According to a team tweet, third baseman Andy LaRoche, 27, signed a minor league deal with the A's, and has an invite to camp. it's not likely that he'll be knocking Kevin Kouzmanoff out of work, but he does have a shot as a back-up.
LaRoche had a .206/4/16 slash last year, losing his job to Pedro Alvarez, and a lifetime line of .224/22/108. He was a key component of the current FO's original albatross, the Jay Bay trade.
Showing posts with label andy Laroche. Show all posts
Showing posts with label andy Laroche. Show all posts
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sunday, November 28, 2010
The Bay Deal In Retrospect
David Golebiewski of Fangraphs wrote a piece earlier in the week on Andy LaRoche's release and the Jason Bay deal as seen in hindsight. The gist of the story is:
"In retrospect, it looks like the Pirates have little chance of breaking even on the Bay deal, due mostly to LaRoche’s non-development. I have to admit, I liked the trade at the time. Getting 5-6 years of team control over a top position prospect like LaRoche had the potential to give the Bucs a lot of surplus value. It certainly didn’t work out that way, however."
"In retrospect, it looks like the Pirates have little chance of breaking even on the Bay deal, due mostly to LaRoche’s non-development. I have to admit, I liked the trade at the time. Getting 5-6 years of team control over a top position prospect like LaRoche had the potential to give the Bucs a lot of surplus value. It certainly didn’t work out that way, however."
Monday, November 22, 2010
Andy LaRoche
Fairly or not, Neal Huntington will be remembered for his first blockbuster trade, moving Jay Bay for 3B Andy LaRoche, OF Brandon Moss, RHP Bryan Morris and RHP Craig Hansen.
Well, Morris is moving along after a rough start in the organization, and Hansen is recovering from a nerve problem that may short circuit his big league career. Moss and LaRoche? Both were deep-sixed by the FO this month. And for LaRoche, it had to be a bitter parting; he was the key piece of the deal.
Andrew Christian LaRoche was born September 13, 1983 in Fort Scott, Kansas, the son of former pitcher Dave and brother of first basemen Adam. Like his big bro, he was a star at Fort Scott High - as a catcher.
LaRoche played for Grayson County College where his dad coached and became the top prospect in the wooden-bat Cape Cod League (.326/6/18 in 92 ABs). He gave up the tools of ignorance to play shortstop after being banged up behind the dish.
First drafted in the 21st round by the San Diego Padres in 2002, he turned down their $200K offer and re-entered the draft the following year. Despite breaking a bone in his left leg in a collision, his stock soared and scouts projected him as a first rounder.
But teams were worried about his "signability" since he had turned down the Padres and had a scholarship in his pocket to play for Rice University. He lasted until the 39th round of the 2003 draft when he was taken by the LA Dodgers.
But hey, no problems. He was inked for first round cash, a cool mil.
Questions about his range bumped him from from shortstop to third base, and that's where he played his half-dozen games with the Dodgers' Ogden rookie league team in 2003.
He started the 2004 season with the Class A team in Columbus, hitting .283 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI before being promoted to Vero Beach, where he struggled average-wise, hitting only .237, but still smacked 10 HRs and drove home 34 RBI.
LaRoche acclimated in a hurry. Repeating at Vero Beach in 2005, he hit .333 with 21 HRs and 51 RBI and moved up to the AA Jacksonville Suns, where he batted .273 with 9 HRs and 43 RBI. He was named the Dodgers Minor League Player of the Year.
The 2006 season saw him still at Jacksonville after attending his first Dodger camp. LaRoche hit .309 with 9 HRs and 46 RBI there and was promoted to AAA Las Vegas, where he batted .322 with 10 HRs and 35 RBI.
He broke camp with the big team in 2007. LaRoche made his major league debut on May 6, 2007, against the Atlanta Braves and notched his first hit. But he was sent down to AAA, and a .309/18/48 line in Vegas got him called back up in September.
LaRoche saw some playing time replacing the oft-injured Nomar Garciaparra, and finished his first season with a .226/1/10 line in 115 at-bats. He then played for Team USA during the off-season in the Olympic trials.
In 2008, during a spring training game, LaRoche tore the ulnar collateral ligament of his right thumb during a freak accident; a pickoff toss to third bounced off the runner and the deflection caught him on his throwing hand. LaRoche needed surgery to repair the ligament, which was tore completely off of his thumb.
LaRoche and Garciaparra began the spring fighting for the starting third base job. Both players ended up hurt, and rookie Blake DeWitt won the job through default.
After his rehab was done in early May, LaRoche was optioned to Las Vegas, a vote of confidence for DeWitt. He was recalled in June, but in 27 games hit just .203 with 2 HR. Out of the starting picture, Andy LaRoche was now expendible.
