Again?

BTW is back, and I am p!ssed!

72-12

0-7

Every Pirates fan knows these numbers from the last week.  Seven loses averaged out at a 6:1 run differential.  What an embarrassment.

What is more embarrassing than 18 straight losing seasons?  How about the last week of baseball?  Or maybe a starter who carries an ERA over 16 getting a vote of confidence that he will not lose his spot in the rotation?

Huntington needs to do something.  And he needs to do it soon.

Russell should be on a short leash, his days as Pirates manager are likely numbered.  Russell is a prime candidate for scapegoat.

Dave Kerwin/Joe Kerrigan is another prime candidate as a scapegoat.  The pitching staff is a complete joke.

Neither of those moves will fix what is happening.  But those are the types of moves that are all too common in baseball today.

Russell sounds like his hands are tied when it comes to Charlie Morton.  Morton is nasty for a trip through the lineup.  Then he is canon fodder.  Hmmm?  A pitcher who is nasty for one trip through the lineup?  That sounds to me like a prime target for the bullpen, that is severely taxed after the last week.

But it won’t happen, at least not in April.  The battle cry of every team struggling in the early season, “It is only April, not the right time to panic.”

Still, a starter with a 16.20 ERA is ridiculous.  No matter what month it is.  If Russell doesn’t have the power to move Morton to the bullpen, where he may be able to gain some confidence back, then Russell is nothing more than a figurehead.  This is not the sign of a manager who should expect an extension at the end of the season.

What can Huntington do?

The pitching has stunk.  The hitting has stunk, especially with runners in scoring position.  They get on base, but no one can drive them in.  Look at how many times in the last week the Pirates have had the bases loaded and left the inning empty handed.

Having a 6 hole hitter struggling to sniff the Mendoza line doesn’t help.  It kind of has the feel of Adam LaRoche in his time in Pittsburgh, at least until June came around. I know the team has high hopes for Clement, but his rope should be shorter than that leashed to Russell.  Clement has looked horrid at the plate occasionally showing outfield grass power. 

If I was the opposing team, I would not give Jones and Doumit anything to hit, knowing they will chase with the team struggling so badly.  The worst case scenario?  You walk both to get to Clement.

If Huntington and crew don’t want a mass rebellion against the team and ownership, larger that what is already brewing, he needs to fix what he can with what is available.

Bring up one of the young promising talents from Indianapolis to appease the fans?  It doesn’t matter who, just show us some signs of the future? 

Lincoln?  Fine, even though he really needs a little more seasoning.

Tabata? Better, move Jones to first.  He still isn’t ready, but he is the closest to it.

Alvarez?  Still good, but he still needs improvements against lefties.

Appeasing fans is the quickest way to move any GM to the top of the scapegoat list.

Save those players the embarrassment.  For now.  They will have plenty of time to spend in Pittsburgh to earn themselves either shame or a huge free agency paycheck 6 years later.

A roster move doesn’t even need to occur to fix some of the offense.  Church goes to right and Jones moves to first.  End the Clement experiment.

Move Morton to the pen and let him work on things there.  If he can lower his ERA to something that starts with a single digit, slide him back into the rotation.  Who starts?  I don’t care, start a reliever.  Any of the relievers on the team could go 3 innings.  Just make it a bullpen day at the park.  Carrasco has started in the past.  Give him a shot.

All I want is the best team on the field.  Neither Clement nor Morton should be on the starting lineup card anytime in the near future.  Huntington needs to allow Russell to try to manage the team and win games, not just be a scapegoat.  There are plenty of scapegoats available.  Let’s spread the wealth.

 

Update 12:36 a.m.:  Jeff Karstens has been recalled from Indy.  Raynor has been DFAed.

 

While I was out

Jakubauskas getting hit in the head Saturday was the most disturbing injury I have seen since Jason Kendall broke his ankle running to first.  I didn’t see the video until today, and I still can’t believe he walked to the cart.  My prayers are still going out to him.

 

BTW News

My family member is recovering nicely from a heart attack.  I will likely still be distracted for some time with this, but we are trying to get back to life as normal as possible in the meantime.

Game Day Threads should start up again soon.  Hopefully they will be part of an expanded setup that includes pregame notes, similar to past seasons.

I’m Torn

I was planning a different post, until Dejan Kovacevic broke the story.

I didn’t have a chance to post anything on the Lemieux/Burkle bid to buy the Pirates due to a rather crazy weekend.  Regardless, after thinking this over.  I am torn.

On one side, I think Lemieux/Burkle would attack the ownership in a way they know is proven to work.  Keep the right players at any cost and fill the roster with complimentary players that would keep the team competitive.  Spend at an appropriate amount and raise the payroll to bring in the players that would put people in the stands.  Players that would have a winning team on the ice, or diamond in this scenario.   All this while focusing on the minor leagues so there is a steady flow of talent coming in.

If they purchased the team 4 months ago when the meeting took place, Dotel and Akimura would not be the big acquisitions.  Likely the Pirates would have been rumored at the higher end free agents considering the Pirates have at least $10 M under their current self inflicted salary cap, there likely would have been at least another $10M to spend. 

That $20M could add a lot of free agent talent to a good solid young foundation that is in place right now.  I could see the Pirates adding a top of the rotation starter and a shortstop while still having cash to land a few other players to make the team more than an afterthought and possibly breaking the streak.

They would also put their own stamp on the team, as in replacing Huntington, Coonelly and anyone else in the management levels they saw fit. 

Here is where I am torn.  I like the direction the Pirates are taking.  I like what Huntington has done with a limited budget.  I like the way he has rebuilt a barren farm system.  I want to see where this team goes.

Mostly, I don’t want to see the management team change just to see where they can take us.  I’d like to see where the Pirates are in a couple years.  But on the other hand, it would be nice to hear the Pirates mentioned in the same breath as some of the upper echelon free agents from time to time.

Slide thought:

Don’t get me wrong, I really think, for the $10M they have sitting around collecting interest,  they could have added a few other players this offseason that could have added another 10 wins to a team that looks to be around 70 wins.  If they were closing in on 80 wins, with the youth on this team, anything could happen.  Adding 10 wins to a young team could multiply into 20 wins just based on confidence levels rising to the point they don’t believe they can win, they expect to.  But that is a whole different post for a different day.

Now for the Truth

Bob Nutting is a smart business man.  He isn’t going to come out and say he is looking to sell the team.  Especially right now when the Pirates are on the verge of bringing up talent from the minors in Alvarez and Tabata that will cause a stir in Pittsburgh and likely create a growth in ticket sales.  Which in turn will also increase the value of the team.  Now would be the worst time to sell the team.

Comments along the lines of, “… what I can confirm for you, at that time, today, tomorrow, next week, the Pirates are not for sale. Bob Nutting is committed to making the Pirates a winner again."  from Frank Coonelly.  Those comments are spot on.  Nutting would be a fool to sell now with the Pirates on the verge of causing enough of a stir in Pittsburgh that ticket sales will increase.  He knows he can get more for the team when they are winning again and the fans are coming out to the park at levels not seen since PNC opened.

The Nutting family has endured the wrath of the last 17 years, which the rightly deserve.  Why would they bail now, when their investment could reach an all time peak in value?

Comments along the lines of, “… what I can confirm for you, at that time, today, tomorrow, next week, the Pirates are not for sale. Bob Nutting is committed to making the Pirates a winner again."  from Frank Coonelly can also give fans hope.  He didn’t rule out next month.

