The Prospects

This will a tough selection for a couple of years; the system is almost purged of Dave Littlefield picks (Brad Lincoln, Rudy Owens, Brian Friday, Starling Marte, Alex Presley, Tony Watson, Quincy Latimore and Danny Moskos are all that are left in GW's top 50).

Top prospects Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, Jose Tabata, Steve Pearce and Pedro Alvarez are all on the big team now, decimating the old Pirate minor league boards. The Neal Huntington classes are young and pitcher heavy, so it'll be awhile before their books are written. Our take on the 2010 class of prospects:

1. Jameson Taillon, 18, RHP: 2010 first round power pitcher who throws a 92-96 MPH fastball with movement, a plus curve and slider, and a work-in-progress changeup. He's a big kid, too, at around 6'6'' and 225 lbs. He went straight to the Florida Instructional League after signing late for $6.5M, and will probably start 2011 at West Virginia.

2. Tony Sanchez, 22, C: The first round draft pick in 2009, he signed quickly at slot for $2.5M and started playing pro ball. He's hit over .300 at three levels. But he lost a big chunk of time to a beaning, and had a terrible time with base stealers (15% throw-out rate) because of a sore shoulder (although he was fine at the other defensive aspects of catching, especially handling the staff). Sanchez is playing in Arizona, and hopefully the time off during the season strengthened his arm. He should start at Altoona next season.

3. Bryan Morris, 23, RHP: He reestablished himself on the Pirate radar this season with a mid-90s fastball and hard curve. But a history of injuries and a lack of innings could hold him back. The last man standing from the Jay Bay deal, Morris has the upside to become a #2 pitcher in the rotation if he can build on 2010. He should start 2011 at Indy.

4. Luis Heredia, 16, RHP: Heredia was considered the top pitching prospect available on the international market, and the Bucs signed him for $2.6M. He's 6'6" and throws 92 MPH with movement and has rudimentary off-speed stuff. While anything can happen at his age, Heredia has the most upside this side of Taillon in the organization. He should start in the GCL next year, by-passing the DSL.

5. Zack Von Rosenberg, 20, RHP: The 6'5" righty throws 91-93 MPH with developing off speed pitches and good control. A 2009 prep pick in the 2009 draft, he inked a deal worth $1.2M. ZVR was strong at the finish of this season after a stormy start, and should move on to West Virginia in 2011.

6. Stetson Allie, 19, RHP: He has a rifle, throwing a mid-nineties heater that touched 100 and a hard slider. Allie signed late this season for $2.25M, and ended up in the Florida Instructional League after the season. He loses velocity as the game wears on, so whether he becomes a starter or bullpen guy is still very much up in the air. Allie should go to State College in 2011.

7. Rudy Owens, 22, LHP: Owens throws his heat at 91-92 MPH with a good curve, and a change-up. Her has exceptional control and can miss some bats. Owens has been the Pirates' Minor League Pitcher of the Year two years running, and is the most likely farm hand to compete for a starting role at Pittsburgh in 2011, along with Brad Lincoln, though he'll probably start off in Indy. He'll also join the 40-man roster, as he's Rule 5 eligible this season.

8. Brad Lincoln, 25, RHP: The Pirate arm of the future got rocked when he was called to the show, in all likelihood being the straw that broke Joe Kerrigan's back after JK messed with his mechanics. Lincoln has a 93 MPH heater and a sharp breaking ball, but has a history of giving up HRs and the big inning. He'll probably return to Indy to try to locate his old mojo in 2011.

9. Justin Wilson, 23, LHP: A 2008 #5 pick from Fresno State, Wilson had a good year at Altoona, with a low-90s fast ball, curve, and slider. GW has him a little higher on the list than most others, but we think he's just coming into his own. Wilson has a lot of movement on all his pitches, which often leads to control problems. If he can throw strikes, he could be a mid-rotation pitcher; he's pitching in the Arizona Summer League now to work on that issue. We expect to see him at Indy in 2011, where we'll have a better idea of his potential.

10. Jeff Locke, 22, LHP: He throws with low-90s velocity, and has a good hook and great control. His peripherals were also outstanding in a split season between Bradenton and Altoona. The lefty projects as a mid-rotation MLB starter. Locke is likely to start with the Curve in 2011 and be in line to be the first call up to Indy.

11. Starling Marte, 22, OF: A toolsy guy that hit .315 but rang up poor strikeout and walk rates in 2010 needs to smooth out the rough edges. He had hamate surgery, so 2011 will be a big season for him to improve his eye and power numbers; his glove and speed are already exceptional. Marte should be in Altoona to start 2011.

12. Quinton Miller, 20, RHP: He was on the DL with biceps tendinitis, a condition that has haunted him since high school. Miller throws 94 MPH with a slider and change-up. The Pirates fast-tracked him in 2009 after drafting him out of high school and hope to get a healthy season under his belt in 2011. He could stay at West Virginia or move up to Bradenton, depending on the numbers game and the condition of his arm.

13. Nick Kingham, 18, RHP: A 2010 fourth round prep draft pick from Washington, he throws a low-90s fastball with movement to go with a plus change and a in-progress curve. Kingham is considered to have big-time upside, and flew under the radar after the Taillon and Allie signings. He should start next season at State College after a brief appearance in the GCL this year.

14. Jarek Cunningham, 20, 2B: Missed all of 2009 with ACL surgery, but came back to hit .258/.309/.436 at West Virginia with 11 HRs. The only concession to his knee was a switch from SS to 2B. Cunningham has pop in his bat, but K's at a big rate, especially having problems with off-speed stuff. He should move to Bradenton in 2011.

15. Colton "Billy" Cain, 19, LHP: Cain was drafted out of high school in 2009, signing late for $1.25M. He throws in the low-90s, and has a plus curve and change with occasional control issues. Cain missed the start of the year after minor back surgery, so his year at SC was especially promising as he remained healthy. He'll be part of the West Virginia rotation in 2011.

16. Zack Dodson, 20, LHP: A 2009 prep draft pick out of high school who signed for $600K, he throws in the low 90s and his curve is his best pitch. Dodson had trouble with his control at State College but improved his command as the season went on. He's likely to move on to West Virginia in 2011, but his innings will be limited. Dodson only had 57 IP in 2010.

17. Chase d'Arnaud, 23, SS: d'Arnaud, 2008's 4th round pick, had trouble buying a hit this year, batting .247, but had a big championship series to end the year with a good taste in his mouth. He's still the top internal candidate for SS, so this will be a big year for him to prove he deserves that slot. d'Arnaud should start at Indy, but the Pirates have a logjam of SS's to be sorted out, so his assignment will depend on where other guys, like Brian Friday, Pedro Ciriaco and Argenis Diaz land.

18. Andrew Lambo, 22, OF: A former top prospect acquired in the Octavio Dotel deal known for his stick rather than mitt, he's trying to regain his star. He played AA ball as a 20 and 21 year old, young for the level, so that may be part of his problem. The Bucs thought enough of him to send him to the Arizona Fall League. Lambo should get a ticket to Indy in 2011.

19. Diego Moreno, 24, RHP: He missed nearly a month with a rotator cuff strain, and then got suspended for unspecified bad conduct. Moreno throws in the high nineties and is almost unhittable by righties. He's eligible for the Rule 5 draft and the Pirates will probably add him to the 40-man roster. The closer should open 2011 at Altoona.

20. Alex Presley, 25, OF: the Pirate Minor League Player of the Year, Presley showed that he can probably handle a fourth outfield position at the MLB level. He's likely to start 2011 at Indy as an insurance policy.

21. Nathan Adcock, 22, RHP: Adcock doesn't have a great heater or dominating off speed stuff, and profiles back of the rotation starter. He's also eligible for the Rule 5 draft, so the Pirates have to make a decision on him this season. If Adcock gets through the shuffle, he should be in the Altoona rotation in 2011.

22. Jordy Mercer, 24, SS: The third round pick in 2008, Mercer has played the middle infield with range and hit the ball well. He's another guy, like d'Arnaud, who's caught in the recent crush of upper-level middle infielders, but he's done his job fairly well over the past three seasons. He should be at Indy next year, but...

23. Robbie Grossman, 21, OF: Strikes out too much (although he improved in 2010), draws a lot of walks, and hasn't shown the power expected of him yet. he does have decent wheels, good range, and an accurate arm who has put together three decent OBP years. He'll probably start at Bradenton next season.

24. Gorkys Hernandez, 23, CF: Hernandez runs well and is very good defensively, maybe the best OF'er in the system, with a strong arm. He profiles as a top of the order bat with good base-stealing skills, and a fourth outfielder type behind Andrew McCutchen and Jose Tabata in Pittsburgh. Hernandez should begin 2011 at Indy.

25. Mel Rojas Jr., 20, CF: A third round junior college pick this year, he's raw but toolsy. He'll probably begin 2011 in West Virginia.

26. Nate Baker, 22, LHP: He throws between 88-92 with a slider and change, with good control. His stuff isn't dominating, and he doesn't miss too many bats, so each level up will be a challenge. Baker should start out 2011 at Bradenton, although Altoona is also a possibility.

27. Exicardo Cayonez, 19, OF: Signed in 2008 for a $400K bonus, he played in the GCL this season. Cayonez faded in August, having trouble hitting lefties. He's fairly toolsy, and the Bucs will move him on to State College in 2011 to continue his baseball education.

28. Brian Friday, 24, 2B: He was off to a good start as Indy's second baseman before a mid-season ankle injury fell him for awhile. Friday is Rule 5 eligible this year, making an interesting choice for the FO who have a ton of middle infield guys. If he stays with the organization, he should again be at Indy.

29. Matt Curry, 22, 1B: Curry was drafted out of TCU in 2010, and had a strong line of .299/7/29 at SC. He has a background as a good hitter, and will probably move up a level in 2011, although he could be jumped to Bradenton.

30. Zach Fuesser, 20, LHP: He's not a power pitcher, throwing 88-92 with a good curve and a developing change, and his control is an issue. But except for the walks, his peripherals were strong for SC, and he rebounded well from an early season broken finger. Fuesser was drafted in 2009, and signed for $125K. He'll start at West Virginia next season.

