The Bucs have one more day to go in Florida; let's hope it goes a little better than today, as the Pirates lost to the Detroit Tigers, 8-5.
Zach Duke, the opening day pitcher, gave up all the runs, and in the usual Zachster fashion. A couple of soft hits, a couple of balls Garrett Jones didn't quite track down, a missed throw by Jeff Clement...hey, no Pirate pitcher, and particularly Duke, is gonna have much luck without some fielding behind him.
The attack was OK again, led by Lastings Milledge, Aki Iwamura and Andy LaRoche, who each had two hits.
Daniel McCutchen will get the start against the Phillies in Clearwater tomorrow, then the two teams move on to the City of Brotherly Love, where they'll play exhibitions Friday and Saturday at Citizen's Bank Park.
Monday, it's for real, as the Dodgers open the season at PNC. It's supposed to be 68 and sunny; we hope the team is as ready as the Pittsburgh weather.
No news today other than Eric Kratz was sent to minor league camp; it was a no-brainer to keep Jason Jaramillo as Doumit's backup. Kratz is a nice insurance policy, but the Bucs need someone to caddy for Doumit; they have to give him at least a day off per week. JJ has been there and done that.
As for the rest of the team...well, we'll know by Sunday. There are still some possible twists and turns, so stay tuned.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Bucs Lose Game and Some Players
OK, today's game doesn't mean squat. The Twins threw their A team against a pack of Pirate rub-a-dubs, and predictably enough won 4-1.
The important part was Charlie Morton did OK pitching. Morton allowed one run on five hits in six innings of work, walking one and striking out three. He looks ready to get the season goin', as do Paul Maholm and Zach Duke. Daniel McCutchen has been passable, and Ross Ohlendorf...well, Ohlie needs a little work.
The big news is the herd of right-handers the Bucs shipped back to Indy: Jeff Karstens, Vinnie Chulk, Brian Bass, Steven Jackson, Jeremy Powell and Anthony Claggett all went, along with catcher Luke Carlin.
That takes the roster down to 30, with Jose Ascanio almost surely getting placed on the 60-day DL and Joel Hanrahan on the 15-day. So three cuts to go.
And no, we're not guessing. They could carry an extra bat for a couple or three weeks and go with four starters. They have to do some rearranging of the 40-man roster. They have guys with options that are probably better than the guys without options, but that and $5 will get you a small latte. They have, for goodness sake, Hayden Penn. They are looking to dump at least Ramon Vazquez, and who knows who may pop up on the waiver wire that they've drooled over?
What is sure? Jack Taschner and D.J. Carrasco are in so far - and both need to bump someone of the 40-man roster. Hayden Penn, maybe. The rotation is Zach Duke, Ross Ohlendorf, Paul Maholm, and Charlie Morton through April; who knows what they plan for Daniel McCutchen, Kevin Hart, Brad Lincoln, and Penn? GW doesn't think the suits know themselves.
Bobby Crosby, Delwyn Young, Ryan Church, all in. Eric Kratz, doubtful - if they burn Jason Jaramillo's option to get him a couple hundred more at bats in AAA, they are not setting up the future very well.
That leaves Ramon Vazquez, Steve Pearce, and John Raynor in play for one or two bench spots. Don't count out Pearce; they need a RH off the bench, especially one that can come in as a defensive first baseman beside turning the order around. But there's where that option comes in...he has one; Raynor doesn't. (And yah, it's possible that Clement could go down, but very unlikely).
So hey, it's getting close to opening day. But all the drama is at the back end of the roster. Your 2010 starting lineup will be:
Aki Uwamura, 2B
Andrew McCutchen, CF
Garrett Jones, RF
Ryan Doumit, C
Lastings Milledge, LF
Jeff Clement, 1B
Andy LaRoche, 3B
Your Starting Pitcher
Ronny Cedeno, SS
Milledge and Clement could switch, but it is better balanced with Milledge hitting fifth if he can produce. And so the starting lineup going into camp will be the starting lineup leaving camp. We'll soon see if that's a good or bad thing.
-- Here's what Matt Pouliot of Rotoworld thinks will be the final roster for the Bucs and the NL.
The important part was Charlie Morton did OK pitching. Morton allowed one run on five hits in six innings of work, walking one and striking out three. He looks ready to get the season goin', as do Paul Maholm and Zach Duke. Daniel McCutchen has been passable, and Ross Ohlendorf...well, Ohlie needs a little work.
The big news is the herd of right-handers the Bucs shipped back to Indy: Jeff Karstens, Vinnie Chulk, Brian Bass, Steven Jackson, Jeremy Powell and Anthony Claggett all went, along with catcher Luke Carlin.
