Opening Series Thoughts

I attended two of the three opening games, opening day and Thursday afternoon's beatdown and I left with a good feeling overall.  In the first two games, the crowds were tremendous and the team competed hard, which is all we can really ask for at this point in the Neil Huntington rebuild.

I also left with a positive feeling about where things could be headed with this franchise; because in my mind, this 2010 team is really NH's team for the first time since he took the job.  It's taken three seasons, but the look of this year's team is how he wanted to shape the roster.  So now he can start to be held accountable as well.

As far as the games went, Bucco fans should be happy.  The opener was tremendous and they battled and won an extra inning game on Wednesday.  They would have lost that game last season without a doubt.  I said all along while everyone was ripping the bullpen acquisitions that I liked the ne look bullpen and they pitched extremely well in the first series (Hayden Penn's outing on Wednesday excluded).  With last years bullpen, the Bucs are likely 1-2 instead of 2-1.  I think they will amount to a few more wins throughout the season.

As for yesterday, for those of you that jumped on the band wagon after two games, don't hop off after one bad loss.  Remember that they are a young team and there are going to be days like yesterday afternoon. The defense was bad, the bats weren't there and then there was the Hayden Penn fiasco.

The thing about being young is there will be inconsistent play throughout the season. Get used to it.  One big area I would like to see improvement in, and it can start tonight, is the play away from PNC Park.  The Bucs finished with a league worst 22-58 road record in 2009.  That can't be nearly as bad in 2010. 

With a six game road trip beginning tonight in Arizona (3 at D'Backs, 3 at Giants), to keep whatever positive energy people have had about the team for the first couple days of the season, they need to win atleast three or four ballgames.  They do have to face Dan Haren tomorrow, but luck out and miss Tim Lincecum in San Francisco.  To improve at all, these guys must be able to win consistently on the road.

OTHER NOTES
- Brandon Moss cleared waivers and reported to AAA Indy.

-Ramon Vasquez was released.  The Pirates will eat his $2mil salary.

- Pedro Alvarez homered in his first AAA game.

-Delwynn Young reached base all four times at bat in his first start of the season yesterday with two walks and two doubles.  The only bright spot of the game.

-The Laroche Brothers meet as opponents tonight with Adam being the D'Backs first baseman.  Here is a shocker, Adam is off to an 0-12 start for the D'Backs.  Bucco fans know that all too well.

-Tonight it's Charlie Morton, who I expect big things from vs. Rodrigo Lopez, a winnable game.

You can listen to a recap of yesterday's game at http://www.lexy.com/ .  Sign up to follow the Pirates and you will get our broadcasts sent to you all season. http://www.lexy.com/feed/episode?id=131133 Click On that link to hear yesterday's recap.

Who's Gone and Who's New- Looking at the Offseason so far

Well as usual, not much to report as far as the Bucs offseason so far.  Any rumors aren't likely real anyway, so why bother with most of them.

Here is what has happened so far:

•Acquired/Re-signed: Justin Thomas, Akinori Iwamura, Chris Jakubauskas, Wilfredo Ledezma, Vinnie Chulk, Bobby Crosby, John Raynor, Javier Lopez , Jack Taschner, Brian Burress, Neal Cotts, Tyler Yates
•Lost: Luis Cruz, Chris Bootcheck, Jesse Chavez, Eric Hacker, Robinzon Diaz, Phil Dumatrait, Matt Capps
 
-Recently departed Matt Capps said recently that the difference between his new employer (Nats) and his old one, was that the Pirates ownership had no commitment to winning.  Good for you Matt and truer words have never been spoken.
 
- Everyone still hate the Jay Bay trade?  look at that contact he just signed and then honestly tell me he would have stayed.  next question is that is Bay really a $60 mil kinda player?

-Did you happen to see Adam laroche turned down a 2yr/$17mil offer from the Giants? Aparrantly he wants a 3yr/$30mil deal. Are you kidding me?  Don't worry though, some idiotic GM will give it to him.

The Pittsburgh Pirates All-Decade Team

Here goes a kind of fun topic to debate.  With all of the losing and bad baseball, the last deade here in Pittsburgh has pretty much been forgettable.  However, there have been some good players here in the Burgh, all have since been traded. I wanted to take a look at the All-Decade Team of the Bucs.  I decided this by not only stats, but how many seasons spent here this deacde.  Some of the positions were no brainers, but otheres were a challenge to come up with a decent name.  So here is the All-Decade team, feel free to dispute this.

