Cubbie Pre-Game

-- Andrew McCutchen and Andy LaRoche will bat 1-2 for the Bucs tonight; the middle of the order will be Garrett Jones, Ryan Doumit, and Lastings Milledge. The table-setting duo have 115 RBI; the trio forming the heart of the lineup have 96.

Sound a little backwards to you?

-- Get over yesterday's hoo-hah. The storylines should be the Bucs took 3 out of 4 from LA, Andy LaRoche went Pops on his old team mates, and Zach Duke pitched great, not that JR had a brain cramp.

In spite of what Russell said, our best guess is that he planned to keep the Zachster in until he lost the shutout; there just happened to be two outs in the ninth before that happened. JR should have taken that into consideration, but he didn't, and oh well.

The pitching coach, Joe Kerrigan, agreed with the call, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Post Gazette. Hopefully, it results in more giggles than poison in the locker room.

-- The guy the Bucs have been hot after, Miguel Angel Sano, is signing with the Twins for $3.15M, according to Baseball America. Word was that his agent, Rob Plummer, and the Pirates involved, Neal Huntington and Rene Gayo, got along like a mongoose and a couple of cobras.

The international bazaar is like the Wild West; maybe it's time for MLB to negotiate with the union for a universal draft. Besides all the dirty laundry, the kids that get drafted outside the first round are taking a financial drubbing compared to open market teens.

-- DK got the Boss Man, Bud Selig, on record as saying he keeps an eye on everyone's books, and he's 100% behind the way the Bucco suits are spreading the cash around.

-- They come, they go. Joe Kerrigan said he'd be back in 2010; Rich Donnelly won't be. The Pirates plan to replace Donnelly with a assistant pitching coach to serve as Kerrigan's heir apparent.

-- RHP Anthony Claggett, just picked up from the Evil Empire, passed his Bradenton test and was added to the active roster.

-- Yesterday's win was the first time in five weeks that Pittsburgh has taken back-to-back victories. It also eliminated the Pirates from the Bryce Harper sweepstakes. The No. 1 pick will again go to the Washington Nationals in next June's draft.

The Pirates and Baltimore are still battling for the #2 spot. Pittsburgh had 59 wins, the O's have 60.

-- For all the talk of building from the bottom up, Pittsburgh only got one player on the short-season New York-Penn League's Baseball America Top Twenty, State College RHP Victor Black.

He was the Bucs' 49th pick in the draft, a supplemental first rounder from Dallas Baptist. Black went 1-2 for the Spikes, with a 3.45 ERA and 33 K's in 31-1/3 innings.

The Boys...

OK, day off. With call-ups a week or two away, we thought it would be a good time to peek at the system. This list consists of the all the new guys that arrived via trade and the home-grown prospects:

-- RHP Nate Adcock (from Seattle) The 21 year-old is 3-0 at Lynchburg. In 14 innings, he's got an ERA of 3.21 with 10Ks and 4 walks.
-- RHP Tim Alderson (from San Francisco) The 20 year-old (he'll be 21 in November) has a combined 8-1 record with a 3.57 ERA in AA. He's started 17 times, gone 93-1/3 innings, and walked 21 while striking out 60.
-- 3B Pedro Alvarez (first round - 2008) The 22 year-old lefty has a line of .330-10-32 at Altoona; combined with Lynchburg's stats, he's .283-24-87.
-- 1B Calvin Anderson (twelfth round - 2008) At 22, Anderson is raw, but the 6-7 first sacker is hitting .282-12-61 at West Virginia, good power numbers for an A batter.
-- 1B Jeff Clement (from Seattle) The man without a glove, he'll come up in September and let Perry Hill teach him a little first base. The 26 year-old's combined AAA line is .280-21-88, and he's one of the very few Pirate power bats in the system.
-- SS Chase d'Arnaud (fourth round - 2008) In his first full season, the 22 year-old is hitting .285-6-54 between West Virginia and Lynchburg.
-- SS Argenis Diaz (from Boston) The 22 year-old Venezuelan better have a great glove. He's hitting .196 with 2 RBI at Indy, and doesn't have an extra-base knock in 28 games. His OBP is .260, and so far hasn't been much to write home about.
-- C Robinzon Diaz (from Toronto) After a cup of coffee in Pittsburgh (.295-1-18), he's the third catcher, and batting .275-3-14 at Indy. He'll be 26 in mid-September.
-- 2B Shelby Ford (third round - 2006) Ford was a fast tracker until he landed in Indy this season, where he hit a sickly .188. The 24 year-old is at Altoona now, where he's batting .260. Ford injured his wrist in Florida, so it's to be seen if this is an injury bump or if he hit the wall at AAA.
-- SS Brian Friday (third round - 2007) The 23 year-old has questions about his bat and durability. He's hitting .262-7-38 at Altoona, with a good eye and a .363 career OBP.
-- CF Robbie Grossman (sixth round - 2008) He's doing OK for a kid that was playing high school ball last year, with a .268-5-41 line at West Virginia. The switch-hitter has stolen 32 bases in 43 tries. He'll turn 20 in the middle of September.
-- IF Josh Harrison (from Chicago) The 22 year-old Harrison is now at Lynchburg, and has a combined .319-6-54 line with three teams. The fireplug has stolen 30 of 41 bases. He's played second, third and in left field, and is being groomed as a MLB utility guy.
-- 1B Matt Hague (ninth round - 2008) The 24 year-old is hitting .289-5-45 for Lynchburg.
-- CF Gorkys Hernandez (from Atlanta) He's hitting .256 at Altoona; his combined AA line is .282-3-42. Hernandez has stolen 17 bases in 30 tries, a mere 57% success rate. The Venezuelan is a highly regarded prospect who won't turn 22 for another ten days.
-- C Steve Lerud (third round - 2003) Lerud was thought of highly enough to be placed on the 40-man roster, but now is looking up at a slew of catchers. The 24 year-old lefty is hitting .247-3-22 at Altoona.
-- RHP Brad Lincoln (first round - 2006) After pitching lights out at Altoona, he's finding life not so sweet at Indy. The 24 year-old is 4-2 with a 5.72 ERA. In 50-1/3 innings, he has walked 10, and struck out 31.
-- LHP Jeff Locke (from Atlanta) Locke is 3-4 with a 4.69 ERA at Lynchburg. In 63-1/3 innings, he's struck out 42 and walked 16. Locke will be 22 in November.
-- RHP Brett Lorin (from Seattle) The 22 year-old lefty starter has pitched well in A this year, with a 5-5 slate, 2.44 ERA, and 100 K's and 33 walks in 107 innings.
-- CF Starling Marte (free agent) After a strong year in the Dominican league, marte's doing even better in the states. He's hitting .319-2-28 with 20 stolen bases in 27 attempts. Marte will turn 21 in October.
-- RHP Daniel McCutchen (from New York Yankees) He's the ace of the Indy staff, with a 13-6 record and 3.36 ERA. McCutch has struck out 110 and walked 24 in 136-2/3 innings. He's likely to come up in September, if he doesn't opt to play for the US. McCutchen will be 27 in late September.
-- SS Jordy Mercer (third round - 2008) The Bucs drafted him for his bat, and haven't been disappointed. He's hitting .254-8-70 for Lynchburg. mercer will be 23 this week.
-- RHP Quinton Miller (twentieth round - 2008) Drafted out of high school, he pitched well for short season State College, but has found the going a little rougher in West Virginia. He's 2-3 with a 5.49 ERA, and 27 Ks and 18 base on balls in 41 innings in A. But he's got time to master some control; he won't be 20 until November.
-- RHP Bryan Morris (from Los Angeles Dodgers) This has been a lost year for the 22 year-old Morris. Coming off injuries and a suspension, he's pitched well his last couple of starts, but his numbers are 4-6 with a 4.94 ERA, and 27 Ks and 24 walks in 58-1/3 innings.
-- LHP Danny Moskos (first round - 2007) Yah, yah, Matt Weiter, we know. The 23 year-old lefty has been transformed into a starter, and he's 10-9 with a 3.78 ERA at Altoona. He's pitched 131 frames, and walked 53 and K'ed 62. That's way too few strikeouts and high on the walk rate, too.
-- IF Jim Negrych (sixth round - 2006) Altoona's Negrych is out for the rest of the year. In 92 games, he hit .272-3-30. The 24 year-old Pitt grad is considered a Delwyn Young lite. He's a career .308 batter without a position to call his own.
-- LHP Rudy Owens (twenty-eighth round - 2006) The 21 year-old lefty burst on the scene this year. He's a combined 11-2 at West Virginia and Lynchburg, with a 1.89 ERA and in 119 innings, has struck out 110 and walked just 16 while holding opponents to a .212 BA. He's approaching his inning limit and won't work much in the final couple of weeks for the Hillcats.
-- RHP Aaron Pribanic (from Seattle) He's a combined 9-7 in A ball with a 3.11 ERA. Pribanic has gone 107 innings with 64 Ks and 29 walks, another guy with an iffy strikeout ratio. He'll be 23 next week.
-- C Tony Sanchez (first round - 2009) Hey, looks like a bargain so far. The 21 year-old is hitting .339-6-39 at West Virginia, and is the only 2009 draftee to start off in the regular minors.
-- RHP Hunter Strickland (from Boston): Strickland is a combined 8-5 with a 3.15 ERA in A ball, with 66 strikeouts and 16 walks in 111-1/3 innings. He'll turn 21 at the end of September.
-- OF Jose Tabata (from New York Yankees) The 21 year-old Venezuelan is hitting .333 at Indy in 18 games. He's shown little power, but hit over .300 at Altoona before being promoted and recovered nicely from the media storm his wife caused earlier in the season. The Bucs don't appear ready to call him up yet.
-- RHP Ron Uviedo (free agent) The 22 year-old Venezuelan (he'll be 23 in October) was added to the 40-man roster. He's being converted from the bullpen to a starter, and is 5-5 with a 3.53 ERA at Lynchburg, with 73 strikeouts and 23 walks in 89-1/3 innings.
-- 3B Neil Walker (first round - 2004) The switch-hitter is heating up now, after having another terrible start. His line is .255-12-62 at Indy. He'll turn 24 on 9/10. Walker is expected to join the big club in September.
-- LHP Justin Wilson (fifth round - 2008) The 22 year-old lefty has a 6-7 record and 4.33 ERA at Lynchburg, and has been pitching much better down the stretch as he's getting acclimated to the pro game. In 108 innings, he has 89 K and 48 walks, so he still has some command issues to work out.

