2/17: HBD Ed; Turkey Trot; Nate Signs Deal; Groat DD Award; Rule Change

• 1905 - LHP Ed Brandt was born in Spokane, Washington. In his final two MLB seasons (1937-38), he tossed for Pittsburgh and went 16-14-2/3.23. He was mostly a good pitcher on bad teams, winning 121 games in 11 years after taking his lumps during his first three seasons.
• 1909 - The NL made it mandatory that a relief pitcher face one batter, and gave him five pitches to warm up. The rule countered managers who would yank a pitcher, bring in another (slowly) to kill a little time, and then pull him if they didn't like the pinch hitting match up or when the guy the skipper really wanted on the mound was good and loose. It eventually became Rule #6.2.2.
• 1912 - The Pirates switched outfielders, sending Vin Campbell to the Boston Braves for Mike Donlin. Both players were solid hitters but neither were one trick ponies. Campbell was a successful businessman while Donlin was a vaudevillian, silent movie actor and all-around bon vivant. Both left baseball for periods of time to hold out for bigger salaries knowing they could make better money at their side jobs. They each ended up playing just one year for their new teams, then sat out the 1913 season. Donlin hit .316 in 77 games for the 1912 Pirates while Campbell hit .296 and led the league in at-bats for the Braves that season. On a side note, Donlin was nicknamed “Turkey Mike” due to his red neck and distinctive strut. It’s said many fans even imitated his way of walking, but it wasn't a moniker that he particularly cared for.

Mike Donlin (image via The Deadball Era)

• 2009 - CF Nate McLouth signed a three-year, $15.75M contract with an option that bought out his arbitration years. It guaranteed his salary but not his home; he was traded to Atlanta in June to clear the CF spot for Andrew McCutchen. He returned to the Bucs briefly in 2012, and since then has played in Baltimore and Washington. A free agent this season, the 34 year old has done OK, earning $30M in 10 campaigns.
• 2016 - Dick Groat was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 80th annual Dapper Dan Dinner. In 1960, Groat hit .325 and was named NL MVP for the WS winners and earned three All-Star berths as a Bucco SS. He was also a two-time All America at Duke as a hoopster.

Heading to Camp: Bullpen Depth

Interesting crew collected by the FO this year; some vets, comeback kids and AAAA guys with an option or two to work with and a smattering of southpaws. The odds are one of them will break camp with the Buccos. Long guy? Lefty? Lots of choices with this gang.

Rob Scahill: Rob had a pretty mediocre set of numbers at Colorado, but it's often difficult to judge a guy that works at altitude (tho his numbers show no big divergence between home and away outings). He hasn't set the world afire in the minors, either. But he did work 28 games for the Bucs last year, putting up a 2.64 ERA, with the caveat that his peripherals weren't pretty, especially the 1.598 WHIP and 4.7 walks per game. Scahill did put together a nice 61.6% ground ball rate and throws a 93 MPH sinker, so he has a chance to break camp with the team if he can find the strike zone. If not, he still has an option remaining.

John Holdzkom: Holdzkom was a great story during the 2014 stretch, but the 2015 chapter wasn't as bright. He battled control issues, dead arm and the death of his brother. This is a new year, and we'll see how Big John and his mid-nineties heat plays. He did get a 56.3% groundball rate to go with 14 K per game in 2014 with the big club, so there's a lot to like, especially if he can add a second pitch. He is on the 40-man roster but with two options left, making it likely that the team will start him at Indy for a little rust removal unless he has a lights-out camp. The FO wants him under their eye; he was refused team permission to join New Zealand's World Baseball Classic club.

John Holdzkom 2015 (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Robert Zarate: Southpaw Zarate, 29, has taken an international approach to his game, having pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays system through 2008, then spending the next six years with various Nippon League & Japanese indies while wintering in his native Venezuela. He put up some nice numbers in AAA last year, with a 2.76 ERA, .197 opponent BA (.135 v LH), 1.091 WHIP and 10.7 K per game (3.3 walks). He tosses a low-nineties heater with a slider and change. Robert has also started fairly regularly in his career, so he's an intriguing boom or bust kinda character who could fill in anywhere from LOOGY to long man.

