Notes: Vogelsong, Arroyo, Players on the Move...

The shakin' and bakin' this weekend:

•  The Pirates signed RHP Ryan Vogelsong to a one year/$2M deal with $3M more available in incentives. Apparently with a wave of young guys due up next year, they see no reason to commit to multi-year deals required to land a mid-tier arm, so this looks like a transitional season for the staff. Can't debate that the FO has a decent eye for pitchers, though Vogelsong's 45% ground ball rate last year was good but not extreme, so we'll see how this one works out in the short term. It's likely that he's a placeholder for Tyler Glasnow and could go to the pen, where he spent some time last year, tho not too successfully (5.68 ERA/19IP). 

Everything old is new again - 2002 Upper Deck

• Jayson Stark said the Pirates have inquired about Bronson Arroyo. Must be homecoming week.  Not sure if the interest was before or after the Vogelsong deal.
• IF prospect Adam Frazier gets an invite to Spring Training. His slash was .324/.384/.416 for Altoona this season, per John Dreker of Pirates Prospects. Frazier followed up with a big winter, moving up from the Arizona Fall League to play for Team USA.
• Well, that was quick. RHP Allen Webster, who the Bucs recently acquired, was released to allow him to jump to Korea, where the Samsung Lions inked him for $850K. The Lions also signed reliever Collin Balester, who tossed for Altoona and Indy from 2014-15, to a $500K deal.
• 2015 Altoona C Sebastian Valle, who declared for MiLB free agency, signed a deal with the Yankees with a camp invite. Fair is fair; Pittsburgh has taken more than its share of NY catchers.
• The Indians signed LHP Tom Gorzelanny to a MiLB deal with a camp invite.
• RHP Tim Alderson, who the Pirates received from the Giants for Freddie Sanchez in 2009, signed a minor league contract with the Nationals. 
• OF Rajai Davis, who was part of the straw that finally broke Dave Littlefield's back when he was traded to the Giants for bust Matt Morris in 2007, signed a one year deal with the Indians.
• The Pirates placed well in Sports on Earth's Organization Report Cards.
• Geez! It's not enough that the players and field/office staff are getting raided; now Boston is after Tim Neverett, a New England native son, per the Boston Herald. The job is radio only; as of now, Tim is in the "considering it" phase.
• ESPN announced that Cards-Bucco game on June 12th at PNC Park was chosen for the opener of a Sunday Night Baseball doubleheader.