That takes the roster down to 30, with Jose Ascanio almost surely getting placed on the 60-day DL and Joel Hanrahan on the 15-day. So three cuts to go.
And no, we're not guessing. They could carry an extra bat for a couple or three weeks and go with four starters. They have to do some rearranging of the 40-man roster. They have guys with options that are probably better than the guys without options, but that and $5 will get you a small latte. They have, for goodness sake, Hayden Penn. They are looking to dump at least Ramon Vazquez, and who knows who may pop up on the waiver wire that they've drooled over?
What is sure? Jack Taschner and D.J. Carrasco are in so far - and both need to bump someone of the 40-man roster. Hayden Penn, maybe. The rotation is Zach Duke, Ross Ohlendorf, Paul Maholm, and Charlie Morton through April; who knows what they plan for Daniel McCutchen, Kevin Hart, Brad Lincoln, and Penn? GW doesn't think the suits know themselves.
Bobby Crosby, Delwyn Young, Ryan Church, all in. Eric Kratz, doubtful - if they burn Jason Jaramillo's option to get him a couple hundred more at bats in AAA, they are not setting up the future very well.
That leaves Ramon Vazquez, Steve Pearce, and John Raynor in play for one or two bench spots. Don't count out Pearce; they need a RH off the bench, especially one that can come in as a defensive first baseman beside turning the order around. But there's where that option comes in...he has one; Raynor doesn't. (And yah, it's possible that Clement could go down, but very unlikely).
So hey, it's getting close to opening day. But all the drama is at the back end of the roster. Your 2010 starting lineup will be:
Aki Uwamura, 2B
Andrew McCutchen, CF
Garrett Jones, RF
Ryan Doumit, C
Lastings Milledge, LF
Jeff Clement, 1B
Andy LaRoche, 3B
Your Starting Pitcher
Ronny Cedeno, SS
Milledge and Clement could switch, but it is better balanced with Milledge hitting fifth if he can produce. And so the starting lineup going into camp will be the starting lineup leaving camp. We'll soon see if that's a good or bad thing.
-- Here's what Matt Pouliot of Rotoworld thinks will be the final roster for the Bucs and the NL.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Bucs Fool With Lineup And Roster
OK, when you win 13-1, it is for sure the sight-challenged pig finding an acorn.
The pitching was sweet. Paul Maholm went five innings, and gave up six hits and a run while walking three and striking out four. The lefty got eleven of his fifteen outs via the K or grounder, and that's a good sign for April.
The four Pirate hurlers after him - Octavio Dotel, Jack Taschner, Evan Meek, and Javier Lopez - all went an inning with no hits and a strikeout.
The hitting, wind aided though it may have been, was cracklin', too. Aki Iwamura, Andrew McCutchen, Andy LaRoche, and Garrett Jones all homered; McCutch also tripled, while Ryan Doumit had a pair of doubles and Jeff Clement had one. The Bucs had fifteen hits and the Astros committed four errors.
The Pirates needed a game like this; they had been a deep, dark, two-week funk. Let's hope the last week of spring becomes a springboard and not an anchor.
-- In his final start of the spring, Charlie Morton will face Francisco Liriano of the Twins tomorrow. Javier Lopez and Vinnie Chulk are scheduled to follow.
-- JR said he's gonna go with the pitcher batting eighth. He gave all the stock reasons; we'll see if it lasts any longer than the other times he's used it.
-- The Bucs claimed 25 year-old righty Hayden Penn off waivers from Florida, and DFA'd Brandon Moss, who was hitting .083, to create room on the 40-man roster for him. John Raynor has one less competitor to sweat over this week.
Penn looks to GW like a Kevin Hart clone; big guy, lots of nasty stuff, needs a GPS app to find home plate. Penn pitched 13 Grapefruit League innings for the Marlins this spring, and gave up 12 earned runs.
His MLB career consists of 80 innings. His record is 4-6, with an ERA of 8.89, and he's given up 114 hits (17 left the yard) in those 80 frames. He's walked 54 and K'd 53 during that span, about 6 batters each per nine innings.
Though the Fish used him as a long guy last year, he's mainly a starter. And need we mention that he's out of options? Seems like a boot in the butt to Vinnie Chulk, but hey, we'll see what the suits have in mind.
The pitching was sweet. Paul Maholm went five innings, and gave up six hits and a run while walking three and striking out four. The lefty got eleven of his fifteen outs via the K or grounder, and that's a good sign for April.
The four Pirate hurlers after him - Octavio Dotel, Jack Taschner, Evan Meek, and Javier Lopez - all went an inning with no hits and a strikeout.