Rounding out the top fifty, in no particular order (except alphabetic), are: 3B Eric Avila, SS Yhonathan Barrios, SS Jorge Bishop, RHP Victor Black, OF Evan Chambers, SS Pedro Ciriaco, 3B Jeremy Farrell, C Eric Fryer, IF Josh Harrison, 1B Matt Hague, 2B Brock Holt, RHP Jeff Inman, 1B Jared Lakind, OF Quincy Latimore, RHP Brett Lorin, SS Drew Maggi, RHP Joe Martinez, LHP Danny Moskos, RHP Brooks Pounders and LHP Tony Watson.

The Coonelly Dynasty Begins...

Chuck Finder in the Post Gazette reports that Bucco prez Frank Coonelly said "2010 is the beginning of the next dynasty of the Pirates..." Woohoo! About time, we say.

But hey, every dynasty needs its warriors. The Pirates have Andrew McCutchen as a fairly sure thing to be an above average MLB player, maybe even a difference maker in time. The rest of the gang? Well, they're on the way.

Here's how the baseball world sees the up-and-coming Pirate pups, who are supposed to lead the bumbling Bucs to the promised land:

-- JJ Cooper of Baseball America picks his Top 100 Prospects. Out of those hot-shots, he includes two Pirates-to-be: Pedro Alvavrez, #8, and Tony Sanchez, #79.

-- Keith Law of ESPN also compiled a list of the Top 100 prospects; he likes Alvarez, but at #35, Jose Tabata at #57, and Sanchez, #82.

-- MLB.com selects a Top 50 with vids; the only Bucco baby they rank is Alvarez, at #8. To add a little insult to injury, they select Tanner Sheppers, the pitcher the suits didn't sign, as #39.

As you can see, the pundits don't think there's a lot of Grade A help on the horizon; that makes the dynasty talk a bit premature.

But hey, if the Pirates continue to overdraft - remember, as their payroll increases, their draft budget will shrink - and guys like Brad Lincoln, Chase d'Arnaud and Jarek Cunningham continue to mature, along with the rest of the gang, there should be a light at the end of what's been a very long tunnel.

Camp Crashers

With the addition of RHP Jeff Sues, the Pirate roster of non-40 man roster invitees to camp is now at 26 players. They are:

Pitchers (18) - RH Jimmy Barthmaier, RH Brian Bass, LH Brian Burres, RH D.J. Carrasco, RH Vinnie Chulk, RH Anthony Claggett, LH Neal Cotts, RH Craig Hansen, RH Steven Jackson, RH Jeff Karstens, LH Wilfredo Ledezma, RH Jean Machi, RH Jeremy Powell, RH Jeff Sues, LH Jack Taschner, LH Justin Thomas, RH Virgil Vasquez, and RH Tyler Yates.

Outlook: Carrasco has an excellent shot at sticking; Jackson and Ledzema will get good looks. Cotts, Hansen, and Yates are all recovering from injuries and probably won't be physically ready for the start of the season.

Catchers (4) - Luke Carlin, Hector Gimenez, Erik Kratz, and Tony Sanchez.

Outlook: They're just in Bradenton to give the pitchers a target. It's growing less likely that Ryan Doumit will be dealt, but if there's a trade or injury, Carlin is probably the next man on the organizational depth chart, just ahead of Kratz.

Infielders (2) - 2B Doug Bernier and SS Brian Friday.

Outlook: Neither has a shot at breaking camp with the big team.

Outfielders (2) - Brian Myrow and Jonathan Van Every.

Outlook: On a team glutted with outfielders, these guys are assuredly Indy-bound. But both are MLB capable players and add nice depth to the position. If the team packages some of their excess outfielders, one or the other could end up on Pittsburgh's bench. But the numbers game is slanted decidedly against them now.

Jeff Clement

Jeffrey B. Clement was born August 21, 1983 in Marshalltown, Iowa, and became a local legend in a hurry. As a twelve year old, Clement led the 1996 Marshalltown entry to a spot in the Little League World Series in Williamsport.

At Marshalltown High School, he broke the national high school home run record, formerly held by Drew Henson, with 75 dingers. Clement led his Bobcat team as a catcher/pitcher to the Iowa 4-A State Championship game in his senior year.

Clement was featured in the September 16, 2002, issue of Sports Illustrated as part of the "For the Love of the Game" article. Hey, "Field of Dreams" is set in Iowa, right? He fit right in.

He was drafted in the 12th round by the Minnesota Twins (362nd overall) in 2002. Too low, he thought, and so it was off to Southern Cal.

Clement started right away at SoCal, and also played on the U.S. National Team. In his freshman year, he was named Collegiate Baseball Freshman National Co-Player of the Year, Pac-10 Conference Freshman of the Year, earned Baseball America Freshman All-America first team, and Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American first team honors.

As a sophomore, Clement earned 2004 BA Preseason All-America first team and NCBWA Preseason All-America first team honors, as well as Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-America second team honors. He was also named as a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award.

In 2005, he won the Johnny Bench Award as the nation's top collegiate catcher, earned 2005 Baseball America All-America First Team, USA Today Sports Weekly All-America first team and Collegiate Baseball All-America first team honors, as well as 2005 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-America third team honors, was a Finalist for the 2005 Golden Spikes Award, and named All-Pac-10 for the third straight year. Whew! Pretty good junior year, we'd say.

His Trojan line that season was .348/.469/.617 with a 1.086 OPS, 15 homers and 52 RBI in 230 at-bats.

Not too surprisingly, his draft status shot through the roof. Clement was the Seattle Mariners' first round draft pick (third overall) in the 2005 draft, inking a $3.4M deal in a class that included Justin Upton, Ryan Braun and Ryan Zimmerman.

The big lefty started out in A ball, and played 15 games in AA the next season before being promoted to AAA, and there he's stayed, with an occasional cup of coffee in the show (.237/.309/.393, 7 HR/26 RBI, 219 at-bats), ever since.

His 2006 season was cut short by knee surgery and by an operation to remove bone chips from his elbow.

Overall, he's compiled a .282/.370/.495 minor league line with 67 homers and 276 RBI in just over 400 games. Clement walked at about a 10% rate and whiffed at a 20% rate. And until the Bucs got him as part of the Jack Splat/Ian Snell booty, Clement was used almost exclusively behind the plate.

When the M's made a major commitment to 33 year-old Japanese catcher Kenji Johjima by signing him to a $16.5M, three-year contract in 2008, Clement's future in Seattle was pretty well sealed, especially with a young Adam Moore tailing him in the M's system. Knee surgery, always a red flag for backstops, derailed him at the end of 2008, so both hinges have been under the knife.

He was optioned to the Triple A Tacoma Rainiers late in spring training, and in late July caught a cross-country flight to Indy.

In a very small big-league sample, Clement strikes out too much, walks too little, and has a odd split - he hit lefties 75 points better than righties. And that's why no one bases anything on such sketchy data. His minor league plate discipline was much sharper, and his splits were much less spread.

He expanded his strike zone noticeably in the majors; hopefully, that was due to trying to show off his muscle rather than adjustment problems to MLB pitching.

The big question in Seattle was where to put him. The school of thought on the left coast was that Clement just wasn't going to pan out as a catcher, and had a 1B/DH future awaiting him. But oddly, the Seattle brass never played him anywhere but behind the dish except for a half-dozen games at first, though they did DH him quite a bit.

Pittsburgh, of course, doesn't have the DH option, so they're working him at first base. Clement, by most reports, isn't a train wreck there, showing a willingness to work and some athleticism, and he's been getting the Delwyn Young treatment in mini-camp, coming out early to learn the position.

The truth is that he's played 28 games at the position. The Pirates would love to get a big lefty bopper in the lineup, so they're giving him a long, hard look at first with the hopes that he'll come north with the team after spring camp.

Clement will be locked in a battle with Steve Pearce for the spot. He's just four months younger than Pearce, both have an option left and oodles of team control remaining on their clocks, so there's not much to pick from there. Clement crushes a ball; Pearce is a proven commodity at first.

Logically, the Pirates would probably be stronger in the short-term if Clement started at Indy and got some reps at first while platooning Pearce in Pittsburgh, who showed the ability to hit lefties.

And the Bucs might be better served to show off Pearce if they don't consider him part of the future, if they want to get anything in return when and if they decide to move him. Additionally, the right field/first base spot seems to be overflowing with left-handed hitters, though that could change quickly enough after camp.

But the middle of the order falls so much more nicely into place if Clement can produce at PNC, and there's always that pesky upside to consider, so it's going to be one of camp's more interesting match-ups.

Pedro

Hey, Washington Heights in Manhattan is noted for many things, some cool and some that aren't all that savory. But it was home to one of baseball's hallowed fields, the Polo Grounds, where Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, and Tom Seaver once strutted their stuff.

The Heights was also the nest where a couple of pretty fair major league careers were hatched; those of Manny Ramirez and Rod Carew. The Pirates are hoping to add a third name to Washington Heights' MLB honor roll, Pedro Alvarez.

Alvarez, who will be 23 in February, was a high school phenom. In his senior year of 2005, he set records for his team, Horace Mann, an independent prep school, in home runs, batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, and RBIs. Alvarez was named the Louisville Slugger and Gatorade New York Athlete of the Year and was on LS's All-America squad.

He also took his summer club team, the Bayside Yankees, to a national title in 2005. The Red Sox drafted him in the fourteenth round after that season, as he was ranked as the 97th best pro prospect in the country by BA. The Sox offered him a bonus said to be $775K, but Alvarez opted to honor his commitment to Vanderbilt. Good move. It's not often the Pirates outbid the boys from Boston for a player.

He got off to a scorching start at Vandy and was picked as BA's National Freshman of the Year in 2006. Alvarez was then selected to the USA National team, leading the team in batting average. Baseball America ranked him as the 2nd best pro prospect on the squad. Sports Illustrated ranked him as the best pro prospect on the team and said that he was the "early favorite to be drafted first in 2008."

Before the 2007 campaign began Alvarez was named to the watchlist for the SEC and national player of the year awards and a pre-season All-America. Alvarez lived up to the hype, hitting .397 with 17 home runs, 65 RBI, 72 runs, an on-base percentage of .467, and a slugging percentage of .706 for the 51-11 Commodores.