Catcher- Jason Kendall (2000-04)- This was an easy one to pick.  The Piates all-time leader in games caught was one of the more popular Bucs of the last 10 seasons.  Kendall played five seasons in The Burgh and led MLB in games and innings caught from 2002-04.  He rarely struck out and while having no power at the plate was a solid contact hitter while in Pittsburgh.   Runner up- Ryan Doumit

First Base- Adam Laroche (2007-09)- I know this will be a very unpopular choice among everyone, but he wins the job.  This goes to show how very little talent we have had in the system.  I looked at everybody and as unpopular as he is, Laroches just put up better numbers than the whole list of guys that include: Kevin Young (his best seasons were in the late 90's  he has very lousy numbers this decade), Randall Simon, Craig Wilson, Brad Eldred and so on.  Laroche averaged .270/22/85 during his tenure in Pittsburgh.  Runner-up- Young

Second Base- Freddy Sanchez (2004-09)- After being acquired and starting out at third base for the Bucs, Sanchez found a home a the Pirates everyday second baseman.  This was another easy selection.  Sanchez made two all star appearances and brought home a batting title in 2006 when he hit .344.  Runner up- Jose Castillio

Third base- Aramis Ramirez (2000-03) Oh I'd love to kick Dave Littlefield's ass for just giving away Ramirez, but it is what it is and atleast Rammy wins a job on this team. Aramis had fantastic seasons in 01, hitting .300/34/112 and 03 when he hit .282/27/106.  He also got better as a third baseman every season.  It was fun to watch him grow as a Pirate.  Runner up- Jose Bautista

Shortstop- Jack Wilson (2001-09)- Another no braineer here.  While I was never the biggest Wilson supporter, the guy was an amazing defensive shortstop.  While he never could find consistency with the bat, Jack dazzled with the glove.  The only thing we could count on in the last decade were Pirates lossess and Jack Wilson would be shown on Web Gems almost weekly.- Runner Up-  I don't really have a name for this, but I guess we have to give it to Abraham Nunez who got some time in 2000 and stuck around for a while as Wilson's backup.

Outfield- Brian Giles (2000-03) Giles likely brings home Pirate player of the Decade also.  Homerun toals of 35,37 & 38 in 2000-03, while driving in 123, 95 & 103 in those seasons.  Giles was as consistent as any Bucco up until he got dealt.  His career hasn't been the same since he left (or since testing went into effect), but he was a good ball player while he was here.

Outfield- Jason Bay (2003-08)- Losing Giles brought us Jay Bay, who also put up some fine seasons in the Burgh. Bay became the first Bucco to win the Rookie of the Year in 2004 and hit over 21 HR and 84 RBI in all of his full seasons here.  His best two campaigns were in 2005, .306/32/101 and 2006 .286/35/109, both years he went to the all-star game.

Outfield-Nate McLouth (2005-09)- Wow, was this spot hard to find a deserving guy and I choose McLoth by default, because there really just isn't anyone else.  I actually almost chose McCutchen based on a hal;f of a season.  While I don't feel Nate has done enough to be a member of an all-decade team, his one big season in 2008, .276/26/94, trumps anything the rest of the list has done.  Runner Ups- Xavier Nady, Chris Duffy and Craig Wilson.

Starting Pitcher- Josh Fogg (2002-05) Boy this is sad.  If finding a third outfielder for this team wasn't hard enough,  try looking at the pitching numbers.  My original plan was to list five starters, but to hell with that.  The soft tossing Fogg wins this spot.  I'm telling you I looked at everyone's numbers from Kris Benson to Jason Schmidt to Ian Snell to Ollie Perez, to Zach Duke and unfortunatly Kip Wells.  Fogg's numbers have them beat.  No one has had more than one season of double digit wins except Fogg, who had three.  he was 12-12 in 2002, 10-9 in 03 and 11-10 in 04.  The era was kinda awful but no other pitcher has earned the right.  Runner up- Zach Duke.

Closer- Mike Williams (2000-02)- Difficult choice between Williams and Jose Smoke Mesa, but Williams wins.  Even though he was traded in the middle of his Bucco run and resigned, Williams posted seasons of 24 and 22 saves, but had a monster season in 02 of 46 saves.  There have been others along the way like Mike Fetters, Soloman Torres and Matt  Capps, but the nod goes to Williams.  Runner up- Mesa

Pittsburgh Pirates Organizational Report- First base

Let's take a look at the first basemen from last season. We saw Adam Laroche struggle again and was finally dealt to Boston. He then resurfaced in the NL with the Braves and ended up having another decent season. Say what you want about the guy but the numbers were consistent year to year.

Pittsburgh Pirates

- Garrett Jones- "The Legend" got the call and took advantage of the opportunity. He hit .293 with 21Hr/44RBI in only 82 games. An OBP of .379 and slugging percentage of .567 also aren't bad numbers for his first go around. He also showed some speed, stealing 10 bags on 12 attempts. His defense was a little shaky but he should be moved to first permanently where he seemed more comfortable.

One concern was his inability to hit with runners on base. That has to improve for him to be a serious middle of the order threat. Having said that though, I feel the 28 year old is here to stay for a while. A very nice surprise to a team that needed someone to step up. 2009 Grade- B

-Steve Pearce- Well, he can't say he didn't get a look anymore. I don't think there is a hitter in the big leagues with less plate discipline than Pearce. he looks completely baffled most of the time. He hit only .206 with 4Hr. Where did the power go? He looks like the classic 4-A player at this point. His good defensively though so it may be worth keeping him as a bench player next season to spell Jones defensively. 2009 Grade- F+ (I'd like to give him a G)

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (AAA)

-Jeff Clement- Good acquisition at the deadline. I was a big fan of his at USC. (Yeah i know, I'm one of the few that watch college baseball). He was the third overall pick in the country at one point and has a big power bat. In 27 games at Indy, he hit 7Hr/24 RBI, but only hit .225. he has a problem staying healthy, as he hurt his wrist, right before he would have gotten a September call up. (Sounds like Doumit)

He is the type of hitter that could do well at PNC Park. Problem is that he isn't great defensively and you can't have 2 below average defensive corner guys on the roster. Jones's emergence also creates a problem for Clement's future. He came up a catcher, but I don't think that is an option.

