relocating to Portland for a 6-month contract).

Episode 67: Anticipating the Trade Deadline (20.6MB, 30:06)

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The Crack Technical Staff and I were a little snippy with each other tonight, which has nixed a few podcasts in the past, but we pushed through (and later edited out) our awkward silences to discuss what’s going on with the Reds lately. Which, in case you haven’t noticed, is all Ken Griffey, Jr.

• Mr. Griffey Goes to Seattle
• Mr. Griffey Wants to Retire a Mariner
• Mr. Griffey Second in National League All Star Voting
• Jerry Narron: Still Manager even now
• From the mouthes of babes: an interview with a 6-year old Reds fan
• Cardinals in Cincy this weekend (and us as well)
• Giants in Cincy after that (but we’ll have gone home by then)
• Around the Central

We also note a new podcast for the Pirates by Pat at WHYGAS? He’s only three episodes in and already skipping weeks because there’s nothing left to do but rehash what he’s already said. Welcome to baseball podcasting, Pat!

Episode 62: There’s Something About Griffey (23.4MB, 34:08)

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This week on the podcast, Jon and I are pleased to welcome Pat Lackey of Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke?, which is my favorite Pirates blog, if only because I like to abbreviate it to WHYGAS? and then answer the question in parentheses. For example:This week on the podcast, we’re pleased to welcome Pat of WHYGAS? (‘cuz it’s more fun than the brake).

Pat seems to prefer to abbreviate it WHYGAVS?, though. To each his own, I guess.

Anyway, Pat gives us an overview of the Pirates’ moves this off-season and his expectations for the coming year.

Thanks to Pat for agreeing to be on the show.

Episode 46: Pirates Preview with Pat Lackey (13.1 MB, 19:07)

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