Two things struck us. First, the prosepcts are very young; they won't be arriving at PNC for awhile. And secondly, for a team that loves big hulking hurlers, there are quite a few guys with less than sparkling strikeout rates.

It doesn't seem like the Pirates will call many guys up this September. Half of Indy is already on the Pirate roster, and no use starting the clock too soon. Our uneducated guess is that Clement, Diaz, Walker, probably McCutchen and Eric Hacker will get the call.

The Path Chosen...

Here's the Bucs first ten draft picks (* - high school): 1, Tony Sanchez, C, $2.5M; 1-Supplemental, Victor Black, RHP, $717K; 2, Brooks Pounders*, RHP, $670K; 3, Evan Chambers, OF, $423K; 4, Zack Dodson*, LHP, $600K; 5, Nate Baker, LHP, $176K; 6, Zach Von Rosenberg*, RHP, $1.2M; 7, Trent Stevenson*, RHP, $350K; 8, Colton Cain*, LHP, $1.125M; and 9, Brock Holt, 2B, $125K.

That's $7.881M spent on the top ten selections from a $10M budget. They have another eleven guys signed, and a little less than $2M left in the draft kitty.

The other signees: 11, Aaron Baker, 1B; 13, Walker Gourley*, SS, $115K; 18, Ryan Beckman, RHP; 21, Phillip Irwin, RHP; 23, Jose Hernandez, OF; 24, Jason Erickson, RHP; 30, Ty Summerlin, SS; 33, Pat Irvine, OF; 34, Zac Fuesser (JC), LHP, $125K; 42, Marc Baca, RHP; 43, Edward Fallon, RHP.

The Pirates have room for a couple more signees; Neal Huntington said they may end up with 1-3 more players.

This year, they had the advantage of not tying up so much of the budget in one player, as they did when they signed Pedro Alvarez for $6M in bonus sugar.

So they targeted they number one commodity in baseball, pitchers. Seven of their top ten picks were spent on arms, and five of them were high school hurlers. And they needed some pitching; Quinton Miller and Justin Wilson are they only two pitchers drafted last year that have a pedigree.

That's the good news. The bad news is even if they guessed right on the youngsters this year, they're all a long way from PNC. Tony Sanchez is the only 2009 draftee to make it to A ball this year. He's zoomed past Andrew Walker at West Virginia, and has Kris Watts and Steve Lerud, at Lynchburg and Altoona, squarely in his sights.

After him, a handful of players are getting their feet wet at short-season State College. Two of them are pitchers, Nate Baker and Victor Black. The others are Aaron Baker, Evan Chambers, Jose Hernandez, Pat Irvine, and Ty Summerlin. None are setting the world afire.

The rest are in the Gulf Coast Rookie League or Florida Instructional League. That's not a surprise, considering how young the class is. But what it does is illustrate why the suits have dumped the MLB team for upper level prospects.

Except for Alvarez, none of the past two draft classes have players that have advanced beyond High A Lynchburg, and that's where they should be at this stage of the careers. But it leaves Altoona and Indy terribly barren of players, and that's what the management chose to address.

If the 2008-09 draft classes pan out (and that's no sure thing), they should start landing in the bigs between 2012-2014, maybe later.

That left the new bosses two options. First, they could wait for the gap between the upper and lower levels to fill in over the years and tie up the roster they inherited, with a free agent or two, until 2013.

Or they could blow up the team for prospects and try to patch the feeder system first, knowing that the MLB product would suffer for two or three seasons. Both choices are iffy propositions.

For better or worse, they decided that the core they were given wouldn't cut it for one more contract, so they opted for Plan B.

The risk with hanging on to the old team was that they had shown no aptitude for winning games and were perilously thin in pitching.

The risk with the prospect route is that you can't be sure that the kids, no matter their upside, will ever develop. You also run a very real chance that the MLB team will have defeatism ingrained in it if its not competitive while waiting for help. And there is that fan thingie...

Well, we know the road they chose. And in 2012, we'll find out if its the right path.

How'd they get to this precarious position? Ted Keith of SI's Inside Baseball starts his column off with this:

"...the most dedicated fans in baseball trudge...into a... gorgeous ballpark that hosts an annually ugly team. It must be the ballpark, and the view and the misplaced hope of success that is drawing those fans each night, because it sure isn't the baseball."

He goes on to cover the moves over the past 17 years that have made the Pirates the Pirates.

The Morning After

OK, the best DP combo the Bucs have had since Maz and Dick Groat have moved on after a couple of weeks of drama. How does that situate the Pirates in both the short and long term?

In the immediate future, GW doesn't see a huge dropoff. Delwyn Young will hit as well as Freddy, and Ronny Cedeno will field almost as well as Jack Splat.

But there's no doubt the team will be a little weaker; Young may or may not become competent at a position he hasn't played regularly since 2005, and Cedeno is in an 0-for-26 funk coming to Pittsburgh. So both the offense and defense both take a hit.

But it shouldn't send the team into a death spiral. People bemoan the loss of leadership; we say it's time the diaper dandies take control of their destinies; if there was any question that it's their team now, yesterday dispelled that notion.

What there is little doubt of is that the team won't be feeling its oats until 2012, when the puppies that Neal Huntington has in the minor league kennel start to show their fangs.

The team is still thin in starting pitching, and he addressed that by picking up Tim Alderson. He's highly thought of, but he's young and has a barely discernible K-rate. But he's projected to be a middle-of-the-pack starter, and the Pirates needed an arm like that in the upper levels of the organization badly.

He also added three guys at the A level, and that's an infusion that was way overdue. Maybe one will make it to PNC, maybe not, but at least he did something to add some hope to the mix. Rudy Owens is overachieving; Bryan Morris, Jeffrey Locke, Justin Wilson, and Quinton Miller aren't.

It does look as if they've gotten a couple of kids with a shot to rise to the top in this year's draft, but they're years away.

Jeff Clements may or may not become the next Ryan Doumit. His college power hasn't translated into pro ball, but he's still capable of 15-20 MLB homers, and being a lefty at PNC doesn't hurt.

But the catcher has a bad case of the dropsies in the field, and his surgically repaired knees don't seem to indicate a long shelf life behind the dish. The Bucs will try him there and at first. Otherwise, they'll just bundle him up and ship him to the junior circuit as a DH.

All in all, nothing to get excited about, at least for a couple of seasons. The dynamic duo brought back a couple of prospects, and only time will provide the answer to their potential.

Another AAA Infielder

The suits signed Ruben Gotay, a 27-year old utility infielder, to a minor league contract today. In parts of four seasons, he's a lifetime .255 hitter, and about a league average second baseman, where he's spent the vast majority of his playing time.

Gotay has a couple of tenuous Pirate ties - he was traded in 2006 to the Mets by KC for old Bucco farmhand Jeff Keppinger, now a Red, and his uncle Julio Gotay had a couple cups of coffee with Pittsburgh in 1963-64. He'll report to the minor league camp in Bradenton, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Post Gazette.

Our question is whassup with this move? The Bucs have really stocked up on infielders: holdovers Brian Bixler and Luis Cruz from Indy, to be joined by Shelby Ford, shortstops Pedro Lopez and Anderson Machado, plus Andy Phillips, who plays every infield spot but short. And we expect Brian Friday to start at Altoona.

That's a lot of guys to man the middle of the diamond at Indy and Altoona, even if one of the above lands a utility role behind Ramon Vazquez, and suggests a couple of things to us.

One, and most obvious, is that they want some upper level depth in anticipation of moving the major league infielders, Jack Wilson and/or Freddy Sanchez. That would certainly break up the current logjam.

Two, with all the middle-of-the-infield talent stacked up in Class A and still seasons away from hitting the show, they may just want to strengthen their hand in the minors for competitive reasons.

All that's left behind Bixler and Cruz on the depth chart are Friday and Ford for the short term. That's the state of the Pirate minor league system today.

So it's another small move today to stock the cupboard that Dave Littlefield left so bare. We'll know the new dawn has arrived when the Pirates can promote their own talent from within instead of digging through other people's dumpsters and hoping for the best.

The Rotation of the Future

The Pirate rotation of the future is awfully young - they're not stacked up in Indy waiting for a call, but in Altoona and below - but there are a couple of guys that could pop up to take regular spots by 2011.

Brad Lincoln was selected in 2006 ahead of Tim Lincecum, Clayton Kershaw, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain. Baseball America rated him as the Pirates' fourth overall organizational prospect in 2009 and predicts that he'll join the Pittsburgh rotation in 2010. But whether the 23-year old RHP will meet those expectations depends on how well he continues to rebound from 2007 TJ surgery.

He put up modest stats at Hickory and Lynchburg, but did work a total of 103-1/3 innings a year removed from the knife, didn't have any residual arm problems, and his control was there, even if he struggled to regain complete command of his pitches.

His WHIP was around 1.27, he walked fewer than 2 batters per nine innings, and K'd over six per game, all pretty good numbers for a recovery season. The youngster will have to cut down on long balls allowed, but that's a part of a control pitcher's learning curve.

Lincoln throws a low-to-mid 90s fastball, has a good curve, and his changeup is coming along. We expect to see him in Altoona, and his work there will dictate exactly how fast a track he's on for a PNC splashdown.

Rated right behind Lincoln was Dodger pickup Bryan Morris, part of the Jason Bay deal. He's another first round pick of 2006, and like Lincoln, had TJ surgery in 2007. Baseball America rated him the Pirates' fifth best organizational prospect of 2009, and foresees an arrival date in the show of 2011 or 2012.

In fact, BA says that Lincoln and Morris should be Pittsburgh's one-two punch in 2012. Talk about a pair of guys joined at the hip!

