tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post2660756349666716316..comments2023-10-10T12:46:47.186-04:00Comments on The Green Weenie: Jay Bay, Bosox BoundUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-56020884889387244682008-08-02T10:22:00.000-04:002008-08-02T10:22:00.000-04:00I took a quick lap around the minors, Will, and we...I took a quick lap around the minors, Will, and we are absolutely devoid of starting pitching. After Gorzo and Bart hmaier at Indy, you have to drop to Lynchburg and Lincoln, Holliday and maybe Tony Watson; Hickory has Matt McSwain, who's been converted to a starter and may have some potential.<BR/><BR/>There are some bullpen arms - Meek, Mateo, Daividson and a flock of others - but I can see why they wanted pitching, and in numbers, for the system. Adding 5 arms doubled the Bucs pitching prospect list.Ron Ieracihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08784507810080514099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-68511326961011943852008-08-01T01:27:00.000-04:002008-08-01T01:27:00.000-04:00EDIT: I should have said, "none of them looks more...EDIT: I should have said, "none of them looks more than interesting, except for the kid who went do A-ball. He's definitely got star potential, but he's coming off Tommy John surgery."WilliamJPellashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12774466220683142262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-58595751479277961322008-08-01T01:26:00.000-04:002008-08-01T01:26:00.000-04:00Just did a little research, and it turns out Moss ...Just did a little research, and it turns out Moss had a truly exceptional season at triple-A Pawtucket when he was last in the minors. Not a large number of homers---he hit 15---but had well over 100 RBI and also a .353 batting average. Given that Pawtucket is in the better of the two triple-A leagues, that's noteworthy production (the Pacific Coast League is a notorious hitter's haven and statistics there are frequently skewed). So, I may have jumped the gun when I said earlier that he "has fourth outfielder written all over him". He's probably better than that, but it remains to be seen how far he'll go towards replacing the production we lost with Nady and Bay leaving town. <BR/> <BR/>Regarding the pitchers we got back, I think the best thing you can say about them---except for the kid going to A-ball---is that there's some talent, and some potential, but none of them looks more than "interesting". I think if we end up with 2 average big league starters and 2 decent bullpen arms out of these trades, we've probably done alright. That's not great, but it will do as a stopgap for a couple of years until (hopefully) our own minor league system starts churning out larger numbers of homegrown hurlers. Meanwhile maybe Maholm keeps it up, and at least one from among Snell-Gorzellany-Dumatrait returns to form. If so, we'll be semi-interesting for the next couple of seasons.WilliamJPellashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12774466220683142262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-41001064061521442712008-08-01T01:21:00.000-04:002008-08-01T01:21:00.000-04:00Well, I'd say there are 2 or 3 guys at our 2 A-bal...Well, I'd say there are 2 or 3 guys at our 2 A-ball teams who will likely contribute at the big league level before too much longer. But yes, our farm system in general is incredibly barren of pitching. I mean, it's a desert out there. That's frankly shocking when you consider that the entire Littlefield era was supposed to be about pitching, pitching, and pitching. What an indictment of that whole sorry situation.WilliamJPellashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12774466220683142262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-74839711017113658022008-07-31T20:15:00.000-04:002008-07-31T20:15:00.000-04:00Will, it looks like the only way to get pitching a...Will, it looks like the only way to get pitching anymore is to grow it yourself or go free agent. <BR/>And yah, when you trade proven for potential, there's always a huge risk involved.<BR/>I don't know that you could get too much more out of the deals, although I'd much rather have Kontos than either Karstens or Ohlendorf. No top prospects moved at all during the trade period at any position.<BR/>But I fear the implosion of the current staff made the suits look for MLB ready, even if marginal - and they are marginal - arms. <BR/>And you know what's scary? I can't think of any pitching prospects Pittsburgh has except for Brad Lincoln and the two youngsters we just got, McCutchen and Morris. Maybe there's more, I'll check one day. But they are dealing from an awfully weak hand, and don't think the rest of the league doesn't know it.<BR/>Do I wish we had gotten Kennedy, Hughes, Davis, etc - without a doubt. But it takes two. I don't think hanging on to the guys till the winter meetings would change that, either. C'est la vie.Ron Ieracihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08784507810080514099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-79130263066016825372008-07-31T19:20:00.000-04:002008-07-31T19:20:00.000-04:00I'm afraid that Andy LaRoche = Brandon Larson, ano...I'm afraid that Andy LaRoche = Brandon Larson, another four-A third baseman who was a legendary minor leaguer but could never get it going in the bigs. Seriously, the guy hit, like, 100 home runs in triple-A. That's a long time at that level. Looks to me like LaRoche is cut from the same cloth.WilliamJPellashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12774466220683142262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-44715277662447891992008-07-31T19:15:00.000-04:002008-07-31T19:15:00.000-04:00No way, no way, NO WAY the Pirates should make a d...No way, no way, NO WAY the Pirates should make a deal like this without getting at least one elite arm back. Absolutely not. This trade package was significantly lower in value than the one that was being floated earlier, ie, the prospects coming from Florida - Boston instead of LA - Boston. Hansen looks like a fringe nobody, LaRoche---well, we'll see, but certainly he's no sure thing, Moss is okay but has "fourth outfielder" written all over him (and we've already got Jason Michaels for that gig, what in the world???), and Phillips is coming off Tommy John surgery. Meanwhile our guy Kontos---the one we didn't get from the Yankees---just threw a one hitter and struck out 13. <BR/><BR/>I don't like this deal, even if we had to have LaRoche---who might end up okay, but no better than that---as insurance against Alvarez not signing. All of a sudden the emphasis is back on our draft and how many of those guys we actually get to come on board; presumably we'll be using some of the money that was going to our now-traded veterans in order to sign the kids. <BR/><BR/>At least, that had better be what happens. Otherwise what could have been a great time for the Pirates will be "what might have been". Still not terrible by any means, and all of this is of course vastly preferable to The Dave Littlefield Show. But we should have done much better in exchange for Jason Bay. Much better.WilliamJPellashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12774466220683142262noreply@blogger.com