ALTOONA CURVE (AA)

-Miles Durham- Played in 65 games at Lynchburg before getting a promotion to the Curve for the final 65 games. Combined he hit .285 with only 12 Hr/73RBI. Not a big power threat as he hit 18HR in 2008 but the report is he has a decent bat. He was a 22nd rd pick in 2006

LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (A)

-Jamie Romak- Once considered a decent prospect, Romak had an awful season. The other part of the Adam Laroche trade led all Pirates minor leaguers in HR & RBI in 2008, but took a huge step backwards this season, hitting only .191 with 8 Hr/38 RBI. Romak was actually demoted back to the Hillcats from Altoona in the middle of the season and was moved to right field

-Matt Hague- The Bucs ninth round pick in 2008, Hague progressed to Lynchburg in his second season of pro ball. He hit .293, 8HR/50 Rbi in his first season with the Hillcats. The Bucs like Hague a lot and like his bat. They feel the power will come around.

WEST VIRGINIA POWER (A)

-Kyle Morgan- Hit .296 with 9/32 in 43 games. Stared the season with State College. He was a 36th rd selection in 2008

-Calvin Anderson- A lot more upside for the 6"7 2008 12th rd pick. He spent the whole season at WV and hit .274 12/64. The power slowed down towards the end of the season, but overall they seem happy with Anderson.

STATE COLLEGE SPIKES (A)

-Justin Byler- Back after missing the 2008 season with a broken arm, Byler hit .256 6/41. The 2005 36th round pick really isn't on the radar as a prospect.

-Aaron Baker- Same story for Baker. Didn't do much for the Spikes. .250 hitter that showed no power.

Organizational Depth is actually good at the position. Jones looks to be a keeper and I still think Clement could be the guy eventually. As long as it isn't Pearce then I'm happy. A lot of guys in A & AA worth keeping an eye on. no need to pursue a first baseman in the off season unless they can somehow add a huge bat. Jones can still play right. I have a better chance of hitting the powerball than that happening though.

What should next season look like. Simple. Jones starts 150 games at first. If not, i like the idea of Clement playing half the time at first while Jones is in right field. Similar to what they did with Jones and Pearce during the second half of the season. I actually think that may work. What will they do though? Likely continue the Steve Pearce experiment and shuffle Jones between first and right.

Overall Positional Grade - B

Bucco Notebook 7-25- Adam Laroche Dealt

It's been a few days since I've gotten to post, but since then the big news of the week has been the trade of Adam Laroche to the Boston Red Sox. The Bucs received shortstop prospect Argenis Diaz and pitcher Hunter Strickland. The report on Diaz is his glove is MLB ready, but his bat isn't. Did we just trade for Jack Wilson? Strickland's fastball averages 90-92 and throws strikes. Neither is considered a top notch prospect, but we weren't going to get top notch guys in return for Laroche.

Diaz will report to AAA Indianapolis and Strickland will report to A West Virginia. Both guys are decent prospects, but getting two guys with a pulse seems to be a fair return for Laroche, who has been struggling big time.

Unlike most of you, I was not an Adam Laroche hater. Unlike everyone else, I knew what to expect out of the older Laroche when we acquired him. I expected a .270 hitter that would hit 25 homers and drive in 80 runs a season. That's exactly what he gave the Bucs every season. Was his prolonged slumps frustrating? Absolutely, but I was never disappointed in Laroche.

When the trade was made with Atlanta to acquire Laroche, most people felt we were getting a franchise saver. That just simply wasn't going to be the case. Laroche just isn't the type of player to bat cleanup and carry an offense. He is, however; a nice player and will do fine in a lineup where he is surrounded by talent and has no pressure on him to produce. To be fair, Laroche really didn't have a ton of protection during his stint as a Bucco.

He should see a ton of fastballs in the Red Sox lineup and should do fine. I feel the short porch in right field at PNC Park actually hurt him when he was struggling. It gave him a target he could aim for and in result he rolled over on alot of balls. In Fenway, he should be able to get back to being a gap to gap type hitter. The Red Sox also get a fantastic defensive first baseman in Laroche. Despite his struggles at the plate, Adam never took his problems into the field with him.

The Bucs didn't send any money to Boston in the deal. The money may have helped bring back better prospects in return, but a team like the Red Sox isn't worried about that. The Bucs save $3 mil for two months of Laroche. That cash can be used for a couple of things. First, they can use the $3 mil to sign their over slotted draft picks that are left. If they do that, I am fine with that.

The other thing they can do is apply the $3 mil saved and use that in a Wilson or Sanchez deal. Send the team some of the money and maybe up the return in the trade. I also am fine with them doing that.

While everything pointed to Garrett Jones becoming the everyday first baseman and Lastings Milledge taking over in left field, the short term plan is for Steve Pearce to get a full time look at first base. This makes sense also. They have to eventually give Pearce a chance, just to see what he has. Playing his natural position, he should be more comfortable both in the field and at the plate. With the team not going any where this season, there is no rush to get Milledge to the big league club.