Vanderbilt won its first ever SEC regular-season championship that year. During the SEC Tournament, Alvarez was named Tournament MVP. He was invited back to Team USA and led the team in homers, RBIs, batting average, hits, and slugging percentage.

He was first team All-America for three publications, and second-team on another pair before the 2008 season. Hey, even Dave Littlefield knew this kid could play, although we shudder to think who the Bucs would have picked if the new suits hadn't come aboard.

Alvarez kept raking as a junior, but he suffered a broken hamate bone, which sapped a lot of his power that season and took him out of the lineup for several weeks.

Maybe because of that (or the dreaded signability issue), Tampa Bay led off the 2008 draft by picking high school shortstop Tim Beckham, and the new Pirate front office earned huge cred among the long-suffering fans by taking Alvarez next.

Ah, but no one anticipated the upcoming drama. Scott Boras dragged the negotiations out to the midnight hour, when the Pirates announced they signed Alvarez to a $6M contract. After a few days of silence, Boras claimed that the ink dried two minutes late. The deal was no deal according to his calculations.

The whole affair was dumped in the league office's lap and went in front of a judge. But again, at the last minute, Alvarez and Boras relented and signed a new contract worth $6.35M. Why the brinkmanship?

As near as GW can figure, it was because Buster Posey got a $6.2M bonus in 2008, the highest ever before Steven Strasburg and Dustin Ackley bettered that number in 2009. So not only did Boras get the richest bonus up to that time, but he set the bar higher for the upcoming rooks. Devil or angel, he can sure work the system.

Of course, others rightly point out that the union filed the grievance, not the agent, and it was to uphold the contract, as the league had always allowed a little wiggle room for late signings and they didn't want to upset the apple cart. Apparently, both sides were leery of the ramifications of a binding decision, so they settled before a verdict was rendered. Machiavelli could be a GM today.

Anyway, 2008 was a lost year professionally for Alvarez, who bore the brunt of Boras' machinations. The Bucs front office didn't help by darkly muttering about his uncanny resemblance to the Sta-Puf Marshmallow Man. In fact, Alvarez didn't stay in shape because of a bout of tendinitis in his knees; he's in much better condition now that his knees have calmed down and he's on a structured program.

The draft flap was much ado about nothing. By all accounts, Pedro is a good kid, hard worker, and an academic whiz. Still, he bore the onus of being an ornery Boras client in the short term while losing what should have been his rookie season.

But everyone, from Neal Huntington to Scott Boras to Joe Fan knew that his public persona would eventually be linked to his performance. And hey, he's done a pretty good job of earning a little love lately.

After tearing it up in training camp, Alvarez was assigned to High A Lynchburg. He was productive, with 14 homers and 55 RBI in 243 at-bats, although he was hitting just .247. No problem; he was moved on to Altoona.

Alvarez hit .333/.419/.590 for the Curve with an OPS of 1.009, whacking 13 homers and driving home 40 in 222 at-bats. His overall maiden line was .288/.378/.535 with a .913 OPS, 32 doubles, 129 K's and 71 walks in 465 at-bats. And while he didn't exactly play third like Andy LaRoche, he wasn't Richie Hebner, either.

His arm is strong enough. He's a big guy (6'-2", 210-15 pounds), and his range isn't great. But Alvarez has an adequate mitt at the hot corner for now. Whether or not he moves to first, we think, will depend on how Andy LaRoche, Garrett Jones, and Jeff Clement play out by the time Pedro gets his call, likely this summer.

He's ticketed to start the year at Indy, and if all goes according to plan, it'll be Pedro time at PNC come June.

#2 - Jose Tabata

José Tábata, born August 12, 1988, in Anzoategui, Venezuela, was inked by the New York Yankees in 2004 at the tender age of 16 for $550K. He was highly thought of from the get-go, considered to be one of those rare five-tool players almost unanimously by scouts. And by 2008, he had become the Yankees' Number 2 prospect, according to Baseball America.

At the age of 17 and in his first year of American pro ball (he spent his sixteen year-old season in the DSL), Tábata led the Yankees farm system in batting average, hitting .314/.382/.417 for the Gulf Coast Yankees in 2005.

In 2006, Tábata batted .298/.377/.420 for the Low A Charleston RiverDogs of the Sally League. He was selected as a member of the All-Star Futures Game as a member of the World Team. The game was part of the 2006 All-Star Game at PNC Park, and he played center field while going 1-for-3 with a single off fellow Yankees farmhand Phil Hughes.

He was hit on the right wrist later in the season, ending his year. The wrist would continue to bother him throughout 2007, and he finally had the hamate bone removed in August of that year. He was still having problems with it into early 2008.

In 2007, Tábata played for the High-A Tampa Yankees, where he hit .307/.371/.392, and was assigned to AA Trenton to begin 2008.

The Yankees started to wonder about his mental makeup after he was suspended twice that summer.

Tabata first lost three games for leaving a contest without the team's permission. A short while later, he either was yanked after he didn't back up Austin Jackson in the outfield, or got into a shoving match inside the dugout. Either way, it cost him more time.

Even before those incidents, some scouts claimed that Tabata coasted through many games, playing hard only as the spirit moved him. Copping a 'tude, especially in a tradition-laden organization like the Yankees, probably torpedoed any career plans he had to pull on the pinstripes.

On July 26, 2008, Tábata was part of the return, along with Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens, and Daniel McCutchen, when Xavier Nady and Dámaso Marte went to the Big Apple.

He moved from AA Trenton to Altoona, and during the year his line was .277/.345/.388.

Tabata started 2009 with the Curve, and got a late call to Indy. He started off slowly, then missed nearly two months with a late April hamstring injury (he also missed time in 2008 with a pull). His combined line last year was .293/.357/.406. In five minor league seasons, he's compiled a .295/.364/.402 line.

Tabata finished the year in the Arizona Fall League, where he raked, hitting .392/.448/.517, and was added to the forty-man roster on November 11th.

His maturity level, questioned by the NYY, seemed just fine here. In March of 2009, Tábata's wife, Amalia Tábata Pereira, was arrested and charged with kidnapping a 2-month-old girl in Florida.

In what could have been a springboard to personal disaster, Tabata instead handled himself well, and had a problem-free 2009 season. A combination of being a little older, speaking and understanding English a bit better, and being out of the New York media splash have contributed to his maturity.

The guy some scouts compared to Manny Ramirez ain't quite there yet. The most noticeable difference is that Tabata has never hit more than eight home runs in any minor-league season, certainly an un-Manny stat.

Some people think he's a line-drive hitter whose swing is built to crank out doubles and top out as a 12-15 homer guy; others believe that his stronger base (he's put on 50 pounds since the Yankees found him in 2004; he's 5'-11" and 215 pounds now) and complete recovery from hamate surgery will make him a potential 30 HR guy.

His speed is good, but Tabata hasn’t stolen 20 or more bases since leaving the GCL in 2005. His speed has decreased a bit as his lower body has gotten heavier, and last year was his poorest showing on the basepaths, stealing just eleven bases in nineteen tries (58%).

Still, he runs well enough that he's played plenty of center field, although he projects to be a corner outfielder when he reaches the show. He's gotten time in right because of his plus arm, although PNC's left field would seem a natural spot for him.

Tabata turned 21 in August. His first three or four pro season saw him playing as one of the youngest guys at his level, and with little command of English to help him along.

He hits for average, has a good OBP, an above-average arm, above-average speed, and plays above-average defense. The power question is still up in the air, although we don't think he's going to end up a big bopper. All in all, maybe not five tools, but a plus player in almost every aspect of his game. He's close to winding his Major League clock.

Jose Tabata is scheduled to start the year in Indy. He could be up as soon as June, time enough to get his feet wet and still avoid Super Two arbitration status.

(Next - #1 Pedro Alvarez)

#3 Brad Lincoln

Bradley Eric Lincoln, born May 25, 1985 in Lake Jackson, Texas, is considered one of the few true prospects mined by Dave Littlefield.

He played baseball for Brazoswood High School. But he was a quarterback for the football team, too, and we all know how that goes in Texas; a lot like it does in Western Pennsylvania. Lincoln didn't concentrate solely on baseball until his junior season.

After his senior year, he showed enough stuff that the Texas Rangers selected him in the 28th round of the 2003 draft. He decided instead to attend the University of Houston.

Lincoln did OK there for the first two years, but really burst on the baseball scene with a strong performance in the wooden-bat Cape Cod League in the summer of 2005, and it launched him into a terrific junior season for the Cougars.

He was 12-2 with a 1.69 ERA, and had 152 strikeouts in 127-2/3 innings of work. At the end of the season, he was recognized as Conference USA Player of the Year.

Bad Brad also won the Dick Howser Trophy (national college baseball player of the year) and the Brooks Wallace Award (the most outstanding college shortstop; he hit .295 with 14 home runs and 53 RBI). Lincoln was also one of finalists for the Roger Clemens Award, losing to Andrew Miller of the University of North Carolina.

He also was named to the Louisville Slugger, Pro-Line Cap/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and Baseball America All-America First Teams as a DH/utility player.

Scouts all loved him, and despite that, the Pirates chose him with the fourth overall selection of the first round in 2006. Lincoln inked a $2.75M deal, and the Bucs had plans to fast-track their budding ace.

Lincoln's right wing had other ideas. He almost immediately encountered injury problems; an oblique strain limited him to 24 innings in 2006. It didn't get better.

The pain continued through spring training, and it was off to see Dr. James Andrews for Tommy John surgery on his right arm in April. Lincoln was done for the year.

Lincoln returned in 2008, making 19 starts between low-A Hickory and high-A Lynchburg, and went 6-10 with a 4.69 ERA. He whiffed 75 and walked 17 in 103-2/3 frames. The results weren't there, but the command was and his heater was hitting 93 MPH, his pre-TJ velocity, and his curve was snapping. It was quite an encouraging comeback, considering he had just spent a year in the tub.

He started 2009 at Class AA Altoona, and after 13 games with the Curve, Lincoln had bad-luck 1-5 record, 2.28 ERA, and in 75 innings struck out 65 and walked 18. So it was off to Indy at the end of June.

His first four starts were miserable, but he picked up the pace and proved he belonged. Lincoln posted a 6-2 slate, 4.17 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and had a sharp 29:2 K/BB ratio in 41 innings pitched.

