Well. It is a deep subject.

.235

.229

.195

 

.167

.160

 

Those are batting averages.

 

These are the players:

 

Monroe

Hinske

Moss

 

Bixler

Vazquez

 

Jack Wilson can not get back soon enough at short.  His .255 batting average dwarfs those of Bixler and Vazquez.  Vazquez has the redeeming value of walking 12 times to double his batting average to have a respectable on base percentage.  Only problem with walks, they rarely drive in runs.

 

What to do in right is another question.  Could we see McCutchen called up to play right?  If Andrew is called up, does McLouth move to right?  Will McCutchen be called up soon?

Don't expect that call up too soon.  McCutchen is batting a pedestrian .255 in Indianapolis.  While a top of the lineup of McCutchen, Nyjer Morgan could create some early runs with speed alone, McCutchen is not looking like he is ready just yet.

The way Morgan can bunt or line one past a drawn in 3B when they are cheating in for the bunt, the Pirates could have a run on the board before the ball left the infield.  Not that many balls the Pirates have hit recently have cleared the infield.

 

Don't look now, Andy has a better average than Adam.  Andy is hitting .250 compared to Adam's .240.  Maybe it was too soon to claim Adam has shaken the early season slow start.

 

Don't blame the recent 1-9 run on Doumit's injury.  Injuries have played a huge role in the slump with Wilson and McLouth missing considerable time.  Even Capps has not been right.

 

The pitching is coming back to earth as well.

 

I asked a few weeks back about which came first, a long winning streak or the long losing spell...guess that was answered.  Now let's see what happens as they get healthy, and no doubt make some sort of call up.

A Few Promising Things

I am not trying to drink the Kool-Aid. I am not saying this team will contend.

What I am saying, even with a four game losing streak, there is still a few things to believe as promising.

Even with Maholm having a bad outing, he never should have started his last inning, Maholm still fought and had his team in a position to win when he was finally removed.

The night before, the Pirates battled back to tie the game at five before the bullpen imploded.

Snell pitched very well, being out dueled in Wednesdays game.

Duke has continued to shine.

The pitching staff still lead the NL in ERA at the end of April, a five pretty good teams in Pittsburgh Pirates history did the same. So there is some hope with the pitching staff.

There are plenty of reasons to think this staff has at least 3 legitimate pitchers at the top of the rotation.

Ohlendorf and Karstens, they have even looked good at time.  They are both filling their roles in the rotation the way they should as forth and fifth starters.  The way they have pitched, many teams would take that production from the 4 and 5 spots.

The Pirates offense has not been as outstanding the last 22 innings, but slumps can be expected on any team. 

The best part of this 4 game skid...The Pirates are still at .500 on the season.  As long as the team can get this skid under control, and soon, there is still plenty of reasons to think this team might break the streak.  The key to breaking the streak, the pitching must maintain what they are doing. 

The starting rotation needs to keep from pushing, thinking they need to go 7 or 8 innings scoreless.  The only way that mind set is avoided...the offense needs to step it up and soon.

Injuries:

Jaramillo has stepped in nicely to fill the mitt behind the plate after Doumit went down with a wrist injury.  He has hit better than expected and has provided a little better defense behind the dish.  While Doumit's bat is missed, his glove has been more than adequately replaced.

Bixler has provided solid play at short with Jack Wilson on the DL.  His bat has yet to fully translate to MLB levels, but his defense has been solid. 

The loss of McLouth for 6 games did not help the offense.  Morgan has continued to play well, when not getting picked off when on base. 

The problem for the Pirates right now, they can't afford any more key injuries.  The depth still is not where Huntington would like it to be.  Luckily, the injuries have happened at positions where adequate players were waiting in the wings. 

If the Pirates take a hit in the starting rotation, that could doom the team to that record breaking season of 17. 

Brother In Arms:

I am formally retiring the Lil and Big LaWhiff titles.  Both brothers are playing well.  Andy has recovered from one of the ugliest starts of a season I have ever seen a player have.  His glove has been solid and his bat has translated enough to show he is ready to be the everyday third baseman until a certain someone arrives.

Adam is being 2nd half Adam in the first half.  If he can keep this up the whole season, he has a good shot at 35 HR's this season.  A nice change for a lineup that hasn't had much pop since the early 90's.

 

Game Thread:

The game thread may be up late again today.  Too many things to do and I am still tweaking the new Netbook.

BTW News, Pirates 2009, New Young Buc

Ahhh!