OTHER NOTES

- The Bucs have been playing pretty good ball since the all-star break. They are still 10 games under, but they won consecutive series against the Giants and Brewers at home and have a chance to take series for Arizona and the Giants on the road.

-Have you noticed how bad, Freddy Sanchez has been since the initial trade rumors started. That's being kind actually. He has flat out sucked. He has tanked plays in the field almost every single game, and the bat just hasn't been there either. Has the rumors gotten to him mentally? Go ahead Neil, show him the door. I actually am getting more comfortable every day with the fact of Delwyn Young playing second.

-Interesting time for Jack and Freddy to be HURTING. Wouldn't you agree?

-Ryan Doumit is starting to come around offensively. Good to see. I've heard his name in a couple rumors, but I've heard the asking price would be very high.

- I can't help but keep liking Jones. He has some serious power and what impresses me the most is his ability to hit the ball out the other way. Here is to hoping he keeps it up. If there was ever a team that needs to find a gem like Jones, it's the Bucs. The question must be asked though, is he going to be a legit every day player with power, or will be be the next Chad Hermansen, Adam Hyzdu, Kevin Young or, my favorite, "Mr. March" Mark Johnson.

-Joel Hanrahan has been doing a nice job since he has come over. He had an ERA at nearly 8.50 when the Bucs acquired him and has it down to around 6.70 already. He has great stuff. I would just like to see him work off the fastball a little more and not get to 3 ball counts with every batter.

-Pearce hasn't looked bad in his first couple starts at first base. He is definitely more comfortable. he made a fantastic diving play the other night and has hit in each game. Only problem is Jones doesn't look so great defensively in the outfield.

A look at Garrett Jones

If you got to watch all 14 innings of last nights Pirates game, I hope you walked away saying the same thing I did. "What a great ballgame." I love watching pitching and last night was a treat. Maholm is always good at PNC Park and Lincecum is tremendous. As many games as I see, Lincecum is probably the pitcher I've enjoyed watching the most the last four or five seasons. He is flat out has filthy stuff. Maholm, was up for the challenge, and matched him pitch for pitch. Had it not been for Freddy Sanchez's bonehead play, the Bucs probably win 1-0. No problem though, Garret Jones to the rescue.

Jones has been a life preserver to a Bucco lineup that was drowning slowly. He has homered in four straight games, with a total of five in that span; including his two solo shots yesterday, accounting for both Bucco runs. No Pirate has homered in 5 straight games since......Wait for it.......Jose Castillo. Yes, that Jose Castillo. many want to know where Jones came from and why he wasn't on the opening day roster.

Jones is filled with power, but never had the opportunity to play regularly in the big leagues. He was drafted by Atlanta in the 14th round in 1999. Injuries slowed him there and he was signed by the Twins in 2002. He has played over 1,000 games in the minors, homering 158 times. not exactly numbers that jump off the page. In addition, he was only a career .258 hitter in the minors. The thing that worked to his disadvantage the most was he was stuck behind Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer with the Twins.

Jones isn't exactly a prospect, being he already 28. However, there have been guys who didn't get the call until closer to 30 and have become good major leaguers. Most notably Casey Blake, now with the Dodgers, didn't make his major league debut until age 29. Closer to home, Pirates fans will remember Mike Easler didn't get called up til he was 28 or 29 and preformed well.

Given the opportunity, Bucco manager John Russell pushed hard to sign Jones this past winter. Jones used to preform very well against teams Russell managed in the minors. Jones responded by having an outstanding spring, opening many eyes. Problem being he was blocked by Adam Laroche and there wasn't much available playing time in the outfield, so the Bucs elected to keep Craig Monroe and send Jones to Indy.

Since his recall, Jones has wasted no time showing he belongs. In only 12 games, Jones has hit .315 with 7 Hr and 9rbis. He moves real well for a big guy, with 3 steals already and is above average defensively. Russell said he will be the everyday left fielder, while Young and Moss will continue to platoon in right. Jones shows patience at the plate and has shown the ability to hit lefties as well as righties. Four of his 7 homers have come off lefties. It's funny, no one seems to be bitching about the Nyjer Morgan trade now.

I expect Jones to keep producing. The true test will come when teams figure out how to pitch him and the scouting report gets out. We will see how Jones reacts when he goes through a slump. While he's doing well in left, I still he him as the first baseman of the immediate future. Once Laroche is dealt, I see no reason not to move him to first for a couple of years. If things work out, it's a real nice big bat to have in the middle of an order that has no power otherwise.

Bucco Notebook- Halfway Report

Well as we get ready to resume the second half of the season, I have some thoughts on what to expect. The team has hit a low water mark at 12 games under .500. A record of 38-50 is even worse than last season at the same point. We expected this though, so no panic. Flat out , it looks like the team has given up.

We saw Nate Mclouth dealt. Are they a worse team without him? Absolutely not. They may not be better, but they are no worse. That trade opened up a spot for Andrew McCutchen in the lineup and added Charlie Morton to the rotation. I will take that.