Morris threw 96 innings of A ball in his come-back season. He struck out 83 batters, but walked 43, so his stuff is OK, but a little scattered. Morris was also shut down pretty much by the Pirates after they got him, working only 14 innings at Hickory. They say it was just precautionary - he had bicep tenderness - but that may be a red flag to watch for down the road.

To add to the woes, the 22-year old (he'll be 23 in March) had toe surgery, totally unrelated to the other problems, so he'll have a late start to the season.

Still, the RHP has the tools. Morris' heater is gunned at 95, his curve is sharp, and he's working on a changeup. What he needs most is a season or two without any visits to the surgeon. He may start at Lynchburg, but we expect him to be with the Curve before too long.

Daniel Moskos can't be blamed for where he was picked. The question is whether or not he has first-round ability and a future role with the team.

He was a reliever at Clemson, but the new suits had him start at Lynchburg last year, and the results weren't pretty. Moskos is supposed to have a power arm, but his heater was pressed to touch 90, although his slider is considered top notch.

The 22-year old LHP will likely join Altoona's rotation this year. We don't think the starting experiment will last that long. As a two pitch pony, Moskos looks like a bullpen guy, maybe becoming the Bucs next LOOGY.

Tony Watson, 23-year old LHP, has put together two solid seasons in the Pirate A ranks. Drafted in the ninth round in 2007, Watson fit the Littlefield mold of a finesse pitcher, depending on a change-up for his out pitch. But unlike most Littlefield selections, he was actually somewhat touted and drafted lower than expected.

He's got excellent control, walking fewer than two batter per nine, and he gets about a half-dozen K's per game. Watson will get to step up to Altoona this year, and another good season will get him notice as a young gun on the rise. The Curve should have quite a rotation this year; that's about the level all the upside guys have reached.

Rafael De Los Santos is a young guy - he's 22 - that has some upside. He throws a low 90s fastball, slider and changeup. De Los Santos can make bats miss the ball, but his balls miss the plate pretty often, too.

His stats at Hickory were flat-out ugly, but he doubled his innings pitched and may have just hit the wall. The RHP will be floating around somewhere in the A level this year, and may yet blossom.

20-year old LHP Nelson Pereira will get a look at West Virginia this year after blazing through the GCL last year as a 19-year old after two excellent VSL campaigns.

The youngster from El Salvador has good off speed stuff, especially his changeup and curve, and his heater is good enough to set them up. He had a 4.6/1 K to BB ratio, so he can miss some bats and still find the dish.

Christopher Aure, 19-year old LHP drafted from high school out of North Pole, Alaska, could end up more than just the answer to a trivia quiz. He's a project, but his heater is in the upper 80 range and improving while he's shown some progress with his other pitches, notably the curve and changeup.

Aure did just OK in the GCL, and there's some debate whether he's better suited to start or come out of the pen, but he has some upside and may be a keeper.

Andres Santos, a guy the Bucs picked up in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft from the Yankees, has some upside. The Evil Empire gave him a $400K bonus to sign, and he was lights out in the Dominican League last year.

The 22-year old Dominican has a low 90s heater and a sweet change up, and he struck out a batter an inning in the DSL with decent control. Maybe Rene Gayo and Kyle Starks stole one for the team.

Another grab bag pick that may have a shot is Rafael Quintero, a 21-year old RHP plucked from the Indians in the minor's Rule 5 draft, who had some great numbers in the DSL.

The Venezuelan is a converted catcher with great control and over a strikeout per inning. Given his background, he's a darkhorse, but hey...nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Quinton Miller, 19-year old RHP, was drafted out of high school and has yet to pitch in pro ball. He throws a fastball that ranges from the high 80s to the low 90s, with a nice slider and average change.

The Bucs thought he was worth $900K in the 20th round - he had commited to playing at North Carolina - so they certainly feel he has some major upside.

Justin Wilson led Fresno State to the College World Series when his teammate Tanner Schleppers went down. The Bucs couldn't get Schleppers to sign on the dotted line, but after a long dance, reeled Wilson into the fold.

The 21-year old LHP features a 90 MPH fastball, curve and slider. Wilson signed too late to pitch last year, and he's ticketed to head to Class A West Virgina in 2009.

Guys that we profiled yesterday that were invited to camp and have chances to eventually dent the rotation in the near term are Daniel McCutchen, Jimmy Barthmaier, Ross Ohlendorf, and perhaps Donnie Veal.

It's not a very deep collection of arms, and for all the attention Littlefield paid to pitchers, it's an area Huntington and gang are going to have really work at to build up some depth and talent.

Farm Fresh - The Outfield

OK, we're gonna have some musical chairs being played for the outfield positions, and we think all through the season, not just in the spring. You can count on Nate McLouth and Brandon Moss being locks, Nyjer Morgan pretty close to one, Eric Hinske as the fourth man, and then it gets a little interesting for that fifth spot.

Craig Monroe or Steve Pearce? This actually could end up a big deal, at least in the early part of the season, because with it lookin' like an all-lefty starting OF out of the gate, the extra RH outfielder could potentially see plenty of at-bats.

Monroe put together some pretty solid years for Detroit, but in the past two seasons, he's hit .219 and .202 and was DFA'ed by the Twins. His slugging percentages the past two years have been .370 and .405.

He's still got a little pop in his bat and his splits, both average and power-wise, are pretty even, making him a prime PH candidate. Monroe looks a lot to GW like Jason Michaels with a bat, but not quite as capable with a glove.

Pearce is everyone's favorite whipping boy, though he's only had 177 MLB at-bats to prove himself, with a decent line of .266/4/57 but a weak slugging % of .412. Like Monroe, he can't draw a walk to save his soul, though he does put the ball in play much more often.

He's certainly no golden glove OF either, though he plays first base pretty well and could be useful there in a back-up role, given Hinske's splits against lefties (and for that matter, Pearce's splits against righties).

The Pirates, from what we hear, would like to have him spend the season at Indy. Pearce will be 26 in April, and probably deserves a tour of duty with the big club. That will be the internal debate - is being a young MLB bench player a help or hindrance to development? We think Monroe is a long shot to make a difference on the team, and just serves to block Pearce. We'll see what the suits think.

Jeff Salazar could sneak into the mix, if Hinke is seen as more of a corner infield type than OF. He can play all three OF positions, but as a lefty stick that doesn't strike fear in any pitcher's heart, the 28-year old is almost certainly ticketed to Indy as a Kevin Thompson-type insurance policy.

It may be a moot point for that trio; Andrew McCutchen, unless he totally flames out in the first couple of months at Indy, will be called up as soon as the suits are sure he can avoid reaching "Super Two" arbitration status, and we expect to see him sometime in the early summer.

Everyone is waiting for the 22-year old's coming-out party. Some say another year to work out a couple of kinks in his armor - plate patience and base stealing, in particular - won't hurt. But even if he ends up being merely a solid player and not a superstar, hey, the team could use him. It's time for him to play.

He's a top of the order hitter and will be the best gloveman in the outfield as soon as he arrives. And we're thinking that McLouth and McCutch batting one-two will give the team a leadoff punch it hasn't seen in years. And with a McLouth-McCutch-Moss OF, balls should have some trouble finding the gaps as frequently as they do now.

Another whisper is that Neil Walker, catcher turned third baseman, may have another flip in his career and get some time in the OF to address that need. With little LaRoche and Pedro sandwiching him, it seems like the smart play.

After Jose Tabata, there's not a lot in the top levels of the Pirate system. And the 20-year old will be at Altoona to start 2009, still a minimum of a couple of season away from the show.

He played briefly for the Curve last year. In 89 at-bats, his line was .348/3/13, with a OBP of .402, slugging percentage of .562, OPS of .964, and 10 stolen bases. Small sample, but a taste of his potential when his head's together.

Jamie Romak, the 1B/OF hybrid that is the biggest power bat in the organization, has to prove himself at Altoona this year. As a 24-year old, his clock is ticking. Same for Jared Keel, another big bat that should join Romak at Altoona. He hit 20 bombs at Lynchburg last year, but he's 24 too, and time is not on his side.

Marcus Davis is another oldie but goodie. He's a 24-year old with some upside, but a project. He's got some tools, but started off late and comes from a small college background. If Davis can establish himself this season, probably at Lynchburg, after missing most of last year to a knee injury, he could jump on the prospect track. Davis is fighting father time, too, but could end up another Nyjer Morgan-type tale, except he has some tools and played baseball as a kid.

The Pirates still like 21-year old Austin McClune, a speedy ex-gridder with a rifle arm. His stats regressed dramatically at the dish last year, but he showed better plate discipline and a bit of gap power. If he regains his stroke at West Virginia, McClune will remain in the team's future plans.

To show the gap, the next batch of prospects are three 19-year olds that the scouts like, all drafted out of high school. Quincy Latimore, Wesley Freeman, and Rob Grossman are all just taking their first steps in the system, and we'll see a couple of seasons down the road how their careers turn out.

Farm Fresh - First Base

Hey, this is another easy one - behind Adam LaRoche at first base is a whole lot of maybe, and that ain't good.

LaRoche just signed on the dotted line for $7.05M, a fair salary for his production. The good news is that he's been pretty productive - he's had 20+ homers and 85-90 RBI for the past three years, with a batting average ranging from .270-.285.

And being a lefty, LaRoche is built for the friendly confines of PNC Park, although when he's on, his power is more to the gaps. His glove is more than decent, and at 29, he's young enough to fit into the Bucs plans going down the road.

The bad news is that his bat doesn't warm up until the dog days. In the past three seasons, he's hit .251, .239, and .251 during the first half of the season (we won't even talk about April), and .304, .312, and .323 in the second half. And by that time, the Bucs are eating dust in the Central Division.

The Pirates wanted to sign him to a long-term deal last year, but the gap was so vast that they didn't even broach the subject this year. 2009 is his walk season, and you can be assured he'll stick his toes in the free agent pool in 2010.

So who is lining up behind him? Well, his back-up from 2008, Doug Mientkiewicz, is still unsigned and isn't really a long term answer any way. Looks like Steve Pearce, 1B turned OF, may be flipped again.

