The bullpen has been a group this management team has managed to do a pretty fair job of assembling year after year on the cheap. Already gone are Jason Grilli, Hisanori Takahashi, Chad Qualls, Juan Cruz, Daniel McCutchen and Evan Meek, and they're sure to be replaced by guys off the waiver wires and off the discount rack later in the hot stove season, as the Bucs continue to stick to their mantra of value.
Grilli will be the hardest arm to replace; he has swing-and-miss stuff and often faced the heart of the order in set-up situations before Hanny came on to claim the save in the ninth. The righty was a bargain at $1.1M in 2012, compiling a 3-7-3/2.76 slash in his Pittsburgh time with 127 K in 91-1/3 frames.
Building on that success, the 36 year old free agent will look for a multi year package - last season was his first seven figure payday in six full MLB seasons - and his agent says eight teams have shown interest in him, including the Red Sox.
Ben Nicholson-Smith of MLB Trade Rumors wrote that "the floor for Grilli is a one-year deal with a base salary in the $3-5MM range. I expect a two-year deal in the $10MM range, (since he won't be) tied to draft pick compensation. He’s pitching at an elite level and that’ll be reflected in his next contract." And that's steep for a team that doesn't like to tie up money in the bullpen.
His back end running mate, Joel Hanrahan, is almost certain to be traded this off-season. He's survived the last two deadlines, when his trade value would have been higher, only because the Pirates were improbably in contention and were buyers. But this is his last year of team control, and his salary in year three of arb is likely to approach the $7M mark.
The Bucs don't like to pay that amount for an entire bullpen, much less one arm. So for both payroll and team-building purposes, Hanny will likely move on and the Pirates should get a MLB player in return, though we're sure their game plan will be to look for someone that offers team control for awhile. He could, alone or maybe packaged, bring a young catcher to Pittsburgh.
The other returning reliever on thin ice is Chris Resop. He's been a fairly dependable middle man since being claimed, but is in arb and will probably earn $1.25M, maybe a smidge more, and the FO may consider that steep for his role.
Returning for sure are Jared Hughes, Tony Watson and Chris Leroux. Bryan Morris, Victor Black, Chris Beck and Duke Welker are all in the wings waiting for a shot, too, and maybe Justin Wilson and Hunter Strickland eventually. Morris, 25, is almost certain to make the club this spring; he's out of options and coming off a 2-2-5/2.67 slash at Indy with 79 K in 81 IP. In mystifying limited work during September, he whiffed six in five frames.
He and Black have a shot at becoming back enders, though we expect the Bucs to pull in a vet for the late innings as the off season wears down and the bargains begin to pop up. That's their MO and the time when they've inked pitchers like Octavio Dotel, Javier Lopez, Jose Veras and Juan Cruz, all who proved useful to various degrees. We're thinking they may kick the tires of Kyle Farnsworth, Mike Adams, Koji Uehara, Jason Frasor or Matt Lindstrom this off season.
The glaring hole again is the lack of a lefty, but that didn't seem to bother them a whole lot last year, and dependable non-set up southpaws are an expensive lot. But that problem will have to get in line behind finding back-enders, addressed most likely through minor league deals ala Doug Slaten, Justin Thomas, et al.
Whether through waivers or the market, the Bucs will cobble together their usual fire-sale pen, although it will be more challenging this season because of escalating costs and because they have to replace both their closer and set-up man.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Bucs Stock Minors
Well, Felix Pie was just the lead man for a burst of Bucco signings as the Pirates restock their Indy club. They announced five other additions to the farm system today.
The only other position player the FO inked was IF Alex Valdez, 28. Valdez has spent most of his time at third, but has played all four infield positions in the minors since signing with Oakland in 2004. The Dominican has a lifetime .269 BA in nine seasons in the A's, Nats and Red Sox organizations. That number is inflated by his 2012 year at Ciudad del Carmen in the Mexican League, where he had a slash of .359/.411/.597 with 19 HR and 78 RBI, all far and away career highs.
RHP Brooks Brown, 27, was taken from the Detroit system after entering pro ball as a first round pick of Arizona in 2006. The Bucs should have a good book on the sinker/slider hurler; he's toiled for AA Erie in the Eastern League and AAA Toledo in the International League since 2009. Brown's a starter with a career 43-59/4.33 slash with no standout peripherals and fits the Pirate mold of being tall - 6'3" - and a former top draft pick, which earned him an invitation to camp.
RHP Erik Cordier, 26, was a second round pick of the Royals in 2004 straight from high school. He missed 2007 after shoulder surgery, and looked like he had bounced back in 2009-10 after the Braves acquired him in the Tony Pena Jr. trade. But the last couple of seasons haven't been that kind to him, as he's compiled a 6-12 record and 5.34 ERA as a spot starter and long man, mostly at AAA Gwinnett. The 6'4" righty also got an invitation to camp. He features a mid-nineties heater and an above average slider, but has some serious control issues.
RHP David Bromberg, 25, was a late pick of the Twins from high school in 2005. He's spent the last three years yo-yo'ing between AA and AAA, with a 45-33/3.68 slash and an interesting 644 K in 699-1/3 IP. Bromberg is another big guy at 6'5", and with the usual Bucco drawback - he averages 3.6 walks per nine. He was a starter until last season, when he worked both as a spot starter and out of the pen as he regained arm strength.
The righty led his Class A leagues in strikeouts in 2007, 2008, and 2009, and was named the Twins minor league pitcher of the year in 2009, throwing in the mid-nineties. His performance tailed after making the jump to Double-A in 2010, especially his ability to miss bats, and he sat out most of 2011 when a line drive broke his forearm. Still, at one point he was considered a potential mid-rotation guy, and maybe a change of scenery will help.
RHP Luis Sanz, 25, came from Detroit's organization. He's never pitched higher than A ball in his seven minor league seasons and his peripheral stats don't show much promise; his K-to-BB ratio is 426-223 in 563 IP, not even 2:1.
The only other position player the FO inked was IF Alex Valdez, 28. Valdez has spent most of his time at third, but has played all four infield positions in the minors since signing with Oakland in 2004. The Dominican has a lifetime .269 BA in nine seasons in the A's, Nats and Red Sox organizations. That number is inflated by his 2012 year at Ciudad del Carmen in the Mexican League, where he had a slash of .359/.411/.597 with 19 HR and 78 RBI, all far and away career highs.
RHP Brooks Brown, 27, was taken from the Detroit system after entering pro ball as a first round pick of Arizona in 2006. The Bucs should have a good book on the sinker/slider hurler; he's toiled for AA Erie in the Eastern League and AAA Toledo in the International League since 2009. Brown's a starter with a career 43-59/4.33 slash with no standout peripherals and fits the Pirate mold of being tall - 6'3" - and a former top draft pick, which earned him an invitation to camp.
RHP Erik Cordier, 26, was a second round pick of the Royals in 2004 straight from high school. He missed 2007 after shoulder surgery, and looked like he had bounced back in 2009-10 after the Braves acquired him in the Tony Pena Jr. trade. But the last couple of seasons haven't been that kind to him, as he's compiled a 6-12 record and 5.34 ERA as a spot starter and long man, mostly at AAA Gwinnett. The 6'4" righty also got an invitation to camp. He features a mid-nineties heater and an above average slider, but has some serious control issues.
