Buc B-Team Rallies To Rock Rays 6-4

Righty Jeanmar Gomez had his best outing of the spring, going four frames against a split Rays team, giving up a run on three hits, a walk and a bopped batter with two K. He left the game with a 3-1 lead. In the second, he surrendered his run on a Luke Scott double that came in a couple of batters later.

Pittsburgh tied it in the third when The King walked and Felix Pie doubled him home with two down. They took the lead the next frame off starter Alex Cobb. The Fort and Josh Harrison singled and were moved up 90 feet on a Jordy Mercer bunt. Newcomer John McDonald singled home McKenry and a Garrett Jones fly chased in Harrison.

Jason Grilli tossed a quiet fifth. Mike Zagurski came on in the sixth with a golden opportunity. With Tony Watson looking shaky, there's an opening for a lefty on the roster. But alas, as happened the last two times out, he sailed on rough seas. Ben Zobrist greeted him by going yard to left. A lined single, stolen base and double brought home another run. After getting a fly out, a walk and a double made it 4-3 Tampa, with runners at second and third and one down.

His Bucco teammates bailed him out. Jordy Mercer turned a grounder into an unlikely DP with a heads-up play, tossing to John McDonald to nail the back runner, who then gunned the ball home to get the lead guy at the plate.

Mark Melancon and Jared Hughes kept it close, and then the Pirates made their move.

With two away in the eighth, Jeff Larish doubled off Dane de la Rosa, followed by a Lucas May walk. Then WBC/Olympian Aussie Stefan Welch, who played 1B for Bradenton and Altoona last year, dinged a three-run homer off reliever Kirby Yates as the Bucco B Team carried the day.

Tim Alderson, the one-time wunderkind, worked the ninth and gave up a hit and punched out a pair to save the win.

Pittsburgh takes on Boston tomorrow afternoon with Jeff Locke on the bump.

• Brandon Inge was removed from the lineup today due to lingering discomfort as a result of being hit by a pitch in right shoulder blade on March 14th. X-rays taken in the morning proved negative. 
• Joel Sherman of the New York Post speculates "I am wondering if there is at least the beginning of discussions on a trade package built around Aardsma going to Pittsburgh and one of the first basemen coming back to the Yanks."
• RHP Todd Redmond, who the Bucs traded way back when for Tyler Yates in one of the current FO's first transactions, was released by the Orioles and quickly claimed by the Blue Jays. SS Ronny Cedano wasn't quite as popular; he cleared waivers after the Cards released him.

Bucs v Rays

Jeanmar Gomez will start against Tampa Bay's Alex Cobb in today's contest. It's a last chance for Gomez (0-2, 9.00 ERA), who still harbors slim hopes for a bullpen spot. The game is at McKechnie Field with a  1:05 start time, and it won't be broadcast.

Lineup: Alex Presley CF, Jose Tabata LF, Felix Pie RF, Gaby Sanchez 1B, Brandon Inge 3B, Mike McKenry C, Josh Harrison 3B, Jordy Mercer 2B, John McDonald SS and Jeanmar Gomez P.

Inge was a late scratch after being posted in the lineup; most of the guys are getting a last peep by Clint and the boys.

Pitchers: Jeanmar Gomez, Jason Grilli, Mike Zagurski and ?

We don't think Gomez can work his way onto the staff; the game is more important for guys like Zagurski.

• Remember 2008-09 Bucco back-up infielder Luis Cruz? He could end up the Dodgers' starting SS while Hanley Ramirez is on the mend.
• The Reds grand experiment has fizzled; they announced that Aroldis Chapman, much to the relief of Dusty Baker, won't join the rotation but remain the Cincy closer.
• March 22, 1991 - At Sotheby's in New York‚ a 1909-10 baseball card in mint condition of Honus Wagner was auctioned off for $451‚000 to hockey star Wayne Gretzky and LA Kings owner Bruce McNall. The Wagner cards are so valuable because the Dutchman refused to endorse tobacco products, and only 57 cards were printed before he had production stopped.

Bucs Cut Morris, DeJesus, Goedert

The Bucs lopped a couple of more guys off the roster today, sending RHP Bryan Morris to Indy and assigning infielders Ivan DeJesus Jr. and Jared Goedert to Indy.

Morris wasn't a surprise. Once the Bucs announced that he had gotten an extra option year, it was pretty apparent they intended to use it sooner rather than later. He didn't really help his cause in camp, pitching to a 5.14 ERA in seven innings, walking five guys, but the option bought him another year in the system.