We saw Nyjer Morgan traded. Are they worse off? Again, absolutely not. Garrett Jones now gets playing time and he has a big bat. They are worse off defensively, but I'm willing to take a gamble on Lastings Milledge. The team is not worse off talent wise at all.

The roster will continue to change, both by trades and call-ups for the remainder of the season. Let's take a look at what has happened and what to look forward to the rest of the season.

Catcher- Ryan Doumit gets hurt (AGAIN) and the Bucs do a fine job behind the plate. Jason Jaramillo and Robinson Diaz filled in admirably. Diaz hit .295 before he got sent down and JJ hit .255. He seemed to be getting worn down as he hit in the .280's for most of the season. The Bucs must decide on weather Doumit is going to be the player they want him to be, or even if he can be counted on to be healthy, or trade him and get something for him. My guess is he sticks around and preforms pretty well. First half grade for the position - C+

First base- Adam Laroche didn't get off to that horrible a start, but still has experienced several long rough patches. He is hitting only .250 with 12 HR's. Ignoring the numbers, he has become a tremendous defensive first baseman. With Mclouth gone and Doumit hurt, he has been counted on to carry the offense, something he is incapable of doing. His home and road numbers are insane. He is hitting .357 at PNC Park and only .159 on the road. Here is hoping Laroche gets hot, right on cue. He should be dealt, but with his 7.5 mil salary, don't expect the Bucs to get a big return. If anything, he should be dealt to move Jones to first base. First half position grade- C-.

Second Base- Freddy Sanchez has been performing like... well, Freddy Sanchez. The guy is a hitter. An ideal guy to bat in the 2 hole, but here, he is in a run producing spot. It looks like all the Freddy trade rumors have silenced. It's not that team don't want him, it's that they don't want that ridiculous $8.5 mil option that will kick in next season. Sanchez isn't exactly young, so dealing him makes sense, if they get a good return. If not, there is nothing wrong with having Freddy Sanchez open 2010 at second base. My guess is he gets dealt, but not until the off season. Position grade- B+

Third Base- Andy Laroche has been a surprise, especially after his struggles last season. he has been slumping of late and is down to .269, but I have liked the performance. His defense has improved tremendously as well. I would like to see him start showing some power and run production in the second half, as 4Hr and 34 RBI, just won't do it at a corner infield spot. Position Grade- C+

Shortstop- Jack Wilson has been his usual self in the field and has chipped in a little with the bat. It's his nightly web gems and his mouth that people will remember in the first half though. It's also that mouth that will likely get him shipped out of town. I am not a Jack Wilson fan, but if the Bucs can somehow get him and Freddy to renegotiate their deals and get them at a better number (I have heard this was an option), then I love the up the middle defense. If not, Wilson will be gone. Position Grade - C

Left Field- Nyjer Morgan was a first half surprise and Jones looks like he has a big bat. While Morgan was great defensively and no one else will be nearly as good, I still like Jones a lot. his 5HR in 11 games is double the amount of any other Bucco outfielder. I still see Jones playing first and getting a look at Milledge before the end of July. Position grade C+

Center field- The transition from Mclouth to McCutchen has been a smooth one. Cutch is definitely the guy this team is going to be built around. He is a superstar in the making. His .292 and 23 RBI out of the lead off spot has been fun to watch. In only 36 games, we can see what the hype was about. He is a perfect 7 for 7 swiping bags, something I'd like to see him do more. Position Grade B+

Right Field- I'm a little torn in right field. What a great acquisition Delwyn Young was. The guy can hit, as he stood at .313 going into the break. He is a liability defensively though. I really like Brandon Moss as a player, but have to start seeing production soon. This guy is so streaky. Two prolonged slumps, followed by two torrid streaks. He looks like a guy that will only play vs. righties now. Similar to Andy Laroche, I have to start seeing some power and run production. Only 3Hr and 23 RBI and the break for Moss. Only 6 Homers out of the right fielders isn't good. Position Grade- C

Starting Pitching- Paul Maholm has been ok, especially at home and Zach Duke has taken big strides to become his former self. It's the same old story with the Bucs though. Every time a pitcher takes a step forward, another one or two take a giant step back. Ian Snell was awful before his demotion. Ross Ohlendorf has been good at times, but he is your typical 4 starter. Jeff Karstens and Virgil Vasquez have been up and down as well. Morton was a nice acquisition, I love his stuff. When these guys have pitched well, the offense has tanked it for them. Especially Duke, who in his 8 losses, the team has scored a combined 7 runs.

The problem with the Pirates staff is that they just don't have that true power arm. They also are without a horse that is going to give the team a chance to win every time he takes the ball. I know the pitching has been better, but it's no where near where it needs to be. Expect to see Brad Lincoln in September and for Huntington to keep adding arms through deals. Position Grade- C

Middle Relief- These guys haven't been bad as a group. I like Chavez and Meek's arms, and the acquisition of Hanrahan was great to me. This guy has a cannon for an arm and should get it figured out under Kerrigan. Grabow has been iffy at times, but still gets the job done. I don't like having only one lefty, but that will probably change. Overall, not a bad first half for the middle guys. Position grade- C+

Closer- Matt Capps has not been good. The save numbers don't look bad, 19 of 21, but the way he is pitching just isn't very good. His fastball has been flat and he's not throwing strikes with his other pitches. The velocity is up and down as well. It's rumored teams have been interested and Huntington says he wants a power arm in a Capps deal. My guess is he stays and stays in the closers role, no matter how painful that may be. Position Grade- D-.