Yesterday, my youngest son had surgery to remove adenoids and to have tubes put in his ears.  Everything went well and he is doing very well.  As a parent you have a tendency to be distracted when your child is about to have an operation, no matter how minor.  Just the thought of your child going under is a scary proposition, no matter how many times you have been through it.  Needless to say, holding him in the recovery room made a huge weight be lifted from my mind.

 

Pirates 2009:

While sitting in recovery holding Nicky as he slept, my mind started wandering back to baseball and the Pirates.  The 4-3 start to the 2009 season is a good thing, like that is breaking news. 

My biggest interest going forward is what will happen first.

You see, I have a belief that it is easier to stay above .500 than it is to get back to .500.  When trying to recover lost ground, teams always seem to press because of a tangible goal of .500.  When a team gets close, then fails, the pressure keeps building.

Failing to reach .500 for a young team, such as the Pirates, seems to always have a snowball affect, more like an avalanche.  When they get close but come a win or two away from the mark, as we have seen a few times in the last 16 years, the team seems to always have that losing streak right then.

A team that is over .500 can endure a losing streak and still not worry of a tangible goal they are failing to achieve, as long as they stay above .500.

So what I am looking for is what happens first.  Do the Pirates have a long winning streak or long losing streak?  If they can attain a long winning streak first, that will go a long way towards breaking the 16 year spiral we as fans have endured.

As for players so far, here are a few things I have noticed:

• Brandon Moss seems to be a little faster than last year, I have been impressed with the speed he has shown so far.  While not blazing speed, he has been impressive none the less.
• Staying with Moss, he has yet to earn a RBI.  A somewhat distressing fact.
• Was I wrong on Nyjer Morgan?  He has been a catalyst for this team with the bat and with his speed and toughness.  He is doing a lot of little things right that have plagued him in the past.  A couple example are breaking up a double play to keep the inning going just prior to Doumit's grand slam.  Another example was taking out the catcher on an excellent hip check from his youth.  While he didn't need to make contact, the play was closer than it appeared as the ball was on it's way home.
• Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson both look like they want to stay in Pittsburgh.  Each has been fantastic, maybe no more so than the fantastic double play they turned against the Reds.
• Zach Duke looks as if he has turned back the clock, or at least hit the same point that Maholm did a year and a half ago.  He seems to be trusting his pitches again and is pitching to all parts of the plate.
• With Maholm, Duke and Ohlendorf all pitching well, getting Snell to stay in a groove rather than grooving too many pitches will be a big hurdle for Russell and Kerrigan to clear.  If Snell finds himself again, the bullpen may not be an issue as they will not be used often.

I fear the warm and fuzzy sensation I have been having about the Pirates, too many times in has turned into a stomach virus the last 16 years.

 

New Young Buc:

The Pirates have acquired Delwyn Young from the Dodgers for two PTBNL.  Look for Luis Cruz to be demoted after Young arrives in Pittsburgh.  Young will likely be used as a utility player who can play outfield and most infield positions save 1B.

BTW Take:

Cruz was on the roster due to Bixler becoming a prospect again in spring training.   This move allows the Pirates to have a bat on the bench, rather than just a glove.  It doesn't make perfect sense, since Young has not played 2B in two years. 

Looking Ahead Is Interesting

The Pirates web site is running an article about Brian Bixler, Perry Hill calls him the most improved player on the team.  Hill has worked with Bixler this spring on getting into better position and shortening his arm movement on throws.  From what little I have seen of Bixler this spring, he is starting to look like the guy I saw in college games.

When the Pirates drafted him in the second round, I was quite happy.  I have always though he was the better prospect between he and Brent Lillibridge who was traded in the Adam LaRoche deal.

I have had discussions at The Buccos Forum about whether Bixler would be a good MLB shortstop.  I say he will be, most players struggle on their first trip to the majors.  One of the responses I received was that is true with the bat, but it shouldn’t be with the glove.

While that is somewhat true, Bixler developed some bad habits since turning pro.  Somewhere he picked up the idea it was better to get rid of the ball quick rather than having the good form he showed in college.  That bad habit led to many throws with his weight on his back foot, causing the ball to sail, thus so many throwing errors.

Reading the article had me thinking about what the Pirates may look like towards the end of 2009, especially after September call-ups.  Barring injury, the entire infield could have a distinctly different look as well as an overhaul in the outfield. 

Bixler and Ford could be playing up the middle. 