A career .295/.382/.517 minor league hitter who ranked among Baseball America's top 100 prospects from 2005 to 2008, LaRoche was a popular trade item, and became a key piece of the deal to land Manny Ramirez.
On July 31, 2008, LaRoche was traded to the Pirates as part of a three team deal that sent Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Jason Bay to the Boston Red Sox.
He joined his brother Adam in Pittsburgh, but didn't have the same luck with the stick. After hitting .152/3/12 in August and September, LaRoche was already looking like he was overmatched at the dish, although the Pirate FO defended him staunchly and handed him the starting hot corner job in 2009.
LaRoche batted .258 with 12 home runs, five triples, 29 doubles and 64 RBI in 2009. It was a nice, workmanlike season, and his glovework shone under the tutelage of Perry Hill. But a very large shadow was being cast over LaRoche's stay in Pittsburgh, the shadow of Pedro Alvarez.
Not only was Alvarez's time fast approaching, but the brass seemed either clueless or indifferent to LaRoche's future with the team. During the offseason and from 2010 spring training on, the Pirates made no effort to work him anywhere but at the hot corner, even though LaRoche had publicly stated a willingness to return to a middle infield position where his bat would play better.
The Pirates and LaRoche got off to dismal starts in 2010. Pedro got the call to the show on June 16th, and became a fixture at third base. LaRoche started taking balls at second. He ended up playing first, third, and second, but had a disastrous season at the plate, hitting just .206/4/16.
LaRoche went to Venezuela to show he could regain his eye. Instead, he hit .186. Faced with keeping him on the 40-man roster and working out an arbitration deal, Pittsburgh DFA'ed LaRoche, in effect making him a free agent. So what happened?
Maybe the Dodgers saw in 2007-08 that LaRoche had a AAAA bat. Maybe the thumb injury never quite healed 100% and sapped him of his strength as a hitter. Maybe he was just another guy whose power numbers were inflated in the Pacific Coast League.
At any rate, as a MLB player, LaRoche has a line of .224/.304/.338 with 22 HR and 108 RBI in 1228 AB. Now he's hoping to resurrect his career as a utility infielder; St. Louis had some interest in him for that spot back in August. We'll see if they still have an eye on him.
This chapter in Andy LaRoche's career was one that neither he nor Neal Huntington saw coming, and a lesson on why GM's prefer to trade for guys with a track record rather than for prospects.
Well, Morris is moving along after a rough start in the organization, and Hansen is recovering from a nerve problem that may short circuit his big league career. Moss and LaRoche? Both were deep-sixed by the FO this month. And for LaRoche, it had to be a bitter parting; he was the key piece of the deal.
Andrew Christian LaRoche was born September 13, 1983 in Fort Scott, Kansas, the son of former pitcher Dave and brother of first basemen Adam. Like his big bro, he was a star at Fort Scott High - as a catcher.
LaRoche played for Grayson County College where his dad coached and became the top prospect in the wooden-bat Cape Cod League (.326/6/18 in 92 ABs). He gave up the tools of ignorance to play shortstop after being banged up behind the dish.
First drafted in the 21st round by the San Diego Padres in 2002, he turned down their $200K offer and re-entered the draft the following year. Despite breaking a bone in his left leg in a collision, his stock soared and scouts projected him as a first rounder.
But teams were worried about his "signability" since he had turned down the Padres and had a scholarship in his pocket to play for Rice University. He lasted until the 39th round of the 2003 draft when he was taken by the LA Dodgers.
But hey, no problems. He was inked for first round cash, a cool mil.
Questions about his range bumped him from from shortstop to third base, and that's where he played his half-dozen games with the Dodgers' Ogden rookie league team in 2003.
He started the 2004 season with the Class A team in Columbus, hitting .283 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI before being promoted to Vero Beach, where he struggled average-wise, hitting only .237, but still smacked 10 HRs and drove home 34 RBI.
LaRoche acclimated in a hurry. Repeating at Vero Beach in 2005, he hit .333 with 21 HRs and 51 RBI and moved up to the AA Jacksonville Suns, where he batted .273 with 9 HRs and 43 RBI. He was named the Dodgers Minor League Player of the Year.
The 2006 season saw him still at Jacksonville after attending his first Dodger camp. LaRoche hit .309 with 9 HRs and 46 RBI there and was promoted to AAA Las Vegas, where he batted .322 with 10 HRs and 35 RBI.
He broke camp with the big team in 2007. LaRoche made his major league debut on May 6, 2007, against the Atlanta Braves and notched his first hit. But he was sent down to AAA, and a .309/18/48 line in Vegas got him called back up in September.
LaRoche saw some playing time replacing the oft-injured Nomar Garciaparra, and finished his first season with a .226/1/10 line in 115 at-bats. He then played for Team USA during the off-season in the Olympic trials.