The hitting, wind aided though it may have been, was cracklin', too. Aki Iwamura, Andrew McCutchen, Andy LaRoche, and Garrett Jones all homered; McCutch also tripled, while Ryan Doumit had a pair of doubles and Jeff Clement had one. The Bucs had fifteen hits and the Astros committed four errors.
The Pirates needed a game like this; they had been a deep, dark, two-week funk. Let's hope the last week of spring becomes a springboard and not an anchor.
-- In his final start of the spring, Charlie Morton will face Francisco Liriano of the Twins tomorrow. Javier Lopez and Vinnie Chulk are scheduled to follow.
-- JR said he's gonna go with the pitcher batting eighth. He gave all the stock reasons; we'll see if it lasts any longer than the other times he's used it.
-- The Bucs claimed 25 year-old righty Hayden Penn off waivers from Florida, and DFA'd Brandon Moss, who was hitting .083, to create room on the 40-man roster for him. John Raynor has one less competitor to sweat over this week.
Penn looks to GW like a Kevin Hart clone; big guy, lots of nasty stuff, needs a GPS app to find home plate. Penn pitched 13 Grapefruit League innings for the Marlins this spring, and gave up 12 earned runs.
His MLB career consists of 80 innings. His record is 4-6, with an ERA of 8.89, and he's given up 114 hits (17 left the yard) in those 80 frames. He's walked 54 and K'd 53 during that span, about 6 batters each per nine innings.
Though the Fish used him as a long guy last year, he's mainly a starter. And need we mention that he's out of options? Seems like a boot in the butt to Vinnie Chulk, but hey, we'll see what the suits have in mind.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Bucs Bombed Again
World to Ohlie: The season's right around the corner, dude! Ross Ohlendorf was taken to the woodshed by the Tampa Bay Rays today, as he gave up eight runs on ten hits - two of which went yard - and three walks with zero K's in four innings.
He ran into the same problems he's exhibited all spring. His command has been off, and he's working behind in counts. Not much time left to get aggressive again, like Ohlie was at the end of last season.
Matt Garza, meanwhile, was holding the Bucs to a run on four hits over seven frames, striking out seven and walking one.
Jeff Clement homered and Garrett Jones tripled; that would be a nice pair of bats to get warmed up heading into April.
The Bucs eventually went down by an 8-2 score, and at 6-16-1, they have the worst record in the Grapefruit League. Some spring, hey?
-- The Pirate-Phils split-squad game at Clearwater was canceled due to rain, but since DJ Carrasco was supposed to open the game, no starters were bumped off schedule.
-- The Pirates will play their final home game of the spring tomorrow when they take on the Astros. Paul Maholm will start with a pitch count of 90; no word on who's to follow yet.
-- Ronald Bellisario, the relief pitcher who the Pirates dumped and then went on to record a 2.04 ERA in 69 appearances as a Dodger rookie last year, has been placed on the restricted list by LA; he just reported to camp today.
He said he had visa problems, which is common enough, but then never showed up for scheduled appointments with the embassy to square away his situation. As a result, he can now be held off the roster for 30 days - without pay - for missing his start date by a few weeks, according to Tony Jackson of ESPN Los Angeles.
So maybe the Buc suits' mysterious low-ball evaluation had more to do with what Bellisario showed above the shoulders rather than below.
-- Surprise: the British-based journal Sporting Intelligence did its annual rating of the best paid teams in world sports, and the Yankees were number 1. The next three squads were soccer teams, followed by NBA fives.
The Bronx Bombers average about $7M per man; the runner-up Madrid soccer team made $6.3M.
He ran into the same problems he's exhibited all spring. His command has been off, and he's working behind in counts. Not much time left to get aggressive again, like Ohlie was at the end of last season.
Matt Garza, meanwhile, was holding the Bucs to a run on four hits over seven frames, striking out seven and walking one.
Jeff Clement homered and Garrett Jones tripled; that would be a nice pair of bats to get warmed up heading into April.
The Bucs eventually went down by an 8-2 score, and at 6-16-1, they have the worst record in the Grapefruit League. Some spring, hey?
-- The Pirate-Phils split-squad game at Clearwater was canceled due to rain, but since DJ Carrasco was supposed to open the game, no starters were bumped off schedule.
-- The Pirates will play their final home game of the spring tomorrow when they take on the Astros. Paul Maholm will start with a pitch count of 90; no word on who's to follow yet.
-- Ronald Bellisario, the relief pitcher who the Pirates dumped and then went on to record a 2.04 ERA in 69 appearances as a Dodger rookie last year, has been placed on the restricted list by LA; he just reported to camp today.