RHP David Bromberg, 25, was a late pick of the Twins from high school in 2005. He's spent the last three years yo-yo'ing between AA and AAA, with a 45-33/3.68 slash and an interesting 644 K in 699-1/3 IP. Bromberg is another big guy at 6'5", and with the usual Bucco drawback - he averages 3.6 walks per nine. He was a starter until last season, when he worked both as a spot starter and out of the pen as he regained arm strength.
The righty led his Class A leagues in strikeouts in 2007, 2008, and 2009, and was named the Twins minor league pitcher of the year in 2009, throwing in the mid-nineties. His performance tailed after making the jump to Double-A in 2010, especially his ability to miss bats, and he sat out most of 2011 when a line drive broke his forearm. Still, at one point he was considered a potential mid-rotation guy, and maybe a change of scenery will help.
RHP Luis Sanz, 25, came from Detroit's organization. He's never pitched higher than A ball in his seven minor league seasons and his peripheral stats don't show much promise; his K-to-BB ratio is 426-223 in 563 IP, not even 2:1.
Felix Pie
Hey, the Bucs just signed Felix Pie! A handful of years ago, that would have been big news. He was touted to have five tools and be a rising with a bullet prospect earlier in the decade. Pie was included in Baseball America's Top 100 prospects for five straight years (2003-’07), peaking at #27 spot in 2006, and was Top 50 for three years running. But that was then; now it just means that Indy's roster is getting restocked, not reloaded.
The Dominican was signed in 2001 by the Cubs, and was inked on the cheap, receiving no signing bonus from Chi-town. After a year in the DSL, he was brought stateside to the rookie Arizona League and hit .321 for Mesa.
The next season, he was advanced to the Class A Lansing Lugnuts, where he hit .285 with 4 home runs and 47 RBI. In 2004, it was onward and upward to the High A Daytona Cubs, and Pie hit .299 with 8 home runs and 47 RBI.
The Cubbies moved him a step at a time - they were already smarting from criticism, probably justified, that they had rushed top pick Corey Patterson through their system - and in 2005 Pie joined the Class AA West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx. He had another solid season, banging away for a .304 BA with 11 home runs. It could have been better, but a broken ankle limited him to 59 games and cost him a possible call up during the season. Even though he missed most of the year, BA picked him as Chicago's top prospect.
After a slow start in 2006, Pie recovered to hit .282 in Class AAA Iowa with 15 long balls and an OBP of .341, and BA again rated him as the Cubs #1 prospect, ahead of LHP Donnie Veal. Pie played 55 games of the 2007 season with the Iowa Cubs as he yo-yo'ed between AAA and the show.
He was called up early, on April 17, 2007, and plugged into left field to replace the injured Alfonso Soriano. Pie got his first MLB hit that day, too, doubling off Greg Maddux. He was sort of a "player of the month" for the Windy City that season, spending May in Iowa, June in Chicago, and July back in Iowa until August 8th, when he made it to Wrigley for the rest of the season thanks to Cubbie injuries. Pie hit just .215 during his maiden voyage with the Cubs, getting 196 AB, and .362 with 9 HR in 250 PA for Iowa.
Still, the Cubs were impressed by the toolkit. With Patterson imploding, they traded CF'ed Jacques Jones, leaving the pasture job to a winner-take-all battle between Pie and Sam Fuld. Pie didn't help himself by being injured. Originally thought to be a groin injury, he ended up with a twisted testicle, ouch!
But it didn't cause him to miss much time, as painful as it sounds, and Pie won the job, starting on Opening Day. But he didn't get much chance to get a grip on the spot. Chicago had brought in Reed Johnson from Toronto as insurance just before camp and gave him the job short-term; Pie became primarily a defensive replacement by May. In the middle of the month, the Cubs signed Jim Edmonds, and sent Pie back to Iowa to get everyday at-bats. In 96 PA, he hit .241 for the Cubbies and again was solid in AAA, batting .287 with 10 HR.
On January 18, 2009, Pie was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for LHP Garrett Olson and Single-A pitcher Henry Williamson. He wasn't getting much playing time with the impatient Cubs, and many believed his potential was being wasted. At least the Orioles did.
In the 2009 season, Pie started in left field for the Orioles for most of April and part of May. But it looked like the Cubs were right; he started slowly and was bumped out of a starting role by rookie Nolan Reimold. Pie worked hard on the bench, though, going through drills with hitting coach Terry Crowley. Injuries to CF Adam Jones and Nolan Reimold gave Pie a chance to get back into the lineup, and he had a better second half. He ended up hitting .266 for the Birds.
He won the starting job in 2010 after a strong spring, but ended up on the DL when a back muscle separated from the bone. He didn't return until July, but ended up hitting a respectable .274. Pie's .305 OBP and 4:1 K-to-walk ratio were red flags, but Baltimore avoided arb with him by inking him to a one-year, $985K contract.
But he didn't play everyday in 2011, and hit just .220 with a sub-.300 OBP as Reimold reclaimed the job. Pie was DFA'ed in August and finished the year at AAA Norfolk. After the season, he opted for free agency and signed with the Indians. They released him in April when he didn't make the final spring cut.
Pie caught on with the Camden Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League, and a dozen or so games later signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves and was sent to Class AAA Gwinnett. He hit .285 there, and a couple of days ago he signed a minor league deal with the Pirates with an invitation to spring training.
"The Cat" isn't the worst gamble a team could take. He's 27, has 1,051 PA and a .249 BA. He's not an instinctive outfielder, but he does make the occasional great running, wall crashing catch and has a strong arm. Pie also has good speed, but that hasn't translated into creditable base-running mojo; he runs the paths more like a playful puppy than a pro.
He has a 20% K rate and .298 OPB in the MLB, and as a projected top-of-the-order guy, those numbers clearly don't cut it. Pie's another lefty, and so he's in competition with Travis Snider and Alex Presley for an outfield spot.
But the Bucs love their highly-drafted reclamation projects. Pie can play all three positions, so he does profile as a LF'er for Pittsburgh, and that's a hybrid critter because of PNC Park's zigs and zags.
His minor league slash of .298 BA and .355 OBP also has to be teasing the Pirate FO, as it did with Chicago, Baltimore, Cleveland and Atlanta. His problem could be, like many ballplayers, that it's easier to put up numbers while in the lineup everyday, but a much tougher task to learn the discipline to platoon or come off the bench and be productive.
At worst, the Bucs have added another AAAA player to their organization and plugged an outfield hole at Indy. At best, they've inked an upgrade of Lastings Milledge with a bit of a Latin temper.
The Dominican was signed in 2001 by the Cubs, and was inked on the cheap, receiving no signing bonus from Chi-town. After a year in the DSL, he was brought stateside to the rookie Arizona League and hit .321 for Mesa.
The next season, he was advanced to the Class A Lansing Lugnuts, where he hit .285 with 4 home runs and 47 RBI. In 2004, it was onward and upward to the High A Daytona Cubs, and Pie hit .299 with 8 home runs and 47 RBI.