I doubt this story will go away any time soon, especially when the Pirates start struggling in 2010.  I fully expect chants of “Mario” at PNC throughout good portions of 2010.

 

Quick Note:

Something I did hear over the weekend, the offer was believed to have been in excess of $325M.  Forbes had the teams value listed at $288M in 2009.  Obviously there is no way to confirm this unless I hear directly from Mr. Lemieux or Mr. Burkle themselves.  Mr. Nutting was quoted to say there was no formal offer.

Busy Day For The Pirates

Keeping Up With The Jones’

The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed Brandon Jones off waivers from the Atlanta Braves.  Brandon Jones was DFA’ed when the Braves signed Eric Hinske.  A scouting report on Brandon Jones can be found here, and stats can be found here.

BTW Take:

Jones was dropped repeatedly by the Braves in the depth chart regardless of his readiness due to experienced players being brought into the organization.  He is an athletic and highly touted player much in the mold of many of the outfielders Huntington has acquired in his tenure.  His defense is above average and he is said to have an above average arm in the outfield.  His bat is said to be MLB ready.

While there was speculation a trade was imminent another roster move was made…

 

Steven Jackson DFA’ed

In a less than expected move, but not quite shocking, Steven Jackson was DFA’ed to make room for Jones on the 40 man roster.

BTW Take:

With the number of relievers, quality relievers at that, still available via free agency, moving Jackson off the 40 man roster should not be a surprise.  While Jackson will likely garner some attention, he has a good chance of clearing waivers when similar pitchers are still available and willing to agree to a minor league contract that does not tie up a 40 man roster slot.

When pitchers like Brian Bass and D.J. Carrasco sign minor league deals, the odds another team would take Jackson on a waiver claim seems much slimmer to me.

It is a gamble, but I would call it a calculated risk that Huntington is taking.

 

No Arbitration Hearing For Duke

The Pirates and Zach Duke avoided arbitration by agreeing to a 1 year contract valued at $4.3 M.

BTW Take:

No surprise on a 1 year deal as is customary when dealing with arbitration.  Duke was in his 2nd year of arbitration with one more remaining after this coming season. 

 

What Does This All Mean?  And Thanks For All The Fish.

I believe Jeff Clement will not be on the Opening Day roster with Pittsburgh.  It seems the recent moves point towards the Pirates wanting Clement to get a little more time playing first base in AAA before he takes the field for the Pirates at the MLB level.

With the number of outfielders on the roster, Garrett Jones can resume play at his natural position of first base.  The athleticism in the outfield with the additions of Ryan Church, Brandon Jones and rule 5 pick John Raynor.  Add those names with Young and Moss, and there isn’t much room on the 25 man roster for Clement, Garrett Jones and Steve Pearce.

It has been an interesting offseason so far, but I feel there is yet more to come after the Dotel signing is finalized.

Would the Pirates be daring enough, bold enough, even crazy enough to make a free agent signing that could spur them into the discussion for one of the most improved teams of the offseason?  Would the Pirates be willing to sign an ace?  Yes I am talking about Ben Sheets. 

Why would he sign with the Pirates and why would they try to sign him?

For Sheets:

First, the Pirates can guarantee Sheets has the chance to be on a contending team by years end.  If/when the Pirates are out of it come the trade deadline, they can move him to a contender.

Second, Sheets would have the opportunity to prove he is still ace quality and earn a large payday after the season while pitching in a less stressful environment for most of the season.  Think of it as a minor league rehab assignment while collecting a MLB paycheck and pitching against MLB hitters.

Third, if he led a staff that ended the longest losing season streak in pro sports history, he would automatically be enshrined in the Pirates Hall of Fame and become a legend in the city of Pittsburgh.

Forth, the opportunity to work with the legendary Dave Kerwin and stick it to the Brewers.

For the Pirates:

First, Sheets would provide a true ace on the staff and set up a very nice rotation of Sheets, Maholm, Ohlendorf and Duke. 

Second, it would add a player who could be traded at the deadline for a bounty of prospects or be kept and land a first round pick as a type A free agent.

Third, a signing of Sheets would raise the Pirates payroll and keep the dogs of the union and the commissioners office off the trail of not spending revenue sharing.  The Pirates do have a sizeable amount of cash still available under their self imposed salary cap they could use to lure Sheets to Pittsburgh.

Forth, it would give the fans a sense the Pirates want to win.

Will it happen, no.  Should it happen?  I believe yes.  It is a gamble considering his history of injury problems, but Huntington seems to be a gambling man based on his history of acquisitions.

 

Update: I forgot one Item

KDKA-FM as reported by the Post-Gazette.

What Is Next?

With the trade for Akinori Iwamura out of the way, second base seems to be set for 2010.  This trade is so far to the polar opposite of what Huntington has done so far in his tenure, it leads to a few questions…

1) What move is next?

Knowing that Alvarez is not far away.  There are still questions about 1B, RF and SS.  Garret Jones will likely fill either RF or 1B.  Jeff Clement is sitting on the Indy roster waiting for a chance at 1B.   Steve Pearce has relegated himself to bench duty or more seasoning in AAA with his offensive (in more ways than one) showing at the end of 2009.  Brandon Moss has proven to be a 4th outfielder on a bad team, canon fodder on a good team.  Where does Huntington look?

A name that stuck out to me as being “bought out” is Jermaine Dye.  I know I have been hyping him as a target for years now, but at 35 he is an excellent bridge to Jose Tabata’s reign in right for the Pirates.  Dye would fill a nice power hole in the middle of the order and bring some pretty decent defense in right to PNC.  A potential lineup that starts with McCutchen and Iwamura that leads to a combination of Jones, Dye, Alvarez, Doumit and Milledge…  That lineup has the feel of one that could carry a light hitting short stop without problem.

You can replace Dye in RF with Clement at 1B and still have an intriguing lineup, but Jones at first is a more natural position for him.  Remember also, Jones is unproven, he had one half of a great season.  Adding the proven Dye in RF give the Pirates a backup at 1B in Clement.  It also gives Tabata at least one more season of seasoning in AAA.

Is it possible this team is a big bat away from respectability?

2) Have the Pirates turned the corner from rebuilding to building?

Iwamura is a nice complimentary player that rounds out a good team.  What he means to the Pirates is yet to be determined by the rest of the off season moves.  This should be a fun offseason to see what lies in the future for the Pirates and their fans.

What does the blueprint hold for the next moves by the Pirates?

3) Who will be Iwmura’s DP partner?

Will it be Cedeno?  A returning Wilson?  Someone as yet undetermined.  Time will tell, but I don’t think Cedeno has a lock on the position.

 

I’m looking forward to some comments on these questions, as I really haven’t answered any of them.

 

Also, in the next day or so, I will be posting my offseason plans for BTW.  Rest assure, The Winds are blowing again.

 

BTW, I hate the Yankee$.

Adam LaRoche Traded For Two Minor Leaguers

The Pittsburgh Pirates traded first baseman Adam LaRoche for minor league SS Argenis Diaz and minor league pitcher Hunter Strickland.  Diaz was rated 29th and Strickland 38th best prospects in the Red Sox system according to http://www.soxprospects.com/.