The 25-year old RH has hit .266 in 177 big league at-bats, but his 4 long balls aren't what the suits are looking for from a corner infielder. In 2006 and 2007, he smacked 57 homers during stops at every level from Hickory to Indianapolis, but only added a dozen for the Tribe in 2008. Will the real Steve Pearce please stand up?

Does he deserve a shot? The Bucco tribe is divided on that question, but it may be a moot point. If LaRoche heads to greener pastures at the deadline or off season, there may be no choice.

Andy Phillips will be in camp, and the 31-year old has been around the big league block. A Yankee prospect that lost out to Jason Giambi, he's played for three teams and batted 557 times with 14 HR and a .250 average. He's mostly been a third baseman in his MLB appearances, but has played first and second in AAA. But he's a utility guy all the way, not a replacement by any standard.

Huntington also brought in long-time Twin minor league muscle man Garrett Ford, but more than likely as Indy's first-sacker, not Pittsburgh's. The 29-year old LH has hit 20+ homers at AAA for three of the past four seasons, but only gotten 77 at-bats in the show, homering twice and hitting .266 - and that was two years ago.

The much jerked-around Neil Walker may add a first baseman's mitt to his growing collection of leather. He made the transition from catcher to the hot corner well enough to be named the best fielding 3B in the International League, so he shouldn't have much problem with the defensive part of moving across the diamond.

Like another switch-hitting catcher that was athletic enough to play the corners, Ryan Doumit, Walker may get a little love. But unlike Doumit, Walker's bat has yet to explode. He had his best power year in 2008, hitting 16 HR for Indy, but batting just .244.

Some folk think he was rushed to AAA last year and should have put in a full season at Altoona. True or not, this much is sure - Pedro Alvarez is on a fast track behind him, and Andy LaRoche looks immovable for the time being ahead of him. So it would make sense to give Walker another season at Indy and some quality time at 1B.

Jamie Romak, who was part of the LaRoche deal, has big time power but not much else. The 23-year old converted OF has 61 HR in his three minor league seasons, with 340 K in 1322 AB (26%), and in a couple of months at Altoona hit just .208 (his minor league lifetime is .255). And his glove and speed won't take him far.

But he does have the one thing a first baseman needs - a big stick. Romak's not ready for prime time, and how he adjusts to a whole season in AA may make or break his career. He's young enough, but has to quit missing so many pitches.

25-year old Miles Durham showed some spark last season, hitting a combined .293/18/81 between Hickory and Lynchburg, and following up with a brief but effective fall stint in Hawaii. Still, he's awfully long in the tooth for level he's playing at, so...

Altoona 1B Jason Delaney rounds out the list. The 26-year old hit .292, but has never reached double-figures in HR in four years of college and four years in the minors. And that's just not first base performance.

A couple of guys with a darkhorse pedigree are Calvin Anderson, 21, and Justin Byler, 23. Both are young, have some power, and are light years away from the show.

Maybe it's best if Pedro does eat his way to first base...

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.

The Future of the Franchise...

OK, most of the 2009 Pirate prospect ratings are in (Baseball America's won't be released for another three weeks, but it probably won't affect the ratings). Here's the hotshots for the Bucs as they enter the new season, compiled from Wilbur Miller's Pirate Profiles, John Sickel's Minor League Baseball, Scouting Book, Baseball Prospectus, and CBS Sports:

Top Guns: 3B Pedro Alvarez and CF Andrew McCutchen are da bombs. Alvarez has a high ceiling, middle of the order bat, and is already almost MLB ready according to the scouts. McCutchen is a toolsy guy, but the raters are split whether he's a budding star or just a solid MLB player in the making. OF Jose Tabata is third on everyone's list as they wait to see if he develops into a head case or a young Bobby Abreu.

Looking Good: This foursome stands well behind the top three, but a step ahead of the pack. First is 3B Neil Walker, whose lack of offense is countered by youth, a good glove, some switch-hitting pop, and versatility. Next is RHP Bryan Morris, who has MLB top of the rotation stuff but has to prove he's overcome TJ surgery. RHP Daniel McCutchen is a bulldog with heat, though there's still some debate whether his talent translates better as a starter or closer. OF Robbie Grossman is a five tool high school kid that could zoom up the charts.

Don't Forget About Us: The next pack of prospects boasts a lotta arms, a good sign for the Pirates down the road. RHP Jimmy Barthmaier put himself back on the map in 2008 after falling faster than George Bush's ratings in 2007. RHP Brad Lincoln is showing signs of recovering from TJ surgery, and this should be a big year for him. RHP Evan Meek looks like he's tamed his wild thing after a good show in the minors and Mexico. 2B Shelby Ford and Jim Negrych will try to ride their bats to a spot on the roster. LHP Donald Veal hopes his Rule 5 change of scenery will cure his wildness, and young RHP Quinton Miller, a high-school draft pick, looks like he has all the goods to pitch in the show every fifth day.

Guys With A Shot: A mix of young and old that could pop up in the bigs, they're led by 3B Matt Hague, a kid with a good stick that will probably move to the OF. SS Brian Friday is the classic good glove, no hit infielder. LHP Jeff Sues is looking for some bullpen love after a strong 2008. IF Jarek Cunningham, another high schooler, tore it up in Rookie Ball. RHP Romulo Sanchez has closer heat, but needs to find the dish. RHP Ron Uviedo was added to the 40-man roster, and has a power arm and control as his eyes a closer's role. OF/1B Jamie Romek has the power, but the rest of his game struggles. SS Chase D'Arnaud hits for average and can find a gap. LHP Danny Moskos could end up a pretty effective LOOGY. SS Jordy Mercer had a rough minor league start, but a strong finish.

Outside the Top Two Dozen: Brian Bixler, SS; Marcus Davis, OF; Robinzon Diaz, C; Wesley Freeman, OF; Jason Jaramillo, C; Brent Klinger, RHP; Quincy Latimore, OF; Steve Lerud, C; Tony Watson, LHP; and Justin Wilson, LHP.

The most obvious note is that a lucky thirteen of the Top Two Dozen players entered the Pirate system in 2008, and five of the top seven guys are Neal Huntington era pick-ups. The new suits vowed to get the minors back to snuff, and are off to a flying start.

We liked the approach to the draft, too, and especially the emphasis on high school talent. It takes time to replenish an empty system, but the kids and Latino players will provide depth, youth, and steady competition to an organization that was too old at every level.

Bucs Build Around The Edges...

The Pirates announced a bevy of signings today (so much for Christmas killing the news cycle, hehe). The key deal is the lock-down of C Ryan Doumit through his arbitration years with a club option for 2012-13.

Doumit came to camp last year penciled in as Ronny Paulino's caddy, but soon overtook him to claim the top spot. The second round draft pick of 1999 figured it out in his fourth season, hitting .318 with 15 HR, 69 RBI and a .501 slugging percentage in 116 games.

The switch-hitter's split against RHP/LHP was pretty solid, going .314 vs. righties and .330 vs. lefties, and batting off the charts with runners in scoring position, with a .407 average, third best in MLB.

His ball receiving mechanics improved as the season wore on, and his game management should improve too, as Joe Kerrigan plans to call many of the pitches from the pine to pick up the pace of his, and the staff's, learning curve.

The 27-year old inked a contract that guarantees him $11.5M over his three arb years, with a $300K bonus and salaries of $2.05M in 2009, $3.55M in 2010, and $5.1M in 2011, with a $500K buy-out if the Pirates don't exercise his future option, according to figures provided by Dejan Kovacevic of the Post Gazette.

The optional years are 2012-13, and the team has a one-shot trigger for the option after the 2011 season. He'll earn $7.25 in 2012 and $8.25 in 2013, with bonuses that could add another $1M per year to those seasons depending on All-Star and Silver Slugger appearances. So that's $26.5M over the life of the contract, with a top value of $27.5M if the stars align.

GW likes the deal's structure. Doumit started 103 games behind the plate last year, losing chunks of time to a couple of injuries. Both Doumit and the Pirates have affordable cost certainy over the arb years, and if Doumit proves durable, they have their man locked up for his first two free agency seasons. If he can't stay out of the tub, the Bucs have an escape hatch via the buy-out option.

A catcher with a stick isn't an everyday commodity in MLB. If Doumit stays consistent with his bat, and there's no reason to believe he won't, and can catch 125-140 games a year, which is a bit more problematic, the Pirates have a nice deal, and Doumit has a fat carrot to chase, the $15.5M payday for the final two years.

The length of the deal is also interesting to us. As GW opined in the last post, the Pirate plan should begin to bear fruit in 2011-12. And now the suits have Snell and Doumit both tied into that time frame. There's no mistaking the reasoning behind those two deals - Snell is the most talented, if enigmatic, arm on the staff, and Doumit is a clubhouse leader who's about to become the face of the Pirates.

Neal Huntington signed another half-dozen guys to minor league contracts today, and they'll all be invited to camp. They are RHPs Chris Bootcheck, Juan Mateo, and Denny Bautista, along with utility guy Andy Phillips, OF Luis Salazar, and 1B Garrett Jones.

The dope on them, thanks mainly to the Pirate release, is:

Chris Bootcheck (RHP) - The 30-year old spent the 2008 season with the Angels organization. He began the year on the DL before making 10 relief appearances for the Angels. Bootcheck posted a 2.86 ERA in 19 relief appearances with AAA Salt Lake. He was originally picked by Anaheim in the first round of the 2000 Draft (20th pick overall).

Juan Mateo (RHP) - The 26-year old went 8-1 with five saves and a 3.66 ERA in 38 games between the Cub's AAA Iowa and AA Tennessee, and the Buc's AA Altoona in 2008. He was 7-1 with 5 saves, a 2.12 ERA, and .99 WHIP for the Curve.

Denny Bautista (RHP) - The 26-year old posted a 4-4 record with 44 strikeouts, 42 walks, and a 5.22 ERA in 51 combined games between Detroit and Pittsburgh in 2008. The wild child had a great start to the season and then faded badly. The question is whether he was overused or just not that good.