In 2008, during a spring training game, LaRoche tore the ulnar collateral ligament of his right thumb during a freak accident; a pickoff toss to third bounced off the runner and the deflection caught him on his throwing hand. LaRoche needed surgery to repair the ligament, which was tore completely off of his thumb.
LaRoche and Garciaparra began the spring fighting for the starting third base job. Both players ended up hurt, and rookie Blake DeWitt won the job through default.
After his rehab was done in early May, LaRoche was optioned to Las Vegas, a vote of confidence for DeWitt. He was recalled in June, but in 27 games hit just .203 with 2 HR. Out of the starting picture, Andy LaRoche was now expendible.
A career .295/.382/.517 minor league hitter who ranked among Baseball America's top 100 prospects from 2005 to 2008, LaRoche was a popular trade item, and became a key piece of the deal to land Manny Ramirez.
On July 31, 2008, LaRoche was traded to the Pirates as part of a three team deal that sent Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Jason Bay to the Boston Red Sox.
He joined his brother Adam in Pittsburgh, but didn't have the same luck with the stick. After hitting .152/3/12 in August and September, LaRoche was already looking like he was overmatched at the dish, although the Pirate FO defended him staunchly and handed him the starting hot corner job in 2009.
LaRoche batted .258 with 12 home runs, five triples, 29 doubles and 64 RBI in 2009. It was a nice, workmanlike season, and his glovework shone under the tutelage of Perry Hill. But a very large shadow was being cast over LaRoche's stay in Pittsburgh, the shadow of Pedro Alvarez.
Not only was Alvarez's time fast approaching, but the brass seemed either clueless or indifferent to LaRoche's future with the team. During the offseason and from 2010 spring training on, the Pirates made no effort to work him anywhere but at the hot corner, even though LaRoche had publicly stated a willingness to return to a middle infield position where his bat would play better.
The Pirates and LaRoche got off to dismal starts in 2010. Pedro got the call to the show on June 16th, and became a fixture at third base. LaRoche started taking balls at second. He ended up playing first, third, and second, but had a disastrous season at the plate, hitting just .206/4/16.
LaRoche went to Venezuela to show he could regain his eye. Instead, he hit .186. Faced with keeping him on the 40-man roster and working out an arbitration deal, Pittsburgh DFA'ed LaRoche, in effect making him a free agent. So what happened?
Maybe the Dodgers saw in 2007-08 that LaRoche had a AAAA bat. Maybe the thumb injury never quite healed 100% and sapped him of his strength as a hitter. Maybe he was just another guy whose power numbers were inflated in the Pacific Coast League.
At any rate, as a MLB player, LaRoche has a line of .224/.304/.338 with 22 HR and 108 RBI in 1228 AB. Now he's hoping to resurrect his career as a utility infielder; St. Louis had some interest in him for that spot back in August. We'll see if they still have an eye on him.
This chapter in Andy LaRoche's career was one that neither he nor Neal Huntington saw coming, and a lesson on why GM's prefer to trade for guys with a track record rather than for prospects.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Farm Fresh - The Hot Corner
Hey, finally a position with a light at the end of the tunnel! If there's one spot that the Pirates have loaded up on in their system, this is it. There are a pair of number one picks and a number three vying for the hot corner, and that *cross our fingers* should translate into some production in a couple of years.
Andy LaRoche - OK, calm down. He leads the list because he's the only one with any MLB experience, as shaky as that may be. Going into 2008, Baseball Prospectus rated him as a five star prospect and the number two youngster in the LA system, behind only Clayton Kershaw. Well, that and $10 will get you a Starbucks latte.
We're willing to write off 2008 as rookie blues and give little LaRoche a clean slate going into the season. But LaRoche is 25, has 111 MLB games under his belt now, and though that's not many reps in the show, it's time for nerves to be replaced with production.
The Pirates have said they'll keep him on a short leash this season, and we'll see if Ramon Vazquez gets any love platooning with him if he has another car wreck at the hot corner. And that's the only alternative right now.
What's he need to do? Well, at the dish he mostly has to regain his patience. LaRoche showed pretty good plate discipline with LA, drawing 54 walks to 68 Ks as a Dodger, but that ratio was 14:30 in Pittsburgh. Still, he is what he is - in the minors, he struck out 14% of the time; in the majors, 16%. Same with walks; he drew them 12% of the time at both levels.
But he has to resist the off speed, off plate, offerings, the bane of all young players, and that's a function of experience and not trying to pull the ball so much. Stepping into the bucket while behind in the count leads to a lot of whiffs and weak dribblers, and that's what happened to LaRoche during his 2008 Pittsburgh audition.
LaRoche isn't going to be a middle of the order guy. Everything in his past points to him being a six hole hitter with maybe a .265-.270, 15 HR and 65 RBI line being his expected contribution to the lineup. Pedro he ain't, at least by GW projections.