He said he had visa problems, which is common enough, but then never showed up for scheduled appointments with the embassy to square away his situation. As a result, he can now be held off the roster for 30 days - without pay - for missing his start date by a few weeks, according to Tony Jackson of ESPN Los Angeles.
So maybe the Buc suits' mysterious low-ball evaluation had more to do with what Bellisario showed above the shoulders rather than below.
-- Surprise: the British-based journal Sporting Intelligence did its annual rating of the best paid teams in world sports, and the Yankees were number 1. The next three squads were soccer teams, followed by NBA fives.
The Bronx Bombers average about $7M per man; the runner-up Madrid soccer team made $6.3M.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
McCutch Takes His Lumps
Daniel McCutchen won the last man standing struggle for the fifth spot, and was rewarded with his first Grapefruit League start, after the fact. He lasted just four innings, allowing five hits and five runs. He struck out four and walked one.
He made two big mistakes; one was a blast by Jose Bautista, and the other was letting the ball get in play; Ronny Cedeno made back-to-back errors that led to three unearned runs that scored on one hit. The Bucs booted four balls in all today in the 11-2 loss to Toronto.
Not that it much mattered; the Pirates had just five hits, two by Andrew McCutchen. They're now 6-15-1 in Grapefruit League play, not a very good omen for the regular season.
-- The team has split squads playing tomorrow. Going to Clearwater to face the Phillies will be D.J. Carrasco (3 innings/50 pitches) Brian Bass, Anthony Claggett, and Steve Jackson with Javier Lopez, Evan Meek, Jeremy Powell, and Jack Taschner available.
Visiting Port Charlotte to tackle the Rays are Ross Ohlendorf (six innings/90 pitches)followed by Octavio Dotel with Brendan Donnelly, Vinnie Chulk, and Jeff Karstens to follow.
And yes, the relievers are going in back-to-back games now.
-- Lots and lots of Bucco baseball on the tube this year; FSN has announced it will air 156 of the 162 games.
-- The Pirates have 37 guys on the roster; Joel Hanrahan and Jose Ascanio will start on the DL, making the magic number 35. The team has until 3 PM of April 4th to set their roster at 25 players, although some cuts could come as soon as Monday. A couple, though, could go to the wire as they try to work deals and decide what to do with guys with and without options.
-- Any possible deals don't look as if they involve the rotation. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, in a piece discussing Arizona's quest for pitching, says flat-out that "Pirates’ lefties Zach Duke and Paul Maholm are not available."
Then again, the suits just may be holding out for a better price in what looks like a seller's market.
-- Speaking of pitchers, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Tom Gorzelanny won a rotation spot in Chi-town, over Sean Marshall and Jeff Samardzija. So Gorzo and John Grabow are on Chicago's roster; the Pittsburgh end of the deal has Kevin Hart in AAA, Jose Ascanio on the DL, and Josh Harrison in the mid-level minors. Great deal so far.
-- Bob Dutton of the Royals Report tweets that C Steven Lerud, DFA'd by Pittsburgh and claimed by KC last season, was traded to the O's for a player to be named later.
-- The Associated Press reports that 35 year-old Dirt Dog Doug Mientkiewicz is getting cut by the Dodgers and is mulling his MLB options
He made two big mistakes; one was a blast by Jose Bautista, and the other was letting the ball get in play; Ronny Cedeno made back-to-back errors that led to three unearned runs that scored on one hit. The Bucs booted four balls in all today in the 11-2 loss to Toronto.
Not that it much mattered; the Pirates had just five hits, two by Andrew McCutchen. They're now 6-15-1 in Grapefruit League play, not a very good omen for the regular season.
-- The team has split squads playing tomorrow. Going to Clearwater to face the Phillies will be D.J. Carrasco (3 innings/50 pitches) Brian Bass, Anthony Claggett, and Steve Jackson with Javier Lopez, Evan Meek, Jeremy Powell, and Jack Taschner available.
Visiting Port Charlotte to tackle the Rays are Ross Ohlendorf (six innings/90 pitches)followed by Octavio Dotel with Brendan Donnelly, Vinnie Chulk, and Jeff Karstens to follow.
And yes, the relievers are going in back-to-back games now.
-- Lots and lots of Bucco baseball on the tube this year; FSN has announced it will air 156 of the 162 games.
-- The Pirates have 37 guys on the roster; Joel Hanrahan and Jose Ascanio will start on the DL, making the magic number 35. The team has until 3 PM of April 4th to set their roster at 25 players, although some cuts could come as soon as Monday. A couple, though, could go to the wire as they try to work deals and decide what to do with guys with and without options.