Andy Phillips (INF) - The 31-year old RH hit a combined .231 with 18 doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI in 56 games between the Reds and the Mets in 2008. Phillips was originally selected by the Yankees in the seventh round of the 1999 Draft. He has a career average of .250 with 25 doubles, 14 home runs and 70 RBI in 259 games and five seasons. Phillips has played 1B, 2B, and 3B.

Jeff Salazar (OF) -- The 28-year old hit .211 with five doubles, three triples, two home runs and 12 RBI in 90 games last year with Arizona. The LH was tied for 13th among NL players with 10 pinch hits in 2008, and has a career average of .291 as a pinch hitter. He hasn't made an error in his 147 MLB games.

Garrett Jones (INF) -- The 6-4, 245 pound LH spent 2008 with AAA Rochester (Twins), where he hit .279 with 33 doubles, 23 home runs and 92 RBI in 138 games. He led the International League in games and total bases (255), and was tied for third in doubles and second in extra base hits (59). Jones plays both first and some OF.

None of these guys are world-beaters, but they all help fill a void in Pittsburgh's upper level organization. Phillips has the best chance to stick as a RH utilityman off the bench and back-up to Adam LaRoche. He also provides some balance to Ramon Vazquez's LH bat.

Salazar has an opportunity to make the roster as an extra outfielder if the Bucs opt to send Steve Pearce back to Indy, although the Pirates are already overloaded with LH outfielders.

The rest look like AAA fodder, where Jones will add some sorely missing pop to the system and the pitchers provide some power arms for the Indy bullpen.

Some observations - Phillips and recent signee Vazquez seem to have taken Dirt Dog Mientkiewicz's bench roles, so the odds of his return just took a big hit.

Another is that with Phillips, Jones and Pearce all being capable first-base types (although Phillips, a good glove man, can move around the infield), the Bucs have a short-term safety net if they uncover a taker for Adam LaRoche.

We should find out the Pirate take on LaRoche soon enough. At 28-years old, he's still young enough to fit into the Pirate plans, but he may have priced himself out of the organization. If Pittsburgh signs him to a multi-year deal, which is unlikely, he'll be the first baseman of the future. If not, we expect him to be trade deadline bait in 2009.

The same scenario could be in play for Freddy Sanchez, too, as Vazquez and Phillips have both logged a lot of innings at second and Shelby Ford seemingly a season or two away from a shot at the bigs.

Vazquez and Phillips can also platoon at third if young Mr. LaRoche continues to have his problems at the hot corner and plate. The Pirates are slowly building options for the club.

Now to see whassup with Paul Maholm and Nate McLouth...

Winter Meeting Finale...

The big event during get-away day of the winter meetings was the Rule 5 draft. The Pirates picked up a big lefty, lost a big lefty, and added three Latino arms to their minor league arsenal.

> The Bucs selected LHP Donnie Veal from the Cubs with the fourth pick of the Rule 5 draft.

The 24-year-old Veal spent 2008 at AA Tennessee, where he went 5-10 with a 4.52 ERA in 29 starts while being named to the Southern League mid-season All-Star team. He also recorded a total of 123 strikeouts, which ranked fourth among Southern League hurlers.

Veal was originally selected by the Cubs in the second round of the 2005 draft. In 2006, he was named the organization's Minor League Pitcher-of-the-Year along with Rich Hill, and was ranked by Baseball America as Chicago's second-best prospect.

He features a low-90s heater with a decent change and a work-in-progress curve. As with so many other Pirate reclamation projects, he can't hit the broad side of a barn with a pitch, and his walk rate has kept him buried in the minors.

In his four year minor league career, Veal has walked 256 batters in 469-2/3 innings. He's also struck out 476 batters, and that's the stat that caught the Pirate staff's attention. With those kind of K and BB numbers, we can only imagine how quickly his pitch count hits the roof in games.

Our guess is that Pittsburgh plans to drop him from the rotation and work him out of the pen for now. The Bucs will see if he can stick as a LOOGY and replace John Grabow in spirit if he gets moved to another team during the winter.

If he makes it through the season, Veal will probably spend some time in a winter league and 2010 at Indy, where the Pirates will try to flip him back to a starting role.

Wouldn't it be sweet if he turned into another Bob Veale?

> Ah, but there's a price to pay in Rule 5. Pirate LHP Kyle Bloom was claimed by the Tigers in the 8th round. We suppose all that Jack Wilson talk led them to scouting the system a little, and they stumbled onto Bloom, who was steady at Altoona and pitched lights-out in Hawaii.

We've read that the pitching-challenged Tigers may try to plug him into the back end of their rotation, replacing Kenny Rogers. At worse, they'll use him as a long man and spot starter.

Bloom, btw, was the only Pirate farmhand selected during the three phases of the draft, a league commentary on the strength of the Pittsburgh organization today.

> In the minor-league segment of the draft, Pittsburgh added 22-year old LHP Andres Santos from the evil empire. He went 3-2 with a 1.85 ERA in 13 games, nine as a starter, striking out 49 in 48-2/3 innings in 2008 with the DSL Yankees.

Then RHP Rafael Quintero joined the club via Cleveland. He posted a 5-1 record with one save, a 1.36 ERA, and 48 strikeouts in 23 outings covering 46-1/3 innings while walking 5 with the DSL Indians. The 21-year old is an interesting story, as he's a converted infielder and should have a lot of upside as a pitcher.

Finally, Pittsburgh took RHP Gerardo Esparza from Seattle. Esparza went 4-5 with one save and a 1.81 ERA in 15 games, 13 as a starter, in 2008 with the VSL Mariners. Esparza made 15 appearances, with 13 starts, in the VSL, striking out 59 and walking 22 in 69-2/3 innings. Tomorrow is his 21st birthday.

We'd expect with their background that they'd start in one of the Pirates A clubs, with the hope that one or two of them can make the jump to Altoona sometime during the 2009 season.

> Dejan Kovacevic of the Post Gazette mentioned the rarity of picking up Rule 5 players from Latin America, and how it came about from the Pirate's end.

And we're wondering, with the influx of Latino's, a stress point for the new suits, if it isn't time to bring a couple of Latin American coaches into the system?

> Jenifer Langosh of MLB.com reports that "The Pirates should know on Friday whether or not free agent Ramon Vazquez will accept a two-year, $4 million offer from the Pirates. Vazquez's agent, Melvin Roman, confirmed that the two sides are in negotiations, and that the Pirates are currently the front-runner to land the utility infielder.

'We are in very serious discussions,' Roman said. 'He should have a decision made by [Friday], and right now it's 90 percent that he'll be signing with the Pirates.'"

The well-traveled 32-year old Puerto Rican native has suited up for five teams in his eight year career. He can play all four infield positions, though he's spent most of his time recently at third. Vazquez has also logged a lot of innings at short and second.

He hit .290 for Texas last year, with 6 HRs and 40 RBI in 300 ABs. Vazquez is a lifetime .257 batter, and an experienced utility guy to anchor the bench. What's held the left-handed hitter back is his terrible splits at the plate - he's a career .273 hitter against RHP, but just a .195 batter against southpaws.

Vazquez made $810K last year, so if the numbers have been reported correctly, he's hit the jackpot, relatively speaking.

> The Pirate suits left the Bellagio to head home, and Jack Splat is still a Bucco. The Twins just signed Nick Punto to a two-year deal, so that's one less customer.

The Bucs no doubt did some under the radar groundwork while schmoozing with the MLB decision makers regarding him, but Wilson may yet be the 2009 opening day shortstop for the Pirates. That would be a Ripley moment.

The Other Sanchez

While reading Part 3 of Dejan Kovacevic's PPG series on Pittsburgh Latin America scouting director Rene Gayo and the Pirates of the Caribbean, GW noticed that both Gayo and the Bucs still held hope for reliever Romulo Sanchez. We thought we'd take a closer look at him and what he's done with a baseball.

Sanchez is a giant of a RHP, going 6'5" and 260 pounds with a fastball to match his size. The 24-year old was born in Carora, Venezuela, and was originally signed on March 8, 2002 as a 17-year old by Dodger scouts Camilio Pascual, who was a heckuva hurler back in the day, and Doug Carpenter.

He played in the Dominican Summer League from 2002-03 for the Blue, the first season as a reliever and then strictly as a starter the next. Sanchez's results were quite pedestrian in both roles, and he was released by the Dodgers on March 12, 2004.

Sanchez was picked up by the Pirates on May 7, 2004, touted by Dave Littlefield as a hot Latino prospect. He pitched briefly in the VSL in 2004 for Pittsburgh, and caught the Pirate's eye when he tossed a nine-inning, 12-strikeout no-hitter in August. They brought him stateside.

Sanchez was bounced all over the Pirate system in 2005, making stops in Bradenton, Hickory, and Altoona. He still started, and his ERA wasn't very pretty once he left the GCL, but Romulo did OK for his first swing through organized ball.

In 2006, Sanchez was on the rosters of Hickory, Lynchburg, and Altoona. The Pirates began his conversion to the bullpen after three very forgettable starts to begin the year. He went 0-3-5 combined, and his K to BB ratio was terrible, striking out 39 and walking 30 in 58-1/3 innings of work.

Sanchez began the 2007 season with Altoona and had his breakout year. He went 6-3-1 with a 2.81 ERA in 40 relief outings for the Curve. He struck out 52 in 57-2/3 frames while walking only 17 batters and held opposing hitters to a .204 batting average.

The only red flag was that Sanchez was most effective as a middle man, and wasn't so hot when used as a closer. In fact, he only finished the deal once in five save opportunities.

But when Solly Torres went on the DL on August 25, 2007, Sanchez was called up and went 1-0 with 5.00 ERA with 11 Ks and 3 BBs in 18 innings for the Bucs in his maiden campaign.

Scouting Book.com said before last season that "Sanchez is one of many Pirate flamethrowers who may factor into their bullpen in 2008. While he enjoyed only modest success during his brief stint last season, he's a favorite within the organization, who see him as a future closer despite his average strikeout numbers.

If he can refine his control a little while not losing too much of his velocity, he might be a viable setup man in the near future, but to become a serious force, he'll need to develop secondary pitches."