Eric O'Flaherty: The 31 year old southpaw was an effective setup man for the Braves from 2009-2012, with a ground ball rate of 57%. He had TJ surgery in 2013, bounced back with a good second half of 2014 with the A's and then was put through the wringer last year, tho he kept up his good worm-burner rate with a 58% score. Eric's a fastball (90)/slider (84) guy, with his velo down a couple of ticks from his Bravo days, as it's been since returning from TJ rehab. O'Flaherty will be a NRI at camp.

Cory Luebke: The ex-Padre lefty was a first rounder for SD in 2007, but hasn’t pitched since 2012 after going through a pair of TJ procedures. He started quite a few games for SD (25 out of 55 outings) but with his arm history, his role is TBD; we're guessing bullpen. His arsenal is (or was) a rising low-nineties fastball and good change with a hard slider and 12-to-6 hook. Cory (31 in March) will be coming to camp as a NRI. Bucco factoids - the Pirates drafted him out of Marion (OH) High School in 2004, but he opted for Ohio State. And he decided to sign here after hearing good things about the org from his old SD roomie, Clayton Richard, per MLB.com's Adam Berry.

Jorge Rondon: Rondon can hit 100 with his heater, one of four heavy pitches in his toolkit. He's a sinker ball guy on top of that velocity, and the Bucs tend to bring out the best in those arms. They'll have to; he's gotten a couple of sips of coffee in the bigs and been belted around. But he's 27 with a power arm and coming off a decent  AAA year - 2.90 ERA, 49 K in 40 IP and 15 BB; not bad by comparison to most of the field, so he's worth the flyer. Rondon does have a couple of strikes against him, tho - he's non-rostered and out of options, so it may be break camp or bust for him.

Guido Knudson: Knudson, 26, was claimed from the Tigers, released by the Bucs and then re-signed, so it appears the Pirates do have some interest in having him in the system. Guido was clocked in a brief Motown stint, but had a pretty solid  minor league year between AA-AAA. He's started a few games on the farm, and was often called upon to work multiple innings. Knudson is a high K, high BB guy (what else is new) with a 93 MPH heater and a slider to go along with it. As a guy that misses bats (and the plate) who can eat some innings; he profiles as a middle-inning organizational depth arm. If he gets a call up, he does have two options to work with.

Guido Knudson (photo via Pirates)

Trey Haley: Haley, 25, was a second round pick of Indians who put up a 2.45 ERA in 43 appearances at the Tribe's AA-AAA levels. He's another power arm with his fastball in the high nineties and a nasty hook as his main weapons. As with seemingly every new name, he has good minor league K numbers (8.6 per game) and an equally high walk rate; in fact, at 6.5 walks per game, he may be the wildest of the Bucs wild children. The Pirates are hoping their worked-to-the-bone staff of gurus can point him toward the plate. He was signed to a big league deal and placed on the 40 man. With two options remaining, they have time to develop him as long as he can hold a roster spot, so he's almost assured to open at Indy.

Curtis Partch: Partch, 28, fits the mold - 6'5", big heater (mid nineties), punch-out power arm, and treats the strike zone like a foreign object. He had a couple of stints with the Reds and spent last year in the Giants system. Aside from dubious command, the knock on his fastball is that it's flat, ala old Bucco prospect Victor Black. Curtis is a project for the Bucs; the FO loves big arms and have had some luck in reining in control issues, so he's joining the 2016 fixer-upper class.

Jim Fuller: Another lefty depth guy. Fuller, 28, is a finesse arm, tossing the upper eighties (his fastball is hard to pick up despite the low velo; one scout described it as "invisible") with a slow curve and an eighties slider. He's posted good back-to-back MiLB seasons, first in AA then following up in AAA. Jim projects as a LOOGY and should start in the minors.

