Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi write that the Bucs are considering firing manager John Russell:
While it is unclear whether Russell’s firing is imminent, the timing would make sense. The Pirates are in the middle of a transition in which they are promoting several of their top prospects to the major leagues.
Right-hander Brad Lincoln and outfielder Jose Tabata joined the team last week. Third baseman Pedro Alvarez, the team’s top young talent, will join the team Wednesday, according to a team news release.
Pirates team president Frank Coonelly, when reached for comment, denied that the Pirates were discussing Russell’s future.
Actually, to me, the promotion of Alvarez, Tabata and others is why firing Russell right now doesn't make sense. Why break a string of good news with the dismissal of a manager? This doesn't mean the Pirates aren't talking about it, just that I would be surprised if this were imminent.