Diaz 22, SS:

Scouting Report: Diaz is an elite defensive shortstop, and if he improves his concentration on routine plays, he could compete for a gold glove in the bigs right now.  He has plus range, excellent footing, an impressive glove, and an outstanding  arm.  Makes impossible plays in the field.  However, he does make a lot of errors on off-the-mark long throws off of grounders that he has no business getting to in the first place.  He also really struggles with routine plays on occasion, almost as if he has a mental block.  That is a definite area in need of improvement. The other key for Diaz is how much he will hit. He's a slap hitter with below average to average on base ability and without much power, but he's swung the bat very well during a few prolonged stints here and there. Good bat speed through the zone.  Struggles with advanced off-speed stuff.  Can show lack of plate discipline in stretches. Hits lefties significantly better than righties.  Excellent at laying down bunts. Won't steal a lot of bases. 

 

Strickland 20, RHP:

Scouting Report: Tall righty with projectable frame. Fastball sits about 88-91 mph, topping out around 93.  Fastball is a little flat, but shows some good movement when he takes something off of it.  Strickland has a slow, easy delivery without much explosion at the moment. Good balance. Also works in a 79-82 mph slurve along with a change that sits at 83-85 mph. Changeup could stand to have some more separation from his fastball, look for that to be an area of improvement in 2009.Repeats delivery well, needs to work on his release point to improve his command. His father played in the Tigers organization.

 

Scouting reports are from Sox Prospects.

 

Diaz is planned to head to Indianapolis while Strickland is expected in West Virginia.

 

BTW Take:

The Pirates essentially got a 22 year old Jack Wilson and a right handed pitcher that seems to fit Huntington’s profile for pitchers: Tall and Projectable.  The key with Diaz, Wilson just became a little more expendable.  Expect Diaz to see some time in Pittsburgh if/when Jack Wilson is traded.

 

More later…

 

More:

2:28 - Steve Pearce was pulled from DH duties in Indianapolis’ game today.  Lastings  Milledge did not play in the game either.  Both may be recalled with Jeff Salazar returned to Indianapolis.  Huntington all but confirmed Pearce is being recalled and that Pearce has made some “significant” adjustments.

 

More BTW Take:

Considering LaRoche’s contract and pending free agency, add the fact the Pirates received two prospects in return, the deal seems to be a pretty even swap.

 

MOSS JUST GOES YARD TO TAKE THE SERIES!!!!!!….Wish this was October.

 

Some quotes from Huntington on the trade:

"Diaz is an intriguing shortstop prospect who projects to play above-average defense with soft hands, good first step quickness and an above average throwing arm," said Pirates GM Neal Huntington. "He is developing on the offensive side of the baseball, but Argenis quickly becomes the best defensive shortstop prospect in our system."

"Strickland is a young developing right-handed starting pitching prospect with a good frame, solid delivery, clean arm action and an interesting pitch arsenal," said Huntington. "He is a quality strike thrower with a fastball that has averaged as high as 93 miles per hour, with the potential for a Major League caliber breaking ball and changeup to complement his fastball."

 

BA had Diaz rated the Best Defensive Infielder in Boston’s system.

 

More Huntington Comments:

3:59 On MLB Home Plate Huntington flat out said the Pirates will not pick up the options on Wilson nor Sanchez.

McLouth Now A Brave

Like I said in my last post, if something major happens during my hiatus I will post on it.  What happened was one of the last things I expected to be posting on.  Nate McLouth has been traded to the Braves for three prospects.

The three prospects the Pirates have received in return are:

LHP Jeffrey Locke 21 A – Locke is a 6’2” lefty who was ranked number 7 by Baseball America in the Braves system.  Locke projects as a middle of the rotation pitcher with top of the rotation potential.  John Sickels had him rated as a B- player prior to 2009.

RHP Charlie Morton 25 AAA – Morton is a 6’4” righty.  The only info I can give, he was projected as the braves number 5 starter for 2012 by Baseball America.  He seems to project as a back of the rotation guy.  He has looked good in AAA this season going 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA.  He does have 16 games of MLB experience last year with the Braves.

OF Gorkys Hernandez 21 AA – Hernandez may be the most intriguing of the 3 players, in my eyes.  He was ranked number 4 in the Braves organization by Baseball America.  He is a right handed batter with speed and was ranked as a B- by Sickels.  He has yet to show the power he is expected to grow in to.  His defense is above average and could provide the Pirates a deadly outfield with McCutchen and Tabata also in the fold.

 

BTW Take:

My initial thought was, “WHAT?!” when I heard the news.  Then after I started digging, my impression did not change.

After spending some time looking at the deal, Huntington did what we have been waiting 16 years for a Pirates GM to do.  Sell high.  He has done that 3 times since last July with Nady and Bay being the other two deals.  In less than one year, Huntington has remolded the entire Pirates top 20 prospect list.  He is sticking to his plan and making the tough moves. 

Only time will tell if these were the right moves, but they haven’t looked bad so far.

Ironically the player who made this deal possible wasn’t even part of the trade.  Nyjer Morgan is the player who made this deal possible.  Morgan’s defense, as reported by Dejan in Wednesdays Notebook, is rated as a major defensive asset.  His number one rating in Ultimate Zone Rating among all MLB players helped make this deal possible.  The fact that he has been an offensive game changer has only helped his standing with the Pirates.  So far, I have been dead wrong on Morgan.

McCutchen is on his way to Pittsburgh for his MLB debut.  With McCutchen, Morgan and Moss (another highly ranked UZR) the Pirates could have one of the best defensive outfields around.  The Pirates as a team are ranked 3rd in MLB in UZR, McLouth was rated at a –1.00, and McCutchen should provide better performance than that. 

As with any defensive ratings, they are highly flawed.  There is no doubt in my mind McCutchen is a better defensive center fielder than McLouth.  My concern is if his bat is ready to make the jump.  Too often in Pirates history, highly touted prospects have failed to bring their bat to Pittsburgh with them. 

While this trade is not a popular trade, it is likely the right deal.  The Pirates get at least two players who will be in their top 10 prospect list and open a spot for their number one prospect to come up.  McLouth was traded while his value was still at a high point and the return was maybe more than valid for a one year starting outfielder.  This trade should also serve notice to players that they aren’t safe no matter the contract.  Ian Snell needs to take notice, Morton may be his replacement soon.

Just to be clear, I love Nate as a player, and his birthday should be a Holiday (same birthday as yours truly).  This deal, unlike Bay or Nady deals, will not show its true value for a few years to come.

 

BTW Slide Note:

I’ll likely be making some semi regular posts as I ramp back up to daily posts in the next couple weeks.

Random March Madness

Pitt was doing well enough in the tournament, I did not want to jinx them with my posting.  Call it my superstitious side, call it the baseball player in me reemerging.  Call it whatever you will, I had to step back from the keyboard for a couple days, and they won both.  The old rule, don't mess with a streak.

Unfortunately, I am back now.  On to the Madness...Random that is:

How's this for a 180:

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Jack Wilson have begun discussions for a contract extension.  Apparently Wilson has initiated the discussions.

BTW Take:

Did I miss something?  For the last few years Wilson has been making statements on how he would retire after his contract was up.  Now he is initiating discussions for an extension?  Personally, I would be a little annoyed with Wilson.  He has basically undermined trade discussions with his talk of retirement.  Now he wants to continue playing.  I can't blame the guy for wanting to stay in Pittsburgh, it is a great city to live in and I miss it dearly. 

Could there be more to it?