Between the two clubs, Lincoln made 25 starts, with a 7-7 record, 3.37 ERA in 136-1/3 innings pitched, and a 1.20 WHIP.

Lincoln then took Dan McCutchen's spot for the USA World Cup team, and the squad took home a gold medal. In his four starts, Lincoln had 3-0 record, 2.70 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and K'd 12 while walking six in 23-1/3 innings. He was placed on the 40-man roster this year.

Lincoln was rated the number four prospect by Baseball America in the Pirates' system coming into 2009. John Sickels has him rated #6 going into 2010.

He has a fastball that ranges between 90-93, and touches 95 MPH. He also has a plus curveball with a late break. And like so many other farmhands, he needs a change up; lefties hit 40 points higher against him than righties overall last year, and nearly 100 points higher in his time with the Tribe.

Lincoln's strikeout rate hovers around 6+ per nine innings, which is OK, but not overpowering. He's best when he's getting ground ball outs, and he had some problems with that in AAA.

He needs to keep guys a little more honest; his line drive and home run rates both went up significantly at Indy, too. That's partially a by-product of being around the plate so often, but also shows the need for him to develop a third pitch.

GW always liked Lincoln, but we project him more as a 2-3 pitcher, not an ace. And hey, that ain't bad. His comeback has been impressive, and we'd kinda like to see him settle into a rhythm at Indy and get a full season at one level under his belt. He'll be 25 in May, so age isn't a serious consideration.

That's not likely, though. Unless the wheels fall off, and there's no reason to think that will happen, he should be up at PNC Park by late June or so, avoiding the dreaded Super Two arbitration clock.

(Next - #2 Jose Tabata)

#4 - Chase d'Arnaud

Chase d'Arnaud, 22, is a Long Beach boy. He went to high school at Los Alamitos, where he hit .512 with 5 homers, 30 RBI and 32 runs scored as a senior in 2005. It was good enough to get him drafted in the 44th round by the Dodgers.

But instead of giving the Big Blue a hometown discount, he went off to Pepperdine. d’Arnaud hit .314 with 11 home runs, 17 doubles, 50 RBI, 52 runs scored and 10 stolen bases for the Waves in 2008, his junior season, playing third and short.

He topped his year off during the NCAA Regionals. In four games, d’Arnaud hit .429 with three home runs and five RBI and was named to the All-Tournament Team, to go along with his Honorable Mention selection to the All-West Coast Conference squad.

d'Arnaud was the Pirates' 4th round pick in the 2008 draft (114th overall), as the new suits loaded up with middle infield types. He inked a deal for $293K, and was sent to short-season State College.

The infielder put up solid numbers there and was a NY-Penn League All-Star as a third baseman. His line in his first year of pro ball was .286 with a .333 OBP. He had one homer, 21 RBI, and 26 runs while stealing 14 sacks in 16 tries.

In 2009, he split time for the Pirates' Class A clubs. In 62 games for Low A West Virginia, D'Arnaud hit .291 with 3 HR and 31 RBI, and had a .394 OBP while stealing 17 bases in 20 attempts. He was a Sally League All-Star, playing exclusively at shortstop.

On June 22nd, right after the All-Star game, he was promoted to High A Lynchburg. d'Arnaud hit .295 with a .402 OBP and 4 homers, 26 RBI, and 45 runs scored. He kept his larceny rate strong, too, with 14 steals in 19 attempts. He played both short and second for the Carolina League champ Hillcats.

He kept it going in the Arizona League, where he batted .296 with a .383 OBP, and swiped 13 sacks in 15 tries for Scottsdale.

GW has him rated this high not because of his tools, but because of his consistency and how he fits in the Pirate puzzle.

d’Arnaud works deep counts and get on base. His speed is good, although not overwhelming, but he knows how to get around the basepath and has an 82% base stealing success rate. He draws walks (12% rate), and while not much a banger, d'Arnaud has some gap power and uses all the field.

d'Arnaud has good hands and a decent enough arm. His range is a bit suspect, which is why the Pirates got him some time at second base with Lynchburg, especially with Shelby Ford's boat taking on water.

So what he looks like now is a guy that's not flashy, but a steady, hard-nosed infielder (did we mention he was plunked 17 times in 2009?) who projects as a second baseman that can hit out of the two hole, just what the doc ordered for the Pirates.

Baseball America likes him, too. They see him as the number #5 Bucco prospect for 2010, and predict that he'll eventually be Pittsburgh's starting second sacker.

His next stop is at Altoona. d'Arnaud will be 23 next month, and he's just about right on track for his background, playing at his fourth level in three seasons, and may end up at Indy before the year's played out.

He'll be chasing his little brother Travis, the 37th overall pick in the 2007 draft, who's now a catcher in the Blue Jays organization after the recent Roy Halladay blockbuster deal, to see who gets to the show first.

(Next - #3 Brad Lincoln)

#5 - Tim Alderson

Timothy Curtis Alderson was born in Phoenix, and was all that as a high school pitcher for Horizon HS.

In his junior and senior high school years, he struck out 173 batters while walking only nine. Alderson went 12-0 with a 1.05 ERA as a senior, fanning 111 and only walking four in 73 innings, and threw 47 straight frames his final year without issuing a free pass. Baseball America named him first-team high school All-American.

The Giants selected Alderson with the 22nd overall pick in Major League Baseball's 2007 draft. They gave him a $1.29M signing bonus, keeping him from his commitment to Oregon State. The pick was San Francisco's second, after Madison Bumgarner, as compensation for the loss of Jason Schmidt via free agency.

He made his pro debut that summer with the Arizona Rookie League Giants, getting few appearances but striking out a dozen in five innings.

In 2008, he was 13-4 with a 2.79 ERA for the San Jose Giants. He led the High Class A California League in ERA, tied for third in wins with 13, and was fourth in strikeouts with 124. Alderson made the All-Star team at the age of 19.

After the season, Baseball America rated him the #6 prospect in the league, the #45 prospect in all the minors, and the #4 prospect in the Giant system.

Alderson began 2009 with San Jose and was 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA after five games. Still, he was promoted to the AA Connecticut Defenders, and went 6-1 with a 3.47 ERA.

On July 29th, the Giants traded Alderson for Freddy Sanchez. San Fran fans beat their chests in frustration at losing Alderson; Bucco backers bemoaned getting another junk-balling back-ender. Time will tell who's right. It always does.

The 6-7 righthander has a plus-plus curveball and terrific control for a young moundsman. His heater is so-so, ranging from 88-91 MPH, touching 94 with a stiff breeze behind him. His change is very much a work in progress, and he'll need it.

Left-handed batters were hitting about 60 points higher against him than right-handed batters, so the change will be a key to handling batters of the lefty persuasion as he works his way up the ladder.

His fastball also took a hit last year, being clocked in the mid-to-high eighties. There are reasons galore being thrown out regarding the loss of velocity. One is that the innings are catching up to him, and he'll get stronger as he adjusts to the workload.

Another has to do with his funky delivery. It's deceptive to hitters, and doesn't look like the sort of herky-jerky motion to stress his arm. But Alderson pitched exclusively from the stretch in high school, and the Giants had to work on developing a full wind-up for him. He's got a lot of moving parts when he throws, especially from the hips down.

The Pirates are continuing that make-over, which incorporates a longer stride, kick and step-over before he lands. It looks awkward, but he claims that it doesn't affect his release or its repeatability, and his control numbers seem to reinforce that view, as he walked 30 in 137-1/3 innings during 2009.

But he only had 84 strike-outs, too, working out to 5.5/nine innings. That's a big red flag at the AA level.

Ross Ohlendorf had the same loss of power when Joe Kerrigan toyed with his mechanics, and his velocity eventually returned. Of course, the league is littered with guys that never regained the touch, so...

In spite of the travails, Alderson is seen by most, though certainly not all, scouts, as a possible #2 guy and likely #3 in the show. He's a pup - he only turned 21 in November - who's been aggressively promoted in a short span, and he’s held his own while showing great control.

Alderson is ranked 60th overall by Baseball Prospectus in their Top 100 Prospects for 2009. Baseball America has him slotted as the #7 Pirate prospect.

The suits are giving him a chance to catch his breath in Altoona this year. If he learns to stick his landings and comes up with a viable change (he was mostly a fastball-curveball guy last year, and two pitches won't cut it), he could be in line to show up at PNC in 2011.

(Next - #4 Chase d'Arnaud)

#6 - Daniel McCutchen

Daniel McCutchen, 27, was born in Texas and bred an Okie. He was 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA as a senior at Norman HS, hitting .357, and he also played football.

McCutchen began his college days at Central Oklahoma in 2002, going 4-0 with 3 saves and a 2.76 ERA, striking out 38 in 28 innings. He then transferred to Grayson Community College, where he won one game before being hurt and was redshirted. The New York Yankees took McCutchen in the 27th round of the 2003 amateur draft, but he passed on their offer.

He moved on to the University of Oklahoma, where McCutchen went 4-3 with 5 saves and a 3.47 ERA, striking out 60 in 57 innings as a sophomore. He was Honorable Mention All-Big 12 Conference.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays picked him in the 28th round of the 2004 draft; he passed again. In the summer, McCutchen pitched for the wooden-bat Cape Cod League Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, posting a 5-1 slate with a 1.58 ERA, holding opponents to 32 hits in 45-2/3 frames.

In 2005, Daniel was 4-5 with 2 saves and a 4.18 ERA, striking out 84 in 84 innings as he made the jump from reliever to starter for the Sooners, and was again Honorable Mention All-Conference.

The St. Louis Cardinals became the third team to draft him, in the 12th round of the 2005 draft; again he didn't sign. He went to Cape Cod for a second go-around with Y-D Sox. McCutchen was 3-6 with a 3.43 ERA and fanned 63 in 60-1/3 innings, walking just 12 batters.

McCutchen had a 10-8, 4.06 record with one save in 2006 as a senior for Oklahoma, striking out 147 in 148-2/3 innings. He led the Big 12 in strikeouts, tossing 45 more Ks than Joba Chamberlain did at Nebraska.

