Thanksgiving Notes: Rumors, 40 Man Filled, New Bucs, Young Bucs, Old Bucs

The 40 man roster is filled now as the Bucs added a couple of depth guys, tho there will certainly be adjustments to come. The action this week:

• Doug Rush of Yankees 101 thinks that JA Happ is a guy who NY may target. 
• Jon Heyman of CBS Insider says that Pedro is looking forward to being dealt this off season, hoping to find a better fit (Heyman suggests the Orioles).
• Pittsburgh bought RHP Allen Webster, 25, from Arizona. In 28 MLB games over three seasons for Boston & the D-Backs, he's posted a 7-6/6.13 slash, mainly as a starter. He was once a hot prospect with a mid-90s heater and heavy sinker, but hasn't been able to bring it to the show. Webster joins the 40-man roster. Eno Sarris of Fangraphs reports "...despite enduring a horrid year, he has three pitches that are above-average in whiff rates, and the changeup would rank in the top 20 (minimum 100 thrown) if he got more chances to throw it. The problem is that he has no command, and his velocity has fallen..." Sarris thinks a move to the pen might rejuvenate him. All in all, worth the price for his potential upside.
• The FO also brought in 1B/OF Jake Goebbert, 28, from the Padre system on a major league deal. The lefty stick spent 2015 at AAA El Paso, hitting .294 with 10 home runs and 62 RBI in 122 games. Goebbert played one season for San Diego, hitting .218 in 51 games. He's versatile, playing all three OF spots plus 1B, and has an option remaining, .
• Jim Callis of MLB.com ranked the top 20 prospects in the Arizona Fall League. OF Austin Meadows (#2) and C Reese McGuire (#13) landed on his list. Baseball America's Bill Mitchell's top AFL guns also included Meadows.
• The Pirates signed OF Danny Ortiz, 25, from the Twins' system to a minor league deal. He showed some pop in AAA last year, tho his BA and OBP have yo-yoed throughout his MiLB career. Gonna be an awfully crowded outfield at Indy in 2016.
• Also inked to a minor league deal was reliever Curtis Partch, 28. He's 6'5", 240 lbs with a 96 MPH heater. In 20 games with the Reds in 2013-14, he slashed 1-1/4.75 with 22 K in 30 IP - and 24 walks. He fits the physical model, and has a four seamer, slider and change for the pitch doctors to work on at Indy. 
• JJ Cooper of Baseball America listed about a zillion candidates with the potential to be a Rule 5 draftee; none were Bucs.
• The Bucs announced their camp report dates: February 18th for pitchers and catchers, February 23rd for the rest.
• Another one gone: Assistant strength & conditioning coach Kiyoshi Momose was hired by RedSox as their coach after a 15 year run with the Pirates.
• Lloyd McClendon was named the manager of the AAA Toledo Mud Hens of the Detroit system. It's a homecoming of sorts as McClendon served as a coach for Jim Leyland's Tiger staff from 2006-13. He's also managed the Bucs and Mariners.
• RHP Stolmy Pimentel joined the NY Mets on a minor league deal with camp invite.
• IF Chase d'Arnaud signed a minor league deal with the Braves with an invite to camp. 
• International League MVP Matt Hague, aka The Hit Collector, who played for Detroit's AAA Buffalo Bisons last year, is headed to Japan and the Hanshin Tigers next season. He hit .226 in a couple of brief stops (2012, 2014) in Pittsburgh.