Might Wilson be looking at the team as actually being close in the next couple years?  Might he be showing faith in the direction Huntington is going?  Considering how well the rotation has done this spring.  Considering the stars of the Pirates future (McCutchen, Tabata, Alvarez) are very close.  Thinking Andy LaRoche is ready to show what he can do.  Might all those things add up to Wilson having faith in the direction?  Might he see an end to the humiliation, and end to the streak?

Maybe?  Or Jack is full of it and just wants another payday.  You decide.

 

WBC Should Be WBC:

I have an idea for the World Baseball Classic.  Change the name.  It should be the World Baseball Championship.  I want to see a true world champion determined.  No more of this country versus country crap.  Let's abbreviate it and take league champion versus league champion.  I want to see a true World Champion named.  MLB fans could cheer on their representative, Japanese League fans root for their representative.  I want to see who is the best of the best.  Make it a yearly event.  Make a true World Champion!

 

Rumor Update:

My last post was on a rumor of the Pirates hunting for someone for the rotation.  The next day the Ohman rumors started kicking up again.  Now they can be tied together.  If the Pirates can land Ohman, they will be trying to move Burnett to land a fifth starter off the waiver wire heap.  There are going to be quite a few casualties of the 25 man roster in coming days, the Pirates are scouring the wire for a target.

As a side note, I have heard Walkers name in some rumors surrounding the starting rotation, as trade bait not a position switch.

 

Wily Mo No Mo':

The Nationals released Wily Mo Pena.  Please Neal Huntington, look away from the shiny object like Wily Mo looks away from the ball on defense.

 

McCutchen, Tabata, Alvarez:

This spring, all three have shown they are nearly ready.  Look for Alvarez to finish the year in Indianapolis, he should fly through the system in quick order.  Tabata and McCutchen should be in Pittsburgh and soon. 

 

Left Field:

While Nyger Morgan is a fun and energetic guy, he does not belong on a MLB roster at this time.  It is a certainty that McCutchen will not be starting in left to start the season, more of a business of baseball thing than a baseball decision.  This leaves a few candidates for the starting job: Monroe, Salazar, Jones and Hinske.  A platoon may be in order for Monroe and Hinske.  But my money, if I were to bet, is still on Salazar.  Salazar can play better D than either Monroe or Hinske and is no slouch with the bat either.  Jones is the wildcard, I have liked what I have seen of him and he just seems to have that little something extra.  That something that it is hard to put a finger on.

 

Fifth Of Starter:

Ohlendorf has locked up the fourth starter sot in the rotation.  As mentioned earlier, the front office is not happy with the competition for the fifth starter spot and are looking to fill from outside the franchise. 

 

Jaramillo:

It was made official, Jaramillo was named backup to Doumit.  Diaz was sent to Indy.  I look at this more along the lines of wanting to get the better all around guy some more playing time.  Jaramillo is obviously better with a glove and arm, but Diaz has impressed with the bat.  If Doumit goes down for an extended period, look for Diaz to get called up and step into the starter role.

 

BTW:

It is great to be back writing again, I wish my superstition would have won Pitt the championship.  Anyhow, Jon with his beast of the east entry is leading a pitiful pack of prognosticators in the BTW Bracket Challenge.  It is not a pretty sight.

 

In my Sportsocrocy  Mock Celebrity Bracket, I still have a good chance of winning.  I need a win out of Michigan St and North Carolina today and it is nearly locked up.

Rumor

I am still working on details, but here is the latest rumor I have heard from multiple sources.  The Pirates are not satisfied with the starting rotation, as if that is a surprise.

What is surprising?

The Pirates may be close to acquiring a starting pitcher.  Details are fuzzy, but all the rumors surround Huntington and crew not wanting to break camp with Karstens as the fifth starter. 

According to sources, the Pirates have all but locked in on four starters: Maholm, Snell, Duke and Ohlendorf.  While the team is satisfied with what Ohlendorf has shown so far this spring, they are looking at him as a fifth starter solution. 

Huntington is pressing to land another starter before spring training is too far along to allow Russell and Kerrigan a chance to get a good read on the addition.

The possible acquisitions seem endless but the acquisition is not believed to be a free agent pitcher, unless the pitcher is waived or claimed in the coming days.

As I find out more, I will pass on any details.  Hopefully someone with closer sources on the team can verify the rumor.

 

Apologies:

I had a brain fart as I was writing this and spelled Joe Kerrigan's last name Kerrington.  Sorry Joe.  It is corrected now.

Andy LaRoche IS The Future Of The Pittsburgh Pirates.

When it pertains to 2009 performance, who would you say is the most important player on the Pirates current roster as it pertains to the future look of the team?

Quite possibly, that player is Andy LaRoche.

Depending on LaRoche’s progress and his ability to establish himself as the everyday third baseman for the Pirates many players could be affected as to their future with the team.

Let us take a look at how these players futures could change if Andy LaRoche does establish himself as a Major League third baseman:

Pedro Alvarez - With LaRoche established as the Pirates third baseman, the 2008 first round selection of the Pirates could be moved to first base.  Look for Alvarez to play some first base in A ball and more as he progresses through the system in 2009.  The more he plays first, the more likely Andy LaRoche has established himself as the Pirates third baseman of the present and future.

Adam LaRoche - Big brother Adam, regardless of his production in April and May, will likely be traded before the trade deadline.  If he does make it through to the end of 2009, he will become a free agent.  I look for Huntington to move him when his value is his highest, right after he starts heating up in June.

Neil Walker - Walker, who was moved from catcher to third, should expect to move to a corner outfield spot.  He is the most athletic of the Pirates third base prospects and started to show some of the power expected from him in 2008.  I'd expect Walker to move to right field, as he has a strong arm and right field is the easier position for 81 games a year playing at PNC Park.  Another possibility is second base.

Andrew McCutchen - Prior to McLouth establishing himself in center, McCutchen was looked at as the next Pirates center fielder.  After Bay was traded, McCutchen was looked at as the Pirates next left fielder.  With Walker likely tabbed for right field and Tabata likely slated for left field, McCutchen is once again the Pirates center fielder of the future.  He may arrive as a left fielder until...

Nate McLouth - With long term contract talks stalled, look for McLouth to be traded at the deadline, or in the offseason, if LaRoche has established himself at third.  McCutchen would then slide over from left field with Nyger Morgan moving back into left...

Jose Tabata - Morgan would likely man left field until Tabata was deemed ready for the jump.  Look for Tabata to be a call up, if he is ready, at the trade deadline.  Also, look for the McLouth trade to happen only when Tabata is ready.

Brandon Moss - Moss, acquired in the Bay trade, will man right field until Walker is ready and seasoned.  If Moss establishes himself as an everyday player, Walker gets relegated to super sub status or forces Walker to play second base.

Freddy Sanchez - Second is the only other position that Walker could potentially play.  Depending on Sanchez's health and if he regains his stroke that earned him a batting title, second may be a reach for the near term for Walker.  At the same time, Sanchez could be shopped on the open market.

Nyger Morgan - Nyger will be the filler player.  Until a player is ready, he will see significant playing time.  He will remain as the Pirates 5th outfielder for the foreseeable future.  His speed is what will keep him on the roster.  His bat and poor routes to the ball on defense is what will keep him as a reserve at best.

By my count, that is nine players whose fortunes could change if Andy LaRoche establishes himself as the everyday Pirates third baseman.  There are easily more scenarios that could plan out, but these are the most likely.  The performance of Morgan, Moss, Walker and Sanchez will determine their roles.  The timing of moves pertaining to McCutchen and Tabata depend on their development speed and when they are deemed ready.  Another factor is how well Walker can adjust to yet another position, but he would still be making that move if Alvarez is kept as a third baseman.