Daniel Bard: The Bucs signed former Red Sox reliever Daniel Bard, 30, to a minor league deal. He's trying to rally from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, the same malady that iced former prospect Craig Hansen's career. He was once a top gun, hitting the high nineties with his fastball. He's got an interesting pedigree, and although he didn't make it out of the Cub's instructional camp in 2015, a comeback by Daniel would add some unexpected gravy to the Bucco menu.

Next up: Heading to Camp - The Catchers 

Prior Posts:
Heading to Camp: Starting Pitching, Eight Deep
Heading to Camp: Starting Pitching, On the Way & Depth Arms  
Heading to Camp: Bullpen Core

2/16: Han #33 Retired; Breakfast of Champions; A Couple of Awkward Signings

• 1952 - Carnegie’s Honus Wagner’s #33 was retired after he bid farewell as a Bucco coach at the age of 77 after serving 39 years with the team. The Bucs also honored him by giving him a lifetime pension at full pay. Other retired Pirate numbers belong to Billy Meyer (1), Ralph Kiner (4), Willie Stargell (8), Bill Mazeroski (9), Pie Traynor (20), Roberto Clemente (21) and Danny Murtaugh (40). Han’s was the first number retired in franchise history, and with good cause. He finished his career with a .329 average and won eight NL batting titles, ranking among the Pirates' top 10 in 11 offensive categories. He was a coach with the Pirates between 1933 and 1951. The Flying Dutchman was also part of the first Hall-of-Fame class ever selected, along with Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Babe Ruth.

Honus Wagner via Dugout Legends

• 1996 - General Mills put out a Wheaties cereal box commemorating Negro League stars Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and Cool Papa Bell to celebrate the league's 75th anniversary. All three legendary figures played for Pittsburgh and/or Homestead at some point in their Hall of Fame careers.
• 2000 - The Pirates signed RHP Leo Nunez out of the Dominican Republic. He never twirled for the Bucs, being traded to KC in 2004 and made the news in 2011 when he admitted to being Juan Carlos Oviedo, not Leo Nunez, a fake ID he used to shave a year off his age and make him a more desirable prospect. He pitched thru 2011, served a lengthy suspension to start 2012 and then blew out his elbow during rehab, requiring TJ surgery. Juan/Leo returned to the show in 2014, but hasn’t appeared on a MLB hill since that season.
• 2002 - RHP Ron Villone signed a $900K FA contract with the Bucs, making Pittsburgh one of his 12 MLB stops in a 15 year career. He went 4-6 with a 5.81 ERA for the Pirates and was released at the end of the year.

2/15: HBD Russ, Barry & Don; Lockout; Vic Willis Sold

• 1910 - The Pirates sold RHP Vic Willis to the Cardinals. Vic was a 20+ game winner for the Bucs during his four year stint, going 89-46 with a 2.08 ERA from 1906-09. But the 34 year old Willis was running on empty. He won nine games for St. Louis, and 1910 was his big league swan song.

Vic Willis via Pittsburgh Heroes of Baseball

• 1956 - The Pirates and the Kansas City A's canceled an pair of exhibition games in Birmingham‚ Alabama‚ because of a local ordinance barring black players from playing against white players. The two teams moved the spring games to New Orleans.
• 1963 - RHP Barry Jones was born in Centerville, Indiana. He began his career in Pittsburgh after being selected in the third round of the 1984 draft. From 1986-88, Jones went 6-9-6/3.81 with the Bucs before being traded to the White Sox for Dave LaPoint. After an eight year career, he moved to Murrysville, and spent several months helping to build PNC Park as a project manager for the concrete contractor.
• 1980 - IF Don Kelly was born in Butler. Kelly went to Mt Lebanon HS and Point Park College before signing with the Bucs and making his debut in 2007. From 2009 onward, he’s played with the Tigers, moving on to the Marlins during this off season. He married Carrie Walker in 2007; his brother-in-law is Neil Walker and his father-in-law is former big league pitcher Tom Walker. The Kellys live in Wexford.

