After a ninety-nine loss year and a September that sank quicker than the Titanic, the Pirates had a lengthy list to send to Santa.
"Dear Saint Nick: I've been a good and thrifty boy this year. Could you shimmy down the chimney and leave me a bullpen, some middle infielders, and a corner/first baseman with some pop for Christmas? It appears that I've lost most of the old toy set you gave that urchin Dave and could really use some new pieces. Thank you - Neal"Well, the jolly ol' elf did leave one nicely wrapped present, second baseman Akinori Iwamura. Unfortunately, he comes with a limited warranty; some think it'll run out in July.
And he did stuff a stocking with Bobby Crosby. Sadly, the batteries were not included, and he's badly in need of a recharge.
The bullpen? Hey, it's even thinner, with Jesse Chavez leaving in a gift exchange and Matt Capps donated to Goodwill. But the Bucs have collected a few grab-bags so far; maybe one of them will turn the trick.
Players with pop? Well, heck, they cost money, and while the league may send the Pirates a nice cash gift every year, Santa's not so generous. Neither is daddy.
So far, it looks like the ho-ho-ho is on the fans. But hey, keep the holiday spirit alive; maybe the Easter Bunny will have something for us.
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM WILL AND GW!
And, Merry Christmas to you, too, Ron! Don't forget, we've still got Orthodox Christmas coming in January! :-D
ReplyDeleteI'll say this: the signings and acquisitions the front office has made this offseason all look like smart, low-rent purchases. At least, they all look that way to me. No one earth-shattering, but all make sense and all are fiscally sound.
However: at least one more significant veteran signing is necessary to make this offseason anywhere close to what is needed to achieve noticeable on-field improvement at the big league level in 2010. There's still one roster spot open on the 40-man, and if the buyer's market continues this offseason, I have to believe the front office would happily cut someone else if it meant we could add a cheaper-than-usual free agent. At least, I'd like to believe that.