Andy LaRoche, in 2009, is the key to the look of the future of the Pittsburgh Pirates, at least in my eyes.  At the least, the view of six positions could change if Andy LaRoche is the real deal.

 

If Andy Fails:

If Andy LaRoche struggles and fails, the scenarios all change.

Pedro Alvarez – Still would be considered the Pirates third baseman of the future, Walker is the only one stopping him from claiming the position.

Adam LaRoche – The Pirates could look to sign a long term deal to keep Adam in the black and gold.  If it does not work out, there is always …

Neil Walker – Could still be viewed as a potential candidate for third or first.  His position switch could add yet another position being first base.  You could effectively take outfield off the list since the outfield would already be four deep.  Super-sub could once again be his destination depending on Adam LaRoche.

Steve Pearce – Yet another name thrown in the mix, he plays first and right.  He could be the first baseman of the future, if he can get his bat working at the MLB level.

Brandon Moss – Depending on his performance, he could keep the right field job without much in the line of competition  until Tabata is ready at which time he slides into the fourth outfielder role.

Nate McLouth – His trade scenario is significantly changed.  McLouth would own an outfield spot as long as he is on the roster.

Jose Tabata – Rather than looking for a job in left, right now becomes his destination and he is likely kept in AAA a little longer to better prepare himself.

Andrew McCutchen – His roll becomes a left fielder as long as McLouth is still on the roster.

Freddy Sanchez – Could still be shopped, but the need to find a position for Walker is subsided and forcing Walker to a job at second is minimized.

Nyger Morgan – When Tabat, McCutchen and McLouth are the starting outfielders and Moss is the fourth outfielder, Morgan has little value on the team and become trade bait or an organizational player.

 

If you ask Neal Huntington, he would prefer to have these issues as opposed to constantly looking for players to fill out the roster.  Problems that would be created by Andy LaRoche succeeding are the problems GM’s love to have. 

Here’s to hoping Andy LaRoche succeeds and gives Neal Huntington headaches of a good nature in 2009 and beyond.

 

Addition:

Something I thought of after I submitted the post.  Anyone trying to project a lineup beyond 2009 needs to look no further than their outlook for Andy LaRoche.  I hope I am not putting any additional pressure on Andy, so Andy please forgive me if I do.  I am hoping someday a site will be called “Where Have You Gone Andy LaRoche” because you have earned a place in Pirates lore.

Sorry Pat for snagging a naming idea.  I have also finally updated your link.

 

Discussion:

Over at The Buccos Forum we have a discussion going on this topic.

http://www.thebuccosforum.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1234117540

 

Donate:

I will be walking in the MDA Stride and Ride locally. Please sponsor me in my Stride and Ride Walk for MDA at https://www.joinmda.org/srcoralvilleia09/dharr18. Every dollar is appreciated.

Huntington Interview on Stern and Kennedy - Part 2

This is the second part if Neal Huntington’s interview on Stern and Kennedy. Stern and Kennedy can be heard on XM 175 (Sirius 210) MLB Home Plate. The interview was recorded Friday, January 30th.

The first part of the interview can be read here.

Stern:
Neal, you talk about the fans, obviously Kevin and I, and anyone who works in talk radio, we feel the pulse from the fans as well as anybody. And Pirate fans are certainly alive and well. Between that stadium and that city, a ton of passion and a lot of reasons to want to get excited and get behind the team. When you first came onboard and you started to feel the pulse of this city. How much of this is about wanting to bring a winner back to the city of Pittsburgh?

Huntington:
Well, it is why we do this. We do this to build a winner. To win championships. To work with great people. And to work towards that common goal of winning. As I got more familiar with the people of Pittsburgh, I knew from the outside looking in that it was a passionate sports town. But I had no idea. You look at Pitt basketball, the Steelers and Penguins. And there's three teams here in one city being very successful and the support for them each individually is tremendous. If we go back to a couple series over the course of the summer, we were playing well. The place was packed for the Yankees series. Which I know it is packed everywhere for the Yankees series. But you feel the electricity. We're playing relatively, unfortunately for us right now, meaningless games in September. And we spark a rally and we come from behind 4-2. And the people in the stands are cheering. And they are excited about the game.

So, the passion is still here. They want to win, and they tell me every single day that it is time for a winner. And that is what we work towards. That is why we wake up and we are definitely moving in that direction.

Kennedy:
What is the pulse of the fans...with what you have done this winter?

Huntington:
They have really liked that we have gotten Ryan Doumit and Paul Maholm signed to multi-year deals that put us in a position to build around them. We know what that is going to cost us. So now we can put pieces in place around them to make us a better and deeper organization.
Obviously we want the same thing with Nate McLouth. We are working hard, but we have three more years with Nate even if he chooses to leave via free agency at the end.
They are excited about the direction we are going in. They do understand, but at the same time they are frustrated. They don't feel we have done enough this offseason. They wanted us to go play in the big free agent market and to try and turn this thing around overnight.
Kevin, you know as well as I do, there is no miracle cure for a franchise that has been losing for a long time.

Kennedy:
Yes. Yes. Right.

Huntington:
We are building. We added up our level of talent. We do feel it can happen sooner than later. You look at what the Twins did last year. We have a ways to go talent wise. We do have some good talent here.
Joe Kerrington coming in to help our young pitchers. We think that will help make us better on the mound.
Perry Hill's going to make us better defensively.
Donnie Long, in his second year, is going to make us better.
We have some young players that are learning and developing. Our veteran players need to go out and do what they are capable of. They need to not be tough in April and May. We need to come out of the gates and we need to swing the bats and play the game well with our veterans. And the guys who broke out last year we need to keep moving and getting better.

BTW Take:

“Our veteran players need to go out and do what they are capable of. They need to not be tough in April and May.”

I think this sentence was a message to a certain first baseman.

Overall, there are quite a few comments I like, maybe none more than the one I have already mentioned. I think NH is calling out the players as well as putting the pressure on the coaching staff to turn this around. He wants to see actual improvements in the team, not the perceived improvements the last regime imagined.

Huntington’s comments stay consistent with the accountability stance ownership and management has been preaching. However, I fear they are putting too much faith in coaching to improve a recognized lack of talent.

I will work on getting more scribbled down and post it as I get it completed, it will likely be 4 parts. Check back tomorrow, hopefully I will have some more of the transcription completed. Unless I get a message from XM to cease and desist.

By no means do I claim this transcript is absolutely accurate. Anyone who has listened to a radio interview knows many sentences run together and the words “and” and “um” are often used.

There is a good discussion started over at The Buccos Forum. Here is a link:

http://www.thebuccosforum.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1233722408

Donate:

I will be walking in the MDA Stride and Ride locally. Please sponsor me in my Stride and Ride Walk for MDA at https://www.joinmda.org/srcoralvilleia09/dharr18. Every dollar is appreciated.

Huntington Interview On Stern and Kennedy

Here is the first couple of minutes transcribed, as well as I could, of Pittsburgh Pirates GM Neal Huntington’s interview on Stern and Kennedy on MLB Home Plate (XM 175).

Stern:
It has certainly been an active offseason across the board. And for you guys, it seems to be, in part, about making sure that you have some of your youth and that good talent you are building around stay on board. Including, most recently, a Maholm deal for three extra years.

