Notes: November Movin' & Groovin', Winter Sked

The last two weeks worth of stuff...not much yet, but the league should start to fire up the hot stove in the next couple or three weeks. The GM meetings are done, and that usually is the pump-priming session for the Winter Meetings on December 10th.

The 40-man rosters are due tomorrow at 8PM, and the arb-eligible guys have to be tendered by December 1st. The winter schedule is available here from Red Bird Dugout.

• MLB.com's Jim Duquette writes that the Pirates are interested in free agents SS Zack Cozart and utility guy Eduardo Nunez; he thinks the Bucs land Zack. MLB Trade Rumors had the Pirates looking seriously at just about every SS candidate available. Jordy is 31, hasn't had a WAR > 1.5 but one time in his career and hasn't been on the right side of runs saved since 2014. The Pirates have to decide whether to leave Jordy as the placeholder until Cole Tucker and Kevin Kramer are ready or look for a bridge.

Is Jordy on thin ice? (photo (Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

• MLB Network's @jonmorosi tweeted that the "Pirates have some interest in reunion with free agent Neil Walker, source says. Ongoing difficulty with Jung-Ho Kang entering country is forcing team to consider infield options." Sounds like some sensible due diligence if the bridges aren't burnt, tho we suspect The Kid is looking for more green (and PT) than the FO plans to offer.
• In a depth move, the Pirates claimed LHP Nik Turley off waivers from the Minnesota Twins. The 28-year-old Turley went 5-5/2.05 in 92 IP w/124 strikeouts, 29 walks and .198 opponent BA in 23 appearances (13 starts) between AA Chattanooga and AAA Rochester this past season. Not so much sweetness with the Twinkies - he went 0-2/11.21 in 17-2/3IP and 13 strikeouts in 10 appearances (three starts) over four separate stints with Minnesota. This will be his fifth different organization since 2014. To clear a spot, LHP Dan Runzler was outrighted off the 40-man roster and became a FA. He was 0-0, 4.50 in eight outings (four IP) for the Bucs last year.
• The Pirates have canned Latin American scouting director Rene Gayo for taking illegal payments that were uncovered by an MLB investigation.
• David Freese was a finalist for the NL 3B Gold Glove Award that was won for the fifth time by Nolan Arenado. Josh Bell finished third behind Cody Bellinger and Paul DeJong in the RoY vote.

Cobra lookin' for some HoF love (2001 Upper Deck Legendary)

• Dave "The Cobra" Parker joins Steve Garvey, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Marvin Miller, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Ted Simmons, Luis Tiant and Alan Trammell on the modern-era HoF ballot this year, with the results to be announced on 1/24.
• The Pirates got the top Competitive Balance Round selection this year. The sandwich pick is #31, between the first two regular draft rounds. They have the 10th overall pick in the first round.
• Mitch Keller was named the AFL Pitcher of the Week after pitching five innings of one-hit, shutout ball to open November (he finished the year 4-0, 1.52). He went to Arizona ISO a change-up and Baseball America's Kyle Glaser believes he's found it.
• Pitching was top rate for the Bucco pups in the AFL. Beside Keller, Brandon Waddell went 1-0-1, 2.57 in nine outings, JT Brubaker 0-1, 2.63, in eight pen outings and Taylor Hearn 2-0, 3.06 with four starts and four relief calls. Not so much for the hitters - Logan Hill batted .236, Kevin Kramer .200 and Mitchell Tolman .197.
• BA lists the Pirates Top 10 Prospects and toolsiest farmhands; the aforementioned Mr. Keller is their top prospect.

Mitch Keller (photo MLB Pipeline)

• Pirate minor-leaguers that declared for free agency (a couple were previously announced): RHPs Brandon Cumpton, Luis Heredia, Jason Stoffel; LHP Wade LeBlanc; C's Sammy Gonzalez, Tomas Morales, Jackson Williams; 1Bs Edwin Espinal (he signed w/Detroit), Carlos Munoz, Joey Terdoslavich; SSs Kelson Brown, Anderson Feliz, Alfredo Reyes; OFs Danny Ortiz & Jonathan Schwind. LeBlanc, Cumpton, Heredia & Espinal were the highest-ranked of the group. 
• Guys with Bucco connections also on the farm FA list are RHPs Nate Adcock, Yhonathan Barrios, Victor Black, Colten Brewer, Jumbo Diaz, Logan Kensing, Vin Mazzaro, Brooks Pounders; LHPs Jared Lakind, Kyle Lobstein, Kelvin Marte, Daniel Schlereth; OFs Chris Dickerson, Travis Snider, Jose Tabata (yep, him!); 1B Matt Hague; SSs Drew Maggi, Gustavo Nunez; IFs Ivan DeJesus Jr, Michael Martinez, Josh Rodriguez; C's Ramon Cabrera, Steve LeRud & Mike McKenry.
• Former Bucco reliever Jim Gott was named the bullpen coach at Philly, somewhat akin to the ass't pitching coach, after a five-year coaching run with LAA. Gott saved 34 games for the Bucs in 1988, then a team record.