Ah, his glove. He looked unmotivated last year, couldn't come in on a ball to save his soul, had the range of Babar, and threw across his body instead of setting up way too often.
This is the area the scouting reports were most divided on; some thought he could play second in a pinch, others flinched at his mitt. It could very well be that his reaction time isn't the greatest, and second might be an easier spot for him to handle.
At any rate, of all the Buc infielders, this is the guy guru Perry Hill will most need to coach up, especially on his footwork. LaRoche is still a project, and he'll be the a prime demonstration of whether the touted Pirate teaching staff can spin some magic or not.
Neil Walker - Walker was the next big thing at third going into 2008, but a draft, a trade, and a down year at Indy have dimmed his star. After tearing up Altoona in 2007, the former 2004 first round draft pick from Pine-Richland settled back to earth with a very so-so year at Indy, though he still easily led the team with 80 RBI.
He's another hopeful that may be a victim of too-high expectations. Walker made the transition from catcher to third pretty well, is a switch-hitter with a little juice (in the 15 HR range), has a knack for driving in runs, fair wheels, and is only 23 years old. Neil's been around so long people forget that he's still sporting peach-fuzz.
His versatility makes him a valuable guy to have around - he may yet end up at first or the outfield - and he was just 22 during most of his first full season of AAA ball. Walker is probably not the third baseman of the future any more, but we suspect he's still a fair-sized piece of the Pirate puzzle heading into the future.
Pedro Alvarez - The savior. We hope all the drama was worth it at the end, but call us old school; we'd like to see him take a professional at bat before kissing his ring. Now that that's off our chest, he should be this year's Matt Weiter. Alvarez is already Pittsburgh's top prospect, and the only questions seem to be when he'll get to the show and whether he'll play first or third base.
Here They All Come - The Pirates are stacked with third base candidates in the lower levels of the system after drafting a small army of the critters in 2008. They all have the same scouting report: hit for a good average, not enough power for a corner position, and field a ground ball like it's a live hand grenade.
Matt Hague is the top of the crop, being rushed into service briefly at State College and then Hickory, where he hit for a nice average and showed a little pop (combined .322/6/32). He could move up a level this year, but he'll probably leave the hot corner for first or the OF. Hague was drafted in the 9th round from Oklahoma State.
Jeremy Farrell was Pittsburgh's 8th round selection from Virginia, and played at State College (.287/1/23). He struck out every four at bats and fielded terribly at third, though his time was split between the corners, and he showed much better leather at first.
Matthew Payne was a late round pick from NC State and spent the year at State College (.278/0/12). He played some outfield, and like Farrell, was a sub-.900 fielder at third base.
Bobby Spain was a mid-round selection from Oklahoma City U., an NAIA school, in 2007 and after a hot start (.312/5/43), missed most of Hickory's season with a broken wrist. He earned a spot on the Sally League All-Stars, and seems the most likely to hold on to his position somewhere behind Pedro. At least his glove work breaks the .900 mark - he had a .901 fielding percentage.
Expect a lot of shuffling in the organization regarding the hot corner. Where Alvarez plays and how quickly he advances will impact some careers, and the sheer number of infielders the Pirates drafted in 2008 will morph a couple of middle infield types to third with today's third basemen heading to first or the OF, a pair of spots that badly need shored up in the bushes.
The position is top heavy with prospects - a good thing - and allows the suits some time to decide on players' talents and their best positions at the lower levels.
Andy LaRoche - OK, calm down. He leads the list because he's the only one with any MLB experience, as shaky as that may be. Going into 2008, Baseball Prospectus rated him as a five star prospect and the number two youngster in the LA system, behind only Clayton Kershaw. Well, that and $10 will get you a Starbucks latte.
We're willing to write off 2008 as rookie blues and give little LaRoche a clean slate going into the season. But LaRoche is 25, has 111 MLB games under his belt now, and though that's not many reps in the show, it's time for nerves to be replaced with production.
The Pirates have said they'll keep him on a short leash this season, and we'll see if Ramon Vazquez gets any love platooning with him if he has another car wreck at the hot corner. And that's the only alternative right now.
What's he need to do? Well, at the dish he mostly has to regain his patience. LaRoche showed pretty good plate discipline with LA, drawing 54 walks to 68 Ks as a Dodger, but that ratio was 14:30 in Pittsburgh. Still, he is what he is - in the minors, he struck out 14% of the time; in the majors, 16%. Same with walks; he drew them 12% of the time at both levels.
But he has to resist the off speed, off plate, offerings, the bane of all young players, and that's a function of experience and not trying to pull the ball so much. Stepping into the bucket while behind in the count leads to a lot of whiffs and weak dribblers, and that's what happened to LaRoche during his 2008 Pittsburgh audition.