Huntington:
There's no question, as you approach it from a mid-market club standpoint, you are trying to accomplish a couple things. One you are trying to get some cost certainty going forward. But, in order to do that, you need to sign the right guys you feel strongly about them going forward. Not that they are going to be at the top of the market necessarily, but they are going to earn the dollars you put in front of them.

Hopefully, you are going to save some money because, maybe they outperform that contract and, as a player, if they outperform that contract, they have huge money waiting for them in free agency and you try and get a year or two, or ideally more, of free agency so you try to hedge your bets. You try and find the right players that project to be productive for you going forward.

Kennedy:
Neal, you have been on the job for, what, about a year and a half now. Tell us, is it everything you thought it would be or cracked up to be. I know you have been around a lot of great GM's and learned a lot. But now you are the guy. How has the job overall been?

Huntington:
You know Kevin, it has been great. It is very different, in a lot of ways, than I anticipated. I did learn very quickly that it is easier to give advice and help make decisions than take advice and actually make those decisions.

But that is the fun part of the job. We work with some great people here. We are going to have market appropriate resources which is all we can ask for. We feel like we have done some good things with the organization. We have added some quality depth at the lower levels. The tough trades we made last summer brought some depth in at the upper levels. Behind the scenes, we have made huge strides. Obviously on the field is where it needs to play out for our fans. And they are passionate, and that is a good thing for us.

BTW Take:

I found it interesting that Huntington referred to the Pirates as “mid-market” in the first question. It is nice to see that the front office is not suffering from “market envy”. The first response really gives insight to how Huntington is approaching the talent that is on the team.

My favorite quote is in the second response. “I did learn very quickly that it is easier to give advice and help make decisions than take advice and actually make those decisions.”

Huntington mentions “market appropriate resources”. Now, being “mid-market” I am assuming, based on expected payroll, he is talking about funds going towards the draft and Latin American signings.

As a spoiler, Huntington did note, later in the interview, that ownership approved $11M for the draft last year and they have approved a similar amount for the upcoming draft. That statement points to Scheppers not being signed as having more to do with his overall condition than deciding to sign above slot players later in the draft.

That statement also points to the fact the Pirates are finally going to draft the best player available, not the most sign able. This is the biggest step in fixing this team. Signing the talent they should have been signing for the last decade and a half.

I will work on getting more scribbled down and post it as I get it completed. Check back tomorrow, hopefully I will have some more of the transcription completed. Unless I get a message from XM to cease and desist.

By no means do I claim this transcript is absolutely accurate. Anyone who has listened to a radio interview knows many sentences run together and the words “and” and “um” are often used. For this reason, I admire Dejan Kovacevic and any reporter who has to transcribe even small portions of an interview. Especially anyone who has ever interviewed George Bush.

For fun, one day, I recommend you try recording an interview and attempt to write down word by word what the interviewee is saying. If you can make it more than 5 minutes without pulling your hair out. Congratulations.

There is a good discussion started over at The Buccos Forum. Here is a link:

http://www.thebuccosforum.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1233722408

Donate:

I will be walking in the MDA Stride and Ride locally. Please sponsor me in my Stride and Ride Walk for MDA at https://www.joinmda.org/srcoralvilleia09/dharr18. Every dollar is appreciated.

Maholm, Hinske and Beam. Oh My!

 

Maholm:

Maholm signed his 3 year deal, with a 4th year club option, totaling $14.5M in guaranteed money.  The breakout is as follows:

$3.5M 2009 ($1.5M of which is a signing bonus)

$4.5M 2010

$5.75M 2011

$9.75M 2012 club option, escalators could raise the option to 11.05M

A buyout for the option of  $750K.

If the option is exercised, the minimum value of the contact is $23.5M.

BTW Take:

This is another good move by the front office to lock up their perceived core of talent.  Some may point to the fact the Pirates will be losing players after 2011 in addition to having a high turnover each year after that. 

Looking at other teams and sports, this is the way of life in professional sports.  One merely needs to compare the rosters of the Boston Red Sox between their two championship years to see more than half the roster changed between championships. 

The key is to have players ready to step in or be willing to spend on free agents to fill the holes left behind. 

This concept isn’t exclusive to only baseball.  The Steelers have 20 players returning from their Super Bowl XL roster to play this year in Super Bowl XLIII.  That is more than half of the XL team gone in three seasons. 

The key is to replace those players and continue to improve.  With baseball, they have the farm system to fall back on.  Building a good pipeline will help this team remain competitive if they can get to that level to begin with.  

 

Hinske:

Hinske signed a deal worth $1.5M with another $1M in bonuses based on plate appearances.  T.J. Beam was designated for assignment.  If Beam clears waivers, he will be assigned to Indianapolis. 

BTW Take:

Beam will likely be claimed off waivers.  Hinske will be adding depth in the event one of the many young players on the team are injured (Moss) or struggle (Andy LaRoche and Nyger Morgan) or traded (Adam LaRoche).

 

Link:

Here is a link to a very entertaining article on the next Pirate uniform suggestions at our friends front office at We Should Be GM’s:

http://pabaseball.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-pirates-uniforms-to-be-proud-of.html

 

Tomorrow:

Neal Huntington was on MLB Live at MLB Home Plate XM 175.  I will try and get a transcript of the interview up tomorrow.  He had some interesting comments that I want to pass on to my friendly readers.

 

Donate:

I will be walking in the MDA Stride and Ride locally. Please sponsor me in my Stride and Ride Walk for MDA at https://www.joinmda.org/srcoralvilleia09/dharr18.  Every dollar is appreciated.

Free Agents Conclusion

This isn’t the conclusion I was hoping to write, but it looks like the Pirates are close to signing someone.  To recap, Huntington is looking for a versatile right handed bat.  I guess that makes the next sentences all the more wrong.

The Pirates are in contract discussions with left handed hitting Eric Hinske.  Hinske is a corner outfielder/infielder. 

The Pirates have also been in touch with Juan Gonzalez.  Gonzalez is limited to outfield duty and likely would be better suited to play in the AL this season, for no other reason than his age of 41. 

Meanwhile another left handed bat has changed his outlook on free agency.

Bobby Abreu has lowered his asking price to 3 years and $30M.  Abreu, 34, is a 20+ HR guy who can play any position in the outfield.  He is also a player who will have trade value at the deadline.  If the Pirates were willing to go a little over budget, they could have a player to flip for prospects at the deadline.  This type of signing would show the fans ownership is willing to fork out some cash and can bring back more prospects later in the season.

Dejan Kovacevic tallied the Pirates payroll to be near $47.9M if the Pirates win both arbitration cases.  If they lose both cases, the total would be 50.1M.  This would allow the Pirates $4.9M-$7.1M to spend on free agency if they hard capped at $55M.  A deal for Abreu might be had at 3 years $24M with incentives to reach $10M a season.  The market is prime for a market the size of Pittsburgh to add talent on the cheap.  Considering what is being paid to Adam LaRoche, this deal would be a bargain.  After the season and LaRoche is off the books, Abreu would eat up what is freed by LaRoche.

If nothing else, it would appease fans that are begging for a real free agent signing while proving ownership isn’t in this for the pocket lining. 

Signing the next free agent would also appease fans and fit the description of what is being looked for.

Doug Mientkiewicz is still not mentioned, even though he has proved his versatility to the team.  Oh, by the way, he bats right handed.

