-- In the only hard Bucco news of the day, Steve Pearce was given a fourth option year, covering 2011. It's doubtful that tidbit pleased him very much; it just means the Pirates can yo-yo him for one more season. It could come in handy for the FO, though, if his knee isn't 100% come spring camp and he needs to play himself into shape at Indy.
-- Pitchers that one media source or another have associated with the Buccos so far: Hiroki Kuroda, Jorge de la Rosa, Justin Duchscherer, Kevin Millwood and Kevin Correia.
-- Adrian Beltre as a rumor is swell. On a level playing field, he would fill a Bucco need, being a power hitting 3B with a solid mitt. But let's get real.
Beltre turned down a $10M option already, and has Scott Boras for his agent. He's easily the top third baseman on the market, and will be looking at multi-year offers for longer and more bucks than Pittsburgh will - or should - give, especially with Anthony Rendon in their sights. And he'll cost them a second-round pick in the draft. But hey, a phone call and a little good pub for a change can't hurt the cause.
We still think any extra money will go to a second-tier pitcher and either a corner OF/1B type, preferably RH, or a SS. They could get creative and bid on 26 year old Japanese batting champ (.346) Tsuyoshi Nishioka, a switch-hitting SS who hopes to be posted soon.
-- Clint Hurdle gets his Met interview tomorrow. He's not one of the names the media tout as a top candidate, but if he becomes a finalist, Pittsburgh may have to wait until Thanksgiving or later to name a skipper.
-- Al Oliver is one of a dozen players on the ballot for Hall of Fame expansion era (Veterans) ballot. He needs 12 votes of 16 cast to earn a bust. Scoops hit for a .303 BA with 219 HR and 1,326 RBI during an 18 year career.
-- Chuck Finder, who covered the Bucs as Dejan Kovacevic's Post-Gazette sidekick, is leaving the paper. No word on his future plans.
2 comments:
Oliver was a very good hitter, particularly for his pre-steroids, better all around pitching era. I don't think he was quite a Hall of Famer, however. Close. Best of the rest. But not quite an all time immortal, which is what is supposed to be in Cooperstown (though we all know some "very good" players are in there along with the true "greats").
Beltre makes all the sense in the world for us, but he's not coming here. If it were me, I'd....
Woops, I feel a POTP coming on!
Yah, Wil, I kinda feel that he and Dave Parker from that era were HOF candidates, but both were just a little shy to qualify. Parker had all the tools; the Pittsburgh coke trials pretty much did him in, and Scoops treads that line, as you mentioned, between quite good and HOF material.
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