Moves and Grooves

-- Since Thursday, after being benched for four games, Brandon Moss has gone 6-for-9, pushing his batting average up to .264. On Saturday, Nyjer Morgan went 4-for-4. On Sunday, with a day off Monday, they both sat. The Pirates lost by a run. Admittedly, it was against a lefty, but still, you have to wonder what JR is looking at when he puts a lineup together.

-- Robby Diaz has drawn comparisons to Manny Sanguillen, but on Sunday, he looked more like Ronnie Paulino, jogging to first and trying to spear balls in the dirt with his mitt instead of moving his body. No wonder Jason Jaramillo is the number one guy.

-- Matthew Pouliot of Circling the Bases picks likely OF trade bait:

Eric Hinske - He's been a fairly valuable player off the bench, but Hinske never made a lot of sense for a Pirates team that opened the season with fellow left-handed hitters at all three outfield spots and at first base. He'll probably be cashed in for a prospect before the deadline. The Mets and Tigers could both use the extra left-handed bat.

-- It's moving day for some of the Bucco puppies. After promoting RHP Brad Lincoln to Indy and 3B Pedro Alvarez to Altoona, the Pirates sent RHP Dustin Molleken, 24, (3-1-1, 3.48 ERA), RHP Michael Dubee, 23, (2-1-6, 1.45 ERA) and OF/1B Miles Durham, 26, (.296 7/39) to the Curve with Pedro.

SS Chase D'Arnaud, 22, (.291 3/31), the fourth-round pick in 2008, has been jumped from West Virginia to high Single-A Lynchburg.

It's good to see them promoting guys aggressively, especially the college players that came into the organization already a bit long in the tooth. Gotta get the pieces in place before the big housekeeping begins, hey?

-- The Pirates have also signed four more draftees: RHP Victor Black (1st round supplemental - Dallas Baptist), 1B Aaron Baker (11th round - Oklahoma), RHP Phillip Irwin (21st round - Mississippi), and RHP Ed Fallon (43rd round - South Carolina Upstate).