Pirates @ Brewers, Bats @ Indians

Zach Duke is back in Indianapolis tonight, where he excelled in 2005 - Bill Gentry

The Pirates have dropped their past three games, and are back in last place in the NL Central. With a 59-75 record, the Bucs must finish the season on a 22-6 run to reach .500. They will face the Brewers again tonight at 7:05 PM. With last night's victory, Milwaukee sits 1.5 games behind Chicago at 67-67. Shane Youman (5.59 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) throws for the Pirates, Dave Bush (4.96 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) for the Brewers. Tonight's game is radio only. (EDIT: I missed this in the PG this morning. Steve Pearce, Nyjer Morgan, and Juan Perez will join the Pirates tomorrow. Hopefully, Pearce and Morgan will receive regular at-bats over the final month of the season. It would be interesting to see what they can do against Major League pitching. But I am sure we will keep sending a gimpy Xavier Nady out there instead. Brilliant.)

The pitching matchup in Indianapolis tonight is a somewhat interesting one. Zach Duke goes for the Indians, making a rehab start. He will face former Pirate Victor Santos, who will be throwing for the Louisville Bats. At least, I think this is an interesting pitching matchup.

Pirates avoid sweep

Adam LaRoche gives the Pirates the lead - AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

The Pirates avoided a sweep at the hands of the Mets with a 10-7 victory last night. The team came from behind to win after Tony Armas handed New York a 5-0 lead by the third inning. The Bucs did not register a hit until the fourth, but that hit was an Adam LaRoche blast over the seats in right field. Ronny Paulino followed the two-run shot with an RBI double later in the inning, and the Pirates pulled within two. However, the Mets extended their lead to 7-3 the next inning.

From there, the Bucs began chipping away. A Jason Bay RBI single in the fifth, a Nate McLouth RBI double in the sixth, RBI singles from Bay and Jose Castillo in the seventh and the game was tied at seven. In the eighth, a David Wright throwing error allowed Freddy Sanchez to reach with two outs and the Pirates took advantage. LaRoche, Bay and Jose Bautista hit consecutive run-scoring singles, and Matt Capps retired the side in the ninth to preserve the victory.

• Bay and LaRoche both hit well in the same game. We have not seen enough of that in 2007.
• After the game, the Pirates promoted Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker and Dave Davidson to Triple-A Indianapolis. This is a curious move, as none of these three have been exactly dominant in Altoona. Walker started the season very strongly, but has cooled considerably in the second half. Overall, he is hitting a solid .288/.362/.462. McCutchen's season has been the exact opposite. He began 2007 in a LaRoche-esque slump, but has caught fire recently. Still his overall numbers are a disappointing .258/.327/.383. Davidson has posted a 4.22 ERA in 59.2 innings, with a decent K/BB ratio of 55/30 and a 1.24 WHIP. This was not a bad move by any means, it was just a bit unexpected.
• Dejan reports that Jack Wilson has cleared waivers, meaning he can be traded up until August 31. Jair Jurrjens, who reportedly was discussed in the original trade talks with the Tigers in July, is now on Detroit's 40-man roster. The significance of this is that he would need to clear waivers to be traded, an event Dejan sees as unlikely. I do not have a thorough understanding of baseball's waiver rules, but I believe the waiver priority is determined by the current standings. The Pirates currently have the second worst record in Major League Baseball, ahead of only Tampa Bay. I believe that means that if the Devil Rays do not claim Jurrjens, the Pirates can. This would allow the trade to go through, similar to the situation with Brian Giles in 2003.

EDIT: Forget all this. The waiver priority is determined by league, meaning that each AL club would have a chance to claim Jurrjens before the Pirates.)

Pirates lose, roster gets worse

The Pirates fell to the Mets last night, 5-4. The Bucs jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first against an erratic Orlando Hernandez, but were unable to pull away. Ian Snell allowed only three runs in seven innings, and left with the score tied. But the bullpen faltered in the eighth and the offense could not overcome the deficit in the bottom of the inning. Billy Wagner came on in the ninth and set the Bucs down in order to preserve the win.

