Heading Into The Weekend

• Hey, the trucks have left PNC and are on the way to Florida. February 18th is the day pitchers and catchers report, and the full squad takes the field on the 24th. Disregard those snow shovels and bags of salt: showtime is quickly approaching...
• Jayson Stark of ESPN.com says that the Pirates aren't just working on AJ Burnett. They could also be in on the Phillies Joe Blanton and Washington's John Lannan. None of the trio slot higher than the back end of the rotation kinda guys, but do have the rep of being able to eat some innings, although Blanton is coming on an elbow injury. He adds that the Rays' Jeff Niemann, the White Sox's Gavin Floyd, and Jake Westbrook/Kyle McClennan of the Cards are also on the block.
• David Schoenfeld of ESPN's Sweet Spot blog looks at the stat lines put up by Jay Bruce, Colby Rasmus and McCutch and compares them to other 20-something performances to determine who is likeliest to break out. His pick is McCutchen. "He has the best all-around game of the three, draws walks and strikes out considerably less than the other two." But he warns that "His second-half struggles are a concern and he needs to get back to a solid approach at the plate and take his home runs when they come."
• Tim Williams of Pirates Prospects lists Keith Law's Bucco farmhands on his Top 100 prospect list (linked here, for ESPN Insider subscribers only). They are #10 Gerrit Cole, #16 Jameson Taillon, #67 Josh Bell, #72 Starling Marte and #86 Robbie Grossman. Luis Heredia just missed the rankings, and RHP Clayton Holmes, a 2011 overslot draftee, is his sleeper candidate. 
• Dejan Kovacevic of the Trib discusses the cause and cure of the Pirates' shunning by FAs.
• Tom Singer of MLB.com has the story on infielder Curt Roberts, who broke the color line for the Pirates back in 1954.