He was sixth in NCAA Division I in strikeouts; only Tim Lincecum, Eddie Degerman, P.J. Walters, David Price and Brad Lincoln fanned more college batters.

He was chosen by the Yankees again, this time in the 13th round of the 2006 draft (404th overall) and finally signed, not that the senior had many other options.

The right-hander made his debut at short-season Staten Island and moved on to Sally League Charleston, where combined he went 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA, 29 Ks in 29 innings, and a 0.793 WHIP.

But he was busted and suspended for 50 games for using a performance-enhancing substance that he said was a medication for attention deficit disorder. The Bronx Bombers believed him, and that's good enough for us.

In 2007, he split time with the High A Tampa Yankees and AA Trenton Thunder, where overall he posted a 14-4 record with a 2.47 ERA, though his K rate dropped to 6.5/nine innings.

Baseball America rated him as having the best control in the Florida State League and the Yankees #30 prospect in 2007, while he made the FSL All-Star team, one of six pitchers selected.

McCutchen opened 2008 with the Thunder and was 4-3 with a 2.55 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 53 innings. He was promoted to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees and went 4-6 with a 3.58 ERA and 11 walks in 70-1/3 IP.

McCutchen was then traded with José Tabata, Ross Ohlendorf and Jeff Karstens to the Pirates for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte, and was sent to Indy. At the time, he was the Yankees #14 prospect, according to BA.

He and Jeff Karstens were late substitutes in the deal for pitchers George Kontos and Phil Coke. It's thought that the Pirates wanted a couple of guys that were closer to being MLB ready, and that's why the ol' switcheroo was made.

McCutchen wasn't quite ready for prime time then, and he was back with Indianapolis to begin 2009. After a slow start, he finished 13-6 with a 3.47 in 24 starts and 110 strikeouts in 142-2/3 innings.

He was penciled in to pitch for Team USA in the 2009 Baseball World Cup and was on their final roster. But the Bucs had a change of heart, and decided to make him a September call-up, sending Brad Lincoln to Team USA instead.

McCutchen made his debut on August 31st, starting against the Cincinnati Reds in a double-header. He gave up 3 runs in 6 innings and got a no-decision. He finished the year with six starts, a 1-2 slate, and 4.21 ERA. Not great, and not terrible.

And that's sort of his MO. McCutchen rarely overwhelms anyone, but he's rarely beat up, either. It makes him a perfect back-of-the-rotation kinda guy. He has great control, and gets deep into games, but he's a fly-ball pitcher that gives up gopher balls.

And that draft dance may come back to bite him. McCutchen turned 27 in September, and has just four seasons and fewer than 500 innings in the minors. He's taken the hill for 34 starts in AAA, and is 14-14 with a 4.17 ERA.

And he has a couple of organizational hoops to jump through. McCutchen is a newby on the 40-man roster, so he has all three options left. That gives the control-obsessed Pirates every opportunity to move him down as insurance instead of losing him.

And he has a trio jostling with him in earning that last starting spot - Kevin Hart in camp, and eventually Brad Lincoln and Jose Ascanio (although a trade or two could change that quickly enough).

Baseball America wrote that his future was in the bullpen because of his control and the way he goes right after hitters, and others share their opinion. But we think that at least for now, he should be part of the rotation. The Bucs need a guy that gives them a fighting chance every outing.

McCutchen throws a fastball in the low 90s, a splitter, and a viable curve. Four of his six outings were quality starts, including his last three, and he only failed to go six innings once (he lasted five frames). And when you're rebuilding an offense and bullpen at the same time, that kind of dependability from the bottom of the rotation is a lifeline.

(Next - #5 Tim Alderson)

#7 - Tony Sanchez

Tony who? Oh no, not Danny Moskos all over again! Don't those cheapskate Pirates ever learn? Those reactions and worse hit the chatboards when prior to the draft, it was leaked that Tony Sanchez would be the Bucs pick at the number 4 spot.

The suits explained that they weren't going to get the day's big kahunas, Steven Strasberg or Dustin Ackley, and the rest of the young guns were pretty well jumbled together, with Sanchez being the fourth player on their list. The fact that the team was top-heavy in catching with no real minor-league prospects played into the decision, too.

They also leaked their grand strategy of getting an affordable guy and putting the rest of the cash into the other rounds; Keith Law of ESPN said behind a pay wall that the Pirates had a deal cut with Sanchez before the draft.

Well, he may have been right. Sanchez was drafted on a Tuesday, and signed on Friday, for just above slot at $2.5M, which was the third-largest bonus in Bucco draft history. No Pedro-like drama; he was shipped to Class A West Virginia to start his career after quick tune-ups at Bradenton and State College, and the Pittsburgh draft board filled up with players picked over-slot.

Sanchez's 2009 line at Boston College was .346/.445/.614 in 228 at-bats, with 14 homers, 63 runs, and 51 RBI, to go with a rep as a good glove guy with the ability to handle a staff. His 19 throw-outs led the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Sanchez ended up as one of the three finalists for the Johnny Bench Award for the best college catcher. He was rated by Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, and ESPN as the top college catcher available in the draft, as well as the best overall defensive catcher and having the best throwing arm of any college catcher, and was considered a mid-to-late first rounder.

The only major concern was his physical shape (shades of Ronny Paulino!) Sanchez got down to fighting weight by joining Jarad on a Subway diet and hitting the gym. He dropped 40 pounds by the time he was a senior, and his conditioning never became an issue.

Sanchez made the trip to West Virginia at the end of June, and handled a wooden bat and Class A competition with ease. He ended up with a .316/.415/.561 line in 155 at-bats in West Virginia, with seven homers, 46 RBI and 29 runs.

Sanchez was promoted to Lynchburg at the end of the season, where he took over as the starting catcher for the Hillcats' Carolina League Championship team.

In his first year as a professional, Sanchez finished with a combined .309 batting average with seven homers, eighteen doubles, 48 RBI, and 33 runs. He's already the #3 prospect in the Pittsburgh organization, according to Baseball America.

Sanchez, 21, came touted as a plus defender, and gave no signs of that being puffery. His arm is OK (average strength, though he did toss out 30% of the base-stealers last year), and he does a good job of blocking balls and framing pitches. The Miamian also, from all reports, works diligently on the pre-game plan with the coaches and pitchers, and has a good rapport with the staff.

He's also considered a solid citizen on the field, a guy that plays hard and plays right, a stereotypical catcher.

The questions about Sanchez center around his bat. He's patient, consistently drawing over 10% walk ratios, but he strikes out a bit, around 20%, and is supposed to be a sucker for the hook. Sanchez has some pop, with 15 homer potential, but his average doesn't project to be anything special.

So far, so good, in that regard. Still, he was a major-college player in low Class A for most of the year, and it's yet to be shown if his stick can handle the pitching at higher levels.

He'll start the year at High Class A Bradenton. How quickly Sanchez will advance in the system is on him; there's no one to block him in the minors, especially with Steve Lerud and Robby Diaz gone. And that should tell you how highly the suits regard him.

(Next - #6 Daniel McCutchen)

# 8 - Rudy Owens

LHP Rudy Owens, who just turned 22 on Friday, was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona. The 6'-3" lefty put up a 4-4 record in his last year of high school at Southeast Valley, but the numbers to remember his senior season by were his 0.86 ERA and 86 K in 55 innings of work.

Owens' lights out work in school didn't earn him much scout love, though, and the Pirates picked him in the 28th round in 2006. Even they weren't all that sure; they signed him to a draft and follow contract, meaning they kept his rights until next draft (2006 was the last year that particular ploy was legal).

He originally planned to go to Arizona State - maybe that's what hurt him on the draft board - but the Bucs had him go to in-state Chandler-Gilbert, a community college near his home, instead. Good move.

Owens went 7-0 with a 1.08 ERA and 58 K’s in 50 innings for the Coyotes. The Pirates signed him at the end of May, 2007, for $390K, and sent him to Bradenton in the Rookie League.

There, he wasn't all that. His numbers were 1-4 with a 5.32 ERA and 17 K in 22 innings. Still, it got his feet wet, and the Bucs sent the youngster along to the next step in the ladder, short-season State College, in 2008.

Owens got chopped up a little more with the Spikes. He was 3-6 with a 4.97 ERA, and had 45 K in 58 frames. He was having trouble with his splits - his opponent batting average was .269, with lefties hitting .196, righties .290.

But it was a case of the numbers not quite telling the whole story. Owens was the most effective starter at State College and actually had the lowest ERA. That's the level that the Pirates have their guys throw fastballs all night, to get command of the pitch. That, and an appalling defense, combined for some terrible numbers across the board for the staff that season.

At the start of the 2009 season, Rudy Owens was moved up to A West Virginia, but was certainly not on anyone's prospect list. He soon would be.

From May 30th to July 5th, Owens went 32-2/3 innings without allowing an earned run, with five straight shutouts. He also put together a span of 42 frames without a walk. His stay with the Power resulted in a 10-1 record and 1.70 ERA in 100-2/3 innings with 91 K, a WHIP of 0.85, and opponent batting average of .196.

The major change to his repertoire was dumping his slider and picking up a slurve to go with his heater/change combo. With the newly developed slow stuff, he could now keep those pesky right-handed hitters from lighting him up (they only hit .214 off him in 2009).

Owens was kicked upstairs to Lynchburg at the end of July. He returned to mortal status there, going 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in just 23-1/3 innings. But Owens was on a strict inning count with the Hillcats, and got sporadic work. He still ended up with with twice as many innings pitched in 2009 as he had in all of 2008 (124-58).

But he did have enough in the tank to shine during Lynchburg's championship run. In two starts, the lanky lefty allowed two earned runs on eight hits with two walks in 12-1/3 innings, along with 13 K.

Combined, Owens had an 11-2 record, 2.10 ERA, and 113 K in 124 innings, with a WHIP of 0.944. Pretty good stuff, hey?

In addition to a championship ring, he won enough awards in 2009 to make Robert DeNiro jealous. The envelope, please:

He was named the 2009 Pirates Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Owens was selected to the 2009 Topps Class A All-Star team. He was the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year, and was a mid- and post-season all-star selection. Baseball America named him the best pitching prospect, with the best control and the best change-up, in the Sally league, and rated the him as the league's number eleven prospect.