Don Kelly 2007 Pirate promo photo

• 1983 - C Russ Martin was born in East York, Ontario, Canada. The free agent pickup was with the Pirates from 2013-14, hitting .256 and rated highly behind the dish in all the defensive metrics and intangibles. The Toronto Blue Jays signed him to a five-year, $82M FA contract during the 2014 off season after Russ had a career year at the plate.
• 1990 - The owners refused to open spring training camps without a new Basic Agreement with the Players' Association, beginning a lockout that lasted 32 days and delayed the start of the regular season by one week. The beef was over an owner plan to cap payroll at 48% of the league revenues; the MLBPA and Donald Fehr wanted no part of a cap. They eventually settled on “Super Two” arb, a raise in the minimum salary and adding an extra player to the active roster as the cap plan was sentenced to "death by committee."

Heading to Camp: The Bullpen Core

Going into camp, the Bucco bullpen locks appear to be Mark Melancon, Tony Watson, Arquimedes Caminero, Jared Hughes and newcomers Juan Nicasio and Neftali Feliz. Notables losses from last year's stellar gang are Joakim Soria, Antonio Bastardo and Joe Blanton. And they were a good crew - the Bucs lost once all year when leading after seven frames as the pen posted the MLB's top relief ERA.

They were retooled after the 2014 campaign too, when guys like Jason Grilli, Justin Wilson, Bryan Morris, Vin Mazzaro, Stolmy Pimentel, Jeanmar Gomez, Ernesto Frieri and Big John Holdzkum answered the phone. This year's shuffle is the Pirate rule, not the exception.

One opening remains in the relief corp. Assuming Feliz and Nicasio will offset Soria and Blanton, that makes the Bucs one shutdown lefty short of last year's group. But Bastardo was, like Watson, a guy that was effective against either side, so the Bucs may opt to fill in with a two-way arm instead of another lefty, although that does leave Clint a little short in the match-up game, a familiar scenario.

The Bucs have loaded up with NRI lefties; it's TBD if any have the stuff to break camp.

Here's a quick look at the anticipated pen:

Mark Melancon: It's probably the 30 year old Shark's last Pirate go-around; Watson is just about ready to close and Melancon's $9.65M deal is rich for the FO's liking, although they do have to face the music and realize the back end of bullpens are tough to build on the cheap anymore. Mark had another effective year in 2015, albeit with some SABR-metric red flags. His saving grace is that his BABIP for the past two years has been in the mid-.250 range, and between coaxing soft contact and the infield positioning, he's been able to outperform the metrics. Still, if the Bucs are floundering at the deadline, he'll be dangled again, as he was this winter, before his 2017 walk year.

The Shark celebrates another save with Fran (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Tony Watson: The heir apparent, Tony is another one whose ERA far outpaces his FIP. In his case, the reason is because his WHIP has been under 1.000 two of the last three seasons, and he's stingy with both hits and walks. No runners, no runs. Great durability, too, with 290 appearances in the past four campaigns. The only flag for him was a drop in K rate from 9.4/9 innings in 2015 to 7.4 last year. He's making $3.45M this season with another arb year to go.

Arquimedes Caminero: Uncle Ray got him to quit trying to throw the ball through the backstop, and tho his K rate dropped by a couple per game, so did his walks. Oddly enough, per Fangraphs his fastball velocity went up to 97.9 and his ground ball rate increased to 47.6%, both career highs. So a little less grunting added some movement, and he's turned into an effective bridge guy. Arquie only has a year's service time, so he's under team control for the long haul.

Jared Hughes: The true fireman, Clint brings him in anytime a ground ball is needed to stop the bleeding, and he's thrived in that role. As long as he continues to get the ball hit into the dirt at his career 61.7% rate, they'll be a spot for him. Additionally, he can soak up multiple innings, so he's the perfect middle man. Hughes is inked to a $2.175M deal and has two more arb years ahead.