Some saw him as having an outside shot at landing a spot on the roster in the spring, but the Bucs sent him to Indy with the early cuts in March.

Sanchez was 5-0 with a 2.28 ERA in 30 appearances for the Tribe. In 51 1/3 innings, he allowed 45 hits, 16 walks and fanned 29. The strikeout numbers were worrisome, but he was effective and his control was OK. He began to yo-yo between the bigs and AAA.

First, he was called up on June 29th to take Ty Taubenheim's spot, and on July 13th was sent back down. Then on August 5th, the Pirates recalled him again, this time to take Yoslan Herrera's place. Sanchez was gone again on August 22nd, and brought back with the September call-up posse.

During most of that time, John Russell left him parked for long stretches. Sanchez only got the call 10 times, and in 13-1/3 innings, he walked six and only struck out three. It looked as if he was trying to take something of his mid-to-upper 90s heater to get it over the plate, which of course only made things worse in Russell's mind - and Sanchez's results.

He ended up with one save - and that was in his first appearance on July 1st - with an ERA of 4.05. Sanchez comes into 2009 at a career crossroad.

It's likely that he'll start next season at Indy, and he is still on the 40-man roster. But Sanchez will have to learn to believe in the pitch that brought him to the dance, his fastball, and keep working on his off pitch, a sometimes flat curve.

His strikeout ratio means that he'll be looked at as a middle man, and there's a lot of competition for those jobs in the Buc bullpen. If he can trust his heater, maybe he'll get the trust of his manager. 2009 could make or break Romulo Sanchez as a prospect in the Pittsburgh organization.

Hot Stove Embers...

According to a report on MLB Trade Rumors based on a report from the NPB Tracker that came from a report on Yahoo!Japan, the Bucs have signed Indian whiz kids Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh to minor league deals. And you thought Ronald Uviedo was obscure?

Patel, 20, and Singh, 19, were discovered on the “The Million Dollar Arm”, a reality TV show in India. More than 25,000 contestants vied to see who had the best baseball arms, and Patel and Singh took the honors.

They collected a few rupees, and got a trip to Southern Cal to get a six-month mechanical tuneup at the hands of Tom House. They picked up an agent while they were there, Jeff Borris, and had a try-out in front of a couple of dozen scouts.

RHP Patel hit 90 on the gun, while LHP Singh registered at 84. We hope he's a crafty lefty, 'cause he sure ain't gonna blow anyone away.

Neal Huntington was coy when Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com asked him if he had indeed signed the pair, just saying "We have seen the pitchers and are very interested in signing them," before eventually confirming that they had indeed inked Pirate contracts.

"The Pirates are committed to creatively adding talent to our organization," Huntington said in a release. "By adding these two young men, we are pleased to not only add two prospects to our system but also hope to open a pathway to an untapped market."

Hey, if nothing else, the Bucs picked up a couple of GCL pitchers, and with the signing of South Africa's Gift Ngoepe, the scouts will have frequent flier miles out the wazoo. The Pirates have jumped into the brave new world of international ball with both feet.

You can read Singh and Patel's story at ESPN.com & at MLB.com.

Our take on the Jack Splat to Detroit rumors? The Tigers are the likeliest club, along with LA if Furcal is too expensive for their taste, that would have much interest in Wilson right now, needing someone to hold down SS until wunderkind Cale Iorg is ready for the show in a season or two. His glove and contract make him a perfect fit for Motown.

We're not sure how the rumored three-team deal with the Marlins makes any sense; if they send us C Matt Treanor to flip to Detroit, then the Fish need a catcher to back up John Baker.

So the Pirates have to give up a backstop either way. We think Ronny Paulino should be attractive to either club - he's young, experienced, and cheap.

But unless Treanor is part of a bigger deal, which is possible, or is who the Tigers really want, it's simpler to just add one of our posse of catchers to the Detroit ante.

The possible payback? The Bucs could be looking at the other Tiger SS prospect, 22-year old Danny Worth, 2007's second round draft pick who was in AA this year. He hit .254, and is considered a superior glove guy.

Right now, GW thinks it's all sizzle and no steak. But the Pirates claim that they're looking to add young talent across the board, and if they can get a couple of pups out of the deal, the suits may eventually cobble something together.

Besides, it's all the action we have so far.

Ron Uviedo...The 40-Man Mystery Guest.

Ronald Javier Uviedo was born on October 7th, 1986 in Calabozo, Venezuela. The young righty, a 6-1, 165 pound stringbean with a cannon for an arm, was just placed on the Pirates 40-man roster. And that's more than most of Piratedom knows about him. But while his Q factor might be low, his K factor isn't.

Uviedo began his career with Seattle when he signed as an 18-year old in 2004. He spent two years in the Venezuelan Summer League as Mariner property.

The young Latino was knocked around his first season, compiling a 2-1 record and 5.81 ERA. But he reversed course in 2005 as a starter, leading the staff in innings with 62, going deeper into games than any other pitcher on the club (5 innings+), and posting the lowest hit rate (6.1/9 innings) on the team.

He finished 4-3 with a 2.76 ERA and 52 strikeouts, and a workmanlike 3:1 K to BB ratio. But Seattle wasn't impressed, and let his contract lapse. The Pirates welcomed him aboard and converted him to a reliever in 2006. Uviedo ended up 2-0 with 11 saves in the VSL, with a 2.02 ERA and 44 Ks in 35-2/3 innings.

The Pirates moved him to short season State College in 2007, where he was 2-0 with 12 saves and a 3.92 ERA. Uviedo kept getting swings and misses there, too, striking out 26 in 20-1/3 innings of work. He also got a cup of joe at Lynchburg early in the year and Hickory towards the end of the season, where he wasn't overwhelming but wasn't overmatched, either.

The 22-year old spent most of the 2008 season with A Hickory, where he made 33 appearances and put together a 3-1 slate with 5 saves and a 3.01 ERA for the Crawdads. He struck out 76 in 71-2/3 innings, with a 5:1 K/BB ratio.

Uviedo finished the season at A Lynchburg, making seven appearances and pitching like Superman. He had an ERA of 2.25, and gave up 5 hits and 5 walks in 16 innings, striking out a dozen batters. Opponents hit .094 off him, and his WHIP was 0.63. A small sample, but a very good one.

Kyle Stark, Pirate Player Development Director, says that he expects Uviedo to start at Lynchburg in 2009. He's back in Venezuela now, pitching in the Winter League. Uviedo has allowed an opponent BA of .319, but the rest of his stats are fine - a 2-1 record, 1.69 ERA, and 12 punch outs in 10-2/3 innings.

Still, it begs the question: Why is he on the 40-man now, when he's probably two full seasons away from reaching the bigs?

"He throws strikes," Huntington told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. "As we evaluated the types of players that get selected, those guys who throw strikes are the type of guys that catch a scout's eye or get the interest of someone in the front office. We didn't want to risk losing that."

Not everyone is as sold on Uviedo as Huntington. Matt Pouliot of USA Today's Strike Zone said "Ronald Uviedo may develop into a setup man in three years or so." Still, it shows he's on the national radar, if relatively unknown by Bucco boosters.

The Pirates see a young RHP that has a shot at being their closer in 2011. Uviedo throws a mid-90s heater with a sharp slider and is always around the plate. His one knock is that he's susceptible to the longball, but that's the M.O. of control pitchers. He has a serious knack for missing bats, a rare commodity in the Pirate system.

And even if Pouliot is right and he ends up as the next Tyler Yates, minus control issues, then he's a keeper.

Better safe than sorry. It's nice to see the Pirates forced to put on their thinking cap for a change when it comes to constructing a roster, and having talent deep enough to force hard decisions about A players. And we hope the decisions get harder every year.

The 40-Man Roster...Hmmm

The Pirates placed 3B Neil Walker, OF Jose Tabata, RHP Jeff Sues, C Steve Lerud and RHP Ronald Uviedo to its 40-man roster yesterday. They added RHP Evan Meek a couple of weeks ago, or he would have been eligible for minor-league free agency. The 40-man roster is now full once again.

They slid the five into the slots vacated by the four Pirate free agents: Chris Gomez, Jason Michaels, Dirt Dog Doug Mientkiewicz, and Luis Rivas, plus one prior opening. It doesn't look hopeful that Dirt Dog or Michaels are gonna re-up, at least any time soon.

The suits had cleared more space in October, when they scratched RHPs Ron Belisario, John Van Benschoten, Yoslan Herrera, Marino Salas and Frankie Osoria off the list. RHPs Ty Taubenheim and Bryan Bullington, along with OF Chris Duffy, got their walking papers in September, elbowed out by the call-ups.

Walker, Tabata, and Sues were no-brainers. Lerud and Uviedo were longshots that the Pirates predicted may be on someones wish list.

As Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com wrote about Lerud: The Pirates have a deficiency of catchers in the organization, and the risk of losing Lerud was too high to leave him unprotected.

"He can catch and throw," Neal Huntington told her. "He's left-handed. He looks the part. We wanted to buy ourselves some time by ensuring that he stays in the organization."

It also suggests to GW that Ronny Paulino is as good as gone, and the 24-year old Lerud is the only option left in the system that could potentially make the move to AAA if Robinzon Diaz gets the call to PNC Park in 2009. Still, that leaves five catchers on the 40-man roster, and that's a crowd.

Uviedo is an interesting, upside prospect, but he's never pitched above A ball. He throws a 94 MPH heater and has a nasty curve - he struck out 88 in 87 innings of work at Hickory and Lynchburg last year.

A quick glance at whom the other teams protected shows that at least a dozen other A players have been put on the 40-man in the past couple of days. The Pirates must have a sense that the 22-year old Venezuelan wasn't flying under the scouts' radar, and that A players were going to be fair game this year.

It's also somewhat telling who they rolled the dice on and left off the protected list: OF Jamie Romak, RHP Juan Mateo, LHP Kyle Bloom and RHP Eric Krebs. All four have a shot at being snatched by someone on December 11th, Rule 5 draft day.

Romak is one of the few power sticks in the organization, but he's a low average, high strikeout batter that the Pirates are trying out at first, although he can play the corner OF if need be. He could be someones bat off the bench.