DeJesus, 25, was making a strong run in camp, hitting .406 with a .955 OPS. Our guess is that he and eventually Jordy Mercer - their chances of making the club took a big hit when John McDonald joined the team, although Mercer is till hangin' around - will split SS time at Indy to see if the Bucs have internal options when Clint Barme's contract ends after this season. DJ was part of the Hanny deal, and his spring showing put him on the back on the radar after a slow recovery from a broken leg.

Goedert, 27, was signed as a minor league free agent (he was in the Cleveland system) by the Pirates as a guy with a rep for a good stick, and he lived up to that early but faded badly down the stretch, and ended up hitting .207 in camp.

Yes, There Are Ties In Baseball...

Yes there are ties in baseball. Only in the spring and during All-Star games, of course, and tonight was one of those nights, as the Bucs and Baltimore fought to a ten inning, 0-0 draw. No runner for either club got past second base.

It's not like the Bucs didn't have their chances; they banged out eight hits, but went a depressing 0-for-14 with RISP. Jake Arrieta gave up six of those hits over six frames, but his 9 K kept the Bucs at bay.

Starling Marte opened the game with a double and was stranded. Garrett Jones and Travis Snider were on first & second with one out an inning later; there they stayed. Russell Martin and Snider were on first and second with an out in the fourth and died there. Snider doubled with an out in the sixth and never moved.

After that, Pittsburgh went dry. Luis Ayala and Troy Patton each worked two frames of no-run ball.

Brad Hawpe may have punched his ticket out of camp; he stranded five runners while striking out all three of his at-bats, dropping his BA to .139. Clint Barmes whiffed twice in four appearances, leaving six runners on. The middle of the order had its woes, too, as Cutch and Pedro each left four Buccos aboard.

But that performance at the dish didn't seem to rattle the pitchers. Jonathan Sanchez came up with his second strong start, going five innings and giving up two hits, a walk, and whiffing four. He never allowed a runner to reach second. Ryan Reid went two no-hit frames, with a walk and two Ks. Chris Leroux and Justin Wilson finished up with an inning apiece; Leroux yielded a hit while Wilson gave up a hit and a walk with a K.

So Sanchez and Jeffrey Locke have kept alive their claims for a spot on the staff. The FO is coming up on decision time; Sanchez's opt-out date if not on the 40-man roster is Sunday. Cuts are expected this weekend as the Pirates only have eight more games to go before they count.

Jeanmar Gomez goes against Alex Cobb and Tampa tomorrow afternoon.

• Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune Review wrote that "The lineup against the Rays includes several position players who are on the bubble: Ivan De Jesus Jr., Josh Harrison, Brad Hawpe, Brandon Inge, Alex Presley and Felix Pie. For some of them, it could be a 'one last look' game before rosters are reduced, perhaps as soon as Saturday." He added that Neil Huntington told him “The other two spots, it might be two outfielders, or it might be one infielder and one outfielder. Time will tell as it plays out.” The Fort and Gaby Sanchez are already guaranteed roster spots. W'd assume the first infield spot is John McDonald's and JT, being RH and out of options, the first OF choice.
• Travis Rietsma of Getting Blanked reviews the Bucs; he pegs them at 84 wins and posts "With improvements from their still-young core of position players, the Pirates could be a sleeper in the National League and only stand to get better in the years to come with a number of high-impact prospects on the way."
• Wandy Rodriguez gave up a run and three hits, while walking three and striking out two in 5-1/3 innings during a minor-league contest at Pirate City today. AJ Burnett will work a minor-league outing tomorrow as Jeanmar Gomez gets a last look on the hill.
• New SS John McDonald will report to camp tomorrow. 
• Mike McKenry is sponsoring a veteran's family with game tickets during every home stand.
• Trip Advisor selected PNC Park as baseball's top stadium.

Bucs v Orioles

The Bucs' Jonathan Sanchez get the nod against the Orioles and Jake Arrieta at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. The game starts at 7:05, and nope, not a TV game. But it will be broadcast by The Fan 93.7.

Lineup: Starling Marte LF, Neil Walker 2B, Andrew McCutchen CF, Pedro Alvarez 3B, Gaby Sanchez DH, Garrett Jones 1B, Russell Martin C, Travis Snider RF and Clint Barmes SS.

Clint's breaking out the big boys tonight. And it looks more and more like the days of Snider sliding into the two-hole are over.

Pitchers: Jonathan Sanchez and ?

Last start before his opt-out date, 3/24. 

