Bucco Bits

Those dang Mayans might as well work out another long count; looks like this cycle wasn't the big one. Just a guess, but maybe 82 Bucco wins will be the omen.

• Chris Cwik, who covers Fangraph's fantasy beat, wonders if James McDonald's second half fizzle had to do with a string of extended pitch counts. 
• Jon Heyman of CBS' Baseball Insider tweets that the Dodgers and Red Sox have interest in Hanny.  Several other reports say the Bucs still would like to land Rick Porcello, but Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune Review says the Tigers won't swap for Hanrahan straight up.
• Daniel Rathman of Baseball Prospectus has the charts on Hanny's 2012 pitch selection, accuracy and velocity, and they don't paint a pretty picture. He writes that "The Dodgers, Red Sox, and any other teams phoning Huntington about Hanrahan are counting on some reversion in those numbers." It helps explain why the market hasn't developed for Hanny the way the Pirates may have envisioned.
• Think the Pirates overpaid for Russell Martin? According to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, one of the clubs they had to outbid for him was the Rangers.
• David Brown of YahooSports! Big League Stew rated the GM by sexiness; Neal Huntington came in eighth. Add your own comment.
• If you missed it, ESPN the Magazine featured Roberto Clemente's bat. Kevin Guilfoile tracks the three bats that had a claim to The Great One's 3,000th hit.
• Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors posts that RHP Daniel McCutchen has multiple offers to pitch in Japan. He has an escape clause in his minor league deal with Baltimore if he decides to head way East.
• RHP Jose Veras signed a one year deal with Houston for $1.85M plus an option, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN.
• LHP Tom Gorzelanny just inked a two-year deal with the Brewers for nearly $6M.
• IF Bobby Crosby announced he plans to make a comeback. Please don't tell Neal Huntington, OK?
• Remember RHP Edwin Jackson turning down the Bucs three year, $27M offer last season to pitch a season for the Nats? Jon Heyman asks who's laughing now - Jackson just signed a four year, $52M deal with the Cubs.