The Cubbies moved him a step at a time - they were already smarting from criticism, probably justified, that they had rushed top pick Corey Patterson through their system - and in 2005 Pie joined the Class AA West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx. He had another solid season, banging away for a .304 BA with 11 home runs. It could have been better, but a broken ankle limited him to 59 games and cost him a possible call up during the season. Even though he missed most of the year, BA picked him as Chicago's top prospect.
After a slow start in 2006, Pie recovered to hit .282 in Class AAA Iowa with 15 long balls and an OBP of .341, and BA again rated him as the Cubs #1 prospect, ahead of LHP Donnie Veal. Pie played 55 games of the 2007 season with the Iowa Cubs as he yo-yo'ed between AAA and the show.
He was called up early, on April 17, 2007, and plugged into left field to replace the injured Alfonso Soriano. Pie got his first MLB hit that day, too, doubling off Greg Maddux. He was sort of a "player of the month" for the Windy City that season, spending May in Iowa, June in Chicago, and July back in Iowa until August 8th, when he made it to Wrigley for the rest of the season thanks to Cubbie injuries. Pie hit just .215 during his maiden voyage with the Cubs, getting 196 AB, and .362 with 9 HR in 250 PA for Iowa.
Still, the Cubs were impressed by the toolkit. With Patterson imploding, they traded CF'ed Jacques Jones, leaving the pasture job to a winner-take-all battle between Pie and Sam Fuld. Pie didn't help himself by being injured. Originally thought to be a groin injury, he ended up with a twisted testicle, ouch!
But it didn't cause him to miss much time, as painful as it sounds, and Pie won the job, starting on Opening Day. But he didn't get much chance to get a grip on the spot. Chicago had brought in Reed Johnson from Toronto as insurance just before camp and gave him the job short-term; Pie became primarily a defensive replacement by May. In the middle of the month, the Cubs signed Jim Edmonds, and sent Pie back to Iowa to get everyday at-bats. In 96 PA, he hit .241 for the Cubbies and again was solid in AAA, batting .287 with 10 HR.
On January 18, 2009, Pie was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for LHP Garrett Olson and Single-A pitcher Henry Williamson. He wasn't getting much playing time with the impatient Cubs, and many believed his potential was being wasted. At least the Orioles did.
In the 2009 season, Pie started in left field for the Orioles for most of April and part of May. But it looked like the Cubs were right; he started slowly and was bumped out of a starting role by rookie Nolan Reimold. Pie worked hard on the bench, though, going through drills with hitting coach Terry Crowley. Injuries to CF Adam Jones and Nolan Reimold gave Pie a chance to get back into the lineup, and he had a better second half. He ended up hitting .266 for the Birds.
He won the starting job in 2010 after a strong spring, but ended up on the DL when a back muscle separated from the bone. He didn't return until July, but ended up hitting a respectable .274. Pie's .305 OBP and 4:1 K-to-walk ratio were red flags, but Baltimore avoided arb with him by inking him to a one-year, $985K contract.
But he didn't play everyday in 2011, and hit just .220 with a sub-.300 OBP as Reimold reclaimed the job. Pie was DFA'ed in August and finished the year at AAA Norfolk. After the season, he opted for free agency and signed with the Indians. They released him in April when he didn't make the final spring cut.
Pie caught on with the Camden Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League, and a dozen or so games later signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves and was sent to Class AAA Gwinnett. He hit .285 there, and a couple of days ago he signed a minor league deal with the Pirates with an invitation to spring training.
"The Cat" isn't the worst gamble a team could take. He's 27, has 1,051 PA and a .249 BA. He's not an instinctive outfielder, but he does make the occasional great running, wall crashing catch and has a strong arm. Pie also has good speed, but that hasn't translated into creditable base-running mojo; he runs the paths more like a playful puppy than a pro.
He has a 20% K rate and .298 OPB in the MLB, and as a projected top-of-the-order guy, those numbers clearly don't cut it. Pie's another lefty, and so he's in competition with Travis Snider and Alex Presley for an outfield spot.
But the Bucs love their highly-drafted reclamation projects. Pie can play all three positions, so he does profile as a LF'er for Pittsburgh, and that's a hybrid critter because of PNC Park's zigs and zags.
His minor league slash of .298 BA and .355 OBP also has to be teasing the Pirate FO, as it did with Chicago, Baltimore, Cleveland and Atlanta. His problem could be, like many ballplayers, that it's easier to put up numbers while in the lineup everyday, but a much tougher task to learn the discipline to platoon or come off the bench and be productive.
At worst, the Bucs have added another AAAA player to their organization and plugged an outfield hole at Indy. At best, they've inked an upgrade of Lastings Milledge with a bit of a Latin temper.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Bucs Add Five To 40-Man Roster
The Pirates added RHPs Victor Black, Hunter Strickland and Phil Irwin along with Cs Ramon Cabrera and Tony Sanchez to the 40-man roster today, bringing it to 39 players (yes, they can dive into the Rule 5 pool again!). The team can still make moves on the 40-man roster, but only those players added today are protected from the December 6th Rule 5 draft.
Sanchez, 24, was the Bucs top pick in 2009 and the fourth overall. His glove is considered MLB quality, but his minor league BA is .268. He hit .277 at Altoona, but with no long balls and some gap power, then was moved up to Indy where he batted .233 but with 8 HR in 236 PA.
Black, 24, was a sandwich pick in the 2009 draft and the 49th overall pick. He has a career 3.28 ERA in four seasons He closed for Altoona last year and went 2-3-1.65 with 85 K in 60 outings. Black had a couple of god-awful appearances in Arizona, but overall was effective; it was all feast or famine for him. He'll probably start at Indy next season, with an outside shot at a roster spot, depending how the off season shakes out.
Irwin, 25, was a 21st-round draft pick in 2009, the 625th overall selection. He came out of the woodwork this year, going 4-7 with a 2.93 ERA in 16 starts for Altoona for Altoona and 3-0/2.57 ERA in four starts with Indy. Irwin K'ed 111 in 135-1/3 frames, and has a career 3.02 ERA and 1.100 WHIP lifetime. Like most of the upper level Buc starters, he has stuff that's considered average but with excellent control. He should start 2013 at Indy.
Those were the automatic picks. Cabrera was borderline, and Strickland was more or less out of the blue.
Cabrera, 23, was signed out of Venezuela in 2008. He spent the year at Altoona, where he hit .276 but without much extra base thunder. The 5'7" fireplug was sent to Indy for the playoffs and went 2-for-5 in his only game. He does have a good stick, with a career BA of .292 and a .360 OBP. Cabrera is a decent receiver, but doesn't excel in throwing out runners (20% in 2012), and that combined with his lack of power limits his upside. He should be Sanchez's caddy at Indy.
Strickland, 24, was part of the 2009 Adam LaRoche trade with the Red Sox, which took him in the 18th round in 2007 from high school. He missed all of the 2011 season, eventually having rotator cuff surgery in August. Strickland did well at Bradenton, going 2-2 with a 2.58 ERA but with poor peripherals, then went to Altoona, where he was converted to the pen. The he was 2-2-2 with a 4.36 ERA, and his strikeout ratio improved some to 33 K in 42-1/3 IP, featuring a low nineties fastball. Still, he was a surprise selection; the Pirates must see some upside since his injury.