-- Any possible deals don't look as if they involve the rotation. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, in a piece discussing Arizona's quest for pitching, says flat-out that "Pirates’ lefties Zach Duke and Paul Maholm are not available."
Then again, the suits just may be holding out for a better price in what looks like a seller's market.
-- Speaking of pitchers, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Tom Gorzelanny won a rotation spot in Chi-town, over Sean Marshall and Jeff Samardzija. So Gorzo and John Grabow are on Chicago's roster; the Pittsburgh end of the deal has Kevin Hart in AAA, Jose Ascanio on the DL, and Josh Harrison in the mid-level minors. Great deal so far.
-- Bob Dutton of the Royals Report tweets that C Steven Lerud, DFA'd by Pittsburgh and claimed by KC last season, was traded to the O's for a player to be named later.
-- The Associated Press reports that 35 year-old Dirt Dog Doug Mientkiewicz is getting cut by the Dodgers and is mulling his MLB options
Yawn...Another Loss
Zach Duke looked ready for the season. He went 6-2/3 innings, and his numbers were one walk, two strikeouts, two singles, and no runs, a very sweet start.
He left with a 2-0 lead; it wouldn't hold up. The Pirates lost to the 'Stros on a ninth-inning walk-off homer 6-4 with their rinky-dinks in the field.
Josh Harrison, Robby Grossman, Shelby Ford, and Benji Gonzalez were playing during the Pirate meltdown. Hey we understand you gotta look at these guys, and that there are still some split-squad games that require live bodies. But with nine days to go, don't you think you could start giving the major league players those closing innings?
-- Daniel McCutchen will pitch today against Toronto, followed by Brendan Donnelly, Evan Meek, Steven Jackson and Jeff Karstens.
-- Guys working on spots: Jeff Clement went 2-for-3 and scored twice; John Raynor wore the collar and is 2-for-20 in his past few outings, letting Brandon Moss back in the race.
The Bucs, according to Jen Langosch of MLB.com, are still pondering a six-man bench instead of a twelve man pitching staff when they break camp.
He left with a 2-0 lead; it wouldn't hold up. The Pirates lost to the 'Stros on a ninth-inning walk-off homer 6-4 with their rinky-dinks in the field.
Josh Harrison, Robby Grossman, Shelby Ford, and Benji Gonzalez were playing during the Pirate meltdown. Hey we understand you gotta look at these guys, and that there are still some split-squad games that require live bodies. But with nine days to go, don't you think you could start giving the major league players those closing innings?
-- Daniel McCutchen will pitch today against Toronto, followed by Brendan Donnelly, Evan Meek, Steven Jackson and Jeff Karstens.
-- Guys working on spots: Jeff Clement went 2-for-3 and scored twice; John Raynor wore the collar and is 2-for-20 in his past few outings, letting Brandon Moss back in the race.
The Bucs, according to Jen Langosch of MLB.com, are still pondering a six-man bench instead of a twelve man pitching staff when they break camp.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Bucs Glad To See Chavez Again
Charlie Morton gave up two home runs, five runs and eight hits in five innings, while striking out four and walking none in another lackluster performance by a Pirate starter.
But hey, don't worry. None of them are. After all, it's the spring. It doesn't count for another whole ten days.
To add insult to injury, the dingers were whacked by two 2009 Pirates, Nate McLouth and Eric Hinske, and was the first for both.
Still, the Bucs took a 7-6, 10-inning victory against the Atlanta Braves today at McKechnie Field, led by Steve Pearce, Delwyn Young, and a pretty good job by the pen.
After Morton, Evan Meek, Jeff Karstens, and Steve Jackson threw scoreless frames, while Brain Bass gave up a run in his two-inning stint. Pearce hit his third homer of the spring and drove in three runs, and Young added a pair of RBI. And today's prospects d'jour, Starling Marte and Chase d'Arnaud, both had singles.
It's not like the Pirates' starting lineup is doing any better of a job than the rotation. Atlanta's Kenshin Kawakami pitched six scoreless innings, limiting the Bucs to four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
Oh yah, and Jesse Chavez. He more than made up for Nate the Great and Hinske's heroics when he gave up five runs in 1/3 of an inning, surrendering six singles (a Pirate rally!) and a walk.
-- Zach Duke will start against the Astros on Friday at Kissimmee. Duke will be allowed up to 85 pitches, with Jack Taschner and Jeff Karstens scheduled to follow.
-- A couple of minor injuries to report: Vinnie Chulk has been bothered by right bicep soreness, and is expected to be back this weekend to work a scrimmage. Ryan Church expects to return by the end of the weekend after missing time because of a fractured tip of his left middle finger.