LaRoche isn't going to be a middle of the order guy. Everything in his past points to him being a six hole hitter with maybe a .265-.270, 15 HR and 65 RBI line being his expected contribution to the lineup. Pedro he ain't, at least by GW projections.
Ah, his glove. He looked unmotivated last year, couldn't come in on a ball to save his soul, had the range of Babar, and threw across his body instead of setting up way too often.
This is the area the scouting reports were most divided on; some thought he could play second in a pinch, others flinched at his mitt. It could very well be that his reaction time isn't the greatest, and second might be an easier spot for him to handle.
At any rate, of all the Buc infielders, this is the guy guru Perry Hill will most need to coach up, especially on his footwork. LaRoche is still a project, and he'll be the a prime demonstration of whether the touted Pirate teaching staff can spin some magic or not.
Neil Walker - Walker was the next big thing at third going into 2008, but a draft, a trade, and a down year at Indy have dimmed his star. After tearing up Altoona in 2007, the former 2004 first round draft pick from Pine-Richland settled back to earth with a very so-so year at Indy, though he still easily led the team with 80 RBI.
He's another hopeful that may be a victim of too-high expectations. Walker made the transition from catcher to third pretty well, is a switch-hitter with a little juice (in the 15 HR range), has a knack for driving in runs, fair wheels, and is only 23 years old. Neil's been around so long people forget that he's still sporting peach-fuzz.
His versatility makes him a valuable guy to have around - he may yet end up at first or the outfield - and he was just 22 during most of his first full season of AAA ball. Walker is probably not the third baseman of the future any more, but we suspect he's still a fair-sized piece of the Pirate puzzle heading into the future.
Pedro Alvarez - The savior. We hope all the drama was worth it at the end, but call us old school; we'd like to see him take a professional at bat before kissing his ring. Now that that's off our chest, he should be this year's Matt Weiter. Alvarez is already Pittsburgh's top prospect, and the only questions seem to be when he'll get to the show and whether he'll play first or third base.
Here They All Come - The Pirates are stacked with third base candidates in the lower levels of the system after drafting a small army of the critters in 2008. They all have the same scouting report: hit for a good average, not enough power for a corner position, and field a ground ball like it's a live hand grenade.
Matt Hague is the top of the crop, being rushed into service briefly at State College and then Hickory, where he hit for a nice average and showed a little pop (combined .322/6/32). He could move up a level this year, but he'll probably leave the hot corner for first or the OF. Hague was drafted in the 9th round from Oklahoma State.
Jeremy Farrell was Pittsburgh's 8th round selection from Virginia, and played at State College (.287/1/23). He struck out every four at bats and fielded terribly at third, though his time was split between the corners, and he showed much better leather at first.
Matthew Payne was a late round pick from NC State and spent the year at State College (.278/0/12). He played some outfield, and like Farrell, was a sub-.900 fielder at third base.
Bobby Spain was a mid-round selection from Oklahoma City U., an NAIA school, in 2007 and after a hot start (.312/5/43), missed most of Hickory's season with a broken wrist. He earned a spot on the Sally League All-Stars, and seems the most likely to hold on to his position somewhere behind Pedro. At least his glove work breaks the .900 mark - he had a .901 fielding percentage.
Expect a lot of shuffling in the organization regarding the hot corner. Where Alvarez plays and how quickly he advances will impact some careers, and the sheer number of infielders the Pirates drafted in 2008 will morph a couple of middle infield types to third with today's third basemen heading to first or the OF, a pair of spots that badly need shored up in the bushes.
The position is top heavy with prospects - a good thing - and allows the suits some time to decide on players' talents and their best positions at the lower levels.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Bad Day to be a Buc
Imagine GW's surprise when arriving home from PNC to find out not only had the Pirates lost the ballgame but Pedro, too. Let it rain...
First, the ballgame. Nicely pitched by Zach Duke and Jason Marquis. The game was decided in the seventh on two bunts and a well-placed double.
Reed Johnson led off with a bunt single to the left side of the diamond, right after Andy LaRoche had dropped back after playing him tight, we would guess on the bench's command. Mark DeRosa followed by doubling down the line.
With the infield in, Ronny Cedano hit a soft roller to third. LaRoche had an iffy play at plate, and took the sure out at first. We're not sure we agree that was the right choice given the circumstances, but c'est la vie. Then Henry Blanco popped up a safety squeeze, dropping it in a step beyond Duke and stopping fair by a ball's width.
Two manufactured runs, and that was the ballgame. You won't win many with five hits anyway, although early on the Pirates stranded a pair at third with two down. But Raul Chavez' lead-off single in the fifth would be the last hit for Pittsburgh.
We did see enough in person of Andy LaRoche to confirm that he's gonna be a project at third base, after seeing reports all over the board on his fielding. We're not too concerned about his bat. Once he relaxes, it'll come around.