Mateo was a highly considered Cub prospect until arm woes slowed down his career. But he looked sharp out of the pen at Altoona and been in the show with Chicago, though he is a one-trick pony, throwing mid-90s heat and little else, though that alone is pretty nice stuff. But it's what earmarks him as a bullpen fixture instead of a starter and limits his future value.

The Pirates signed him as a minor league free agent, and used him as a middle reliever in AA. He's a free agent again, and being neither starter nor closer, the Bucs decided to risk exposing him. There's always a chance that they could sign him again further down the road if he clears the draft before inking a deal.

Krebs also throws in the mid-90s, and has struck out more batters than innings worked in the past three years. He was beaned with a liner during the season, and was pulled from winter league work with elbow problems. The suits are hoping that his injuries raise a red flag for the rest of the teams.

Bloom put together a super stint in Hawaii. He's a fastball-slider-curve pitcher, and has had control issues to go along with a respectable strikeout rate. Bloom's 25-years old and pitched in AA, and a LHP to boot. It's a safe bet that someone's looking over his computer file.

But here's the rub - the Pirates aren't protecting guys based on upside or potential. They're rating them by who is MLB ready. Even if they lose a player or two, if they can't last the season out with their new team, they have to be offered back to the Bucs. So that's the only question that counts - is this player capable of spending a season on someones major league roster?

"It's one thing to be selected," Huntington told Langosch, "but it's another to be carried on through all year long."

It's also a little curious as to who they left on the roster - LHP Dave Davidson, RHP Jason Davis, who is up for arbitration and isn't expected to get it offered, and RHP Romulo Sanchez. But that may have nothing to do with their ability and everything to do with holding potential spots the suits can clear if they sign anyone new.

So maybe there's a deal in the air. Let the games begin.

Farm Fresh - Minor League Catchers

Aye, Carimba! The Bucs have a handful of backstops at the top level, and then...well, it's baseball's version of Miss Jan's Romper Room.

First, we don't think that there's any plan afoot to move Ryan Doumit from behind the plate. The Bucs believe that their corners are pretty well manned, once Nate McLouth and Brandon Moss flank the CF in-waiting, Andrew McCutchen, with Jose Tabata in the wings.

First base? We'll see if they sign up Adam LaRoche for another tour of duty, which is likely given the state of 1B in the minors, before that's even a thought. And if you move Doumit for Paulino, Chavez, or Diaz, you're replacing a middle-of-the-order rocket launcher with a popgun, and the Pirates can't afford to do that.

Plus he stayed relatively healthy, with his injuries being the usual catcher blues - a whacked finger and a few balls bounced off the noggin. His glove work became more solid as the year went on, except for a brief August regression. He's set in stone for the Buc's catching duties, at least for the short term.

Dinosaur Raul Chavez gives the Pirates a strong arm, good head, and .250 bat whenever Doumit needs a blow, and has a work ethic that we can only hope rubs off on the youngsters, especially Paulino.

Ronny Paulino has been a minor and winter league monster at the plate since his demotion, and is out of options. So he stays - unless he's dealt, which is probably the plan.

Robinzon Diaz was a good return for Jose Bautista, filling in a crying need in the Pittsburgh organization. He'll most probably start at Indy, and will eventually replace Chavez. But he's a Punch-and-Judy hitter, and doesn't appear to be anything more than Doumit's caddy in the scheme of things.

Baseball Prospectus has this scouting report on him: "Diaz is a little bit of an anomaly: A catcher who hits like a middle infielder, with good contact-hitting ability, a very low strikeout rate, and above-average speed. His defense is quite good."

They also forecast him as a .270-.275 MLB hitter. With some power, that's a nice range. Without it...

When the Pirates pulled Neil Walker from behind the plate and moved him to third, the catching conga line took a spill. The Pirates have two guys in the minors that are fairly young, and should start at Altoona and Lynchburg in 2009. The first is Steve Lerud.

Now entering his sixth pro season, Lerud, 23, started the 2008 season at Lynchburg, and was promoted to Altoona in July.

He was picked by the Pirates in the third round of the 2003 draft from Galena HS in Nevada, where he claimed all of Matt William's records. But a broken foot stopped Lerud from playing after he signed. He was hurt again in 2005 when a wayward pitch broke his hand.

Lerud finally got out of baby ball in 2006, and hit .239 with 12 HR for Hickory. He also K'ed 146 times in 393 ABs and allowed 35 passed balls.

His father, whom he was very close to, passed away in 2007, and Lerud was on the DL a couple of times. It was a completely wasted season, with the big lefty hitting .202 at Lynchburg.

But he showed some signs of life for the Hillcats in 2008, hitting .256 with 8 HRs before moving on to Altoona. Lerud didn't exactly light it up there, batting .233 with 4 HRs, but it was his first taste of AA.

One promising sign was his defense, which vastly improved. Some think his early woes had more to do with the sad sack staffs he caught than his ability. He's hitting .263 at Scottsdale in the AFL, though his OBP is higher than his slugging average.

As Wilbur Miller says: "Lerud will play next year at 24 and catchers often develop slowly. A LH-hitting catcher who can play solid defense and has a little power and a willingness to draw a walk has some value."

Not exactly a Matt Weiter type endorsement, but hey. Steve Lerud is the best we have toiling in the minors. He should start at Altoona and could end up in AAA sometime during the 2009 season. Lerud's Rule 5 eligible, but a pretty safe bet to slide through this year.

The other potential hope in the system is Andrew Walker.

Walker was a fifth round selection in 2007, out of TCU. He was a .300+ hitter for the Frogs with some pop in his bat, but was an overdraft because of the alarming lack of depth at the catching spot in the Pirate's minor league system.

He stroked the ball pretty well at State College that year, hitting .317. Walker was promoted to Hickory in 2008, where he hit .256 with 7 HRs in 212 ABs, playing with a bum ankle for much of the year. The 22-year old struck out once every 4 at-bats, and drew only 9 walks, so his eye sure could use some sharpening.

Walker doesn't have a strong arm, but still nailed 30% of the basepath larcenists that challenged him, not a bad figure for A ball. He should get the call at Lynchburg for 2009.

The other backstops are 24-year old Kris Watts, a lefty with a big bat and porous glove, and three youngsters - Ronald Pena and Josue Peley, both 21, and 20-year old Miguel Mendez. They'll pick up the slack in the lower levels. None are considered hot prospects at this point, but time will tell.

So behind the logjam at the top of the system, the Pirates are peach fuzzy behind the plate throughout the rest of the organization. The good news is that both of the hopefuls are young - Lerud will be 24 and Walker 23 next season - and have time to grow.

The bad news? Neither one appears to be anywhere near MLB ready, nor a sure bet to ever be.

The Pirates seem set at the MLB level, so they should have the couple or three seasons it'll take for a prospect to percolate through the system. They should get through the short term OK.

(Farm Fresh is a periodical series of posts looking at the state of the Pirate's farm system. Other positions covered were shortstop and second base.)

K as in Kyle

The Pirates sent 41 guys to the fall leagues during the off season, some to hone their game, others to go through the crucible of better competition. It's safe to say that no one has created more of an off season buzz than AA pitcher Kyle Bloom.

The lanky lefty (6-3, 185 lbs) is an cornbelt kid, born on February 21, 1983 in Schaumburg, Illinois. His family moved to Iowa, and he still lives in Bettendorf. Bloom went to Pleasant Valley HS, where he was 5-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 88 K’s in 43-1/3 IP as a senior, and was named first-team All-State. An all around athlete, he earned four letters in tennis and three in golf at PVHS.

Bloom went on to Illinois State University (2002-04), and posted a 14-16 record and 5.31 ERA in 42 games while leading the Redbirds in strikeouts all three seasons. He was a second-team Louisville Slugger/TPX Freshman All-American in 2002 and an honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Conference pick as a sophomore.

The Pirates took him as their fifth-round pick in 2004, the 143rd player picked in the draft. Bloom's a three-pitch guy, with an upper 80 MPH fastball, curve, and change-up, and is a fly-ball/strikeout pitcher with a good strikeout rate and equally high walk rate. He's now spent five seasons with the Bucs, with his share of ups and downs.

Bloom started off in short-season Williamsport in 2004. He was 4-3, but with a 2.60 ERA and 46 K in 45 IP. That merited him a promotion to A Hickory the next year. The LHP went 4-1 there with a 1.87 ERA in half a season, but his walks per 9 IP doubled, from 2-1/2 per game to nearly 5.

He was sent to Lynchburg in high A halfway through the season, and his lack of command caught up to him. His walked more batters than he fanned, yielding 6 free passes per game. It showed on his line, too, which ended up 3-5 with a 5.86 ERA.

Bloom would spend 2006-07 with the Hillcats, putting together a 16-20 record and watching his ERA climb from 4.30 in 2006 to 5.51 in 2007. Control was still an issue, as he walked 4 batters per game, though his K rate was still pretty good.

His inability to throw strikes led to some monster pitch counts, and in 2008 he was pegged for bullpen work at Altoona, where he stopped for a cup of coffee in 2007.

He was eligible for the Rule 5 draft after 2007, but with his struggles at Lynchburg, the scouts crossed him off their list. That might not be true this time around.

The first stroke of serendipity happened when Todd Redmond was shipped to Atlanta for Tyler Yates. That put Bloom into the Curve rotation. He didn't exactly grab that opportunity by the horns, getting blasted early. But he settled down, after the Altoona coaches eliminated a hitch in his motion.

After going winless in April and May with ERAs of 8.15 and 4.15, his ERA improved to 3.63 in June, 2.45 in July and 3.86 in August. Bloom finished the year 5-8 with a 4.19 ERA. His control was still poor - he walked 4-1/2 batters per nine - but his steady improvement merited him a shot at winter ball, in the eyes of the Pirate suits. So off to West Oahu he sailed. And he's kicking butt there.

The 25 year-old is second in the league with a 1.50 ERA. He is 2-0 with 32 K to 11 walks and has allowed just 15 hits in 30 innings in seven starts with a week to go in the winter season. Pretty dramatic stuff in Hawaii from Mr. Bloom.

