Sunday Notes

• The Bucs added a bit to their pitching depth, bringing in RHP Daniel Cabrera. They've shown some interest in him in past seasons; he's another of the reclamation projects the FO so loves to take on. The starter has six seasons in the show with a 48-65 record and 5.10 ERA, averaging 7 Ks and 5Ws per/9 innings. He last pitched in the majors in 2009 for Washington and Arizona. Cabrera, now 31 years old, sat out the entire 2011 season following Tommy John surgery. It's likely he'll end up in the Indy pen.
• Can't quite figure out why the FO hasn't reached deals with Garrett Jones and Casey McGehee yet.  Neither arb-eligible player had a big gap between asking price and the Pirates offer; pay the midpoint and save the mini-drama of a hearing.
• Looks like the Pirates are gonna stay with what they've got on the hill. Roy Oswalt is considering signing with the Cards, Jeff Francis signed a minor league deal with the Reds, and Edwin Jackson is talking to the Bosox. It is a moot point; there have been no indications that the Bucs were in on any of them other than some due diligence tire-kicking.
• The Zachster, Zach Duke, is back in the division after signing a minor league deal with the Astros. The lefty was 3-4 with a 4.93 ERA in Arizona in 2011.
• The Mets are about to have the biggest one-year payroll drop in MLB history, lopping $52M off their roster. Even though they're losing more payroll than the Pirates carry, they'll still be doling out $90M for 2012.