Pittsburgh Pirates Don't Sign Mark Appel, Higgs Boson Continues Bosoning


So the Pittsburgh Pirates and "advisor" Scott Boras failed to come to an agreement regarding the future of Boras advisee and Stanford pitcher Mark Appel.

How upset should Pirates fans be about this?

I don't think Pirates fans should be especially upset, not with the front office anyway.

It appears that the Pirates offered Appel as much money as they could without forfeiting a first-round pick in 2013. This wasn't enough; Appel wanted the $6,000,000 even if it cost the franchise he would have become a member of their top pick in the 2013 draft.

Quite honestly, if I were the Pirates, I wouldn't have taken that deal either. Appel is a very fine prospect, but he's just one guy, and he isn't a Stephen Strasburg or Bryce Harper or Mike Trout quality talent. You don't mortgage your future for him, and that's what Boras was asking the Pirates to do.

So, what now? Some guys in similar situations (Aaron Crow, Luke Hochevar) moved on to independent ball, but it sounds like Appel is heading back to Stanford, to finish his education and try to boost his stock for the 2013 draft. I don't really see how his stock is going to be any higher than it already was, and he'll have even less leverage next year.

Perhaps Appel just didn't want to pitch for the Pirates, in which case you don't want a malcontent on the roster anyway. The Pirates get the ninth pick in the draft next year as compensation. The Pirates still have Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon and Luis Heredia. The world continues to revolve around its axis, and subatomic particles continue to do whatever the hell it is subatomic particles do.

Mark Appel must now hope that the universe's sense of irony doesn't decide to come down hard on his elbow and shoulder.

Apparently they don't teach the concept of hubris at Stanford.