Overall, there have been some good things and some bad things. The good, is that some of the younger guys are getting a look and we are seeing a few surprises. The bad, this team has no power, can't win on the road and has an awful record in one run games. I hope Huntington sticks to the plan the rest of the season. I'm interested to see what the product will look like when he's done.

Post All-Star Break Line Up Could Be Exciting

Now despite looking awful against Mike Hampton last night and dropping 12 of 18, I have been taking a look at the Pirates line up and it really could be fun to watch down the stretch. Now there is still no power yet, but the Bucs have a lot of young guys getting at bats. It won't amount to wins, but we will get a chance to see some of these young guys play. Entering today, the Bucs are the majors second youngest team, only behind the Marlins.

Manager John Russell said he is excited about the possibilities and I also have that opinion. Here is what to expect, pre-trade deadline.

Catcher- Ryan Doumit will be back very soon and that alone improves the line up. While he will never be a power hitter, he will bat fourth and hit for average and drive in some runs.

First base- Adam Laroche, at least until he is dealt. It's getting hot out so that means so is Adam. he should drop to fifth in the lineup. A little less pressure but his RBI total will start to pick up.

Second base- Freddy Sanchez, also until he is possibly dealt. I'd like to see him back in the 2 hole, but until someone steps up and can drive in runs in the 3 hole, he has to stay there. Either way, you know what you will get from Sanchez's bat.

Third base- Andy Laroche. Laroche will either hit second or more likely seventh in the order. Nice solid production from Andy. What I would like to see in the second half is a little more run production and possibly more power.

Shortstop- Jack Wilson- Wilson should mover back to the eighth spot and he hasn't had a terrible season with the bat. I have a feeling that there will be no takers on Wilson and his ridiculous contract, so expect him to bat eighth the rest of the season.

Left Field- Garrett Jones/Lastings Milledge- If these guys produce, they could eventually hit third and move Sanchez back up to the 2 hole. I'm excited about the possibilities these guys can give the team. I like what I've seen from Jones so far and I'd like to get a good look at Milledge and see what happens. I like this combo more than I liked Nyjer Morgan in left field.

Center field- Andrew McCuchen will continue to do great things leading off for this team.

Right Field- Brandon Moss/Delwynn Young. This combo has produced this season. While not hitting for power, both have done good things and I see no reason why that won't continue. as with the younger Laroche, I would like to see more run production out of Moss. One of these guys is likely to bat sixth in the order.

Lineup

1 McCutchen
2. Sanchez
3. Jones/Milledge
4. Doumit
5. Adam Laroche
6. Moss/Young
7. Andy Laroche
8. Jack Wilson

I think this can be a decent line up for a few weeks. Like I said, short on power and maybe weak in the 3 hole but I feel it's an improvement from the opening day lineup. now we will see what the lineup will look like August 1, after 2 or 3 guys are dealt.

Bucco Notebook 7-6: Freddy and All-Star and More Trade Rumors

The Pirates lone representative in the 2009 MLB All-Star game will be second baseman Freddy Sanchez, marking the third time in the last four seasons that Sanchez has earned the honor. No real surprise here. Zach Duke pretty much pitched himself off the team his last two outings, so Sanchez was the only possible choice. Sanchez is hitting .316 and having a very solid season. He missed the Florida series with tightness in his back, but hopefully Sanchez will be fine to take part in the game.

Speaking of Sanchez, his name has popped up in a couple trade rumors as of late. Both the Minnesota Twins and San Francisco Giants have expressed interest in Sanchez in the last week. The Giants have also expressed interest in Adam Laroche, but Sanchez is their top priority. Other Pirates names that have been floated out there as the trade deadline approaches within weeks have been Jack Wilson, Matt Capps and John Grabow.

Neil Huntington needs to be smart if and when he ships Sanchez. Freddy is probably the biggest chip left on the team that can help improve this team and MUST bring back good youngsters. There is nothing behind Sanchez and Wilson, so middle infield depth is a priority, preferably someone who can start with the big club next season. Capps can be had, and Huntington wants a power arm in return. One thing is for sure, the Bucs will definitely be receiving calls on all 5 players in the next few weeks.

One thing I think the Bucs should do is be willing to eat portions of each guys salary. Most teams will take on the contracts, but won't pony up top prospects in return. If the Pirates are willing to eat half of Sanchez and Wilson's salary, the return will likely be greater. Now I'm not suggesting to be stupid and pay money for no reason (Matt Morris anyone), but it can be used as a bargaining chip to acquire better players.

OTHER NOTES

-Garrett Jones has been fun to watch so far. Big time power and he has speed for a big guy. He has been up for four games and now is tied for the outfield lead in homers with 2.

- 10 out of 10 baseball experts agree that the Morgan, Burnett for Milledge and Hanrahan swap is a win for the Bucs. Selling high while buying low is a good formula for any GM.