But he doesn't seem to be very instinctive or reactive at the hot corner, he doesn't range far afield, and we were surprised he didn't trip over himself a couple of times with his watusi footwork. He does have a nice arm.
Correctable faults? To a degree, but we don't ever see him as becoming more than an average fielding third baseman at best. His lumber will have to carry him, and that's not at all uncommon on the corner.
The Pirates made a roster move before the game, adding RHP Jesse Chavez to both the 40-man (Phil Dumatrait was placed on the 60-day DL) and active rosters, and sending Craig Hansen to Indy for a few days. He pitched a scoreless ninth, featuring a Chavez-to-Chavez battery.
Now on to the big news, the Boras claim that Pedro's contract is invalid because it was filed after midnight. This may not have much to do with Pittsburgh, but with the draft system as it currently exists.
He's always felt the deadline worked to managements' advantage, and if his goal is to stretch it out or perhaps dismantle the whole thing, his groundwork will be laid out in arbitration, with an eye towards the next contract.
Then again, it could and probably does have everything to do with Boras telling prospective clients that he was going to get the biggest bonus of the draft for his guys. Gotta protect that SBC (Scott Boras Corporation) brand name.
Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com wrote "According to one source familiar with the dissension, Boras is believed to be asking that the Pirates pay another $200,000 in addition to the agreed upon $6 million. Doing so would ensure that Alvarez joined Buster Posey as the highest paid player in the Draft."
The Player's Union is involved, too, and their participation will be on the contractual issue of the midnight deadlines and a wink-wink agreement to process late paperwork in violation of the Basic Agreement. It's not a strong case as we understand, but the MLBPA is the mechanism Boras chose to press his case.
We were always a bit concerned about the whole "e-mail the contract to the League unsigned" scenario legally. The Bucs never claimed that the entire contract was in by midnight, just that its basic agreed-upon structure was presented in a "timely manner." Now we'll find out what an arbitrator thinks of the process.
(Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has a good piece with the history and legalities of the situation at The Alvarez Saga)
A third very-out-there possibility is that there are other forces at work that we're unaware of. What if, for example, Alvarez is hurt in some fashion?
There's nothing to suggest this scenario except Alvarez' reluctance to show up Pittsburgh, but if he is damaged goods, Boras has gained him another month (August 15 - September 10, the earliest arbitration date) to recover and pass his minor league physical, the last step of approving his contract.
In any case, don't look for the Pirates, along with many other teams, to deal with Boras again without a gun held to their heads. If a deal's not a deal, what's the point?
First, the ballgame. Nicely pitched by Zach Duke and Jason Marquis. The game was decided in the seventh on two bunts and a well-placed double.
Reed Johnson led off with a bunt single to the left side of the diamond, right after Andy LaRoche had dropped back after playing him tight, we would guess on the bench's command. Mark DeRosa followed by doubling down the line.
With the infield in, Ronny Cedano hit a soft roller to third. LaRoche had an iffy play at plate, and took the sure out at first. We're not sure we agree that was the right choice given the circumstances, but c'est la vie. Then Henry Blanco popped up a safety squeeze, dropping it in a step beyond Duke and stopping fair by a ball's width.
Two manufactured runs, and that was the ballgame. You won't win many with five hits anyway, although early on the Pirates stranded a pair at third with two down. But Raul Chavez' lead-off single in the fifth would be the last hit for Pittsburgh.
We did see enough in person of Andy LaRoche to confirm that he's gonna be a project at third base, after seeing reports all over the board on his fielding. We're not too concerned about his bat. Once he relaxes, it'll come around.
But he doesn't seem to be very instinctive or reactive at the hot corner, he doesn't range far afield, and we were surprised he didn't trip over himself a couple of times with his watusi footwork. He does have a nice arm.
Correctable faults? To a degree, but we don't ever see him as becoming more than an average fielding third baseman at best. His lumber will have to carry him, and that's not at all uncommon on the corner.
The Pirates made a roster move before the game, adding RHP Jesse Chavez to both the 40-man (Phil Dumatrait was placed on the 60-day DL) and active rosters, and sending Craig Hansen to Indy for a few days. He pitched a scoreless ninth, featuring a Chavez-to-Chavez battery.
Now on to the big news, the Boras claim that Pedro's contract is invalid because it was filed after midnight. This may not have much to do with Pittsburgh, but with the draft system as it currently exists.
He's always felt the deadline worked to managements' advantage, and if his goal is to stretch it out or perhaps dismantle the whole thing, his groundwork will be laid out in arbitration, with an eye towards the next contract.
Then again, it could and probably does have everything to do with Boras telling prospective clients that he was going to get the biggest bonus of the draft for his guys. Gotta protect that SBC (Scott Boras Corporation) brand name.
Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com wrote "According to one source familiar with the dissension, Boras is believed to be asking that the Pirates pay another $200,000 in addition to the agreed upon $6 million. Doing so would ensure that Alvarez joined Buster Posey as the highest paid player in the Draft."
The Player's Union is involved, too, and their participation will be on the contractual issue of the midnight deadlines and a wink-wink agreement to process late paperwork in violation of the Basic Agreement. It's not a strong case as we understand, but the MLBPA is the mechanism Boras chose to press his case.
We were always a bit concerned about the whole "e-mail the contract to the League unsigned" scenario legally. The Bucs never claimed that the entire contract was in by midnight, just that its basic agreed-upon structure was presented in a "timely manner." Now we'll find out what an arbitrator thinks of the process.
(Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has a good piece with the history and legalities of the situation at The Alvarez Saga)
A third very-out-there possibility is that there are other forces at work that we're unaware of. What if, for example, Alvarez is hurt in some fashion?
There's nothing to suggest this scenario except Alvarez' reluctance to show up Pittsburgh, but if he is damaged goods, Boras has gained him another month (August 15 - September 10, the earliest arbitration date) to recover and pass his minor league physical, the last step of approving his contract.
In any case, don't look for the Pirates, along with many other teams, to deal with Boras again without a gun held to their heads. If a deal's not a deal, what's the point?
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Jay Bay, Bosox Bound
The Bucs wrangled right up to the deadline, putting together all sorts of Jay Bay configurations in an effort to land a top notch pitching prospect from the Marlins or Tampa.
After an exasperating night and day, they finally pulled the trigger, but with Boston and LA, in a 3-way deal.
The Pirates ended up with 3B Andy LaRoche, Adam's bro, OF Brandon Moss, and RHPs Craig Hansen and Bryan Morris. LaRoche, Moss and Hansen will join the Pirates for their game tomorrow in Chicago. Morris will be assigned to Class A Hickory.
> Brandon Moss, 24, an 8th round pick in 2002, is an athletic outfielder with a good arm that hits to all fields. He has slightly above average speed, and is supposed to be a solid fielder that plays the game right. It looks like they plan to plug him into Bay's LF spot.
The lefty Moss is still a work in progress, ala Steve Pearce, in that he switched from first to the OF in late 2007. In the past couple of years with the Red Sox, he's garnered 103 AB's, with a .291 average, 2 HR's, 12 RBI, 10 BB's and 31 K's. You can also count on him going down on strikes every 3 or 4 at bats.
> RHP Craig Hansen, 24, has a fastball that clocks at about 92-93 mph and touches 97. He also has a high-80s slider, which sometimes disappears. But he also struggles by getting behind early in counts. Hansen will fit right in at Pittsburgh that way.
He was used purely out of the pen by Boston, and will go as far as his command takes him. Hansen's arm is live enough to close if he can find the plate often enough.
He spent the last three years with the Sox, and was called into 74 games, covering 71-2/3 innings. Hansen had a 3-5 record and 6.15 ERA over that time. He's 1-3 with 2 saves and a 5.58 ERA in 2008.
> Bryan Morris, 21, is a RHP drafted in the first round by the Dodgers in 2005 out of junior college, and Scout.com has him ranked as LA's #11 prospect. He has a 93 MPH heater that sinks and an above average curve.
Morris underwent Tommy John surgery on Sept. 28, 2006, and just came back this season, pitching for the A Great Lake Loons. He's 2-4 with a 4.00 ERA and 1.29 WHIP as a starter there, and still obviously needs to build up arm strength.
He's projected by most baseball gurus as having middle of the rotation talent.
> Baseball Prospectus has RH Andy LaRoche, 24, listed as the Dodger's #2 prospect and a five star player. He's gotten 152 at bats in LA the past two seasons, hitting .216 with 3 HR's and 16 RBI. LaRoche has got a pretty good eye, K'ing 31 times and walking 30.
In March, LaRoche tore the ulnar collateral ligament of his right thumb, and was on the DL until May, just enough time to allow Blake DeWitt to bump him from the hot corner. To further crowd the position, Casey Blake came over from the Indians.
LaRoche showed some decent power in the minors, but hasn't flashed that muscle in the bigs. LA hasn't really given him much chance to strut his stuff.
It makes us kinda wonder just how far apart Pedro and the Bucs are in signing that contract, and if LaRoche isn't here as an insurance policy, or perhaps leverage to apply some pressure on Scott Boras.
He was drafted as a SS, so it's not a great leap of imagination to see him converted to 2B if the hot corner gets glutted.
All in all, better than the package deals floated in the past 24 hours. Pittsburgh got a couple of mid-level MLB players in Moss and Hansen - Boston got away cheap - and some slightly damaged but upside talent from LA with LaRoche and Morris.
And Pittsburgh kept Jack Splat and John Grabow around to fight for another day. So the Pirates still have their field captain and avoid another hit on the bullpen.