• Jared Stonesifer of Yahoo Sports asks "Is Russell Martin The Answer...?" He writes "Martin might not be the answer Pirates fans were looking for in a catcher, but he'll have to do for now."
• Dave Cameron has the final team power ratings to conclude Fangraph's series. 
• Joe Posnanski of Hard Ball Talk has a sweet piece on old Bucco C Tony Pena.
• Craig Calcaterra and Kay Adams of Hard Ball Talk prognosticate on the fortunes of the 2013 NL Central clubs.
• This day in history - Manny Sanguillen was born in Colon, Panama in 1944. Happy 69th! And in 1986, the Pittsburgh Associates, a coalition of 13 public and private investors, saved baseball in Pittsburgh when it purchased the Pirates from the Galbreath family for $21.8M in a deal that had been essentially hammered out in the previous fall.

Cuts Get A Little Easier As Bucs Bow 18-9

Well, the good news is that the Bucs plated nine runs for the second time in three games. The bad news is they lost both of those contests. After losing an 11-9 slugfest to the Yankees on Monday, Pittsburgh pitchers were hammered by the Atlanta Braves today in Orlando by an 18-9 count, beat down by a 21 hit, five homer barrage.

Kyle McPherson started and went 4-2/3 fairly brutal innings, giving up nine runs (eight earned), including blasts to Freddy Freeman and Andrelton Simmons. He surrendered ten hits and struck out three. The best that can be said about the outing is that McPherson didn't walk anyone.

Vin Mazzaro worked an inning following him, and was blistered for a six spot, with Freeman and Simmons going long off him. he gave up eight knocks and whiffed a pair; like McPherson, he didn't give up a walk. Tim Alderson came on to get the last out of the sixth, and it was Tony Watson's turn.

Watson, who was working on his delivery and some physical troubles, was greeted by a pair of singles and a bomb off the bat of Jordan Parraz in his frame. Jared Hughes, bless him, threw a clean eighth.

The Buc bats were alive, banging out 16 hits. Going into the bottom of the fifth, they had clawed back to cut the lead to 8-6 before the roof caved in. Andrew McCutchen went 2-for-4 with a homer, Jordy Mercer went 2-for-3 with a trip-trip-triple, The Fort had three RBI with a single and two sac flies and Alex Presley had a two-out, two-run single in his only AB. Felix Pie & Brandon Inge also came through with a pair of knocks.

The Pirates take on Baltimore tomorrow night and Jonathan Sanchez gets the start. His opt-out date of March 24th is right around the corner, so this could be a make-or-break start for the veteran lefty.

• The Bucs are taking their roster evaluations down to the wire; Wandy Rodriguez will throw 85-90 pitches in a minor league game tomorrow while the fringe guys get another look, per Kristy Robinson.
• Mike Sanserino of the Post Gazette tweeted that "Neal Huntington said John McDonald will be Clint Barmes' primary backup." That makes that last bench spot in the infield quite a brawl; Harrison, Mercer, DeJesus and Presley have all had strong camps.
• Matt Eddy of Baseball America announced guys who got an extra option year granted them by MLB. The Pirate trio are Pedro, Bryan Morris and Andy Oliver. That's good news for the Bucs, though Alvarez is hopefully established. Oliver gets an extra year of tinkering in the minors. Morris was out of options. He should make the 25-man roster this year on ability, but that extra option may delay his debut awhile while the FO sorts out its self-imposed logjam of arms.

Pirates Keep Collecting

The Pirates have traded for Diamondback infielder John McDonald in exchange for a PTBNL, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and  Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

McDonald, 38, appeared in 70 games as a shortstop, second baseman and third baseman last year, posting a .249/.295/.386 batting line with six home runs and an OPS+ of 79. The 14-year vet is a solid glove guy, but in his many years in the league, his lifetime WAR in 2.9.

He's in the second season of a two-year, $3M contract and will earn $1.5M in 2013 before his walk year.

Who knows what it means to Josh Harrison, Jordy Mercer and Ivan DeJesus, who have all had good springs? We're guessing that since they've got their glove guy for the bench, Harrison is the front runner to claim the other spot on the pine, with Mercer and DeJesus headed to Indianapolis.

Mercer beat McDonald in the field last season, with a 9.6 UZR/150 versus McDonald's 8.5. Mac's bat was better, but we're talking an OPS+ of 79 for McDonald and 76 for Mercer; so not much gap there. And Mercer is a decade younger and would make a million bucks less. But Mercer does have an option...