-- There's a lot of noise concerning John Raynor and Brandon Moss. Hey, it's a battle for the fifth outfield spot, with future upside the only question. The suits have to figure out if Moss should be given more time to come around; at least until Tabata is ready. Pretty simple, actually.
-- More interesting is the Jeff Clement situation. It looks like he needs a little more work at first, and his sub-.200 batting average is a little shaky, too. The smart money says that Ryan Church is the RF if Clement goes to Indy and Garrett Jones to first (and it still does).
First, we wonder if this leaves room for Steve Pearce to make the team? Not likely, but he would allow the team another option to go right-handed. But he has an option left, and Moss and Raynor have none, and that's probably the key.
Also, if memory serves us, Delwyn Young has been in the outfield just a couple of times this spring. We think the Bucs are looking at his bat as a potential everyday weapon. But why limit him as Aki Iwamura's successor, when he probably wouldn't look too bad in right, either? Just sayin'...
But hey, don't worry. None of them are. After all, it's the spring. It doesn't count for another whole ten days.
To add insult to injury, the dingers were whacked by two 2009 Pirates, Nate McLouth and Eric Hinske, and was the first for both.
Still, the Bucs took a 7-6, 10-inning victory against the Atlanta Braves today at McKechnie Field, led by Steve Pearce, Delwyn Young, and a pretty good job by the pen.
After Morton, Evan Meek, Jeff Karstens, and Steve Jackson threw scoreless frames, while Brain Bass gave up a run in his two-inning stint. Pearce hit his third homer of the spring and drove in three runs, and Young added a pair of RBI. And today's prospects d'jour, Starling Marte and Chase d'Arnaud, both had singles.
It's not like the Pirates' starting lineup is doing any better of a job than the rotation. Atlanta's Kenshin Kawakami pitched six scoreless innings, limiting the Bucs to four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
Oh yah, and Jesse Chavez. He more than made up for Nate the Great and Hinske's heroics when he gave up five runs in 1/3 of an inning, surrendering six singles (a Pirate rally!) and a walk.
-- Zach Duke will start against the Astros on Friday at Kissimmee. Duke will be allowed up to 85 pitches, with Jack Taschner and Jeff Karstens scheduled to follow.
-- A couple of minor injuries to report: Vinnie Chulk has been bothered by right bicep soreness, and is expected to be back this weekend to work a scrimmage. Ryan Church expects to return by the end of the weekend after missing time because of a fractured tip of his left middle finger.
-- There's a lot of noise concerning John Raynor and Brandon Moss. Hey, it's a battle for the fifth outfield spot, with future upside the only question. The suits have to figure out if Moss should be given more time to come around; at least until Tabata is ready. Pretty simple, actually.
-- More interesting is the Jeff Clement situation. It looks like he needs a little more work at first, and his sub-.200 batting average is a little shaky, too. The smart money says that Ryan Church is the RF if Clement goes to Indy and Garrett Jones to first (and it still does).
First, we wonder if this leaves room for Steve Pearce to make the team? Not likely, but he would allow the team another option to go right-handed. But he has an option left, and Moss and Raynor have none, and that's probably the key.
Also, if memory serves us, Delwyn Young has been in the outfield just a couple of times this spring. We think the Bucs are looking at his bat as a potential everyday weapon. But why limit him as Aki Iwamura's successor, when he probably wouldn't look too bad in right, either? Just sayin'...
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
At Least They Don't Count...Yet
Paul Maholm gave up three home runs in the Pirates' 6-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox this afternoon at McKechnie Field. The lefty yielded five runs and five hits over five innings.
He struck out seven and walked none, featuring a sharp slider, so it's one of those glass half-full days. Maholm was nasty when he hit his spots; but it was nasty when he missed.
D.J. Carrasco allowed one run on two hits in an inning of relief in the second day of back-to-back bullpen outings, his first two-fer of the campaign. Javier Lopez still has a 0.00 ERA, and is back in the saddle after the birth of his little girl. Brendan Donnelly added a scoreless frame, with two K's and a hit surrendered.
Pirates closer Octavio Dotel made his first Grapefruit League appearance of the season and pitched a scoreless ninth, walking one, beaning a batter and chucking a wild pitch. Whatever Kevin Hart has, he caught today; twelve of his twenty-two pitches missed the mark.
Josh Beckett allowed one run in five innings and struck out nine, giving up three hits, two walks, and a run. The guys behind him worked four innings and whiffed seven more. The score was closer than it looks; Fernando Cabrera gave up three runs in the ninth.