Pearce could be manning first, or Andy could be moved across the diamond to take the place of big brother.

Walker or Alvarez could be playing third, or either may have a first baseman's mitt on.   I fully expect Alvarez to destroy A ball pitching and be in Altoona quickly.  The way he has looked this spring, he could make Indy by July.

Tabata and McCutchen could be manning the corners in the outfield.

Bottom line, by the end of 2009, we could be seeing the Pirates team for the next three or more years taking the field.

That makes this 2009 season even more interesting in my book.

Which lead to the poll on the right asking, “Which Pirate will be the first to be traded?”

 

BTW March Madness:

The time is coming for March Madness. As in past years, BTW is running a March Madness Pool. I am working on a gift certificate deal that will go to the winner of the bracket.  More details to come, but it will be at least a $20 gift certificate if things pan out.  Join other BTW readers, The Buccos Forum regulars and random bloggers from around the interweb in an intense battle for March Madness Supremacy!!!

Here is the Link:

http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/register/joinprivategroup_assign_te...

IF it requests a password: pirates

Links And Stuff

Bixler for Andino:

According to Joe Frisaro at MLB.com Hot Stove Blog, the Marlins are still shopping Robert Andino.  The rumor of a Bixler for Andino trade is said to still be in the works according to one MLB source.  Bixler is not identified as the Marlins target but he is speculated.

BTW Take:

Bixler for Andino does not make sense for the Pirates, Bixler still has a few options left while Andino is out of options.  Bixler has better minor league number and has been scouted as a better player.  Andino would have to be on the MLB roster otherwise the Pirates are giving away Bixler.  Bixler struggled in his first MLB action, but one bad stint should not condemn him as trade bait.  I have seen Bixler play in college as well as with the Pirates.  He seemed overwhelmed in 2008 in Pittsburgh, but he will rebound and at least be a viable option at short or second if the Pirates retain him.  Andino seems like a player who would be lost coming out of spring training and amount to nothing more than a poor mans Abe Nunez.

 

Top Prospects:

Baseball Prospectus has released their Pirates top 11 prospects list.  No big surprises, outside of Neal Walker falling to the 8th best prospect for the Pirates.

Charlie at Bucs Dugout has a link to Wilbur Millers Pirates Top 20 and a link to his top prospects.

BTW Take:

Wilbur Miller is by far a good judge of talent and should be a scout for the Pirates, if they were smart.  The interesting thing to note from WM's top 20, 13 of the top 20 are from the new regime.  This is just further proof how lowly DL left the minor league system.

 

Cuban Defectors:

Two Cuban ballplayers defected according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN.com. 

Right-hander Yadel Marti, Cuba's best pitcher in the first World Baseball Classic in 2006, and outfielder Yasser Gomez left the island and are in an unknown location before attempting to reach the Dominican Republic to seek an MLB career, sources told ESPNdeportes.com.

BTW Take:

Both players are believed to be MLB ready.  I point this story out as of interest and worth following since the Pirates have a renewed interest in Latin America.  Rene Gayo is one of the premier scouts in the region and likely has a bead on these two already.  Don't be surprised to hear both names mentioned as being in the Pirates cross hairs in coming weeks and months.  Both players fit the mold of talent the Pirates are looking for.  Gomez, 28, is a speedy outfielder with considerable upside.  Marti, 29, dominated in the most recent WBC posting a 0.00 ERA in 12+ innings. 

These two are not a remake of Yoslan Hererra.  They are legitimate talents with MLB potential.  Herrera was out of baseball for a couple years before the Pirates took a flyer on him.  He lost a lot in those two years with no proven track record.  he was a reach to begin with.

Essentially these are two more potential candidates to add some depth in the organization and improve the overall talent level of the organization.

Expect the Pirates rumored interest to start soon.

 

Turnbow:

Dejan Kovacevic is reporting the Pirates are one of the final three suitors for the services of Derrick Turnbow.

 

BTW Take:

Turnbow is a calculated gamble.  An experience closer who is on the rebound after arm troubles on 2008.  He will be a nice insurance policy in case Capps runs into the injury bug again.  He could also turn the Pirates games into 7 inning contests if he is used as a setup man for Capps, provided Turnbow is healthy and can rebound to 2006 All-Star form.

Winter Meeting Recap

Thanks to a wonderful site called Woot I have been sidetracked from writing.  Woot was kind enough to have a 3 day Woot-off during the Winter meetings.  Sorry people, my geek life takes precedence occasionally.

