Notes: Biddle; Block; # Game; Previews; Cool Papa & Buck; Deal Gone Bad; MiLB & Ex-Bucs

• The Bucs picked up LHP Jesse Biddle, 24, from the Phils. Biddle had TJ surgery in October, so this will be a lost year for him. He was a first round draft pick in 2010 and at one time a Top 100 prospect with a four pitch mix, but was cut from Philly's 40-man for Bobby LaFromboise after a couple of so-so MiLB seasons and the visit to the chop shop. The Pirates sent RHP Yoervis Medina to Bro Town for Biddle, then DFA'ed RHP AJ Shugel to open a 40-man roster spot. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to Indy; he still has a camp invite as a NRI.
• Jon Neise will wear #18; seems fitting that he takes The Kid's old number (Jon was #49 for the Mets). Ryan Vogelsong will get #14 (Ryan wore #28 in 2001 & #22 from 2003-06 for the Bucs; #32 for the Giants) and John Jaso #28, the same number JJ wore at Tampa Bay.
• Matt Wojciak of Baseball Essential recaps the Pirates off season moves and gives them a C grade while Nick Delahanty had the BE Bucco spring training preview.
• Neal Huntington told Robert Pace of Fox Sports that (doh!) the Jay Bay trade was the one he made with the "worst outcome," and it prompted the FO to beef up both Pirate scouting and analytics.
• Richard Justice of MLB.com looks at what winning organizations - and the Bucs are among them now - have in common. 
• Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com thinks Tyler Glasnow's time is just around the bend... In another article, he tells Josh Jackson how he rebounds from a rough day at the office.
• RHP Yoervis Medina has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Indy.
• Mike Ryan, Bradenton manager & former big league OF'er hailing from Indiana, PA, is featured in Matt Burglund's Indiana Gazette article.
• Milwaukee's Joe Block was hired to replace Tim Neverett as the Pirates play-by-play guy.
• The KC Royals signed OF Travis Snider to a minor league deal w/camp invite.
• The Reds inked LHP Jonathan Sanchez to a MiLB contract w/invite. He hasn't tossed in the majors since that disastrous 2013 start with the Bucs.
• Phillies signed LHP Jeremy Bleich, 28, who had five saves and a 2.88 ERA in three levels (High A, AA, AAA) of Bucco minor leaguedom last year.
• C Steve Lerud signed to minor league deal with camp invite with the Mariners. He was a 2003 Bucco third-round draft pick that toiled in the system through the 2009 season and has bounced around since (this is his sixth club), getting a couple of MLB calls from the Phils in 2012-13.
• Homestead Gray's Hall of Fame 1B Buck Leonard was featured on MLB Tonight earlier this week; here's a little taste of his history and short vid.They also had a piece on ol' Grays & Crawford star Cool Papa Bell.