In toto, the Pirates struck out sixteen times and collected seven hits. Third base prospect Jeremy Farrell homed in the ninth, as did Delwyn Young, who hit a two-run shot. Thank you, Fernando, for providing just a little drama.
Aki Iwamura had two hits on the day, including a double, and scored the Bucs first tally.
The Pirates are 5-13-1 in spring ball and have lost nine of their last eleven games. We know it's Bradenton and all, but geez, it looks a lot like the team that did just enough to lose all those games last year. Brrrrrr!
-- Pittsburgh plays host to the Atlanta Braves tomorrow at McKechnie Field. Charlie Morton is scheduled to go six innings or 90 pitches, with Brian Bass and Evan Meek slated to finish the parade.
-- The Rangers just dealt for good-glove infielder Gregorio Petit; that almost certainly takes them out of the Ramon Vazquez derby.
He struck out seven and walked none, featuring a sharp slider, so it's one of those glass half-full days. Maholm was nasty when he hit his spots; but it was nasty when he missed.
D.J. Carrasco allowed one run on two hits in an inning of relief in the second day of back-to-back bullpen outings, his first two-fer of the campaign. Javier Lopez still has a 0.00 ERA, and is back in the saddle after the birth of his little girl. Brendan Donnelly added a scoreless frame, with two K's and a hit surrendered.
Pirates closer Octavio Dotel made his first Grapefruit League appearance of the season and pitched a scoreless ninth, walking one, beaning a batter and chucking a wild pitch. Whatever Kevin Hart has, he caught today; twelve of his twenty-two pitches missed the mark.
Josh Beckett allowed one run in five innings and struck out nine, giving up three hits, two walks, and a run. The guys behind him worked four innings and whiffed seven more. The score was closer than it looks; Fernando Cabrera gave up three runs in the ninth.
In toto, the Pirates struck out sixteen times and collected seven hits. Third base prospect Jeremy Farrell homed in the ninth, as did Delwyn Young, who hit a two-run shot. Thank you, Fernando, for providing just a little drama.
Aki Iwamura had two hits on the day, including a double, and scored the Bucs first tally.
The Pirates are 5-13-1 in spring ball and have lost nine of their last eleven games. We know it's Bradenton and all, but geez, it looks a lot like the team that did just enough to lose all those games last year. Brrrrrr!
-- Pittsburgh plays host to the Atlanta Braves tomorrow at McKechnie Field. Charlie Morton is scheduled to go six innings or 90 pitches, with Brian Bass and Evan Meek slated to finish the parade.
-- The Rangers just dealt for good-glove infielder Gregorio Petit; that almost certainly takes them out of the Ramon Vazquez derby.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Ohlie and Bucs Obliterated
Ross Ohlendorf had his shakiest outing of the spring, allowing seven runs (four earned) on nine hits and three walks in 3-2/3 innings of work as the Pirates' lost 11-1 to the Houston Astros B Team at McKechnie Field. He whiffed a pair, and made one of the Pirates' three early errors.
Anthony Claggett was dinged for a three spot in two innings, and Steve Jackson gave up a run. Jack Taschner and Jeremy Powell each threw a scoreless frame.
The Buc hitters didn't exactly put up a fight; they collected eight hits, but stranded nine runners. Jeff Clement had two hits and drove in a run. Andrew McCutchen had a tough day on the bases; he was caught stealing and picked off.
-- The Bucs host the Red Sox tomorrow. The Pirate pitchers are Paul Maholm, D.J. Carrasco, Brendan Donnelly, Octavio Dotel, and Javier Lopez.
-- The Pirates named Zach Duke their starter for the April 5th home and season opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Zachster was an All-Star last year, when he went 11-16 with a 4.06 ERA.
-- Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors thought that Garrett Jones was one of the top minor league signings of 2009; he also thinks that the inking of DJ Carrasco is one of this year's better deals.
-- Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse tweets that the Rangers are looking at Ramon Vazquez as a utility infielder.
-- Joe Beimel, ex-Bucco and Duquesne grad from St. Mary's, signed for another tour of duty with the Rox, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
Anthony Claggett was dinged for a three spot in two innings, and Steve Jackson gave up a run. Jack Taschner and Jeremy Powell each threw a scoreless frame.
The Buc hitters didn't exactly put up a fight; they collected eight hits, but stranded nine runners. Jeff Clement had two hits and drove in a run. Andrew McCutchen had a tough day on the bases; he was caught stealing and picked off.
-- The Bucs host the Red Sox tomorrow. The Pirate pitchers are Paul Maholm, D.J. Carrasco, Brendan Donnelly, Octavio Dotel, and Javier Lopez.