Now, onto the recap.

No Mo Ro Pa:

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies swapped catchers.  Ronnie Paulino was sent to the Phillies for a return of Jason Jaramillo.

BTW Take:

Looking at stats alone, it seems Jaramillo has a better eye in the minors based on his walk numbers alone.  Beyond walks, there minor league stats aren't much different. 

The sad think for Ronnie, he went from being a backup catcher to Ryan Doumit to potentially being blocked by Carlos Ruiz and Lou Marson.  People seem to think Paulino is a good hitting catcher.  He never showed a .310 average was in him while playing in the minors.  Remember it took a few injuries to even get a shot in Pittsburgh. 

He was praised for his handling of pitchers, but his defense was lousy and his offense came back to earth after his fluke of a .310 season as a rookie.  A .280 minor league hitter does not turn into a .310 MLB hitter.  Paulino also earned a tag of being lazy, whether he deserved that tag or not is something you can decide.

Jaramillo was considered a top prospect not long ago.  He is only a year younger than Paulino.  This seems to be a trade to grant Paulino his wish of a trade while getting a player back that Russell has managed in the past and was very high on.  More or less, a slacker for a hard worked.

 

Rule 5:

The Pittsburgh Pirates took Donnie Veal in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 draft.

In the Minor League portion, the Pirates did something unusual, grabbing players from the Latin Summer Leagues.  The players taken in the Minor League portion are Andres Santos ( 22, New York Yankees) Rafael Quintero (21, Cleveland Indians), Gerardo Esparza (21, Seattle Mariners). The first two were in the DSL, Esparza in Venezuela.

BTW Take:

Veal seems to be a solid pickup.  He has had some tough times over the last 3 years off the diamond.  If he can get his game together, this guy could be a steal.  I found this article on his personal problems over the last 3 years.  He lost both his parents, his mother to cancer and his father to a diving accident.

The minor league pickups I have not found much on, but the fact the Pirates went outside the norm makes these moves even more impressive in a creative kind of way.  Dejan has a nice little write up on this in the PBC Blog, the 6:05 update.

 

Free Agent Signing:

The Pirates are on the verge of signing a 2 year contract with Ramon Vazquez. 

BTW Take:

Everyone seems to think this is a precursor to a Jack Wilson or Freddy Sanchez trade.  I have my doubts.  This has the smell of a move to have an additional option if Andy LaRoche or Neil Walker can't take the Hot Corner.  Vazquez could play third or Freddy could move back to third if both prospects fail to make the grade.  Vazquez has played 255 games at third.

Just because rumors swirl about a Wilson trade doesn't make Vazquez the next shortstop.

 

Bixler a Marlin?:

Rumors swirl about the Marlins being interested in Brian Bixler.

BTW Take:

I'd hate to see Bixler go.  I had the opportunity to see Bixler play in College.  If you asked me to give a CHP (Can He Play) rating, I would say he can play.  I think he struggled with the initial call up.  Don't be surprised if he doesn't perform worlds better in his next call up.

 

McCutchen To Pittsburgh:

In one of Huntington's press meetings, he made a statement McCutchen will "likely" be on the MLB roster sometime in 2009.

BTW Take:

I am anxious to see what he can do.

 

The BIG News:

The Pirates are in discussions to sign extensions with Maholm, McLouth and Doumit.

BTW Take:

McLouth and Maholm make sense.  Doumit scares me with his injury history.  Last season he stayed mostly healthy, but I'd like to see him do it again before dropping a long term deal on him.

Jack Of All Trades

Well, it looks like I may be eating crow when it comes to my prediction Jack Wilson starts the season at short for the Pirates.

Here is a list of links on the topic:

Post-Gazette

Detroit Free Press

AP

Tribune Review

From the above stories, and many more links that are available throughout the web, Jack Wilson is a hot commodity.  The Dodgers and Tigers are the frontline rumors.  As many as 6 teams are at least inquiring about Wilson.

It doesn't look good for JW to be a Buc come spring.

The good news here is this could turn into a bidding war.  The Pirates have $10-15M to spend over the winter if the player is right.  That same money could be used to pay up the trade to get a higher notch of prospect in return.

Why do I mention what the Pirates can spend?  It could easily become part of the trade.  In order for the Pirates to get more in return, they will need to pick up a good portion of Wilson's salary.  The more they pick up, the better the return will be.

I still believe his value could be much higher closer to the trade deadline.  Coming off a season where he was injured for the better part of the year does not add up to a sell high scenario.