-I love Joel Hanrahan's arm. Fastball anywhere for 94-98 with a nice slider. I'd like to see him rely on the fastball a little more and work the inner half of the plate, something Joe Kerrigan will be able to help him with.

-Any concern over Ross Ohlendorff's last outing? Fastball barely got to 90 and he had only 5 swings and misses the entire game vs. the Marlins. I hope it was just one start, because I like what Ohlendorff has given the team so far. He is a solid back end of the rotation guy.

-We still can't win on the road.

-Steve Pearce simply can't hit a breaking ball. He looks bad at the plate. it amazes me that this guy ever saw a fastball, even at AAA. I know a AAA breaking ball isn't a major league breaking ball, but his approach isn't very good.

-Ian Snell makes me sick. Another good outing at AAA Indy. Complete game shutout. I really feel he still has good stuff, maybe the best on the team. He has to find away of bringing it out at the big league level. I wanted to find out how many full counts he has had at Indy. I'm sure it wasn't 3-2 on every single batter, like we are used to. If anything, maybe this will help get his trade value back up.

- Tough decision for the Bucs as Donnie Veal must be activated by Wednesday. The guys with options left have all been pitching well. Meek, Chavez, Jackson and Karstens. Your guess is as good as mine, but I'm leaning towards Meek.

-With Doumit coming back soon, there has been talk of moving Robinson Diaz to a backup infielder role. I hope he catches the ball better in the field than he does behind the plate, but the bat is very nice still.

- Congrats to former Bucco Tim Wakefield for making his first all-star team at age 75. Maybe it's like 43 but you get the point. Very classy guy and has done the job forever. Wakefield is having a great season and it's good he was recognized.

- Bucs get Mike Hampton tonight and if they have proved anything this season, it's that they can't hit the vetern lefty. Hampton has dominated them twice and the last time out got 17 out of 18 outs on the ground.

-No update on the Sano situation. It looks as if it will come down to the Bucs or Orioles. Both clubs are waiting out the MLB investigation on Sano's true age, which is expected to be concluded sometime this week. The Bucs better get him.

-Last Note is that Charlie Morton was flat out nasty earning his first Bucco win Friday vs the Fish. Fastball was hitting 96 with that nasty curve. One hit allowed through 6. If he didn't have to sit 45 minutes through a rain delay he probably would have kept pitching.

Bucs Notebook 6-29

I like what I have seen the last week from the Buccos. Getting ready to roll into July, the Bucs sit just five games out of both the division and the Wild Card races. Laugh all you want, but while being still four games under .500 still, the Bucs have caused some excitement. Tough loss on Sunday, but Grienke was dominant and they battled.

The pitching has been good enough to keep them in games and they have gotten just enough offense to win some games. Now as July comes, everyone will stop paying attention to the team as always, when Steelers camp begins, but Neil Huntington will have some difficult decisions to make. My advice to Neil is....... STICK TO THE PLAN. eighty percent of the young talent in the organization has been acquired within the last calender year, either by draft or trades.

I like to play GM from time to time and there is one move I would like to see the Bucs pursue. Although the Angels have been playing very well of late, here is a team that needs to make a few moves to seriously contend for the title. They're top four starters from last season have combined to make only 16 starts. They could use an arm, either a starter or bullpen arm and probably another bat.

I ship the Halos Matt Capps and Adam Laroche right now. In return, the Angeles have made known that shortstop Brandon Wood can be had. Two years ago, Wood was hands down the best prospect in the majors. The Angels just haven't found the room for Wood and Mike Scoscia just isn't gonna give a youngster major playing time on a team that's contending. Wood is a five tool talent that the Bucs should take a run at.

Include a young starter and maybe a first base prospect, the Angels have a wealth of both and this is a move the Bucs should try and pursue. The halos, might not want to take on a ton of salary, but it would make sense for both teams. Deal Capps while his value is high again and it's getting hot out, so that means so is Laroche. Adding Wood, gives the team more options to deal Jack Wilson as well.

OTHER NOTES
- Speaking of trades, Nyjer Morgan's name has been out there in a deal with the Nats. Main components of the deal was Morgan for Lastings Milledge. The deal apparently fell apart when the Bucs also asked for pitching prospect Craig Stamen. As much fun as Morgan is to watch, he is a 29 year old outfielder with no power and also is not part of the Bucs future. I'm not a big Milledge fan, mostly due to his attitude, but if the opportunity is there to acquire a five tool guy like Milledge, it would be hard to pass up.

- Matt Wieters is hitting around .270 with a couple of bombs. Here is an interesting note on the should be Pirates catcher. Wieters reached the majors after only 150 games in the minors. That's 75 games quicker than any other catcher in major league history.

-Andrew McCutchen went 0-4 his last 2 games of the KC series. The scouting report is out now. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts. My feeling is he will be fine. Don't panic, he wasn't going to hit .370 for his whole career. He is young and will experience several 2-20 stretches. Now it is up to him to adjust.

-Speaking of scouting reports, Virgil Vasquez was very good in his Bucco debut. he threw strikes and got a win. Part of that was due to there not being a scouting report out on him as well. We will see how he is throwing after 5 starts. Guys who come up from the minors generally have success their first couple of starts. Even JVB went six strong innings his first call up start against the Braves a few years back.