That leaves RHP Kyle Kaminska, received in a deadline deal with the Fish, and IF Gift Ngoepe on the outside looking in.
Kaminska, 24, has had a spotty minor league record, so either the Bucs gambled that would keep him from being claimed in the draft or determined he wasn't worth tying up a spot. Either way, he was one of the iffy keepers. But his strong performance in the Arizona Fall League may have put him on a couple of radar screens, and the Pirates did send Miami a couple of assets - particularly the comp pick - that would seem to indicate that the FO saw something in him. So we're surprised some that he's off the roster and Strickland is on it.
As Tim Williams of Pirates Prospects notes, "Ngoepe signed with the Pirates in late-2008 at the age of 18. This would have been his fifth Rule 5 draft since he signed, which is the first draft an 18-year-old signee would be eligible for. However, because he didn’t play in 2008, the 2008 season and the 2008 draft don’t count. He would still be eligible for his fifth Rule 5 draft, but that count begins with the 2009 draft, not the 2008 draft." In essence, he signed a contract that started in 2009, so the 22-year old shortstop isn't, as we had thought, eligible for this year's draft.
And now we're set for the official start of the hot stove league, the December 3rd baseball meetings.
Sanchez, 24, was the Bucs top pick in 2009 and the fourth overall. His glove is considered MLB quality, but his minor league BA is .268. He hit .277 at Altoona, but with no long balls and some gap power, then was moved up to Indy where he batted .233 but with 8 HR in 236 PA.
Black, 24, was a sandwich pick in the 2009 draft and the 49th overall pick. He has a career 3.28 ERA in four seasons He closed for Altoona last year and went 2-3-1.65 with 85 K in 60 outings. Black had a couple of god-awful appearances in Arizona, but overall was effective; it was all feast or famine for him. He'll probably start at Indy next season, with an outside shot at a roster spot, depending how the off season shakes out.
Irwin, 25, was a 21st-round draft pick in 2009, the 625th overall selection. He came out of the woodwork this year, going 4-7 with a 2.93 ERA in 16 starts for Altoona for Altoona and 3-0/2.57 ERA in four starts with Indy. Irwin K'ed 111 in 135-1/3 frames, and has a career 3.02 ERA and 1.100 WHIP lifetime. Like most of the upper level Buc starters, he has stuff that's considered average but with excellent control. He should start 2013 at Indy.
Those were the automatic picks. Cabrera was borderline, and Strickland was more or less out of the blue.
Cabrera, 23, was signed out of Venezuela in 2008. He spent the year at Altoona, where he hit .276 but without much extra base thunder. The 5'7" fireplug was sent to Indy for the playoffs and went 2-for-5 in his only game. He does have a good stick, with a career BA of .292 and a .360 OBP. Cabrera is a decent receiver, but doesn't excel in throwing out runners (20% in 2012), and that combined with his lack of power limits his upside. He should be Sanchez's caddy at Indy.
Strickland, 24, was part of the 2009 Adam LaRoche trade with the Red Sox, which took him in the 18th round in 2007 from high school. He missed all of the 2011 season, eventually having rotator cuff surgery in August. Strickland did well at Bradenton, going 2-2 with a 2.58 ERA but with poor peripherals, then went to Altoona, where he was converted to the pen. The he was 2-2-2 with a 4.36 ERA, and his strikeout ratio improved some to 33 K in 42-1/3 IP, featuring a low nineties fastball. Still, he was a surprise selection; the Pirates must see some upside since his injury.
That leaves RHP Kyle Kaminska, received in a deadline deal with the Fish, and IF Gift Ngoepe on the outside looking in.
Kaminska, 24, has had a spotty minor league record, so either the Bucs gambled that would keep him from being claimed in the draft or determined he wasn't worth tying up a spot. Either way, he was one of the iffy keepers. But his strong performance in the Arizona Fall League may have put him on a couple of radar screens, and the Pirates did send Miami a couple of assets - particularly the comp pick - that would seem to indicate that the FO saw something in him. So we're surprised some that he's off the roster and Strickland is on it.
As Tim Williams of Pirates Prospects notes, "Ngoepe signed with the Pirates in late-2008 at the age of 18. This would have been his fifth Rule 5 draft since he signed, which is the first draft an 18-year-old signee would be eligible for. However, because he didn’t play in 2008, the 2008 season and the 2008 draft don’t count. He would still be eligible for his fifth Rule 5 draft, but that count begins with the 2009 draft, not the 2008 draft." In essence, he signed a contract that started in 2009, so the 22-year old shortstop isn't, as we had thought, eligible for this year's draft.
And now we're set for the official start of the hot stove league, the December 3rd baseball meetings.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Monday News and Rumors...
Some Bucco mentions in the news:
- According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, Gary Sheffield, Jason Grilli's agent, said “We’ve got eight teams interested right now. We have three offers right now.” He added “We’re not in a hurry (to sign). There are some things we want to look at a little further. We’re not sure the market has fully developed for Jason.” So while Sheffield is still trying to fan a bidding war, the set-up spot looks like one role the Bucs will have to fill in 2013.
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic says this about the Pirates and D-Backs making a deal for Justin Upton "...the Pirates were said to be pushing for Upton at this year’s trading deadline. They have a slugging third baseman in Pedro Alvarez – although questions about his defensive ability could dissuade the Diamondbacks – and have a couple of solid starters in A.J. Burnett and James McDonald (to offer)." They're still pretty far down on the list of suitors he's compiled, though.
- John Dreker of Pirates Prospects reported that Jose Tabata was willing, and even eager, to play winter ball, but Bucco management shot down the idea. His agent, Carlos Rios, was quoted as saying “We respect the decision of the Pirates but we totally disagree. Tabata needs to play to mature as a player.” Interesting choice of words, we thought.
- Tom Singer of MLB.com recapped the Arizona Fall League performances. He posted that the three guys eligible for the Rule 5 draft - Vic Black, Kyle Kaminska, and Gift Ngoepe - all made their cases for inclusion, and noted among the younger players, both Brandon Cumpton and Tyler Waldron made smooth transitions from starting to bullpen roles.
- The Negro League Museum gave out its Legacy Awards, and Cutch added some more hardware to his collection. He won the Oscar Charleston Award as the NL's MVP after coming in third in the Baseball Writer's vote. Mike Trout took the AL honor.
- We've questioned the way the Bucs handle their injured players, especially guys that are nicked up, but last week Baseball Prospectus found that the club lost the fewest days to injury according to TAWL - Team Adjusted Wins Lost - that measures lost WAR performance. The squad had 39 players either on the DL or listed as day-to-day, losing 764 games to injury in 2012. Neil Walker's balky back was the major blow during the season.
- Ex-Bucco watch: RHP Octavio Dotel stayed with Detroit, LHP Paul Maholm re-signed with Atlanta, LHP Ollie Perez went to the Mariners, IF Brandon Wood signed with KC and IF Brian Bixler with the Mets.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Forty Man Roster - Rule 5 Draft
On Tuesday, the Pirates have to make some decisions about who to include on the 40-man roster in preparation for the Rule 5 draft, held at the end of the baseball meetings in Nashville on December 6th. And they've done a pretty fair job of housekeeping this season, getting the list in trim to take on a few new players.