"Honestly, it's just fastball command," Bloom told Stacy Kaneshiro of Baseball America. "A lot of these (the hitters) are from Class A ball, so they're pretty aggressive on fastball. So what I usually try to do is initiate the inside part of the plate and then use my offspeed if I fall behind, kind of keep them honest. Mainly, it's just moving my fastball in and out."

His game plan was simple. "Be consistent, go out there, log innings, go deep into games, keep my fastball command," he said. "Also, I want to work on my secondary stuff, changeup and curveball. But just pitch efficiently, try to go five innings, not throw so many pitches."

He's done well enough that the Pirates have a decision to make. The organization is short on upper-level starting pitching, especially from the left side. And while Bloom has been quite impressive in Hawaii, he's an old vet in what's basically an A+ level league.

The Pirates have one spot left on their 40-man right now, and that belongs to Neil Walker. Jose Tabata may or may not need protected this year, too. And Jeff Sues is pushing for a spot, along with a couple of bubble players.

Tune in November 20th. The suits have already done some weeding of the 40-man roster, and that date is when they have to finish the job. The future depends on how well they do it.

Winter Ball...Winners & Losers

Ah, winter ball. A time for prospects to bask in Hawaii, Arizona, and Latin America, honing their game. No pressure at all, just beaches, babes, and baseball, right? Well...

For one gang of minor leaguers, it's a last chance to get included on the 40-man roster, a sure sign that you've arrived in an organization. Make it and you know you're in the team's future; miss it and you may be wearing a different uniform.

A ballyhooed star in the making like Jose Tabata doesn't have to sweat it. As soon as he's eligible, he's on the roster. And the youngster is playing like he deserves a spot, batting .288 with a homer and 9 RBI, 7 K and 7 BB, and 5 stolen bases in seven tries in 73 Venezuelan League AB.

There's some debate about whether he signed in 2004 or 2005. If it's the former, he's on the 40-man, no questions asked. If the latter, he's got a year to go.

For other guys, it's not so clear cut. RHP Evan Meek was put on the roster, but he earned his spot at Indy. Even so, he's kept his stats up in Mexico, with a 1-1 record and 7 saves in nine opportunities. In 11-2/3 IP, he's got an ERA of 3.09, giving up 9 hits and striking out 14 while walking 7.

Lefty Dave Davidson, who pitched for the Canadian Olympic team, is trying to preserve his place on the 40-man. DD is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in Mexico, giving up 9 hits in 8 innings with 8 K and 7 BB.

Two AA pitchers are trying to work their way on the protected list. One is Pirate Minor League Pitcher of the Year, RHP Jeff Sues. After a horrid start at Arizona, his slate is 11-2/3 IP, giving up 18 hits and running up an ERA of 6.94. He's struck out 13, walked 4, and hit 3 batters while trying to develop an inside presence.

Lefty Kyle Bloom is knocking hard at the 40-man door with his excellent work at Hawaii. As a starter, he's 2-0 in 30 IP, yielding but 15 hits while K'ing 32 and walking 11 with a 1.50 ERA.

That's good enough to get him on the MLB scouts' radar, and the Bucs have a decision to make with him. A lefty with some potential is likely worth a roll of the Ruke 5dice.

Class A RHP Ron Uviedo is trying to make a name for himself, too. His ERA in Venezuela is 1.93, but in 9-1/3 innings, he's given up 14 hits. Still, Uviedo has struck out 11 without a walk. A long shot, but...

All the catchers on the 40-man save Ryan Doumit are playing winter ball. Ronny Paulino is playing lights out in limited time in the Dominican League, batting .400 in 25 AB with 4 HR and 11 RBI, drawing 6 walks and striking out 4 times. His slugging percentage is a ridiculous .960.

Ol' man Raul Chavez is raking, too. He's hitting .333 in 39 AB in Venezuela, with, as during the regular season, no power at all, swatting a pair of doubles.

Robinzon Diaz, the new boy on the block, isn't doing much to press his case in the Dominican League. He's hitting just .238, without an extra base hit and 5 DP in 42 AB. Ouch!

Steve Lerud, the next catcher in line, has had a tough go of it in Arizona. He's hitting just .194, and is a cinch to be left off the roster this time around.

So catching has pretty much sorted itself out for next year. Paulino - who is out of options - and Chavez will battle for the back-up spot in the spring, unless Paulino plumps up his value enough to bring some bacon home in an off-season deal.

Catching is a hot commodity this year; he may be on some team's wish list after the first wave of current free agent backstops find a home.

Diaz has an option left, and should start at Indy. Lerud? Well, he better have a breakout year at Altoona next season, or he'll find himself off the prospect list and on the organizational depth chart, if he already isn't.

Luis Cruz is playing steady ball in Mexico. The utility infielder is batting .269, with 2 HR and 7 RBI, and showing a nice eye, drawing 11 walks to 7 K. After a not-so-sweet September in the show, he's using the fall to try to establish himself as a MLB-caliber player, even if off the pine.

A loser in the winter rat race is Steve Pearce. He hit just .203, with no homers and 6 RBI, and a slugging percentage of .305. It's not bad enough to dump him from the 40-man, but as for making the active roster...

It's no secret that the Bucs are actively beating the bushes for a RH bat with some pop, but Pearce's half season in Mexico has put him squarely behind the 8-ball going into 2009. The Pirates will almost certainly go another direction this winter to find that power stick.

Might it be Jamie Romak, who's also looking for a spot on this year's 40-man? Well, he's struggling almost as much as Pearce in Arizona. He's hitting .232, with 1 HR and 7 RBI and a slugging % of .339. But he does have 45 HR the past two seasons.

The suits have another week, until November 20th, to set their 40-man roster and protect prospects from the Rule 5 draft. Guys they'll talk about are Tabata, Sues, Bloom, Davidson (who's already on), and Uviedo. Neil Walker, who didn't play fall ball, is a shoo-in, and Cruz has laid claim to holding his spot.

Can Pittsburgh risk losing any arms, in an organization woefully short of pitching? That's the question they face this week.

Maybe Romak and certainly Lerud have hurt their chances to create some buzz in the organization. Ya gotta answer when opportunity knocks.

The same dynamic is in play for next year. Shelby Ford (.294, 3-11 in Arizona) and Miles Durham (.276, 2-26 in Hawaii) are making noise. Jim Negrych (.225, 0-4 in Hawaii) has been hurt, and Brian Friday (.184, 0-4 in Hawaii), is blowing his claim as the SS of the future.

Winter ball is just a small slice of a prospect's career, but it can serve as a launching pad or a set of cement shoes. Winners and losers...

Farm Fresh - Minor League Second Basemen

Hey, we all know how fragile Freddy Sanchez has become in the past couple of seasons with a bum wheel, shoulder, and scratched-up eye. Does the team have anyone that can give him a blow during the upcoming year?

Heck, no. Basically the same pretenders for shortstop are also in line for second base, too. That doesn't bode real well for the Bucs in the short term if Sanchez continues his rickety ways.

Brian Bixler and Luis Cruz manned the position towards the end of Indy's year as the Pirates tried to prime the pair for utility roles. When they were out of the lineup, veterans Matt Kata and Luis Ordaz held the fort, and neither one of them is exactly a fuzzy faced prospect.

The Buc light at the end of the tunnel is Shelby Ford at Altoona. He was a third round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2006, and there's hope for him to be ready for Pittsburgh when Sanchez's contract expires after 2009, with a 2010 option.

So far he's gone a step at a time, from A to high A to AA, and done OK at every stop. He should be at Indy this year. The switch hitter will turn 24 in December, not exactly a babe but still well on course for the show if he doesn't falter.

Like Freddy, he's a steady fielder that won't make many flashy plays, and a line-drive hitter who's put together solid, but not super, years at the plate, batting in the mid-to-upper .280 range. Ford is a much better runner than Sanchez (he's hit more triples than homers the past two seasons) and a threat to steal a base or two.

Oh, another similarity - he missed a couple of months in 2007 with back issues and a couple more in 2008 with a hip flexor. Let's hope he stays in one piece. Unless the suits swing a deal, he's the cavalry at second base.

Pirate Minor League Player of the Year Jim Negrych is a second baseman in name, too, but he's all bat and no mitt. And we don't mean "work in progress" bad glove - the dude flat out cannot field at an acceptable level for an everyday major league player according to most reports.

But he can crank out line drives, and while he's not a fence buster, Negrych has good gap power and hits a ton of doubles. He's played a lot of third the last couple of seasons, and it looks like the Bucs are trying to fit him into the Bobby Hill - Chris Gomez mold as a utility man and bat off the bench.

The 23-year old was chosen in the 6th round of the 2006 draft after a sterling career at Pitt. In 2005, he led the Big East with 16 homers, was second with 59 RBI and was All-Conference. Baseball America named him as its All-America at second base in NCAA Division I.

We expect him to start at Altoona, and if he keeps mashing, to pop up at Indy before the 2009 season is done. It'll be interesting to see if the Pirates give him a steady position or continue to play musical chairs with his glove.

The other guys in A - Dan Bomback, Matt Cavagnaro and Adenson Chourio - don't appear to be MLB threats, although Chourio has hit well in Venezuela and Bradenton.

He's a speedy lil' devil with a good eye, larcenous feet, and a decent mitt. But Chourio played in the GCL at age 21 (he turned 22 in August), and has absolutely no power at all, two bad signs.

He's hit 1 home run, 4 triples, and 21 doubles in 751 minor league at bats, and that ain't much muscle flexing for the ground floor of organized baseball.

But the low levels will be filled with second sackers within a year or two, when the logjam of SS's on the A rosters are converted into 2B's and 3B's as the coaches determine their niche.

Guys like SS's Jose Luis de los Santos and Angel Gonzalez have gotten reps at both middle infield spots, and Chase d'Arnaud could make the move to second, too.

So it's in the same bind as short, with the talent still years away from bubbling up to Pittsburgh, except for Shelby Ford. Cross your fingers that Freddy can hang on another year or two.