After the game, the Pirates made some roster moves and somehow were able to make the team even worse. Ryan Doumit was placed on the disabled list due to a sprained wrist. Doumit has been one of the most consistent offensive producers for the Pirates in 2007, hitting .277/.344/.478 to this point. He has been the best hitter on the team not named Xavier. Also, the team designated Masumi Kuwata for assignment. Kuwata has been terrible this season, and it was time for him to go. He has an ERA of 9.43, a WHIP of 1.90, and has allowed at least one run in seven of his past ten appearances. He seemed like a great guy, though, so I wish him luck in the future.

To fill out the roster, the Pirates purchased the contracts of Matt Kata and Carlos Maldonado from Indianapolis. Kata hit .214/.214./.321 in 28 at-bats for the Pirates earlier in the season and .278/.338/.458 in 72 at-bats at Triple-A. I am not sure why Kata would be brought up over Michael Ryan, who has slugged .500 in Triple-A this season. Maldonado hit .105/.150/.105 in 19 at-bats for the Bucs in 2006 and has put up a line of .219/.325/.270 in 137 at-bats in Indianopolis. The catching depth in this organization is absolutely pathetic. I wish Humberto Cota was not hurt. Zach Duke was moved to the 60-day DL to make room on the 40-man roster.

By the way, Shawn Chacon has allowed at least one run in six of his past eight appearances. In those other two appearances, he allowed inherited runners to score. Good thing we did not deal him when he had some value. That would be silly.

Pirates add Morris, lose again

Matt Morris is now a Pirate - Nam Y. Huh, AP Photo

Yesterday, the Pirates traded back-up centerfielder Rajai Davis and a player to be named later to the Giants for veteran starter Matt Morris. Where should I begin? I think I will tell a story.

Let's start before the 2006 season. The Pirates sign/trade for Jeromy Burnitz (2006 stats-.230/.289/.422, 2006 salary-$6 Million), Joe Randa (.267/.316/.388, $4 million), Sean Casey (.289/.354/.381, $8.5 million) and Roberto Hernandez (2.93 ERA 1.63 WHIP, $2.75 million ). Overall, that is approximately $21.25 million* for a decent reliever and three below average position players. Burnitz and Randa were on the bench by the halfway point and retired after the season, while Casey and Hernandez were traded at the deadline.

Fast forward to June 2006. The Pirates have absolutely no catching depth in the organization. Zero prospects. The only true catcher on the 40-man roster is producing below replacement-level results, while playing poor defense. With the fourth overall pick in the amateur draft, the Pirates pass on top catching prospect Matt Wieters and choose college pitcher Daniel Moskos, who projects as a reliever in the Major Leagues. Most likely, the expected $10 million signing bonus for Wieters discouraged the Pirates from drafting him. They signed Moskos for a $2.475 million bonus.

Now it is July 31, 2007. Major League Baseball's trade deadline is at 4:00 PM EST. Many teams are looking for bullpen help, and most are overpaying to acquire it. The Pirates possess some of the better available relievers in Damaso Marte, Shawn Chacon and Salomon Torres. With a team batting line of .251/.311/.385, the team is ranked 26th in AVG, 30th in OBP and 28th in SLG. The team is in a good position to deal some relievers and add something to a lineup that desperately needs it.

However, the Pirates went a different route. Apparently, they spent most of the day trying to work out a deal that would send Jack Wilson to the Tigers and remove some of his salary from their payroll. As 4:00 approached and the two teams had yet to work out an agreement, Dave Littlefield apparently panicked. He suddenly joined the negotiations for Morris and agreed to do what no other team would, absorb all of his salary. In the end, the Pirates will pay Morris $15.7 million at the very least.

In Morris, the Pirates are receiving a mediocre to below-average pitcher who will eat some innings. It won't hurt to have a veteran presence in a young rotation, and the team did not give up much to acquire Morris. But that is not the issue. We hear quite a bit about how the Pirates will not spend what is necessary to compete, and that is true. But the bigger problem is the poor decisions the Pirates make when they do spend money. They have paid Burnitz, Randa, Casey, and Hernandez approximately $21.25 million* and will pay Morris $15.7 million (a total of almost $37 million of nearly worthless spending), but refuse to spend any money on top draft picks. As a result, they have one of the worst farm systems in the league and a lousy Major League club.