-- The Pirates named Zach Duke their starter for the April 5th home and season opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Zachster was an All-Star last year, when he went 11-16 with a 4.06 ERA.
-- Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors thought that Garrett Jones was one of the top minor league signings of 2009; he also thinks that the inking of DJ Carrasco is one of this year's better deals.
-- Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse tweets that the Rangers are looking at Ramon Vazquez as a utility infielder.
-- Joe Beimel, ex-Bucco and Duquesne grad from St. Mary's, signed for another tour of duty with the Rox, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
One Decision Made
-- The Pirates made eight cuts today, and wayward pitcher Kevin Hart was one of them, neatly resolving one of the camp dramas.
Hart was shipped to Indy, along with RHP Chris Jakubauskas and UTIL Neil Walker. 1B Brian Myrow, C Hector Gimenez and pitchers Brian Burres, Wil Ledezma, and Jean Machi were sent to minor league camp for later assignment. The roster is beginning to take shape; there are now 37 players left for 25 spots.
We know the Bucs were hot to have Hart break camp with them, but we're not real sure where their confidence came from. He was a wild child in Chicago, walking 40 batters in 66-1/3 innings, or 5.4/game, and improved marginally here, issuing 26 free passes in 53-1/3 frames, or 4.4/game.
So congrats to Daniel McCutchen; we'll see how long he can hold off Brad Lincoln. Of course, he could be strong enough to allow the Bucs to deal one of their more veteran pitchers, too, from a staff of decent but not top-of-the-rotation arms.
-- The suits' newfound attention to performance, be it as it may, is probably not very good news for Brandon Moss, who is in a 1-for-23 funk while trying to hold off Rule 5 claim John Raynor. That's the next drama to be played out.
-- Speaking of dramas, Jeff Clement is looking more likely to break camp with the big team. Though batting just .143, he's only struck out five times in 28 at-bats and has been handling first base OK, which was a much greater concern than his bat.
-- With major-league ready middle infield prospects kinda slim in the Bucco system, GW guesses that the winner of the Ronny Cedeno-Bobby Crosby battle (and not just the camp battle, but the one that will waged throughout the 2010 season) gets a two-year deal; the loser walks.
GW also has noticed that the Pirates haven't given up on Delwyn Young at second base yet; the pricy Aki Iwamura has been erratic in regard to range so far in camp, which isn't too surprising considering that his knee is in a brace.
With a full season to work with instead of 2009's crash course, it seems like the Pirates are going to try to get Young's mitt game-ready; second has been where he's been getting the lion's share of his playing time. And it's a good idea; you're probably looking at a .290/15/75 second base line if he plays full time, maybe better.
Hart was shipped to Indy, along with RHP Chris Jakubauskas and UTIL Neil Walker. 1B Brian Myrow, C Hector Gimenez and pitchers Brian Burres, Wil Ledezma, and Jean Machi were sent to minor league camp for later assignment. The roster is beginning to take shape; there are now 37 players left for 25 spots.
We know the Bucs were hot to have Hart break camp with them, but we're not real sure where their confidence came from. He was a wild child in Chicago, walking 40 batters in 66-1/3 innings, or 5.4/game, and improved marginally here, issuing 26 free passes in 53-1/3 frames, or 4.4/game.
So congrats to Daniel McCutchen; we'll see how long he can hold off Brad Lincoln. Of course, he could be strong enough to allow the Bucs to deal one of their more veteran pitchers, too, from a staff of decent but not top-of-the-rotation arms.
-- The suits' newfound attention to performance, be it as it may, is probably not very good news for Brandon Moss, who is in a 1-for-23 funk while trying to hold off Rule 5 claim John Raynor. That's the next drama to be played out.
-- Speaking of dramas, Jeff Clement is looking more likely to break camp with the big team. Though batting just .143, he's only struck out five times in 28 at-bats and has been handling first base OK, which was a much greater concern than his bat.
-- With major-league ready middle infield prospects kinda slim in the Bucco system, GW guesses that the winner of the Ronny Cedeno-Bobby Crosby battle (and not just the camp battle, but the one that will waged throughout the 2010 season) gets a two-year deal; the loser walks.
GW also has noticed that the Pirates haven't given up on Delwyn Young at second base yet; the pricy Aki Iwamura has been erratic in regard to range so far in camp, which isn't too surprising considering that his knee is in a brace.
With a full season to work with instead of 2009's crash course, it seems like the Pirates are going to try to get Young's mitt game-ready; second has been where he's been getting the lion's share of his playing time. And it's a good idea; you're probably looking at a .290/15/75 second base line if he plays full time, maybe better.
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