Jared Hughes (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Juan Nicasio: The Bucs signed him to a one year/$3M deal after he posted a 1-3/ 3.86 slash with a save for the Dodgers in 52 relief appearances and one start. He averaged10K per nine featuring a heater that averages 95 and touches on 98. The down side - five walks per game. He's the opposite of most Pirate relievers, as he underperformed his FIP of 2.83. He does bring a great deal of versatility to the mix, having been a starter for much of his career, and the Pirates have all sorts of options. Nicasio is, by plan, going to be stretched out as a starter in camp, although he could be a fit for just about any spot from a multiple innings eater to the back end. He has one more arb year remaining.

Neftali Feliz: Since his 2011 season, including 2010's RoY (he saved 72 games from 2010-11), Neftali has been through the wringer, being switched to the rotation, encountering control issues and then undergoing TJ surgery. He's lost a couple of feet from his heater, though he still guns it in at 94, and opposite of the Pirates' preferred mold, is a 50% fly-ball guy. But his control is OK, the OF can cover pretty well, and Searage has had bigger train wrecks to work with. His 6.38 ERA last year was two runs over his FIP, largely fed by an unsightly .349 BABIP. The Bucs bet $3.9M that he'll have a healthy arm and bounce back this year. In what role has yet to be determined; he has an early back-end resume but mop-up results last year. He should be motivated; 2017 is his FA season.

Next up: The Pirate Bullpen's Depth Arms 

Prior Posts:
Heading to Camp: Starting Pitching, Eight Deep
Heading to Camp: Starting Pitching, On the Way & Depth Arms

2/14: First Negro League w/Keystones; HBD Earl & Damaso; McClatchy Buys Bucs

• 1887 - Per Wikipedia, the National Colored Base Ball League, the first attempt at a professional Negro League, was organized at a meeting in Baltimore. Eight clubs were represented, including the original Pittsburgh Keystones. The league quickly folded (the Keystones finished 3-4), but set a foundation that would eventually allow the Pittsburgh Crawfords and Homestead Grays to enter the baseball scene. The Keystones went dormant, then were revived briefly from 1921-22 to play in the Negro National League. Their home field was Central Park (also known as Keystone Park or Chauncey Street Park), located in the Hill at the corner of Chauncey Street and Humber Way. The park was built by black architect Louis Bellinger, who would later design Greenlee Field for the Pittsburgh Crawfords.

Keystones Emblem (image via Joes Sports)

• 1897 - C Earl Smith was born in Sheridan, Arizona. Smith spent five of his 12 big league years in Pittsburgh from 1924-28, hitting .315 over that span. He was a member of the 1925 World Series-winning club (he hit .350 v Washington) and the 1927 Series team that lost to the Yankees. Smith was suspended for a spell in 1925 for brawling with a fan in Boston; not only did he lose time to the league, but he was laid up briefly after the fact when a second fan clunked him with a chair!
• 1975 - LHP Damaso Marte was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He pitched for the Bucs in 2001 and again from 2006-08. He went 7-8-5 with a 3.52 ERA and struck out 200 batters in 186-⅔ IP. In 2008, during his second stint as a Bucco, Marte and Xavier Nady were traded to the Yankees for four prospects: José Tábata, Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens, and Daniel McCutchen.

Damaso Marte (photo Linda Cataffo/NY Daily News)

• 1996 - Kevin McClatchy and partners purchased the Pirates from the Pittsburgh Associates with the understanding that a baseball-only stadium be built within five years. The sale saved the franchise from being moved out of Pittsburgh by other potential buyers and provided for a new ballyard, but proved a mixed blessing.

Notes: Prospect Props; Off Season Stuff; JHK; Ex-Bucs & Media

Lotta love for Pirate prospects this week...