Another problem with this deal is the fact that the team desperately needs hitting. The Pirates are not losing because Tony Armas is having a lousy year as the fifth starter. They are losing because only one player has an OPS over .800 on the season. That is absolutely terrible. Littlefield ignored his most glaring need and also ignored his most valuable trade bait (bullpen). That is a great method to use in order to better the team. This trade was made as if we are one veteran pitcher away from competing. Does anyone watching this team actually believe that?

By the way, the Pirates lost to the Cardinals last night. Ronny Paulino nearly caused me to punch a hole in the wall, and Xavier Nady left the game with a hamstring problem. Albert Pujols caused that injury by faking that a throw was coming as Nady returned to first after a flyout to center in the fourth. Nady lunged for the bag, stretching his hamstring farther than it could be stretched. If I were in charge, Pujols would be watching out for his ribs each time he comes to the plate tonight. But of course, I am just a pissed off Pirate fan.


*This amount was actually lower, as the Reds picked up a small portion of Casey's contract and the Pirates saved money when they dealt Casey and Hernandez on July 31.

Cesar Izturis = Shawon Dunston?

The Pirates are reeling as the Houston Astros come to town. Our Pirates have played the Astros well this season, sweeping both series on the way to a 6-0 record. Houston is 1-5 since the break. Hopefully this is the team to help the Bucs break out of their funk.

In other news, the Pirates aquired Cesar Izturis from the Cubs yesterday in exchange for a player to be named later. The team and its fans will place all hope for 2007 squarely on Izturis' shoulders. In all seriousness, this move could have been made for a few different reasons:

* The Pirates have grown weary of Jack Wilson's contract and his poor performance, and decided that the confrontation with Jim Colburn earlier this week was the last straw. Management has decided to deal Wilson before the deadline, and may or may not be considering a fire sale. Possible players to be dealt include Damaso Marte, Salomon Torres, and Shawn Chacon. Izturis would take over at shortstop.

* Dave Littlefield was being completely honest when he said, "This has nothing to do with Jack Wilson." With Jose Bautista injured, the Pirates wanted a bit more depth at infield and did not feel that could be provided by Don Kelly.

* We're talking about the Pirates here. There is no plan in place. They might trade Jack Wilson, they might not. What's the difference? Recent trade negotiations went something like this:

[Ring, ring]
[Pirates GM Dave Littlefield looks up, startled by the strange noise. Relieved, he realizes his desk phone is simply ringing again.]

DL: Hello?

Cubs GM Jim Hendry: Dave? It’s Jim Hendry. How are you?

DL: Who?

JH: Jim Hendry. General manager of the Cubs.

DL: Oh. [still confused]

JH: I saw one of your infielders cut his hand and is going to be out for a while.

DL: Really?? Who??

JH: Not important. But I was thinking you might need some help. How would you like Izturis?

DL: Who?

JH: Cesar Izturis. He was our shortstop, but he wasn’t really hitting so we are playing somebody better.

DL: Ha ha ha. What a ridiculous way to run a team!

JH: Right. [laying down with a headache] So do you want him?

DL: Well actually, I have heard of this guy. But I can’t afford to pay anyone else. I don’t know if you've seen, but our payroll is over 30 million dollars!

JH: Right. [shaking head] How about if we pay his salary?

DL: It’s a deal! Wait…who do you want?

JH: It doesn't matter. Cesar will be on the next flight.

* Jim Tracy saw Wilson arguing with his buddy Colburn and decided he wouldn't stand for it. Tracy immediately called Littlefield and said, "I don't like this Jack kid. The other night he was yelling at Jimmy, and all the shouting made me nervous. I want him out of here...I don't know who we'll get to play short. Just find me another overpaid good glove/bad bat guy that was an All-Star a couple years ago, just like Jack. And make sure it's somebody I am friends with. I hate all the arguing!"