Here’s the current 40-man roster, which is now at 34 players:
Pitchers: Chad Beck, A. J. Burnett, Joel Hanrahan, Jared Hughes, Jeff Karstens, Chris Leroux, Jeff Locke, James McDonald, Kyle McPherson, Bryan Morris, Charlie Morton, Chris Resop, Wandy Rodriguez, Rick Van den Hurk, Tony Watson, Duke Welker and Justin Wilson.
Catchers: Mike McKenry.
Infielders: Pedro Alvarez, Clint Barmes, Chase d’Arnaud, Matt Hague, Josh Harrison, Brock Holt, Jordy Mercer, Yamaico Navarro, Gaby Sanchez and Neil Walker.
Outfielders: Garrett Jones, Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen, Alex Presley, Travis Snider and Jose Tabata.
This year, high school players picked in 2008 and college players chosen in 2009 are eligible for the Rule 5 draft. In a good news, bad news scenario, there aren't all that many hard decisions to make because neither draft has exactly churned out very many MLB ready guys. In fact, Holt, who was selected in 2009, is the only prospect from those classes already on the 40-man, and he was just added in September.
Three minor-league guys are no brainers to be included on the roster: C Tony Sanchez, RHP Phil Irwin and RHP Victor Black, all who could land in Pittsburgh sometime during 2013.
There are three others that are quite likely to be seriously considered - SS Gift Ngoepe, who has the legs and glove to stick as a bench warmer in the Pedro Ciriaco mold, RHP Kyle Kaminska, who was strong in a small sample size as a starter in the Pittsburgh system and in the Arizona Fall League after joining the club from Miami, and C Ramon Cabrera, who can hit and plays a premium position. All three could make the cut; we'd give Cabrera the best chance and Ngoepe the least of the trio.
Six guys, six spots. Seems pretty cut and dried. Well, not exactly. The FO may have a couple of guys that underperformed in the minors last year but are still on the radar. The Pirates also have to leave a space if they want to roll the Rule 5 dice again, and they haven't missed taking a shot in the Huntington era - remember Evan Meek, Donnie Veal, John Raynor, Josh Rodriguez and Gustav Nunez? So there's that.
Plus necessity requires the FO to bring in some new guys - RHP Chad Beck has already joined the roster, claimed from Toronto, and C Ali Solis, formerly of San Diego, was on the roster for a minute before being waived to the minors. There will certainly be a call for pitchers, particularly for the bullpen, Mike McKenry is the only returning catcher, there's no veteran bench presence...the Pirate to-do list goes on and on.
So Tuesday's 40-man roster will just be a snapshot in time; there will be several alterations after the draft is done. There are still a handful of players that are hanging on - Chase d'Arnaud is somewhat redundant, Rick Van den Hurk was hammered in his September outings, Matt Hague missed the September call-up, and a couple of others are marginal - and transition will be the storyline before the Bucs finalize their roster for 2013.
Pitchers: Chad Beck, A. J. Burnett, Joel Hanrahan, Jared Hughes, Jeff Karstens, Chris Leroux, Jeff Locke, James McDonald, Kyle McPherson, Bryan Morris, Charlie Morton, Chris Resop, Wandy Rodriguez, Rick Van den Hurk, Tony Watson, Duke Welker and Justin Wilson.
Catchers: Mike McKenry.
Infielders: Pedro Alvarez, Clint Barmes, Chase d’Arnaud, Matt Hague, Josh Harrison, Brock Holt, Jordy Mercer, Yamaico Navarro, Gaby Sanchez and Neil Walker.
Outfielders: Garrett Jones, Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen, Alex Presley, Travis Snider and Jose Tabata.
This year, high school players picked in 2008 and college players chosen in 2009 are eligible for the Rule 5 draft. In a good news, bad news scenario, there aren't all that many hard decisions to make because neither draft has exactly churned out very many MLB ready guys. In fact, Holt, who was selected in 2009, is the only prospect from those classes already on the 40-man, and he was just added in September.
Three minor-league guys are no brainers to be included on the roster: C Tony Sanchez, RHP Phil Irwin and RHP Victor Black, all who could land in Pittsburgh sometime during 2013.
There are three others that are quite likely to be seriously considered - SS Gift Ngoepe, who has the legs and glove to stick as a bench warmer in the Pedro Ciriaco mold, RHP Kyle Kaminska, who was strong in a small sample size as a starter in the Pittsburgh system and in the Arizona Fall League after joining the club from Miami, and C Ramon Cabrera, who can hit and plays a premium position. All three could make the cut; we'd give Cabrera the best chance and Ngoepe the least of the trio.
Six guys, six spots. Seems pretty cut and dried. Well, not exactly. The FO may have a couple of guys that underperformed in the minors last year but are still on the radar. The Pirates also have to leave a space if they want to roll the Rule 5 dice again, and they haven't missed taking a shot in the Huntington era - remember Evan Meek, Donnie Veal, John Raynor, Josh Rodriguez and Gustav Nunez? So there's that.
Plus necessity requires the FO to bring in some new guys - RHP Chad Beck has already joined the roster, claimed from Toronto, and C Ali Solis, formerly of San Diego, was on the roster for a minute before being waived to the minors. There will certainly be a call for pitchers, particularly for the bullpen, Mike McKenry is the only returning catcher, there's no veteran bench presence...the Pirate to-do list goes on and on.
So Tuesday's 40-man roster will just be a snapshot in time; there will be several alterations after the draft is done. There are still a handful of players that are hanging on - Chase d'Arnaud is somewhat redundant, Rick Van den Hurk was hammered in his September outings, Matt Hague missed the September call-up, and a couple of others are marginal - and transition will be the storyline before the Bucs finalize their roster for 2013.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Shopping List - Corner Infield
As far as players in place and under team control, the Pirate corners are covered for 2013 with the same three guys they ended 2012 with - Pedro, Garrett Jones and Gaby Sanchez.
The Pirates picked up Alvarez's $700K option (he'll be arb-eligible in 2014, voiding the Pirate option for that season). The 25-year-old hit .244 with a career-high 30 home runs and 85 RBIs in 149 games. El Toro's home run total was 10th best in the NL, though he also led Senior Circuit third basemen in errors with 27 and finished second in strikeouts with 180, whiffing at a 31% rate.
The Pirates will plug him in everyday at the hot corner, though he hasn't solved lefties yet. He had a 50 point split spread in BA and 65 points in OBP last season, roughly following his career lines. But when he's hot, he can carry a club. From June through August, he banged away at a .280 clip, but just hit .209 the start and end of the year.
It didn't affect his power numbers quite as much. During his summer streak, he 18 homers and collected 46 RBI, with a dozen dingers and 39 RBI during the months when his bat was icy. But even if it did, the Pirates sport an organizational black hole behind him. The depth chart lists Josh Harrison as his MLB back-up, and journeymen Yamaico Navarro and Dallas McPherson carried the 3B load at Indy.
There are some free agents available - Eric Chavez, Mark DeRosa, Alberto Gonzalez, Orlando Hudson, Brandon Inge, Adam Kennedy, Jeff Keppinger, Jose Lopez, Placido Polanco, Scott Rolen and Ty Wigginton are all looking for work - but we'd expect the Bucs to seek a multi-role vet for a bench spot to give Pedro an occasional blow against southpaws.
