Lineup: Alex Presley LF, Garrett Jones RF, Andrew McCutchen CF, Derrek Lee 1B, Neil Walker 2B, Ryan Doumit C, Pedro Alvarez 3B, Chase d'Arnaud SS, Brad Lincoln P.
Looks like a kinda random lineup to us; guess that's how September will go. We're still a little befuddled how Matt Hague and Gorkys Hernandez can tear it up and not get a call while Pedro gets his job handed back to him. We keep getting confused by that "accountability" thing.
- Paul Maholm and Kevin Correia are done for 2011; both were transferred from the 15-day to 60-day DL. Evan Meek was removed from the DL and is back in Pittsburgh.
- The September call-ups are RHP Jared Hughes, LHPs Aaron Thompson, Jeff Locke & Dan Moskos, and 3B Pedro Alvarez.
- Yesterday was only the second time RHP James McDonald worked more than seven innings (he went 7-1/3 frames) in his short career. He went eight innings last September against the Mets..
- Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors has a post about players with options at the end of the year. The Bucs have three - Ryan Doumit, Chris Snyder, and Ronny Cedeno - and he expects the Pirates to pass on all three.
- West Virginia Power RHP Zack Von Rosenberg was named the Class A South Atlantic League pitcher of the week for throwing 6 perfect innings with 6 strikeouts in his last start.
Hague is a career .302 minor league hitter, and that's a good thing. He's also a "natural" first baseman. Also good. Unfortunately that's about where his resume hits a dead end. He doesn't have much power for a corner infielder, and he doesn't figure to hit for the same or better average at the major league level. To me his future in Pittsburgh, if there is one, is as the platoon partner for Garrett Jones next season if they don't bring Lee back. I don't hate Hague, don't get me wrong, and it's always nice to see your homegrown guys do well. But to me, a non-traditional 1B is a guy like Mark Grace or Keith Hernandez, players who didn't post many home runs but who were otherwise superb all around hitters who did "everything else but". Hague isn't bad but he's a large notch below the Grace - Hernandez plateau, and that's where you need to be if you're a cornerman who doesn't hit for power.
ReplyDeleteI don't disagree, Will. Whoever plays first next year is hopefully a placeholder for a season or two for Matt Curry or Alex Dickerson, who may be ready 2013-14. There is no upper level guy in place and the market isn't that hot.
ReplyDeleteMy point is the Bucs say they don't have room in September on the bench for a couple of guys that deserve that cup of coffee - Hague, Hernandez & Fryer - and then bring up Pedro, who has done squat so they can, IMHO, baby sit him for a month. And then they start him first game back.
I understand the upside bit, but I think this is just babying him and makes a mockery of the oft mouthed but seldom practiced "accountability."
I'm a Ciriaco fan (unlike Clint Hurdle) until Jordy Mercer or brock Holt pass him up. RC is very good when he's on, but his inconsistency gets old.