-Ryan Doumit will be back soon. It will be interesting to see which catcher stays up, Jaramillo or Diaz. Both have their positives and negatives to look at. My guess is JJ stays.

-Brandon Moss has heated up again. hitting close to .600 the last 10 days. Boy is he streaky. JR is using him well though and putting him in situations to succeed. it looks like it has become a straight platoon, with Delwyn Young playing against lefties. Either way, Moss is up around .270 after a horrid start. Whoever plays, they are getting production out of right field.

- Speaking of Moss, we got to start seeing some power and run production out of both he and Andy Laroche.

-Charlie Morton's first home start went well. Key stat NO WALKS. he should have gotten a win, but not too many guys get wins against Grienke.

-Ian Snell walked the first batter in his first AAA start and proceeded to strike out the next 13 in a row. Seventeen overall. This guy makes we want to puke. All of the sudden he is "Having Fun". After checking it out further, I discovered that the team he faced, the Toledo MudHens lead all professional baseball in strikeouts by a large margin. Even Tom Gorzelanny struck out 12 Mudhens the night before. So I'm not quite impressed just yet. Or yet maybe it was all that negativity in Pittsburgh. Hey Ian, if you strike out 17 in a Pittsburgh uniform, there won't be any negativity left for you.

- Big series vs. the Cubs. That's the 2 games under .500 Cubs. Since they can't win on the road, it would be nice to take this series at home. Nice match up tonight in Duke vs. Harden.

-I'm doing my Bucco farm report now so that should be posted later in the week. Let's go Bucs.

Bucco Notebook 6-14

This comes only days after the last notebook, but hopefully I will have the time to get back to a weekly report. With a 6-3 win over Detroit today, the Bucs completed a 17 day grind without a day off at 9-7 (with one rain out). That's not bad baseball folks.

At 30-33, the Pirates have played good baseball for the better part of the season. If you eliminate the only horrid stretch of the season, an eleven game span where they went 1-10, then this is a team that's over .500. I'm not one of these guys that sees .500 as a successful season, but this team just has a different feel to it.

This team can compete, night in and night out. They get good starting pitching on most night's (anyone not named Ian Snell will do) and they bullpen has bounced back and can be counted on most nights. The main reason why this team can compete though is their defense. These guys catch everything hit at them. They are currently third in the NL in fielding percentage. for as many runs that the Bucco offense leaves on base, the defense has saved just as many.

The infield is tremendous. After a rough first week, Andy Laroche has turned into a solid defensive third basemen. Jack Wilson is playing at a high level and while I don't really like Freddy Sanchez's range at second, he catches everything he gets to and the Bucs are very good up the middle. Adam Laroche is also a very underrated defensive first basemen.

The outfield has been just as good. Nyjer Morgan doesn't have much of an arm but has been a huge surprise in left. The addition of Andrew McCutchen gives the team two legit center fielders again and take away most shots in the gaps at PNC Park. He can cover a ton of ground in center and after 11 games, it seems as if he is already taking better routes to balls. McCutchen adds a rifle in center and in right Brandon Moss has figured it out defensively.

Add all that up and good pitching and good defense should win games. Hey, I like the offense as well, but this team is better off when they prevent runs as much as when they can score them (which isn't often). Remember that even he best offensive players are expected to fail 7 out of 10 times. Great defensive players are expected to succeed 10 out of 10 times.

Other Notes
- It's time to get Delwyn Young regular at bats at the expense of Brandon Moss. I know I am the guy that said stick with Moss no matter what, but in the last 30 days, Young is hitting .339. All he does is hit and John Russell should stick with the hot bat. In the same time frame, Moss is hitting .268 and that is only helped by a torrid 2 week stretch. Moss has all the tools to be good, but he has to start driving runs in soon.

-Could the Pirates have 2 all-stars? A case can be made for both Sanchez and Zach Duke. Sanchez is hitting a solid .315 and should make it at a weak second base position. Chase Utley is a lock as could be the case with Orlando Hudson. Right now I would probably give Sanchez the nod over Brandon Phillips.

I will make the case for Duke as well. He has 7 wins, and a great ERA at 3.10. He should have 9 wins already at this point. If he gets to 9 or 10 wins before the all-star game, he should also be picked.

-Give Huntington credit for some of the minor moves he has made in his 2 seasons. Ryan Doumit has missed 50 games now and the Jaramillo/Diaz combination has held it's own hitting .296 combined. Another guy that he took a shot on is Steven Jackson. he will get the ball more often as he gets ground balls in key spots. I always wondered why the Yankees never gave him a shot, especially with their pen. Jackson has good stuff.

-Speaking of the pen, Gorzo did a good job down there while he was up. i was just scanning the bullpen ERA's and they were impressive, other than Capps (Meek 3.48, Chavez 2.63, Burnett 2.93, Grabow 3.72). Those are encouraging numbers.

-Charlie Morton's second start has been pushed back a couple days until the team heads to Colorado. I still don't like young guys having to pitch there, but even though it was only 1 inning, I liked what i saw from Morton. The guy hits his spots. fastball was 93-95, pitched inside and his curve ball breaks a ton. let's see what he can do over the next month, but I think he has a good make up about him.