In reality, we are most likely looking at the first option. That is what Dejan is expecting, and he is not one to throw around unsubstantiated rumors. I fully support a firesale, but why stop with Wilson and our relievers? The Pirates will not get enough in return for those guys to rebuild the future, and that is what the team desperately needs. Xavier Nady's value is high, and Littlefield should look to deal him before the deadline. If Bay and LaRoche have strong second halves, they should be dealt in the offseason. If some GM out there thinks of Freddy Sanchez as a batting champion that plays second base as opposed to a high average-low walk-low power guy that is best suited for third, trade him. If our GM makes some intelligent moves with those guys, the Pirates could have a strong, young nucleus by 2009. They may not win a game in 2008, but it would be worth it.

Pirates sign top pick

The Post-Gazette is reporting that the Pirates have signed their first-round draft pick Daniel Moskos. The team is expected to formally announce the signing later today.

Pirates claim Phelps

The Pirates claimed Josh Phelps off waivers from the Yankees today. Phelps, a 29 year-old first baseman/catcher, hit .263/.330/.363 in 80 at-bats for New York this season. His performance has been up and down during part-time opportunities since 2002. Phelps spent all of 2006 with Toledo, Detroit's Triple-A affiliate, posting a line of .308/.370/.532.

Josh Phelps Baseball Cube
Josh Phelps Baseball-Reference

Kolb, Sanchez sign with Pirates

The Pirates have signed free agent relief pitcher Dan Kolb to a minor league deal. He will make $1.25 million if he makes the team out of spring training and can earn up to $1.3 million in performance bonuses. This move adds depth to the bullpen, which will be somewhat young this season.

Dan Kolb reacts to signing with the Pirates

The Pirates also signed Freddy Sanchez to a one-year deal at $2.75 million, avoiding arbitration with the 2006 batting champ.

Freddy Sanchez celebrates his new contract

Tony Armas Jr.

The Pirates have reportedly signed Tony Armas Jr. Financial terms have not been disclosed. He will likely be the Pirates' 5th starter in 2007.




Link via Bucs Dugout



UPDATE (02/03/2007, 12:45 AM): This contract will be worth $3 million in 2007 with a mutual option for 2008 at $5 million. If either the Pirates or Armas do not agree to the option, the Bucs must pay a $500,000 buyout.

Also the Pirates have avoided arbitration with Adam LaRoche and John Grabow by signing them to one-year deals. This leaves only Freddy Sanchez and Jose Castillo as unsigned players eligible for arbitration. Dejan reports that the team is unlikely to get as far as arbitration for either.

Finally, Dejan is reporting that the Pirates have made a contract offer to relief pitcher Dan Kolb. Kolb was an All-Star closer in 2004 with the Brewers before failing as the Braves closer in 2005. He returned to the Brewers in 2006 and, after struggling early in the year, had a strong second half. The Pirates could add some experienced depth to the bullpen by signing Kolb. We all know how much DL loves bullpen depth.

LaRoche?

Reportedly, the Pirates have acquired Adam LaRoche from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Mike Gonzalez and an unnamed player. There has been no word as of yet on who that additional player is, although KDKA is reporting that it is a minor league pitcher. At this point, this trade appears to be a big win for the Pirates. Check back for additional information as it becomes available.

I am extremely excited right now, but I am trying to contain myself as much as possible. I don't think I could handle another disappointment involving Gonzo and LaRoche.

UPDATE: Charlie is keeping pretty good tabs on the rumors flying around as to exactly who is involved in this trade. He links to the official site, which is reporting the trade as Gonzo for LaRoche, with at least one prospect from each team included. More when I hear it.

UPDATE (7:05 PM): The Beaver County Times is reporting that the trade is Gonzo and minor league shortstop Brent Lillibridge for LaRoche and minor league outfielder Jamie Romak. I will wait for confirmation on this before calling it a fact. Romak is 20 years old, and went .247/.345/.432 in single-A last season. I don't know anything about him, but from his statistics, he looks like he could be a decent prospect.

Time for some holiday catching up

It's been over a week since my last post, so let us catch up on some holiday news:


The 2007 Pirates ZIPS projections were released, and they were scary. If these are even close to accurate, the Pirates are going to be in trouble this season.