Owens is kinda a throwback to the old days. He's a finesse guy, with a heater between 88-91, a slurve, and a change-up. His command is excellent - Owens has walked 38 batters in 204 minor league innings, 1.67/nine innings - can miss a bat, with a decent 7.72 K/nine, and keeps the ball in the park, throwing a gopher ball every 15 innings. He's the epitome of work fast and throw strikes.

His projection is to be a middle-of-the-pack starter, a finesse lefty along the lines of Zach Duke, hopefully without the bumps. Owens will start 2010 in Altoona, along with Tim Alderson and Jeffrey Locke. The upper levels are slowly beginning to fill in.

(Next - #7 Tony Sanchez)

Javier Lopez

Javier Alfonso López, 32, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the new Bucco LOOGY. He's had previous stops with the Colorado Rockies (2003–2005), Arizona Diamondbacks (2005) and Boston Red Sox (2006–2009).

López went to college at the University of Virginia, and went 12–9 with a 6.30 ERA, with a batting average of .319, 15 home runs, and 71 RBI. Arizona selected in the fourth round of the 1998 player draft.

He was fairly nondescript on the farm until 2002, his first full season at AA. Pitching for the El Paso Diablos of the Texas League in 2002, Lopez appeared in 61 games, going 2–2 with a 2.72 ERA. He didn't allow an earned run in 53 of his outings; opponents hit .204 off him.

The Red Sox took notice, and picked him in the Rule 5 draft. But he wasn't going to make their roster out of camp, so they dealt him to Colorado Rockies. They kept is name on file, though.

López made his MLB debut for the Rox on opening day. He pitched in 72 games, the third-most among rookies in MLB. He had a 4–1 record, a 3.70 ERA, and a save. At one point, Lopez retired 18 straight hitters.

López started off badly in 2004. He was sent down to AAA Colorado Springs, and was called back to the majors in August. His overall line was 1-2 with a 7.52 ERA in 64 outings, not exactly the follow-up year he was hoping for.

López was traded from Colorado in the middle of the 2005 season to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He had an 11.02 ERA, the highest in the majors that season, although in justice he only worked 16-1/3 innings.

He was sent down to the AAA Tucson Sidewinders in July and went 0–1 with a 2.22 ERA while finishing the 2005 season there. Lopez signed as a minor-league free agent with the White Sox.

Playing for their AAA Charlotte Knights, he was 2–1, had 12 saves, and had a 0.55 ERA. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox on June 15 for David Riske, finishing the year going 1–0 with a 2.70 ERA in 27 appearances.

In 2007, López made 61 relief appearances over three stints with the Red Sox. He had a 2–1 record with a 3.10 ERA. He was a member of the 2007 World Series championship roster, and was called on five times during the playoffs, including a brief scoreless stint in the Series.

In January, 2008, López agreed to a one year contract with the Red Sox for $840,000, avoiding arbitration. He went 2-0 in 70 outings, with a 2.43 ERA. He then pitched for Puerto Rico during the World Baseball Classic to start 2009; it would be the highlight of the year.

On April 30, 2009, Lopez allowed five runs in 1⁄3 inning and played the remainder of the eighth inning in right field after Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona switched him with right fielder Jonathan Van Every, now a Pirate minor-leaguer. It marked the first time a Red Sox pitcher played another position in a major league game since 1980.

On May 10, 2009, Javier was designated for assignment to make room for pitcher Daniel Bard after compiling an 0-2 slate with a 9.26 ERA in 11-2/3 frames. On May 15, 2009, he was outrighted to AAA, and Lopez became a free agent in October.

The Bucs signed him to a major-league deal yesterday. His contract is for $775,000, with an additional $550,000 in performance bonuses, based on appearances, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Post Gazette. That leaves one more spot on the 40-man roster.

He's a sidewinder with sinking stuff, and a ground ball guy. Control is his bugaboo, walking over 4 batters per nine. Lopez grumps at being pigeon holed as a LOOGY, but his actions speak louder than his words in that regard.

His career opponent batting average against lefties is .247; it's .295 against righties. The OPS is even more tilted, .668 to .821. And Lopez has a much higher K rate against lefties, although he walks both about the same no matter what side of the dish they line up over.

Lopez isn't exactly the second coming of John Grabow or Sean Burnett, but ya gotta start somewhere. He put together a pretty good string at Boston as a middle-inning bridge guy from 2006-08; the Pirates hope 2009 was just a bump in the road.

#9 Gorkys Hernandez

Gorkys Gustavo Hernández was born September 7, 1987 in Güiria, Venezuela, and signed as a free agent in 2005 with the Detroit Tigers at 17.

He spent the 2006 season with the GCL Lakeland Tigers, and he burned through the Rookie League.

Hernandez won the batting title in the Gulf Coast League, hitting .327/.356/.463. with five homers, 23 RBI, and 41 runs to go with 20 stolen bases in 205 at-bats. Noted for his speed and his ability to steal bases, the Tigers had him penciled him in as their future lead off hitter.

After the smoke cleared from his debut, Hernandez found himself on all the prospect lists - #3 Baseball America Top GCL Prospect; #3 Baseball Prospectus Top Tiger Prospect, #6 Fox Sports Top Tiger Prospect; and #5 Minor League Ball Prospect. Nothin' like a running start, hey?

The motor kept purring during his first full-time pro season with the Class A West Michigan Whitecaps. He was named the Midwest League MVP after hitting .293 with four homers, 50 RBIs, 84 runs, and 54 steals.

The youngster was named a Midwest League All-Star and competed in the All-Star Futures Game for the World Team (ex-Bucco catcher Robby Diaz was his teammate). Though he didn't need a world atlas, a US road map would come in handy.

On November 16, 2007, Hernández was traded by the Tigers along with Jair Jurrjens to the Braves for shortstop Edgar Rentería. He entered 2008 as the fifth-best prospect in the Atlanta organization according to BA, but ominously behind Jason Heyward and Jordan Schafer, two other center fielders. And ya know what three is...

He went to High A Myrtle Beach, and hit .264 with five homers, 51 RBI, and 75 runs. Hernandez pulled a hammy that season, and ended up with just 20 swipes. The Venezuelan was still in demand, and was one of the names bantered about in the Jake Peavy talks (along with Charlie Morton and Jeffrey Locke).

The so-so year didn't hurt his standings; besides being a Top-Ten Brave prospect, Baseball America ranked him #62 and Baseball Prospectus pegged him at #78 nationally.

The Braves promoted him to AA Mississippi in 2009, where he hit .316. He was only there for a few weeks, though. On June 3, 2009, Atlanta shipped Hernández, Morton, and Locke to the Pirates in exchange for Nate McLouth, accompanied by much local gnashing of teeth. He hit .262 at Altoona, not exactly PNC-inspiring numbers.

What the Bucs have is a kid - he just turned 22 - who's been promoted aggressively through three levels by three organizations in three years. Hernandez needs to catch his breath; he has plenty to work on.

First, he needs to really improve his discipline, both at the dish and in the dugout. He was yanked from two games in 2009 because of the occasional drama queen act, arguing balls and strikes once and not running out a ball another time.

His walks and K's, especially for a guy that projects as a top of the order hitter, are trending the wrong way - during his career, he has almost a 19% strikeout rate, and just over a 7% walk rate. Those are OBP killers.

Hernandez doesn't have a lot of power, and will depend on his wheels to get him to the show. In Rookie and Class A ball, he stole 94 bases in 113 attempts, an 83% success rate. Last year, in combined AA, Hernandez swiped 19 sacks out of 35 tries, just 54%. He has to pick up some smarts to go with his speed.

He's fortunate not to be blocked by Andrew McCutchen (thank God for PNC's left field!); we think he's a younger version of Nyjer Morgan, even matching the inside-out swing, with a better set of tools. And his glove, arm, and range are already MLB quality. The Pirates have him protected on the 40-man roster.

But Hernandez could easily find himself dangled as trade bait, too, especially with Robbie Grossman and Starling Marte on the rise and Lastings Milledge and Jose Tabata ahead of him now. The Pirate outfield is their strength organizationally, not very deep but with some top-end prospects.

So he's a guy who's trying to find a place in Pittsburgh's pecking order. We suspect that the suits will continue his fast track and start him at Indy, although an argument could be made to keep him at Altoona and let him follow Tabata in the same way Tabata shadowed McCutchen. (EDIT - Hernandez will start 2010 at Altoona)

(Next - #8 Rudy Owens)

John "The Roadrunner" Raynor

Ah, the new suits; they just can't resist a Rule 5 draft. It's like Christmas come early, and today was no different. They found Marlin minor-league OF John Raynor, a 6-2, 185 pound, road running right handed hitter, stuffed in their stocking this year.

And like Evan Meek and Donnie Veal before him, he may end up a keeper. Keith Law of ESPN tweeted "Pirates take John Raynor from Florida in Rule 5 draft - good fourth outfielder right now with a chance to be more."

Born in Benson, North Carolina, he played at South Johnston High School and then at UNC - Wilmington.

There, Raynor was a leadoff hitter, and in fact he didn’t hit a home run in his first two seasons. Holy Juan Pierre! But his bod eventually hardened, and he belted five homers as a junior and a dozen as a senior, hitting out of the three and four holes for the Seahawks as an upperclassman.

Raynor was first drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the twelfth round of the 2005 draft as a junior, but didn't sign. In 2006 MLB draft, Raynor was selected in the ninth round by the Florida Marlins and signed for the princely sum of $17,500.

The speedy outfielder was assigned to the short-season Jammies barely after the ink dried, and his four home runs led Jamestown in the New York-Penn League. But the Marlins saw him as a leadoff man after he hit .286 and stole 21 sacks in 23 tries. He made the NY-Penn All-Star squad.

He spent the 2007 campaign with the Marlins Class A affiliate, the Greensboro Grasshoppers in the South Atlantic League. Raynor hit .333, with thirteen dingers, 57 RBI, 110 runs scored, and tacked on 54 steals in 62 attempts.

Raynor was named a Sally League All-Star, MVP of the South Atlantic League, a member of Baseball America's Low Class-A All-Star team, and was crowned the Florida Marlins Minor-League Player of the Year.