Some other names to watch for, in some instances again:

Juan Uribe, 28 – Right handed hitting infielder.  He could fill in the shoes Jack Wilson will leave behind if traded.

Ty Wiggington, 30 – Right handed hitter who can play LF, RF, 1B, 2B, 3B.

Brad Wilkerson, 31 – Left handed hitting OF, 1B.  Injuries are always a concern for him.  Has not played in over 140 games since 2005.

One other free agent that will likely be rumored but would not sign with Pittsburgh is Tony Garciaparra.  Also known as Nomar.  If you live in Boston, it is Nomah.

I maintain the best fit for what the Pirates are looking for is Doug Mientkiewicz.  I don’t understand what is going on with the front office when they proclaim they are looking for a versatile, right handed bat to come off the bench and have a player who wants to return that fits the mold to a tee.  Someone please explain.

 

From the pitching side, Pedro Martinez has been mentioned.  Look for a John Garland rumor to start in the next few days.

 

Donate:

I will be walking in the MDA Stride and Ride locally.  Please sponsor me in my Stride and Ride Walk for MDA at https://www.joinmda.org/srcoralvilleia09/dharr18, every dollar is appreciated.

Rumors on LaRoche, Free Agent Signing, Cuthbert, Boras Fingered and More

A couple rumors from XM MLB Radio (XM 175)

LaRoche:

According to MLB Radio: A rumored trade persists from the West Coast pertaining to an Adam LaRoche to the Giants deal.  Apparently San Francisco is willing to trade Jonathan Sanchez and first baseman Travis Ishikawa for the much scrutinized Pittsburgh Pirate first baseman.

BTW Take:

Sanchez is quite intriguing, but for my money Ishikawa is much more tantalizing to the baseball palette.  If this is an accurate rumor, being a rumor lends to the likelihood being minimal at best, this is a deal Huntington would likely jump at.  Considering the front office denied emphatically any deal was in the works with San Francisco, I highly doubt the is much meat behind the story.  Huntington does not like to divulge anything on deals he is working on, so the denial could still be a cover-up of actual talks.  That is the only reason I have spent any time on this. 

 

Free Agent:

According to MLB Radio: The Pirates are in discussions with free agent outfielder Luis Gonzalez.

BTW Take:

Mientkiewicz is a better fit for the team.  I do not see where a 41 year old outfielder should garner more than a minor league contract.  Gonzalez is outside the "rebuilding" project free agents the Pirates have signed recently like Monroe.  I am not sure I buy this rumor either, but Dejan's comments about a free agent signing coming soon and a name we all know makes me a little nervous this is more than a rumor. 

 

Cuthbert:

Apparently the Pirates are favored to sign a Nicaraguan Prospect League player by the name of Cheslor Cuthbert.  According to the blog post, he will be available to sign come July and is drawing attention from many teams.

http://cardinalsbestnews.blogspot.com/2009/01/updates-out-of-nicaragua.html

Another link from Cardinals Best News has some information on him:

http://cardinalsbestnews.blogspot.com/2008/12/aritcles-on-jem-argenal-cheslor.html

Here is a link to a Google translation of an article about his tryout:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://impreso.elnuevodiario.com.ni/2008/10/19/deportes/87649&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=5&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DCheslor%2BCuthbert%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3D77I

BTW Take:

I know nothing about this player but found it interesting nonetheless.  It looks like the legacy of Roberto Clemente is still paying dividends for the Pirates.  According to the articles, the kid can flat rake.  Big power, especially at a young age.

 

Mayor Retires:

Sean Casey has retired to take on a studio job.

BTW Take:

There are a ton of free agents retiring after seeing what the market has in store for them.  Good luck in the new gig Sean.

 

Boras Fingered:

Scott Boras and his agency have been fingered by Kirk Radomski as being part of the Kevin Brown portion of the Mitchell Report.

From ESPN.com:

Radomski's account says he sent HGH to Brown in the winter of 2003, and several days later discovered a wet overnight shipping package containing $8,000 in cash in the bushes by his house. Radomski says the FedEx account number and return address on the package were from the sports agency of Brown's California-based representative, Scott Boras.

Boras, reached by ESPN.com, says his agency had no connection to the alleged payment.

"The Federal Express package or anything like that, Kevin Brown was asked about it and denied it," Boras says. "The fact of the matter is we obviously give out our Federal Express numbers to a wide number of sources -- team officials, people, clients, that kind of thing -- because we obviously are sending out and mailing back and forth."

Radomski says government agents found FedEx labels from Brown in the raid of his Long Island home, but he was uncertain whether they were in possession of this particular label.

There is much more in the story.

BTW Take:

How sweet would it be to have Boras lose his license over this deal?

 

Delay:

One more days delay on wrapping up the free agency posts.  Once again work has got in the way of blogging.

 

Donate:

I will be walking in the MDA Stride and Ride locally.  Please sponsor me in my Stride and Ride Walk for MDA at https://www.joinmda.org/srcoralvilleia09/dharr18, every dollar is appreciated.

Monroe Invited, Doug In Limbo

Keyston State Monroe-ville

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Neal Huntington lived up to one promise today.  The Pirates have Craig Keyston Monroe coming to camp on a minor league contract.  They also have agreed to a minor league deal with Miguel Perez.

BTW Take:

This lands another catcher into the fold and give the Pirates an outfielder with some pop in his bat.  Monroe is a right handed bat to offset the left handed starting outfield currently in place.  Monroe has enough speed to cover left field in PNC, but his defense is a question to me.  He also has struggled with the bat since 2007.  This is a reclamation project on a 31 year old outfielder.  Hopefully Long can get his bat back in the game.

Perez is likely more minor league roster filler.

 

Doug in Limbo

The Pirates site has an article up on Neal Huntington's lack of communication with Doug Mientkiewicz.

BTW Take:

Doug should be a welcome addition back to the Pirates bench.  Huntington would be a fool not to give him a call just to let him know the Pirates plans.  Better yet, make an offer.  I think Doug would really like to stay in Pittsburgh.

Giles A Philly, More Market Proof

Giles:

Here is a story that kind of made me chuckle.

Marcus Giles has signed a minor league deal with Philadelphia.

BTW Take:

Why does it make me laugh?  I still remember a few years back, when Brian Giles was still a Pirate, Marcus making a comment about being in a better situation than his brother.  I'd bet Marcus would love a chance to be on a MLB roster right now, even the Pirates.

 

More Proof The Market Favors The Pirates:

Jason Giambi is on the verge of a deal that would pay him a minimum of $5.25M with the Oakland A's.

BTW Take:

Giambi, like many other free agents this off-season, will be taking a significant pay cut.  True, Giambi is an older player.  Even last season he would have made twice what he is agreeing to this off-season. 

Hopefully the Pirates take advantage of the market and sign some "tradeable" players that can be moved at the deadline for prospects.  The Pirates won't compete for the playoffs this season, nor next, nor next, etc.  With a few proper signings, they could further boost the farm system later in the year.  The team needs some MLB talent that could land some prospects if Huntington's game plan is going to work.  They need to take a few flyers on players who could draw interest to teams in June and July.

Prospects On The Rise, Other Stuff

First, I would like to pay on my sympathy to the Pirates organization, former teammates and family of Dock Ellis who passed away Friday.  I remember watching him pitch as a young child.  The baseball world lost a valuable member of its family.