And that could be the logic behind an otherwise seemingly illogical deal. With Clint Barmes in his walk year, the FO may have decided to bring in a glove-first guy for the bench so that Mercer can start at Indy. There, he would get regular PT with a chance to compete for the big team's starting job in 2014.

Then again, maybe Clint Hurdle just wanted a veteran on the bench; he's decidedly squeamish about putting youngsters on the field if he can help it. So who knows?

But whatever the reason, John McDonald is a Bucco now. We'll find out the cost soon enough, when the PTBNL is sent to Arizona and when the Bucs trim someone off their 40-man roster (they'll probably DL Chase d'Arnaud) to clear space.

Bucs v Braves

The Bucs return to action against the Braves today. Kyle McPherson gets the nod against Mike Minor at Orlando. The game begins at 1:05 and will be aired on tape delay by the MLB Network at 11 PM; there's no radio. The weather isn't cooperating; it's gray and rainy in the land of Disney.

Lineup: Starling Marte LF, Jose Tabata RF, Andrew McCutchen CF, Garrett Jones 1B, Neil Walker 2B, Brandon Inge 3B, Jordy Mercer SS, Mike McKenry C and Kyle McPherson P.

Hurdle is starting to get the starters ready; Inge and Mercer are the only fringe guys in today's lineup.

Pitchers: Kyle McPherson and ?

McPherson gets maybe his last chance to make an impression. We think the Bucs are down to the nitty-gritty. After this weekend, if not sooner, they're going to have to get the roster close to finalized and get ready for the season.

• David Manel of Bucs Dugout takes a peek in the crystal ball to calculate the Pirates 2013 win total as projected by WAR. 
• Fangraphs continues its positional power ranking series. Michael Barr picks the Bucs LF spot as 11th best in MLB. He adds "Between Marte and McCutchen, the Pirates have to be pretty pleased with two thirds of their outfield for the foreseeable future, and if Tabata can realize his potential and grab the starting role in right, the Bucs could be set for years..."
• The Bucs announced to the beat gang that they released six minor league guys, including RHP Mike Colla, 26, who was thought to still be on the radar as a middle-reliever type. Mike Sanserino of the Post-Gazette tweeted that Jared Lakind, 21, drafted as a 1B, will be switched to pitching. The lefty touched the low nineties as a prep pitcher. Guess that's to balance out Stetson Allie's flip.
• Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune Review noted that SS Chase d'Arnaud had surgery on his thumb earlier in the week and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
• Buc first base prospect Alex Dickerson has had back problems since his college days. Tim Williams of Pirates Prospects posts that the team hopes it's found the solution - shoe inserts!
• More ex-Buccos earn their release: SS Ronny Cedeno was set free by the Cards and IF Dallas McPherson by the Dodgers.
• The Dominican Republic won the WBC, whipping Puerto Rico 3-0 yesterday. They certainly earned the title - they were the first club in tournament history to go undefeated through all the rounds. For all their strong pitching, Robinson Cano ended up as the WBC-MVP.
• This day in history: In 1937, the Homestead Grays acquired future Hall of Famers Josh Gibson and Judy Johnson for $2,500 in cash and a pair of journeymen players after Pittsburgh Crawfords owner Gus Greenlee was forced to unload his stars for financial reasons. And in 1973, after a special election held by the BBWAA‚ Roberto Clemente was voted into the Hall of Fame. The Board of Directors waived the 5 year eligibility period for Clemente, and he was inducted on August 6th as the first Hispanic player to enter Cooperstown.

Off Day Notes

A couple of Bucco bits to keep you occupied on an off day:

• Drew Silva of The Hardball Times has his 2013 Pirate review posted. 
• Jared Stonesifer of Yahoo Sports takes a look at the upcoming Jason Grilli era.
• Drew Lembo of the Bradenton Herald writes that Neal Huntington likes his starting rotation going into the season. Now if he'd only share it with us...
• James Santelli of Pirates Prospects crunches the numbers and his result: Bucs Bench Projected As Top Four In NL. That would certainly be a step up.
• Jon Heyman of CBS Sports has a list of young guys who impressed this spring; Gerrit Cole made the Top Ten.
• Chris Garosi of Fantasy Fix features Gregory Polanco in his prospect review "30 Prospects In 30 Days."
• Add LHP Daniel Moskos and RHP Zach Stewart to the list of ex-Buccos who were cut from camp.

Could Bucs Carry Five OF's?

The battle for the Bucco bench is getting interesting. The sure shots are the extra first base man (Gaby Sanchez/Garrett Jones), the fourth outfielder (Jose Tabata), and the reserve catcher (Mike McKenry), with two spots open. It's assumed those would go to a corner and middle infielder.