• Jim Duquette of MLB.com believes the Walker-for-Neise deal was one of those rare win-win swaps.
• Anthony Castrovince of Sports on Earth identifies a key question going into the spring for every team. For the Pirates, he hones in on the recovery of Jung Ho Kang.
• Cliff Corcoran of Sports Illustrated doesn't think very highly of the Pirates off-season. While giving the FO the benefit of the doubt because of past moves, he wrote that "...given how competitive their division is, how successful the Cubs’ off-season was and how much talent was available this winter, Pittsburgh had to do more this winter to keep pace." 
• The Sporting News says the Vegas line for 2016 in the Central has the Cubs with 89 wins, the Cards with 87.5 and the Pirates with 87. 
• Scout.com ranks seven Pirate prospects among their Top 100:  Tyler Glasnow #6, Austin Meadows #26, Josh Bell #46, Jameson Taillon #53, Ke'Bryan Hayes #57, Alen Hansen #80 and Reese McGuire #93.

Ke'Bryan Hayes (image from MLB.com)

• USA Today selected 100 young players primed to make impacts during the major league season, and the Bucs had four on the list - Tyler Glasnow, Josh Bell, Jamison Taillon and Austin Meadows.  
• Keith Law of ESPN rated the Pirate minor league system as #8 (Insider behind a subscription wall). He also ranks four Pirate pups in his Top 100: Tyler Glasnow #6, Austin Meadows #16, Kevin Newman #23, and Josh Bell #56, also behind a subscriber wall. Yes to Newman and no to Jameson Taillon are the biggest outliers.
• In a Q&A piece, Jim Callis of MLB.com picks  his "All Leap" team - ten currently unranked minor leaguers who could became Top 50 prospects in 2017. The Bucs had a pair - 3b Ke'Bryan Hayes & OF Harold Ramirez.
• Po' Bobby LaFromboise was DFA'ed by the Phils; it's the third time during the off season he's lost a 40-man roster spot. He cleared waivers and was assigned to AAA by Philly, with an invite to camp.
• The White Sox crossed off one more name that had been at least tossed about for the Buccos (altho it's doubtful the FO had any serious interest in him, judging by the offer he accepted) when they signed RHP Mat Latos to 1-year/$3M contract. They also inked 1B Travis Ishikawa to a MilB deal with an invite to camp.
• Sad baseball tale: Met reliever Jenrry Mejia, 26, has been banned from the game. Mejia got his third strike when he was permanently suspended (with loss of salary) following a third positive test for PED use. Mejia is the first major or minor league player to receive a permanent suspension under MLB’s drug-testing program. Amazingly, he collected all three strikes within a span of 10 months. A lifetime ban is a misnomer, though - he can apply for reinstatement after a year, and if successful, he'd have to serve another year suspension. So he's out for a minimum of two years.
• MLB.com writer Tom Singer, who covered the Pirates for the past three years, passed away suddenly in his Arizona home.We'll miss his quirky and light touch.
• Root Sports will broadcast 12 Pirate spring training games, beginning Friday, March 4th against the Twins at McKechnie Field. The matches will also feature a 30 minute pre-and-post game segment.

2/13: Cool Papa HoF Day; Nellie Passes Away; The Deal That Wasn't; HBD Pete; Inge Signing

• 1921 - IF Pete Castiglione was born in Greenwich, Connecticut. He played seven years (1947-53) for the Bucs, mainly as a reserve, and hit .258 for Pittsburgh. Pete actually signed with the Bucs in 1940, but he joined the Navy in 1943 and served two years in the Pacific. He participated in campaigns at the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, Palau Islands, Philippine Islands and Okinawa, and was at Wakayama, Japan at the end of the war, so his best work may not have been at Forbes Field, but in the Pacific theater.
• 1974 - OF James "Cool Papa" Bell was named to the Hall of Fame by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues. He played for both the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords, and was inducted on August 12th. Cool Papa joined the Homestead Grays in 1943, and they won league championships in Bell's first two seasons. They were foiled going for the trifecta, losing in the 1945 World Series to the Cleveland Buckeyes. Per Biography.com, he got his moniker when he began as a pitcher for the St. Louis Stars in the Negro National League. He was dubbed “Cool” when he struck out legendary Oscar Charleston; Bell's manager added the “Papa.”

