The Meetings Finish Up...Notes and Rule 5 Draft

The meetings come to an end, and the Pirates still don't have a top-end pitcher (won't you come home, AJ?), first baseman, or back-up middle infielder. Tick, tick, tick....

• According to John Perrotto of the Beaver County Times, "Pirates have interest in free agent reliever Matt Guerrier and the Mariners switch-hitting 1B Justin Smoak."
• For those who thought the Bucs might be giving oldie but goodie Bartolo Colon a look, give up the ghost - he signed a two year/$20M deal with the Mets.
• The Rule 5 draft was today. The Pirates' 40-man roster is full, so for the second straight year, they didn't participate in the MLB phase. The Brewers took Taiwanese LHP Wei-Chung Wang from the Bucs, kinda an odd pick as he is a 21-year old that spent last season in the GCL after TJ surgery in 2012. But he does have a nice fastball/curve combo, and the Brew Crew is hoping he can stick as a second lefty/long man from the pen. RHP Zach Thornton made it through OK as only nine players were selected.
• In the minor league phase, the Pirates drafted RHP Tyler Sample from the Royals. Why not? After all, he's 6'7", and projects as a possible mid-inning reliever if he can find the plate. They also took RHP Felipe Gonzalez from the GCL Yankees and RHP AJ Morris from the Cubs. Morris is a ground ball guy and has the upper end potential of a set-up man; he should at least provide upper level depth. The Cubs took C Charlie Cutler and Toronto took RHP Roberto Espinosa off the Altoona Curve roster; neither were considered prospects so much as organization depth.
• Yesterday, the MLB announced it would ban home plate collisions; the finished work will be hashed out by committee and presented in January for approval.
• Jeff Sullivan of Fangraphs takes a look at Charlie Morton, and compares him with...Phil Hughes.