Aubrey Huff signed with the Baltimore Orioles. I was against the Pirates signing Huff, so I was glad to see this. However, the list of available free agents continues to get shorter and shorter, and the Pirates have yet to address a single need this offseason. Unless DL pulls off a decent trade, 2007 could be a long season.

Pirates Roundtable #6 was posted, and included questions about veteran relievers and Ryan Doumit. Take a look for various opinions on these topics.

Changing gears for a moment, the Steelers finished 2006 with an exciting overtime win over the rival Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs, indeed a very disappointing season. But they finished strong after an absolutely terrible first half, and received the satisfaction of knocking the Bengals out of the playoffs. Greg Easterbrook (aka Tuesday Morning Quarterback) awarded the Bengals the worst play of 2006 for their role in the winning touchdown by Santonio Holmes. Here's hoping Bill Cowher chooses to return for another season in 2007.

The Pirates resigned Jose Hernandez. Don't get me wrong, I am a Jose Hernandez fan. He is a solid 25th guy that has been around the game and can play almost anywhere on the field. But that doesn't help a team with a complete lack of offense. He will only take at-bats away from younger players who need development, and will put up numbers that are mediocre at best. Also, don't let the fact that he was signed to a minor-league contract fool you. Jose Hernandez will without a doubt be on the Pirates opening day roster. I have never been more sure of anything in my life. This signing was absolutely worthless, but not surprising at all.

Dejan reports that the Pirates are interested in free agent pitcher Brian Lawrence. Lawrence was a decent pitcher for the Padres a few years ago, but missed all of 2006 with a severe shoulder injury. Pirates' officials would know more about his health than I do, but I do know that torn rotator cuffs are pretty serious.

Catching up

I've missed some minor news recently. Time to catch up:

The Pirates recently signed three minor leaguers.

The Pirates signed 33 year-old catcher Einar Diaz to a minor league contract on Wednesday. This makes absolutely no sense, as they already have a backup catcher that provides no offense whatsoever. Humberto Cota went .190/.248/.200 for the Pirates last year, while Diaz put up an OPS under .600 at AAA. It's okay though, because at least Diaz is much older. But we shouldn't be wasting time signing catchers when there are so many mediocre middle relievers out there waiting to be picked up.

Ken Griffey Jr. hurt himself again, this time breaking his hand in the offseason. That poor guy could have been the best of all-time.

The Pirates signed this guy, as a player! He may look like a coach, but he will be playing at the AAA level for the Pirates in 2007. Sigh.

Going international

The Pirates signed two international pitchers today. Yoslan Herrera, 25 years old and out of Cuba, was signed to a three-year deal at just under $2 million and assigned to the 40-man roster. Craig Stansberry was designated for assignment to make room for him. Also, 38 year-0ld Japanese pitcher Masumi Kuwata was signed to what is believed to be a minor league contract. Dejan reports that both pitchers are expected to start 2007 with the Pirates' AAA team in Indianapolis.

Catching up

I am a bit behind on Bucco news, so I will attempt to catch up:

• The Pirates filled their glaring hole at relief pitcher on Tuesday when they claimed Franquelis Osoria off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers and added him to the 40-man roster. Osoria has put up some decent minor league statistics in the past, but really struggled while splitting 2006 with the Dodgers and Las Vegas in AAA. He could end up being a fairly productive arm, but did we really need another mediocre middle reliever on the roster?
• The Pirates also tendered contracts to all of their players eligible for salary arbitration. Many of these players were easy decisions (such as Freddy Sanchez and Mike Gonzalez), but the team also decided to keep Shawn Chacon and Humberto Cota. Chacon makes sense, as he can fill the 5th spot in the rotation much more cheaply than any free agent could. But why Cota? He was one of the worst hitters in all of Major League Baseball last season, and the Pirates could very easily replace him with someone at a lower salary. However, the team can release any of these players by March and only owe 1/6 of his salary. Apparently, Chacon and Cota are simply fall back options. The Pirates also resigned Carlos Maldonado to a minor league contract.
• Mike Gonzalez trade rumors continue to float around. Reportedly interested are the Yankees, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, etc etc etc. Who knows?

There was something else I was going to talk about, but I forget what it was and the lunch break has been over for quite some time now. Maybe I'll get back to it later.