Cool Papa Bell (photo via Negro League History Museum)

• 1980 - As a five-and-ten veteran, OF’er Bill Robinson vetoed his proposed trade to the Houston Astros for pitcher Joaquin Andujar when Houston wouldn’t offer him a new contract. It’s hard to project how the trade would have worked out. Robinson had a strong 1980 campaign, then faded away, while Andujar wouldn’t hit his prime until 1982, winning 61 games and two All Star berths between then and 1985 as a St. Louis Cardinal. 

Bill Robinson 1979 (photo Associated Press)

• 2005 - RHP Nelson “Nellie” Briles, who was part of the Pirates 1971 World Series club, died at age 61 in Orlando, Florida, after suffering a heart attack at a Pirates alumni golf tournament. In his game five start in the Series against the Orioles, Briles pitched a two-hit, complete game 4-0 shutout, also driving in a run with a second inning single. He pitched three seasons for the Pirates, going 36-28 with a 2.98 ERA. Following his retirement in 1979, Briles worked as a color man for the Pirates, and joined the front office in 1986 as director of corporate sales. He founded the Pittsburgh Pirates Alumni Association, and was also the director of the team's annual fantasy camp.
• 2013 - The Bucs signed 36 year old IF Brandon Inge to a one year, $1.25M FA contract. 50 games and a .181 BA average later, he was released on August 1st, ending his 13 year MLB career.

Heading to Camp - Starting Pitchers On the Way & Depth Arms

The list is heavy on young guns working their way up and light on immediate help, but the MLB staff is not very deep this year, so performance/injury issues could push the timetable if the FO doesn't bring a couple of more arms to camp. For the curious, the list is of all the spring training invitees, both 40-man roster guys and Non-Roster Invitees (NRI).

• Jameson Taillon: Taillon, 24, has missed two years with TJ surgery followed by a hernia, so working off the rust and managing the innings/pitches he tosses should logically keep him on the farm this year. But the Bucs' FO has made noises that he may be in play if the rotation requires a patch, so we'll see. Jameson has gotten back on the horse, working out at Pirate City during the fall instructional period. Even so, JT only has 37 IP at Indy and none since 2013, so he needs some work. It's all gravy if he's strong enough to see some big league time this year; we're betting on 2017.
• Chad Kuhl: Kuhl, 23, had a pretty good year at Bradenton in 2014 and a breakout campaign at Altoona last season, going 11-5 with a 2.48 ERA and being named the Altoona PoY. He's not much of a swing-and-miss guy, but uses a mid-nineties power sinker to put up a 58% ground ball rate. Chad got a taste at Indy last year, and that's his likely destination this season as he tries to develop a plus second pitch; both his slider and change need work. But that sinker could earn him a call up as a September reliever. If he doesn't come up with a secondary pitch, he could end up on the same track as Tony Watson & Jared Hughes, both converted starters with heavy sinkers. He's a NRI to camp.

Chad Kuhl Bradenton (photo Eric Seibert)

• Steven Brault: Part of the Travis Snider deal, southpaw Brault used three pitches - a low nineties fastball, improving changeup and slider - mixed with decent control to put up a 13-4 record with a 2.43 ERA between Bradenton and Altoona. Without a knockout pitch, he profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter, ala Jeff Locke. Our guess is he'll start the year at Altoona, although he may land an Indy slot. He's also a NRI to spring training, with a 2017-18 ETA.
• Trevor Williams: Williams, 23,  was a second round pick of the Fish in 2013 out of Arizona State with just 14 IP at the AAA level, cobbling together a workmanlike but not dazzling minor league body of work. He  features a mid-nineties fastball with a curve and change, but isn't a very big swing-and-miss guy.The righty is considered a back-end depth arm, and will likely start out the season at Indy.
• AJ Schugel: Schugel, 26, has a low nineties heater, a plus change and is in search of a breaking ball.  He made a couple of not very successful stops at Arizona, and didn't have much more success at the AAA level. The Bucs themselves seem a little unsure; they claimed him, DFA'ed him, then re-signed him with as a NRI. He looks more like a development piece than a depth option right now and has two remaining options.
• Wilfredo Boscan: Boscan, 26, is riding a strong season at Indy, going 10-3 with a 3.07 ERA.   But all you need to know is that the Bucs called him up three times last year and never used him. He was re-signed as a NRI, and with a crowded Indy rotation may be relegated to bullpen duty.

