Garrett Jones

A couple days ago Chuck Finder answered questions on the PBC Q&A as to whether Garret Jones can maintain his performance.  Well, in a rare event on BTW, I am going to try and put some numbers together and let you come up with your own answers…Of course I will give my opinion as well.  After reading the Q&A I felt a need to postpone the 40 Man post until tomorrow night.

40 Man – Around The Corners

First
The options at 1st base are somewhat limited.  Steve Pearce had a chance last season to show he was capable of being an everyday MLB 1B, unfortunately his bat has yet to show above AAA.  His career BA is .237 in 378 PA’s with 8 HR’s. 

The next option is Jeff Clement, a converting catcher.  He has some experience, 28 games, playing 1B in the minors.  Hardly enough to consider him a seasoned player.  At the MLB level, he is a career .237 hitter with a limited sample size of 243 AB’s with 7 HR’s.

Comparing Pearce and Clement is like comparing two peas from the same pod.  Both have limited MLB at bats batting .237.  The HR numbers are very similar as well.  The only real difference?  Pearce has much more experience through the minors as a 1B.

Which leads me to who I am picking to start the season at 1B, not a shocker at all.  Garrett Jones and his .276 BA with 23 career home runs.  I want to emphasize start the season.

Dotel And Other News

Dotel

The Pirates and Octavio Dotel made it official by signing a 1 year contract with an option year.  Total guaranteed money is $3.5 M plus performance bonuses.  The option year is worth $4.5M.  Neal Huntington has been quoted as calling him the closer.

BTW Take:

The bullpen makeover is now complete.  Matt Bandi at Pittsburgh Lumber Co.  puts some numbers to the reconstruction.  According to his numbers, the Pirates pen looks to be middle of the league.  Still, that is an nice improvement over what the bullpen did last season.

 

Claggett

To make room for Dotel, the Pirates DFA’ed Anthony Claggett.

BTW Take:

Claggett was on the fence with each move the Pirates made this offseason, he finally fell over the fence.

 

Freddy Sanchez

A source tells me Freddy had shoulder surgery and may miss the beginning of the season for the Giants.

BTW Take:

The Sanchez trade last season is looking more and more like a shrewd deal.  If Freddy can stay healthy, he will be a nice asset for the Giants, unfortunately health has been a problem since the trade.  Good luck to Freddy in his recovery.

 

Minor Deal

I have been contacted multiple times today that the Pirates are in the process of a minor trade.  For those expecting Brandon Jones to be moved, the only common thread in the rumors was Jones was not part of the deal.

Dotel and Sheets

Dotel

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Octavio Dotel have come to terms on a one year deal with a club option.  Specific terms around bonus and base pay have not yet been revealed.  Dotel is scheduled for a physical on Thursday prior to putting pen to paper.  The formal announcement should come shortly after the physical.

A roster move needs to be made to open a spot on the 40 man roster.

BTW Take:

Finally!  In addition to signing with the Pirates, it seems Dotel is also setting up shop in Pittsburgh in another way.  His wife is due to give birth at “any time” and may stay in Pittsburgh to deliver the child.

 

Sheets

The Pirates were one of the teams at the throwing session Tuesday by Ben Sheets.

Sheets contract desires have come to light as reported via MLB Trade Rumors:

MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone hears Ben Sheets will seek "at least $10 million, plus lots of incentives, and a second-year, player-controlled option."

Dejan Kovacevic states in the PBC Blog:

The Pirates are not a bidder for Ben Sheets.

They scouted the session as a matter of course in developing information on as many players as possible. Happens all the time.

 

Common speculation from sources outside the Pirates, the Pirates are looking at Sheets as an option IF MLB and the Players Union target the team in a similar fashion to the way the Marlins were recently reprimanded for not spending revenue sharing money.  Adding a $10 M contract to an estimated $40 M payroll would get the teams payroll figures back to the neighborhood of the payroll from 2009, actually exceeding it by a few million.

BTW Take:

It would be a shame if the Pirates made a move of this caliber just to appease MLB and the Union.  While adding Sheets would be a good move for the Pirates, to be forced into such a move would undermine anything the front office has done this off-season.

Sheets is a pitcher who could turn a 71 win team into a .500 ball club, something most Pirates fans have been praying for for nearly 2 decades.  Bringing in a pitcher, or any player,  of Sheets caliber should be the last move in rebuilding to put the team over the top, not over .500.

One bonus to adding someone like Sheets would be trade value later in the season if he stayed healthy.  This is one area I don’t understand in most rebuilding projects in MLB.  Teams want to add young talent but won’t sign upper level free agents to bolster the MLB level and allow a trade that would bring in more talent later in the year around the deadline.

To help sell the concept to ownership, signing Sheets in addition to the recent buzz the Pirates have generated would put more butts in the seats early in the season and just add to the butt count when Alvarez and Tabata are brought up.  Simply put, Alvarez + Sheets + a run at a winning record = $$$.

Don’t be surprised IF you hear the Pirates linked to Sheets in the coming weeks, especially if reports are correct the Pirates are next on the MLB/MLBPA hit list are true.

 

An Interesting Link from KC

Kings of Kauffman beg for a deal between KC and Pittsburgh for Brandon Jones.

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$.

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.