With Renteria signing with San Francisco, the short stop market just thinned a bit.  The remaining good gloves on the FA list are not known for their bats.

The best part of a bidding war, the Pirates may have to pick up less salary for an equivalent talent return.

From my hometown sources, I hear nothing imminent will happen unless Huntington gets his socks knocked off in a deal.  Likely, the deal won't happen until the winter meetings start but more likely after they conclude.

The one piece of information I did receive was another team has become a major player in the potential trade.  The only thing lacking is which team.

Speculation could be Toronto, known to have at least had passing interest in recent history.  But I don't see that trade happening.  My vision is to the west. 

One of the teams I could see interested is Seattle if they can move Beltre.

LA Dodgers have been rumored already.

The Angels could also be enquiring.

But the team that I see being that potential third team is San Diego.  They just moved Greene to St. Louis.  Their heir apparent is likely a year away.  And Wilson would fit a one year fill in quite well with his 2010 option or $600k buyout.

Just speculation, but San Diego seems to fit the bill quite well for the third suitor.

Oh, one other note on the potential trade.  It has been said in many article the Pirates do not have a replacement for Wilson.  Don't forget about Brian Bixler.  While he struggled at the plate and in the field initially, he started playing with more confidence as the season wound down. 

Don't rule out Bixler, he got a taste of the Show, now he may need to take on a full helping and not settle for a taste.

Another potential option is Andy LaRoche.  Walker could handle third and LaRoche slide into the shortstop role.

Wouldn't you rather see Bixler?  I know I would considering the butchering of third Andy LaRoche accomplished last year short could become a catastrophe.

Additional Roster Moves and Thanks

To clear room on the 25 man roster the Pirates:

Optioned shortstop Brian Bixler to Class AAA Indianapolis

Designated for assignment reliever Franquelis Osoria.

 

To clear space on the 40 man roster the Pirates:

Center fielder Chris Duffy was designated for assignment.

 

BTW Take:

Bye Bye Franquie!

 

Thanks:

To those who fed me rumors allowing BTW to have a couple scoops over the last couple days.  Thanks to yinz, we had the breaking story on the 3-way deal with the Marlin and the Dodgers nearly an hour before the media had the rumors.  Great job and thanks.

John, you owe me...You know who you are and what I am talking about.

A few others out there should email me and admit where you found your scoops, I have the network logs.

 

Thanks Again:

Eric, just wanted to thank you one more time for steering the BTW Deadline Day Live Blog while I was in meetings.  It is greatly appreciated.

Game 107, Great Nate Debate, Promotions, Links and DL.

Vitals:

COLORADO ROCKIES (48-59)	LHP GLENDON RUSCH (4-3, 5.74 ERA)
PITTSBURGH PIRATES (49-57)	RHP YOSLAN HERRERA (1-1, 9.75 ERA)
Game Time	7:05 EDT
XM	XM 185
TV	FSN

Promotions: 

• Brian Bixler recalled from Indy and will be available tonight.
• Jason Delaney was promoted to AAA Indianapolis.
• Jamie Romak and Jim Negrych were promoted to Altoona.
• Matt Miller retired.

Great Nate Debate:

Some interesting notes on Nate McLouth:

• he leads all National League center fielders with 22 home runs and 72 RBI
• leads N.L. with 34 doubles, ranks fifth in total bases & second with 59 extra-base hits (Ryan Braun has 61).
• he leads all N.L. center fielders in fielding percentage
• he has yet to make an error in 254 total chances
• is six home runs shy of the club record for most home runs hit by a center fielder held by Brian Giles (28 in 1999)
• only two other Pirates have homered more times in one season while playing center field - Frank Thomas (25 in 1953) and Andy Van Slyke (25 in 1988)
• ranks third among National League leaders with 80 runs scored
• scored 20 runs in his last 19 games and is on pace to score 122 this season (Jason Bay led team with 78 runs in 2007).
• is the only player to hit one in the river this season, having done so on Monday.

Any questions on wether he deserved a shot at being an everyday center fielder?

Disabled List:

• Right-handed pitcher Matt Capps (bursitis in right shoulder) 15-day disabled list.
• Left-handed pitcher Phil Dumatrait (bursitis in left shoulder) 15-day disabled list.
• First baseman Adam LaRoche (right intercostal strain) 15-day disabled list.

Links:

The latest Pittsburgh Pirates Round Table is up on MVN.

 

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