Wilfredo Boscan 2015 Pirate Photo Day (photo Getty Images)

• Kelvin Marte: Another lefty, Marte, 28, has a 90 MPH fastball, a decent change and a curve.  He had been with the Giants since 2007 before the Bucs signed him to a NRI deal. Kelvin has only six games at the AAA level, and as a little guy (5'9") tends to wear down quickly. He's primarily a starter, but has the look of a bullpen guy in the Pittsburgh system.
• Jesse Biddle: He was claimed despite October TJ surgery and won't be a factor this season. Biddle, 24, was the first round draft pick of the Phils in 2010, but his performance hit a wall in 2014-15. Pittsburgh is betting that the fall off was injury related. He has two options left; the Pirates have a variety of avenues to address him being dead weight on the 40-man, the simplest being to just place him on the long-term DL.
• Nick Kingham: Kingham also had TJ surgery in May, and should be available some time this summer. He'll end up at Indy and isn't likely to be in the mix this season. Nick was a Top 100 prospect before hurting his arm, with a low-to-mid nineties fastball and good control, so he could be part of the 2017 transition (he did spend parts of two season at Indy).

Next: Heading to Camp - The Bullpen Core

2/12: Bucs Sign Rennie, John Ericks; HBD Dutch, Woody & Joe Garagiola

• 1912 - RHP Lloyd “Dutch” Dietz was born in Cincinnati. Dutch tossed from 1940-43 for the Bucs, going 14-16-6 with a 3.86 ERA, highlighted by a 7-2/2.33 slash in 1941. He was traded to the Phils in ‘43, then to the Dodgers. Dietz entered military service with the Army Medical Corps in 1944, and was stationed in Texas where he pitched for the Fort Sam Houston Rangers. After his return to civilian life in 1946, he played four more minor league seasons before hanging up the spikes.
• 1922 - RHP Forrest “Woody” Main was born in Delano, California. He pitched off and on for the Bucs in 1948, 1950, and 1952-53 after being claimed from the Yankees. Main was in the Bronx Bomber’s system as a Kansas City Blue, and when KC manager Billy Meyer was named skipper of the 1948 Pirates, he selected Main in that winter’s Rule 5 draft. Woody went 4-13-3 with a 5.14 ERA as a Pirate.
• 1926 - C Joe Garagiola was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and spent the middle of his MLB career (1951-53) with Pittsburgh. Joe hit .262 over that span, but is best known as an announcer, a profession he began after his playing days in 1955. Garagiola grew up just a few doors down from his childhood friend Yogi Berra and later said, "Not only was I not the best catcher in the Major Leagues, I wasn't even the best catcher on my street!"

Joe Garagiola 1953 Bowman

• 1969 - The Bucs made one of their top Latino signings when they inked 18 year old 2B Rennie Stennett of Colon, Panama, to a deal. Rennie debuted as a 20 year old and played nine seasons (1971-79) with Pittsburgh, hitting .278. His career was derailed in 1977 when he broke his leg sliding, and 1981 was his last season in the show.
• 1993 - The Bucs signed RHP John Ericks to a FA deal. After a couple of seasons on the farm, the 6’7’ Ericks worked 57 games for the Bucs between 1995-97, going 8-14-14 with a 4.78 ERA. The Pirates liked the Fighting Illini as a starter, but he had two shoulder surgeries and was switched to the pen. He was never 100% afterward and was out of baseball after working 10 games in 1997.

John Ericks 1996 Leaf