Still, it's disappointing to see the three heavy hitters leave town without an elite arm coming back. The suits did stick to their guns though, and wouldn't come down in price for Tampa or Florida.
Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors.com:
The deal necessitated some housecleaning by the Pirates.
To clear space on the 25-man roster, the Pirates optioned SS Brian Bixler back to Indy and DFA'ed RHP Frankie Osoria. CF Chris Duffy was also DFA'ed to make room on the 40-man roster. We were hoping to get something from, or at least for, him, but injuries and Nate McLouth dimmed his star.
After an exasperating night and day, they finally pulled the trigger, but with Boston and LA, in a 3-way deal.
The Pirates ended up with 3B Andy LaRoche, Adam's bro, OF Brandon Moss, and RHPs Craig Hansen and Bryan Morris. LaRoche, Moss and Hansen will join the Pirates for their game tomorrow in Chicago. Morris will be assigned to Class A Hickory.
> Brandon Moss, 24, an 8th round pick in 2002, is an athletic outfielder with a good arm that hits to all fields. He has slightly above average speed, and is supposed to be a solid fielder that plays the game right. It looks like they plan to plug him into Bay's LF spot.
The lefty Moss is still a work in progress, ala Steve Pearce, in that he switched from first to the OF in late 2007. In the past couple of years with the Red Sox, he's garnered 103 AB's, with a .291 average, 2 HR's, 12 RBI, 10 BB's and 31 K's. You can also count on him going down on strikes every 3 or 4 at bats.
> RHP Craig Hansen, 24, has a fastball that clocks at about 92-93 mph and touches 97. He also has a high-80s slider, which sometimes disappears. But he also struggles by getting behind early in counts. Hansen will fit right in at Pittsburgh that way.
He was used purely out of the pen by Boston, and will go as far as his command takes him. Hansen's arm is live enough to close if he can find the plate often enough.
He spent the last three years with the Sox, and was called into 74 games, covering 71-2/3 innings. Hansen had a 3-5 record and 6.15 ERA over that time. He's 1-3 with 2 saves and a 5.58 ERA in 2008.
> Bryan Morris, 21, is a RHP drafted in the first round by the Dodgers in 2005 out of junior college, and Scout.com has him ranked as LA's #11 prospect. He has a 93 MPH heater that sinks and an above average curve.
Morris underwent Tommy John surgery on Sept. 28, 2006, and just came back this season, pitching for the A Great Lake Loons. He's 2-4 with a 4.00 ERA and 1.29 WHIP as a starter there, and still obviously needs to build up arm strength.
He's projected by most baseball gurus as having middle of the rotation talent.
> Baseball Prospectus has RH Andy LaRoche, 24, listed as the Dodger's #2 prospect and a five star player. He's gotten 152 at bats in LA the past two seasons, hitting .216 with 3 HR's and 16 RBI. LaRoche has got a pretty good eye, K'ing 31 times and walking 30.
In March, LaRoche tore the ulnar collateral ligament of his right thumb, and was on the DL until May, just enough time to allow Blake DeWitt to bump him from the hot corner. To further crowd the position, Casey Blake came over from the Indians.
LaRoche showed some decent power in the minors, but hasn't flashed that muscle in the bigs. LA hasn't really given him much chance to strut his stuff.
It makes us kinda wonder just how far apart Pedro and the Bucs are in signing that contract, and if LaRoche isn't here as an insurance policy, or perhaps leverage to apply some pressure on Scott Boras.
He was drafted as a SS, so it's not a great leap of imagination to see him converted to 2B if the hot corner gets glutted.
All in all, better than the package deals floated in the past 24 hours. Pittsburgh got a couple of mid-level MLB players in Moss and Hansen - Boston got away cheap - and some slightly damaged but upside talent from LA with LaRoche and Morris.
And Pittsburgh kept Jack Splat and John Grabow around to fight for another day. So the Pirates still have their field captain and avoid another hit on the bullpen.
Still, it's disappointing to see the three heavy hitters leave town without an elite arm coming back. The suits did stick to their guns though, and wouldn't come down in price for Tampa or Florida.
Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors.com:
For 1.3 years of Bay, the Pirates receive LaRoche, Morris, Hansen, and Moss. Moss becomes the regular left fielder, LaRoche takes over at third until Pedro Alvarez is ready. When that happens, they might have a good problem on their hands. Future Pirates' outfield: Moss, McCutchen, McLouth. The pitchers are a couple of live arms at this point.
The deal necessitated some housecleaning by the Pirates.
To clear space on the 25-man roster, the Pirates optioned SS Brian Bixler back to Indy and DFA'ed RHP Frankie Osoria. CF Chris Duffy was also DFA'ed to make room on the 40-man roster. We were hoping to get something from, or at least for, him, but injuries and Nate McLouth dimmed his star.
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