The Pirates, as we all recall, were supposed to be in on Chase Headley before the Padres pulled him off the market. His price will only go up in the off season, but he'd be an interesting addition if the Buccos are serious players for him.
First base is all about regression. Garrett Jones had a breakout year and Gaby Sanchez a breakdown season; are they trending or due to regress to their norms?
Jones, 31, made $2.25M in 2012, and earned it by hitting .274/.317/.516 with a career-best 27 homers and tying his personal high of 86 RBI. He's arbitration eligible and will at least double his salary and probably more. And there's the rub.
The 31 year old hit .289 against righties and just .189 against lefties, and that matches his lifetime splits pretty well. His age hurts him a little, but big bucks for a guy that's a 500 AB player probably strokes the FO's fur the wrong way. We'd be stunned if he wasn't tendered this year, but 2014 is another question.
The Bucs do have a couple of options. Sanchez, 29, is hoped to have a bounce back year. After a couple of seasons in the .270/19/80 range, he hit just .241 as a Bucco and .217 overall with big drops in the production department, with just 7 HR and 30 RBI in about half the at-bats he usually sees during 2012.
His splits aren't as outrageous as Jones', but he does have a 40+ point gap in BA and a 70 point gap in OBP in his lifetime slash line with a jump in power against lefties. So he and GI look like the tag team for 2013 right now, though we thought the same thing about Jones and Casey McGehee going into last season.
The joker in the deck is that Sanchez is arb eligible for the first time, and based on his strong 2010-11 years, he's likely to get an award in the $1.5-2M range. The team is expected to tender him, especially after just trading for him, but it's certainly not a slam dunk for the cost-conscious Pirates after his less-than-auspicious audition over the last two months of the season.
We think he'll be signed because the top RH first baseman in the Pirate system, Matt Hague, didn't even rate a September call-up. Matt Curry and Alex Dickerson, who should open at Indy and Altoona respectively next season, are both left-handed bats and neither appear ready for the show yet, if ever.
First base, unlike third, has a lot of options if the FO decides to wade into the market. Adam LaRouche, Nick Swisher, Mike Napoli, James Loney, Aubrey Huff, Travis Ishikawa, Casey Kotchman, Kevin Youkilis, Carlos Pena, Lance Berkman, Miguel Cairo, and Carlos Lee (maybe even Derrek) are free agents.
Names that have been tossed out on the trade market include the Angels' Kendrys Morales, Mets' Ike Davis and Boston's Mauro Gomez. The trade market looks more promising than the FA cattle call, but it's problematic that the Pirates will dedicate any large assets into improving the corners this year.
The Pirates picked up Alvarez's $700K option (he'll be arb-eligible in 2014, voiding the Pirate option for that season). The 25-year-old hit .244 with a career-high 30 home runs and 85 RBIs in 149 games. El Toro's home run total was 10th best in the NL, though he also led Senior Circuit third basemen in errors with 27 and finished second in strikeouts with 180, whiffing at a 31% rate.
The Pirates will plug him in everyday at the hot corner, though he hasn't solved lefties yet. He had a 50 point split spread in BA and 65 points in OBP last season, roughly following his career lines. But when he's hot, he can carry a club. From June through August, he banged away at a .280 clip, but just hit .209 the start and end of the year.
It didn't affect his power numbers quite as much. During his summer streak, he 18 homers and collected 46 RBI, with a dozen dingers and 39 RBI during the months when his bat was icy. But even if it did, the Pirates sport an organizational black hole behind him. The depth chart lists Josh Harrison as his MLB back-up, and journeymen Yamaico Navarro and Dallas McPherson carried the 3B load at Indy.
There are some free agents available - Eric Chavez, Mark DeRosa, Alberto Gonzalez, Orlando Hudson, Brandon Inge, Adam Kennedy, Jeff Keppinger, Jose Lopez, Placido Polanco, Scott Rolen and Ty Wigginton are all looking for work - but we'd expect the Bucs to seek a multi-role vet for a bench spot to give Pedro an occasional blow against southpaws.
The Pirates, as we all recall, were supposed to be in on Chase Headley before the Padres pulled him off the market. His price will only go up in the off season, but he'd be an interesting addition if the Buccos are serious players for him.
First base is all about regression. Garrett Jones had a breakout year and Gaby Sanchez a breakdown season; are they trending or due to regress to their norms?
Jones, 31, made $2.25M in 2012, and earned it by hitting .274/.317/.516 with a career-best 27 homers and tying his personal high of 86 RBI. He's arbitration eligible and will at least double his salary and probably more. And there's the rub.
The 31 year old hit .289 against righties and just .189 against lefties, and that matches his lifetime splits pretty well. His age hurts him a little, but big bucks for a guy that's a 500 AB player probably strokes the FO's fur the wrong way. We'd be stunned if he wasn't tendered this year, but 2014 is another question.
The Bucs do have a couple of options. Sanchez, 29, is hoped to have a bounce back year. After a couple of seasons in the .270/19/80 range, he hit just .241 as a Bucco and .217 overall with big drops in the production department, with just 7 HR and 30 RBI in about half the at-bats he usually sees during 2012.
His splits aren't as outrageous as Jones', but he does have a 40+ point gap in BA and a 70 point gap in OBP in his lifetime slash line with a jump in power against lefties. So he and GI look like the tag team for 2013 right now, though we thought the same thing about Jones and Casey McGehee going into last season.
The joker in the deck is that Sanchez is arb eligible for the first time, and based on his strong 2010-11 years, he's likely to get an award in the $1.5-2M range. The team is expected to tender him, especially after just trading for him, but it's certainly not a slam dunk for the cost-conscious Pirates after his less-than-auspicious audition over the last two months of the season.
We think he'll be signed because the top RH first baseman in the Pirate system, Matt Hague, didn't even rate a September call-up. Matt Curry and Alex Dickerson, who should open at Indy and Altoona respectively next season, are both left-handed bats and neither appear ready for the show yet, if ever.
First base, unlike third, has a lot of options if the FO decides to wade into the market. Adam LaRouche, Nick Swisher, Mike Napoli, James Loney, Aubrey Huff, Travis Ishikawa, Casey Kotchman, Kevin Youkilis, Carlos Pena, Lance Berkman, Miguel Cairo, and Carlos Lee (maybe even Derrek) are free agents.
Names that have been tossed out on the trade market include the Angels' Kendrys Morales, Mets' Ike Davis and Boston's Mauro Gomez. The trade market looks more promising than the FA cattle call, but it's problematic that the Pirates will dedicate any large assets into improving the corners this year.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Bucco News - Cutch Third, AFL Final Stats, & More
A little news on the Buccos while we wait to see who they sniff out on the market...
- Cutch came in third for the NL MVP. Giant C Buster Posey ran away with the honor, taking 27 of 30 first place votes. Cutch came in behind Posey and Ryan Braun. Yadier Molina and Chase Huntley rounded out the Top Five. McCutcheon said "It was an honor just to be nominated for National League MVP this season along with some of MLB's best players." BTW, Miguel Cabrera took the AL award.