He then skipped a level, bypassing High Class A Jupiter, Fla., and going straight to the AA Carolina Mudcats. Raynor led the Marlins minor league system with 104 runs scored and 48 stolen bases in 2008 while hitting .312 with thirteen long balls and 51 RBI.

Baseball America proclaimed him the "Fastest Baserunner" in the Southern League, where he was named to both the mid-season and post-season All-Star teams.

That fall, Raynor was sent to the Arizona Fall League, playing for for the Mesa Solar Sox. In 8 games for Mesa, he batted .364, and even hit for the cycle. It would be a short season, though - he was hit by a pitch that broke his hand.

The world didn't remain his personal oyster this year, though. The 25 year-old (he'll turn 26 on January 4th) outfielder is coming off a downer, hitting .257 with 24 doubles, six homers, 36 RBIs, 63 runs scored and 19 stolen bases in 27 tries during his first season at AAA New Orleans. OK stats, but definitely a bump in the road for Raynor.

The Bucs are betting that he just had an off year after being rushed through the system, and didn't hit the wall. Outside of last year's average, his knocks were his tendency to whiff - he struck out 393 times, once every four at-bats - and that he's been a little old at every level until this year. They wouldn't be alone, though, in considering him MLB material.

One report by the I Yankee blog said the Yankees were considering taking him. And Raynor was ranked the #11 prospect of Florida by Baseball America entering the season.

Overall, Raynor has produced a career average of .299 (.383 OBP) with 89 doubles, 20 triples, 36 home runs, 165 RBI, 313 runs scored and 142 stolen bases in his four seasons of professional baseball. That ain't too shabby; a burner that can occasionally run into a pitch. That's the player the Bucs are betting on.

"We like the bat upside enough that we think there is every-day potential here," Neal Huntington said. "There's a combination of average, he draws walks [and] he can drive the ball gap-to-gap. Depending upon the upside, depending upon how other guys come on, this is a depth option for us long-term."

Oddly, speed merchant Raynor has played almost exclusively as a corner outfielder for the Fish, though the Pirates think he'll be solid defensive center fielder, his position when he was drafted from UNC-W. And he does have the wheels; Baseball America rates him a 70 for speed, which is just shy of supersonic.

He's an interesting selection. A couple of days ago, the suits weren't surfing the Rule 5 seas, but suddenly had a change of heart. We suspect that change had a lot to do with Scott Boras and his pronouncement that he was looking for a three year deal with starter's money for Rick Ankiel. Enter John Raynor, the Bucs' inexpensive term insurance policy.

Raynor looks to us like a viable candidate for the fourth outfielder, where he can back up Andrew McCutchen and cover the long green of PNC's left field. He's got speed to burn, a good arm, a pretty good minor league pedigree, and is said to be a hard-nosed, 100%-effort player.

He's a first in, last out type of guy. Heck, he even reported to spring training right after the Super Bowl, although he didn't have to sign in until February 17th.

And if Raynor is on the Pirates' opening day roster, someone's getting elbowed out; Steve Pearce or Brandon Moss are the likeliest candidates, though Bobby Crosby could make Ramon Vazquez redundant.

As things stand now, Crosby/Ronny Cedeno, Jason Jaramillo, and Delwyn Young are locks on the bench. And the Bucs are gonna look long and hard at Jeff Clement, too. Hey, competition! Who'd thunk it?

-- The Pirates made a minor-league Rule 5 selection on Thursday, taking shortstop Rodolfo Cardona from Baltimore's farm system. In 66 games combined between low A, high A and Double-A, Cardona hit .218 with 24 RBIs and 23 runs scored last year. Ah, Pittsburgh, home of the maple-challenged shortstops.

#10 - Donnie Veal

Hey, what's a guy that spent the entire year in the majors doing as a prospect? Well, it's Donnie Veal, a Rule 5 pick, and the time he spent sunning himself in the pen certainly didn't earn him any MLB cred - or innings. 16-1/3 frames hardly qualifies as big league time.

The 16 K's looked good; the 20 walks and 7.16 ERA, not so good. He was dominating when he threw strikes, which was seldom.

Veal, 25, was born in Mississippi, and moved west, where he attended Buena High in Sierra Vista, Arizona. The Chicago White Sox drafted him after his senior year of 2003, but Veal decided to attend the University of Arizona instead.

That didn't go quite as planned. He ended up injuring his labrum and after passing on surgery in favor of rehab, Veal transferred to Pima CC. That turned the trick. He was drafted in the second round of the 2005 draft by the Chicago Cubs, taking home a $530K bonus and jumping right into pro ball.

Veal went 1-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 11 games between the Mesa Cubs of the Arizona Rookie League and Low A Boise in his maiden season.

He hit the Cub map the following season. Veal combined for an 11-5 record and a 2.16 ERA in 154-1/3 innings between Class-A Peoria and Class High-A Daytona that year. Veal struck out 174 and walked 82, a foreshadowing of things to come.

But it was all sunshine after that season. The big lefty shared the Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors with Rich Hill, and entered the 2007 season as the Cubs #2 prospect and number #52 in the all the minors according to Baseball America. Chicago thought he was the second coming of Dontrelle Willis.

But Veal struggled in his first taste of AA ball in 2007, walking 73 batters in 130-1/3 innings and finishing with a 4.97 ERA at Tennessee, whiffing 131. Veal said he lost his mental discipline and tried to get Chicago in one fell swoop instead of taking things a step at a time.

Oddly, now-Pirate and then Cub teammate Kevin Hart inspired Veal. Hart got a late September call-up and impressed the Cubs enough that he made the playoff roster for the National League Division Series. Maybe Veal thought it was that easy (as Hart can tell you, it isn't). He dropped in the Cubbie rankings, but it wasn't a free-fall; he was still their #6 minor-league prospect going into 2008.

His struggles continued that year, both on the mound and personally. His mother had died years before, and his dad passed away in a scuba diving accident. Veal took on the responsibility of mother, father, and brother to his younger brother Devin, who was a freshman at the U of Arizona, and went into a shell for awhile.

He was still pitching at AA Tennessee, and went 5-10 with a 4.58 ERA. In 145-1/3 innings, his K's dropped to 123, the first time they fell to under a K per inning rate, and he walked 81. He bombed in the Arizona Fall league, too, walking 13 in nine innings.

His star had fallen in the Cub eyes, and he was left off the 40-man roster. But the Bucs saw a big frame that could bring the heat and had a plus curve and workable change. So they rolled the dice and brought him on via Rule 5 (it was thought that the Rangers liked Veal too, but their roster was full).

He faced 142 left-handed batters in 2008 and didn't allow a homer. His splits showed that he was murder on lefties, so the Pirates, who saw him as a starter down the line, hoped he could serve as at least a LOOGY and long man in 2009.

So he came to Pittsburgh, and thanks to a couple of iffy and stretched out (some say bogus) injuries, he made it through the year. A groin pull and sprained finger netted him 16 games, 27-1/3 innings, and an ERA of 3.95 at Altoona and Indy while on rehab, more work than he got in at Pittsburgh.

Veal made the bet look smart in Arizona, though. In 7 starts for the Scottsdale Scorpions, he worked 21 frames, compiling a 3-1 record, a 2.14 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts with just 7 walks. He was even an AFL Player of the Week awardee.

The 6-4, 215 pounder has critical control issues, and except for a small sample in the Arizona desert, has had them his entire pro career. His farm walk rate was 5.1/9 innings, and he often fell behind hitters, taking his curve out of equation.

But Veal is a lefty, he throws 91-94 MPH, and has a knee-buckling hook and improving change-up. Like Evan Meek, he's another wild child pick-up, and Joe Kerrigan and Ray Searage hope that their tinkering can fix that. And if they could do it with Meek, they have at least a chance with Veal. Still, that's a big if.

Now that he's under team control, the Pirates can work him every fifth day, maybe at Indy but more likely starting him out at Altoona. The team has to knock a year of rust off the big guy, and that will take a season or two. They value him as a starter, and will work him hard as a member of the rotation, though a LOOGY role is an eventual possibility.

And a final bit of Bucco trivia before we sign off: Donnie Veal is the cousin of former Phoenix Suns basketball guard Kevin Johnson.

(Next - #9 Gorkys Hernandez)

#11 - Ron Uviedo

Ronald Javier Uviedo was born on October 7th, 1986 in Calabozo, Venezuela. The young righty, a 6-1, 165 pound strike-throwing machine, is in his second year on the 40-man roster, even though he hasn't seen Altoona yet.

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, but Seattle wasn't impressed, and let his contract lapse. The Pirates shanghaied him from the Ms and reconverted 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 then Hickory towards the end of the season, where he wasn't overwhelming but wasn't overmatched, either.

The 23-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 High A Lynchburg, making seven appearances and pitching lights out. 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.

Then he went back to Venezuela, pitching in the Winter League. Uviedo was 2-2 with a 3.10 ERA and 19 Ks in 20-1/3 innings in his home setting.

Uviedo spent the entire 2009 season in Lynchburg's rotation, part of the Pirates' approach of making sure the best arms are eating some innings while they develop.

He wasn't expected to do more than stretch his arm out, but ended up a decent starter. Uviedo had a 3.18 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, a 7.7 K/9, a 4.5 K/BB, and an 0.8 HR/9 in his first 68 innings pitched with Lynchburg from April to mid-June.

Uviedo went down with shoulder tendinitis in mid-June, and missed about a month of action. He was clocked in his first two starts back, allowing seven runs in 9-1/3 innings pitched, obviously rusty and probably not physically ready for a starting gig yet.

He spent August piggybacking starts with Nathan Adcock, alternating between the first five innings and the last four innings of the game.

But once again, he moved into a his familiar closing role when R.J. Rodriguez left to join Puerto Rico’s national team in the World Cup of Baseball. In September, he notched three saves and a win in five appearances through the stretch and the Hillcats championship run, with one blown save.

The Pirates envision a young RHP that has a shot at being their closer in 2011-12. Uviedo throws a 94-95 heater with a sharp slider, and is always around the plate.

The good news about adding him to the rotation is that he got to work on developing a change-up, and he went to it often in 2009. It changed him from strictly a fly-ball/strikeout pitcher to a guy that developed an even grounder/fly split last season.

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 virtue in the Pirate system.