Prospects On The Rise:

According to Dejan the Pirates are hoping to start Pedro Alvarez at High A Lynchburg.  Tabata could start in AAA, creating a log jam of center fielders in Indianapolis.  Lincoln and Moskos could be starting in Altoona to start the season as well.

BTW Take:

I hope Coonley and Huntington aren't rushing Pedro too fast to make up for missed time.  Actually it looks like they are moving quite a few prospects up quickly.  This type of expectation reeks of an organization trying to force its hand and show they are improving well before it is time. 

This is a nice change from the Littlefield era where no one seemed to move at all unless they seemingly had been ready to move up for at least half a season.

If Tabata and McCutchen are both in Indy to start the season, look for both to get significant time playing in left as well as center.  With the large size of left in PNC, this season in Indy should tell the team who will be the left fielder of the future for the Pirates.  I would not be surprised to see an outfield of Tabata, McCutchen and McLouth to close out the year in Pittsburgh.

 

Other Stuff:

Another Bucs Outlet:

Another location to follow the Pirates this season, Evan Foley will be covering the Pirates at Study Of Sports.

 

Doug Is A Good Guy:

An interesting quote from Dejan's Hot Stove Report:

"Busiest guy on the phone this winter might be Doug Mientkiewicz, who has made a habit of calling teammates to ensure they are staying in shape. And this is especially noteworthy, considering Mientkiewicz not only is a free agent but also has yet to receive an offer from the Pirates."

BTW Take:

It seems like Doug might return after all, either that or he is just that good of a person.  Doug will be a great manager someday.

 

Free Agent Updates:

No major updates on the Turnbow, Bootcheck, Hairston nor Cabrera fronts.  The Pirates are still believed to be in the running for each player.  There are at least a dozen teams interested in Cabrera.  At least a handful of teams are interested in Hairston and Turnbow.  There are a couple teams interested in Bootcheck, with the Pirates being the closest to signing him at this time.

 

Contract Negotiations:

A contract is expected to be announce with Ryan Doumit early next week, likely before the Christmas to New Years break.  One thing to consider, the Pirates may actually be busy over the holiday break in hopes of landing an extension or minor free agent signing.

 

Minor League Managers Named:

Several coaches and managers were named.  Here is a link to the PG recap of the moves.

A Wild Thought Looking to 2012

All the anticipation of a Mark Teixeira signing has me thinking.

While listening to an interview on MLB Live (XM 175) during the winter meetings, a key quote came from one of the GM's who were being interviewed.  He made a comment that you aren't building a team for just this coming year, but also building with an eye five years down the road. 

This had my mind wandering with thoughts of what the Pirates moves might mean five years down the road.  None of the recent signings fall under that scenario.  However the rumored discussions going on with McLouth, Doumit and Maholm would at least be looking three or four years in the future.

That lineup in 2012 could have a nucleus of McLouth, McCutchen, Tabata, Alvarez and Doumit.  A few other names could be Sanchez, Andy LaRoche and Walker.  All in all, that seems like a pretty nice lineup to manage.

The rotation in 2012 could consist of Maholm, Gorzelanny, Snell and Bryan Morris and about 10 others to chose from for the remaining spot.

Now the question is, should the Pirates be looking at adding to that lineup now?

Adam LaRoche likely will not be a Pirate beyond 2009. 

In 2012 Alvarez will be manning one of the corner infield positions.  Walker or Andy LaRoche might be manning the other.

Why not make a move to have the veteran centerpiece to the lineup added now?

Teixeira is a rare talent.  Offering a contract to him with an eye to the future could make a nice lineup be formidable.  Obviously there would have to be some sort of out for Teixeira in the event season 20 of losing is looming.  The Pirates would probably like an out too.

Offer Teixeira a $200M 10 year contract with opt outs after year 3 (2012), year 5 (2014) and year 8 (2017).  The Pirates also should receive an opt out after year 5 also.

This would destroy payroll, and could never happen with the somewhere in the range of $50M payroll.  Or could it?

Adam LaRoche will be getting somewhere in the $7-8M range after arbitration.  If that contract was traded, the Pirates still have $12M to pick up.  Ironically there have been many references to the Pirates have $12-15M to spend if the fit is right.

A trade of Jack Wilson would free up some additional room under the estimated payroll.

It seems most of the rotation is already in place.  Why not add the key piece if he would be interested in playing on the east coast, close to where he calls home.  If Teixeira is honestly considering Baltimore or Washington, why not Pittsburgh?  He could be mentioned with Stargell, Clemente, Maz and many other in Pirate lore and be a local hero in a town that follows baseball until Steeler camp opens.  That could change with a player like Teixera on the roster.

A signing like this would sell some tickets in a tough economic time for the Pirates.  Teixeira would be a named face of the team for years to come. 

If LaRoche is not moved?

Teixeira can play third.

Why would Teixeira want to play in Pittsburgh besides being a Pittsburgh hero? 

Take another look at the talent that will be around him in the next couple years.  If $20M isn't enough, the talent that will be coming in the next couple of years could make the decision easier.  He won't be coming into a rebuilding project.  He will be reaping the benefits of coming in at the end of a 16 year rebuilding project.

If Baltimore and Washington are actually part of the discussion, the Pirates have a better future looming based on prospects than Washington.  Baltimore has Weiters and a few other nice prospects similar to the situation the Pirates are in.  My personal biased opinion is the Pirates have better closer than Baltimore.

Another reason, in three years he has an opt out that would likely be a much better market for free agents. 

Why would the Pirates make such a 10 year gamble?

In order for Huntington to build the franchise through trades, there needs to be pieces to trade.  The Pirates could always trade him for a bounty of young talent before year three and further rebuild their minor league system.  Teixeira could be that huge piece, even if he is not in the 2012 lineup.  If he is still here in 2012 and beyond, the Pirates have their new star to hang their hat on.  Not just a nice player hyped by the team as an elite player.

This scenario will never happen, but it is fun to dream isn't it?

Non-Tendered and Possible Pirate Targets

Here is a link to the non-tendered players:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=3766373

 

The three guys I'd like to see as possible targets are:

Willy Taveras -The Pirates have gone a long time without a speedy leadoff guy.  I don't count Duffy in this since he never really established himself in MLB.  Plopping Taveras in CF with McLouth in LF and Moss in RF makes a decent offensive outfield.  Defense could be poor though.  This would also buy a little more time for McCutchen in Indy.

Aaron Miles - IF the Pirates are actually looking at moving Sanchez, this is a good target for them.  The other option is getting Miles and sending Freddy back to 3B.

Tkashi Saito - If his new age medicine works, this is a guy who would solidify the late innings in Pittsburgh.  Saito in the 8th, Capps in the 9th.  That should take some strain off the starters from having to go 7 to feel safe with a lead.

With a first 3 in the Lineup of Taveras, Miles and McLouth the team is in good shape for small ball and good speed at the top of the order.  Sanchez could also bat second if he played 3B. 

If McCutchen can take away an outfield spot, Taveras could slide to left and McLouth moves to right.  While the team would lack power, it could be a very aggressive lineup on the base paths.  I am thinking along the line of St. Louis in the Coleman days.

If Huntington was sincere in saying McCutchen will be on the roster at some point in the season, a possible lineup of the following could produce some RBI chances and a few interesting games.

Lineup:
McCutchen, CF
Taveras, LF
Sanchez, 3B
Doumit, C
McLouth, RF
LaRoche, 1B
Miles, 2B
Wilson, SS
Pitcher, P

Just a drunken thought, that's all.

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.