- David Ross inked a deal with Boston, Dioner Navarro signed with the Cubs and Gerald Laird with Atlanta. If the Bucs were looking to add a second-tier catcher, their dominoes are already starting to fall.
- The Arizona Fall League pitching: Kyle Kaminska went 3-1/1.61 in 28 IP with 21 K and a 0.93 WHIP; Brian Cumpton went 0-0/2.47 in 14 IP with 6 K; Tyler Waldron 0-0/3.47 in 14-1/3 IP with 11 K and a 0.98 WHIP; and Victor Black 1-1-1/11.81 in 10-2/3 IP with 10 K and 11 BB.
- The Arizona Fall League hitting: Adalberto Santos hit .299 with a .413 OBP, a homer, 11 RBI and 9 steals in 10 attempts; Gift Ngoepe hit .261 with a .370 OBP; and Matt Curry hit .253 with a .366 OBP, a homer and 6 RBI.
- Bob Nutting told the Trib's Dejan Kovacevich "We are not and we should not be a military organization. We should not run a boot-camp environment.” Now, a couple of weeks later, GM Neal Huntington replied on an XM radio interview that "Everything that we’ve tackled has been scientifically proven to be successful in other fields of work, whether it’s in amateur athletics, whether it’s in the military. We’re extremely proud of our military affiliation.” Wonder if he's saving face or tossing a gauntlet at his boss?
- Et tu, David Sampson? The Fish president defended his salary dump by telling Miami's 790 The Ticket Radio that "I would think they (the fans) wouldn’t want us to stand pat and keep losing. We
don’t want to be one of those teams that for 20 years doesn’t win 81
games or doesn’t make the playoffs." Geez, who could he be referring to?
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Shopping List - Middle Infield
The Bucs have their starters penciled in up the middle for next year, with Clint Barmes at short and Neil Walker at second. Barmes had a second half resurgence to go with his $5.5M contract, and The Kid had another steady year at the dish before his back gave out in the season's closing weeks.
Barmes, 33, batted .229 with a 66 +OPS and 1.2 WAR during the season, but was a Jeckyl and Hyde, hitting .170 in the opening two months of the campaign and a more representative .255 over the last four. His glove was dependable all year, earning a career high 14.4 UZR and falling barely behind MLB SS leader Brendan Ryan's 14.7. Barmes, 33, is under contract for the 2013 season, without an option.
Jordy Mercer is the Pirates' top organizational player at the spot after Chase d'Arnaud's star dimmed, but like Pedro Ciriaco ahead of him, Clint Hurdle would rather eat nails than play him. Josh Harrison and Yamiaco Navarro are also in the mix.
Outside the organization, the battle to find a starting SS is pretty competitive. Stephen Drew and Marco Scutaro, who seems likely to re-up with the G-Men soon, are easily the head of the class. Jason Bartlett, Brian Bixler, Ronny Cedeno, Alberto Gonzalez, Alex Gonzalez, Cesar Izturis and Munenori Kawasaki are also looking for 2013 gigs.
The trade market has more upside. Elvis Andrus of the Rangers, Yunel Escobar of the Jays, Jed Lowrie of Houston, Josh Rutledge of the Rox, Paul Janish of the Braves and Asdrubal Cabrera of the Indians are all said to be available to varying degrees, and there may be a couple of possible, though unlikely, opportunities available.
Neil Walker, 27, hit the jackpot when he reached Super 2 status and will have four years of arbitration ahead of him. He could well land a $3M award for the coming season; his offensive production ranks him in the NL top five at his position while his UZR of 1.4 is his first positive fielding rating since he began his OJT in 2010.
Like Barmes, there's no one from the Pirate system ready to push him. Harrison, Mercer, Navarro and Brock Holt make up the depth chart behind him. While Walker is still on the sunny side of the street age-wise, he does have a cloud - just how bad is his back? If the Bucs are looking for outside insurance, well, the market isn't exactly overflowing.
The FA field consists of Yuniesky Betancourt, Mike Fontenot, Orlando Hudson, Kelly Johnson, Adam Kennedy, Jeff Keppinger, Freddy Sanchez and Ryan Theriot. Most would make a nice vet back-up for the Bucco bench, but there aren't very many "play everyday" names available. Chris Getz of KC, Darwin Barney of da Cubbies and Tyler Greene of the Cards are the early names thought to be on the trade block.
The middle may be set in the Bucco minds, but it's razor thin and both guys have question marks coming into 2013 - can Barmes keep his stroke around .250, and can Walker's back hold up? Hurdle may have to give up his aversion to young guys and give Mercer/Navarro some time at short and Harrison/Brock at second because there's no guarantee the infield glue will hold together for long. Walker's contract situation could play into the equation, too - if he sticks to the arb route, he could get expensive in a hurry.
We don't think the Bucs will address the middle in a meaningful manner this season, though we wouldn't be surprised to see them kick a couple of tires for a shortstop. It's more likely that they find a competent vet to plant on the bench to give the pair a break if the FO is down on the organizational guys they have.
Barmes, 33, batted .229 with a 66 +OPS and 1.2 WAR during the season, but was a Jeckyl and Hyde, hitting .170 in the opening two months of the campaign and a more representative .255 over the last four. His glove was dependable all year, earning a career high 14.4 UZR and falling barely behind MLB SS leader Brendan Ryan's 14.7. Barmes, 33, is under contract for the 2013 season, without an option.
Jordy Mercer is the Pirates' top organizational player at the spot after Chase d'Arnaud's star dimmed, but like Pedro Ciriaco ahead of him, Clint Hurdle would rather eat nails than play him. Josh Harrison and Yamiaco Navarro are also in the mix.
Outside the organization, the battle to find a starting SS is pretty competitive. Stephen Drew and Marco Scutaro, who seems likely to re-up with the G-Men soon, are easily the head of the class. Jason Bartlett, Brian Bixler, Ronny Cedeno, Alberto Gonzalez, Alex Gonzalez, Cesar Izturis and Munenori Kawasaki are also looking for 2013 gigs.
The trade market has more upside. Elvis Andrus of the Rangers, Yunel Escobar of the Jays, Jed Lowrie of Houston, Josh Rutledge of the Rox, Paul Janish of the Braves and Asdrubal Cabrera of the Indians are all said to be available to varying degrees, and there may be a couple of possible, though unlikely, opportunities available.
Neil Walker, 27, hit the jackpot when he reached Super 2 status and will have four years of arbitration ahead of him. He could well land a $3M award for the coming season; his offensive production ranks him in the NL top five at his position while his UZR of 1.4 is his first positive fielding rating since he began his OJT in 2010.
Like Barmes, there's no one from the Pirate system ready to push him. Harrison, Mercer, Navarro and Brock Holt make up the depth chart behind him. While Walker is still on the sunny side of the street age-wise, he does have a cloud - just how bad is his back? If the Bucs are looking for outside insurance, well, the market isn't exactly overflowing.
The FA field consists of Yuniesky Betancourt, Mike Fontenot, Orlando Hudson, Kelly Johnson, Adam Kennedy, Jeff Keppinger, Freddy Sanchez and Ryan Theriot. Most would make a nice vet back-up for the Bucco bench, but there aren't very many "play everyday" names available. Chris Getz of KC, Darwin Barney of da Cubbies and Tyler Greene of the Cards are the early names thought to be on the trade block.