Uviedo should finally reach the Curve this season. They may plug him into the rotation, but his future is in the pen. His projection is as a back-end reliever, either closing or setting up.

(Next - #10 Donnie Veal)

# 12 - Quinton Miller

The Bucs unveiled their new draft strategy in 2008, when instead of going after college guys that they knew would sign at slot or less, they began taking shots at high school kids that would demand the ranch to give up their scholarships but infuse the organization with young, upside talent.

Robert Quinton Miller, 20 as of Saturday, is the textbook example.

Born and raised in Medford, New Jersey, the righty was the ace of Shawnee High's staff. He lost much of his junior year due to either tendonitis or a shoulder impingement (both were cited in his reports), but still finished 5-1 with an ERA of 1.90. In 43 innings, he struck out 72 and walked eight.

Miller's senior year was just as impressive. He posted a 6-3 slate with a 2.13 ERA in 52-2/3 frames, with 85 whiffs and 14 free passes. It earned him the No. 52 schoolboy prospect ranking in the nation by Perfect Game USA and the Numero Uno player in the state of New Jersey. Baseball America rated Miller as the 158th best prospect in the 2008 draft.

North Carolina, a college baseball juggernaut, gave him a scholarship, and that scared away a lot of the MLB draftniks. He did let it be known that he could be had, though - for first or second round money.

The Pirates selected him in the 20th round, and the waiting game began. Miller spent the summer pitching for the wooden bat Cal Ripken Summer Collegian League. In mid-August, as the clock was ticking loudly, the Pirates freed up $900K for him after determining that Tanner Scheppers and Drew Gagnon weren't going to sign.

It was too late to assign him to a team, but the suits kept him busy, working him in the fall instructional league, followed by spring training, and then extended spring training. Pirate City became his new home away from home.

Miller made his pro debut in late June of 2009 with short-season State College, becoming the youngest player in the Spikes’ brief four-year history. He didn't stay there long; they jumped him to Class A West Virginia after two appearances.

As to be expected from a 19 year-old, his Power start was turbulent. But from the end of July on, Miller began to show his stuff. He surrendered two runs or fewer in five of his last six starts, and had a 2.70 ERA over that span. Overall, he finished 2-4 with a 4.47 ERA. In 56-1/3 innings, he struck out 40 and walked 25, and his opponent batting average was .245.

Miller had his issues, though. His control was poor, especially against lefties, and his splits were heavily tilted in their favor, too. His delivery also needed tuned - he has a bit of a cross-body release and he lands hard on his follow-through. But the rest of it is OK, and he needs some tinkering more than a major rebuild.

He's 6' 1" and 185 pounds, and not too surprisingly, the heater is his best pitch. It can touch 95, but he's maddeningly inconsistent with it, sometimes struggling to hit the high eighties. It's hoped that a more repeated straight-line release will cure that, and in fact, some scouts feel that he can add a couple more miles to it as he matures.

Miller's slider is already considered a plus pitch, and like every other young Pirate pitcher, his change-up is lagging. That's a pitch he'll eventually need to keep the lefties honest.

For a kid that's going to be 20 years old, he's in pretty good shape. Most Pirate prospect listings already rate him in the organization's Top Fifteen, and Miller is potentially a mid-to-top rotation guy down the road.

We expect, with his age and delivery issues, that he'll begin 2010 at West Virginia again. But we don't expect him to be there long.

(Next #11 - Ron Uviedo)

#13 - Bryan Morris

Avery Bryan Morris, the 6-3, 200 pound righty, was touted as the guy with the most upside in the Jay Bay deal, outshining Andy LaRoche and Brandon Moss in the scouts' eyes.

It hasn't exactly worked out that way yet, but hey, give it time. The kid's only 22 (he'll be 23 in March), and hopefully he'll get through 2010 in one piece and with a more polished delivery than the player the Bucs got in 2008.

A native of Wodbury, Tennessee, he threw for Tullahoma High, and pretty well, too - his first two games during his senior year were no-hitters. Tampa Bay noticed, and selected him in the third round of the 2005 draft. He passed on signing after a $1M bonus offer from the short-pocketed Rays was withdrawn.

Morris went off to Motlow State Community College, not exactly a powerhouse. He mowed down his overmatched foes and finished the year 10-1 with an 0.82 ERA. That's good work even if you're in a beer league, and he became the 29th rated prospect by Baseball America for the next draft.

He was a first round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006, taken with the 26th selection, a compensatory slot for losing Jeff Weaver. The Big Blue ponied up and inked him quickly for $1,325,000.

It was off to the Pioneer League's Ogden nine, where he went 4-5 with a 5.13 ERA in 79-2/3 innings of work. Morris ran up some startling numbers - 40 walks, somewhat balanced by 79 whiffs. He was bringing the heat at 96-97 MPH; he just wasn't sure where it was going.

Morris missed all of 2007 and early 2008 with Tommy John surgery. He recovered, and went to Class A Great Lakes in the Midwestern league, where he posted a 2-4 slate with a 3.20 ERA in 81-2/3 frames. His numbers came back to earth, with 72 strikeouts and 31 walks.

He entered 2008 as the #12 prospect in the Dodger farm system according to BA, and was generally ranked in the top 15 by the other services.

Then Morris came to Pittsburgh, and finished up with a cup of coffee at Hickory. He was shut down for the last month of the season due to bicep soreness, and then had offseason surgery correct a previous issue with his big toe.

With all that, he came ready to pitch in 2009. But just as the season was ready to kick off, he was bothered by shoulder inflammation and didn't come back until June 7th. Beginning to notice a trend?

It was not a good year for Morris, at least at the outset. He was ripped in June and July pitching for High A Lynchburg. After one dismal start, he ragged the ump and blew up in the dugout, managing to get himself suspended by the Buccos, who insist on good citizenship if not good pitching.

While serving his suspension, Morris went to Bradenton to work on his mechanics. Apparently, a light went on. He recorded four quality starts in his last six games for the Hillcats following his wrist slap, after having just one in his ten prior starts.

As for him being a head case, we think not. His eruption at Lynchburg is the only blot on his record, and we suspect frustration got the upper hand on him that day.

The Pirates are working on what they see as the core issue regarding his control issues and arm injuries, a funky, high effort delivery that finishes with him releasing the ball across his body.

That's the tinkering the Pirate pitching mechanics worked on correcting at Bradenton, trying to smooth out his motion and straightening his release angle. In a couple of interviews, Morris says his arm feels as good as it ever has, and the results after his visit to Pirate City seemed to bear fruit.

Morris also was one of the Pirate prospects that was fairly limited in digging into his pitching tool kit. He throws a low-90s fastball, touching 95, a plus curve, and a work-in-progress changeup with OK sink.

But the Bucco suits pretty much kept him throwing the heat, both because of his injury history and because that's how they start all their young pitchers off, by preaching fastball control.

For his future, well, a lot rides on whether his new and improved delivery proves repeatable and relieves the stress on his arm. Morris has just 228-1/3 professional innings under his belt, so he needs to get some game action.

If he holds up, he's projected to be a number 2 or 3 pitcher in a MLB rotation, and that's where the Pirates see his value.

If not, they could eventually swing him to the dark side and look at him as a closer; that fastball/curve combo for an inning could be his ticket to the show. But that's definitely Plan B; they much prefer him to pitch every fifth day.

Morris could begin the 2010 season with Altoona, if the Pirates promote him as aggressively as most of their pups. But with his lack of experience and arm woes, he could just as easily start at High A Bradenton until he shows he's ready to handle the jump. (EDIT - Morris will start 2010 in Altoona)

(Next - #12 Quinton Miller)

Wil Ledezma

Hey, GW isn't in the habit of cranking out column inches on non-roster pick ups; heck, we'd still be trying to catch up from last season. But lefty Wilfredo Jose Ledezma is the exception.

The Pirates have made no bones about looking for a left-handed hurler or two to add to the bullpen, and we know the propensity for the suits to dumpster-dive, believing that quantity is as good as quality. The guy was DFA'd by the Nats, after all.

The 28 year-old (he'll turn 29 in January) Venezuelan has had quite the career. First, the way he worked his way into a relief role is kinda telling.

Ledezma holds an all-time MLB record: the most consecutive starts of six innings or fewer. He made 31 straight starts with six or fewer innings between 2003-06 - and that's with just 40 career starts under his belt!

After getting yanked from one of those starts in 2006, Ledezma stomped into the dugout, tore his cap up, and began eating it. Yum! Saving up his meal money, we guess.

In 2007, while visiting home during the All-Star break, he threw his papers in the washing machine. The Braves had to briefly put him on the restricted list until he could get a replacement visa & passport.

Anyway, here's his baseball 411. The Red Sox signed him in 1998. Ledezma was a Rule 5 pick of the Tigers in 2002, made it through the 2003 season, and pitched for them until 2007, bouncing between the majors and the farm.

He was traded from the Tigers to the Atlanta Braves for Macay McBride on June 20th, 2007. Ledezma was DFA'd on July 29th. On July 31st, Ledezma was traded along with Will Startup to the San Diego Padres for reliever Royce Ring.

On August 29th, 2008, Ledezma was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was non-tendered following the 2008 season, and became a free agent.

In January, 2009, he signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals, made the opening day roster, and then was DFA'd in May and released in July. Toronto inked him in August, and in October, Ledezma was granted free agency. Hello, Pittsburgh!

BTW, Greg Smith was Detroit’s scouting boss when they grabbed Ledezma in 2002, and there's where the dots connect. He also throws 93 consistently, a bit of a shocker from a 6-3, 150 pound guy. Now if he could only find the dish...

His MLB line is 15-22 with a 5.17 ERA. In 160 games, he's gotten 40 starts and worked 370-2/3 frames with 255 whiffs and 183 free passes. Control is his issue, but that's never scared off a Bucco bird dog.

Ledezma's minor league stats are pretty strong, though. He went 30-19 in 113 games, with a 3.51 ERA, splitting his time between starting and the pen. In 425-2/3 innings, he had 421 Ks and 160 walks.

All in all, he should be a colorful addition to the Indy staff come April.

-- Jeff Karstens and Justin Thomas made it through waivers and were assigned to Indy, joining Virgil Vasquez.