But Alex Presley is making it a tough decision. He's pleading his case by batting .297 with a .357 OBP. The King is, of course, the perfect fourth outfielder for the Pirates with the ability to play left and center along with being a top-of-the order type hitter, which Pittsburgh is not very deep in at the MLB level.

Presley has scored seven runs this spring, tied with Starling Marte for the club lead. And he's worked hard on the big hole in his game, his eye, historically taking too many whiffs and too few walks. The 27 year-old has an strong 11% K rate, and while not outstanding, his walk rate is a more acceptable 7% so far during camp.

He does have a couple of strikes against him. The Bucs do have an extra OF'er in Garrett Jones, and the team likes to have a bopper in right field. Presley also has an option remaining, which Travis Snider and Jose Tabata don't. And the guys vying for infield spots aren't exactly conceding their seats on the bench.

Last year's holdovers, Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer, have put up nice offensive numbers. Harrison is on a six-game hitting streak, and is hitting .286/.364, while Mercer's line is .368/.552. Josh is an Energizer bunny who can play a variety of spots with a lifetime .250 BA off the Bucco bench, while Mercer provides a strong glove up the middle.

The Bucs also brought in a pair of non-roster guys to challenge them in Ivan DeJesus and Brandon Inge. The once-hot but oft injured prospect DeJesus has grabbed his opportunity with both hands, batting .400 with a .553 slugging % while playing three infield positions. Inge hasn't been showing much with the stick - he hasn't for a couple of years - and is way under the Mendoza line with a .111 BA. Clint Hurdle longs for a veteran presence on the bench, but despite that, Inge should be a longshot to cash in on his chance with Pittsburgh.

Of course, there's a reason they're bench players. Harrison can play all over the field, but is more a jack of all trades and master of none type with the mitt. Mercer is the internal heir-apparent to Clint Barmes, at least until lower-level guys like Alen Hanson and Max Moroff percolate through the system. He has an option remaining, so he may be better off playing every day at Indy in 2013 if he is indeed the shortstop of the near future (Barmes is in his walk year). DeJesus has been a cup-of-coffee guy for the Dodgers and Red Sox, with just a .205 MLB average to show for his 80 PA. Inge hasn't hit north of .250 since 2006.

Our guess is that while Presley has done everything he was supposed to do in camp, he's the odd man out, at least early in the year. Jones can fill in as an extra OF'er if needed, eliminating the need for a fifth guy. And the Pirates roster is such that there are no infield options among the position players (they are trying to get Sanchez some 3B time) that would allow them to run the risk of carrying just one bench IF. Hurdle loves his two-fer changes late in the game, and that only works with some versatility on the pine.

That, of course, doesn't mean things are cut-and-dried right now. Snider and JT are both in show me years, and Presley could easily be called up if they don't fill the bill by the summer. Also, the Pirates are still said to be looking for at least a reserve catcher. If they have to deal for one, their obvious surplus is among fringe outfielders. And Pittsburgh has been lucky with camp injuries, and we'll see if that holds up for the next week or so.

The camp was supposed to be deep this year and feature some competition, even if the starting lineup was pretty much set in stone. That it's been, and it's about time that the Bucs have to make some hard lineup decisions. Hopefully they'll be able to manage that situation without diluting their talent base/MLB depth too badly.

• Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune Review reported that Jeff Karstens surprised the staff by changing his windup yesterday to a full, over-the-head motion. After throwing 50 pitches in the minor league game, he's scheduled to work against the Orioles on Sunday.
• Mike Axisa of Fangraphs rates the Bucco CF position as the tops in baseball. In the same series of Power rankings, Enos Saris ranks the Pirates right field spot at #19 among MLB clubs heading into the season. Jeff Sullivan doesn't have as much love for SS; he lists Pittsburgh 23rd in that position.
• Jason Linden of The Hardball Times has this year's list of Five Questions For The Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Rumbunter tweeted: The Pirates 39th win of the 2013 season will be their 10,000th all-time victory. Only five teams have hit the 10,000 win mark - the Cards, Braves, Reds, Dodgers and Giants, who have the most at 10,616 victories.
• Some former Buccos were recently released: C Chris Snyder (who signed quickly with the Angels), RHP Matt Capps, OF Matt Diaz, 1B Nick Evans and IF Bobby Crosby.
• The Player's Association and League are talking about implementing a world-wide draft, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of MLB Trade Rumors.