The middle may be set in the Bucco minds, but it's razor thin and both guys have question marks coming into 2013 - can Barmes keep his stroke around .250, and can Walker's back hold up? Hurdle may have to give up his aversion to young guys and give Mercer/Navarro some time at short and Harrison/Brock at second because there's no guarantee the infield glue will hold together for long. Walker's contract situation could play into the equation, too - if he sticks to the arb route, he could get expensive in a hurry.
We don't think the Bucs will address the middle in a meaningful manner this season, though we wouldn't be surprised to see them kick a couple of tires for a shortstop. It's more likely that they find a competent vet to plant on the bench to give the pair a break if the FO is down on the organizational guys they have.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Shopping List - The Outfield
The only set piece in the Bucco outfield is Cutch, who had a breakout season and is collecting trophies like he's back in high school. He's tied up for awhile after inking a deal last season, and will earn $4.5M in 2013. The All-Star is just 26, and his $51.5M
deal runs through 2017, with a $14.75M club option for 2018.
The Pirates have Starling Marte, 24, Travis Snider, 24, Jose Tabata, 24, and Alex Presley, 27, all vying to flank Cutch. 2013's question will be if any of the four can step up and claim the positions. JT has a contract that runs through 2016 with three option years, and the others are all under team control for at least four more seasons.
They're all young, but at least a couple of them will have to grow up soon. The Bucs are hoping that Marte and Snider especially mature in a hurry.
Marte hit .257 in 182 PA, and showed some power and speed. He also had some scary splits, mauling lefties but hitting just .238 with 34 K in 132 PA against righties. The Pirates need him to develop into an everyday player, so he's going to have to learn some patience against same-siders. Hopefully, the Pirates will show some patience, too, and let him get his cuts this season as a starter.
Snider is the other upside guy that the Pirates swapped from Toronto in exchange for Brad Lincoln. But he's been in a two-year slump, with just 7 HR in 385 PA and a .236 BA. His career splits aren't all that wide, and in fact he had a reverse split last season in a barely measurable sample size against lefties. The Pirates hope that he can become an everyday guy, too, but would be satisfied in 2013 if he can rediscover his eye against righties and free up Garrett Jones to play first as a platoon team against RHP.
That leaves JT and Presley as the options for the fourth outfielder. Both have pretty even splits, with Tabata better with OBP and Presley with slugging. That gives JT an edge, as the Pirates are looking for top of the order hitters. Tabata's .315 OBP isn't ideal, but it sure beats The King's .279. Still, it should make for an interesting sidebar in the spring and may come down to JT being out of options while Presley still has one to burn.
And there are no reinforcements within hailing distance from the farm. Greg Polanco, Josh Bell and Barrett Barnes are the future in the outfield. Last year, Polanco was at Low A West Virginia, Barnes at short season State College, and Bell was hurt all season and has yet to play but a handful of pro games. The first pair will probably start 2013 in High A; it's not certain if Bell will be ready by the spring. If so, he'll start in Low A. All three should be fast-tracked if they perform, but still are looking like 2015 arrivals.
Pittsburgh is looking at a limited, as always, budget during the off season, and there are more glaring holes than the outfield to plug. So Justin Upton and Shin-Soo Choo rumors to the contrary, they'll stick with last year's dance partners in 2013 unless they package a couple of them as part of a hot stove deal. And that's unlikely, as three are minimum wage earners while JT will take home $1M.
The Pirates shopping list for the pasture will be to reach into the cupboard and cook up an outfield from existing ingredients. Three of the five are just 24, with Marte and Snider both having some potential upside as regular players. Management is going to have to decide how to break those eggs this season, unlike 2012.
The Bucs took an odd approach to the corner outfielders last year, sharing time rather than determining a pecking order during the last two months of the season. Some of it had to do with performance and some with nagging injuries. We look for Clint Hurdle to establish a routine for the guys by the time camp breaks.
The plan for 2013 doesn't include new blood, but establishing an everyday rotation for the young and controllable OF crew in black and gold, one that can carry them through the next couple of seasons or longer.
The Pirates have Starling Marte, 24, Travis Snider, 24, Jose Tabata, 24, and Alex Presley, 27, all vying to flank Cutch. 2013's question will be if any of the four can step up and claim the positions. JT has a contract that runs through 2016 with three option years, and the others are all under team control for at least four more seasons.
They're all young, but at least a couple of them will have to grow up soon. The Bucs are hoping that Marte and Snider especially mature in a hurry.
Marte hit .257 in 182 PA, and showed some power and speed. He also had some scary splits, mauling lefties but hitting just .238 with 34 K in 132 PA against righties. The Pirates need him to develop into an everyday player, so he's going to have to learn some patience against same-siders. Hopefully, the Pirates will show some patience, too, and let him get his cuts this season as a starter.
Snider is the other upside guy that the Pirates swapped from Toronto in exchange for Brad Lincoln. But he's been in a two-year slump, with just 7 HR in 385 PA and a .236 BA. His career splits aren't all that wide, and in fact he had a reverse split last season in a barely measurable sample size against lefties. The Pirates hope that he can become an everyday guy, too, but would be satisfied in 2013 if he can rediscover his eye against righties and free up Garrett Jones to play first as a platoon team against RHP.
That leaves JT and Presley as the options for the fourth outfielder. Both have pretty even splits, with Tabata better with OBP and Presley with slugging. That gives JT an edge, as the Pirates are looking for top of the order hitters. Tabata's .315 OBP isn't ideal, but it sure beats The King's .279. Still, it should make for an interesting sidebar in the spring and may come down to JT being out of options while Presley still has one to burn.
And there are no reinforcements within hailing distance from the farm. Greg Polanco, Josh Bell and Barrett Barnes are the future in the outfield. Last year, Polanco was at Low A West Virginia, Barnes at short season State College, and Bell was hurt all season and has yet to play but a handful of pro games. The first pair will probably start 2013 in High A; it's not certain if Bell will be ready by the spring. If so, he'll start in Low A. All three should be fast-tracked if they perform, but still are looking like 2015 arrivals.
Pittsburgh is looking at a limited, as always, budget during the off season, and there are more glaring holes than the outfield to plug. So Justin Upton and Shin-Soo Choo rumors to the contrary, they'll stick with last year's dance partners in 2013 unless they package a couple of them as part of a hot stove deal. And that's unlikely, as three are minimum wage earners while JT will take home $1M.
The Pirates shopping list for the pasture will be to reach into the cupboard and cook up an outfield from existing ingredients. Three of the five are just 24, with Marte and Snider both having some potential upside as regular players. Management is going to have to decide how to break those eggs this season, unlike 2012.
The Bucs took an odd approach to the corner outfielders last year, sharing time rather than determining a pecking order during the last two months of the season. Some of it had to do with performance and some with nagging injuries. We look for Clint Hurdle to establish a routine for the guys by the time camp breaks.
The plan for 2013 doesn't include new blood, but establishing an everyday rotation for the young and controllable OF crew in black and gold, one that can carry them through the next couple of seasons or longer.
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