What Went Wrong?

Disappointing is the word that I associate with the 2010 Pittsburgh Pirates. Others would prefer words like pathetic, awful or embarrassing.


If anyone expected this team to be good this season, well they don't know baseball very well. This was set up to be the worst season yet for the Pirates, but even I wasn't prepared for them to be this bad.

They weren't going to approach .500 this season, but 50 games under the .500 mark is a bit much even for this team.

It doesn't bother me though, as long as management sticks to the plan. They likely will be in a position to select Antony Rendon with the first overall pick. Keep drafting well.

The goal of competing may be pushed back a season though. Hitting .500 next season and competing the next is a bit unrealistic. A 50 game improvement is next to impossible.

Looking back at this season, what went wrong? Why the dramatic step backwards?


A simple answer would be everything, but I've narrowed it down a bit. This list doesn't include everything but just a quick overview. Feel free to leave your thoughts as well.

1. Starting Pitching:

It's not good when two or three of a teams starters lose double digit games in a season. It's down right awful when five starters have ten or more losses.


The sad part is that the Pirates viewed the rotation as a possible strength going into the season.

Coming off of a solid 2009 campaign, Ross Ohlendorf has exactly one win compared to 12 losses. Sure he's pitched better than than the record indicates, but in the end the numbers don't lie.

Paul Maholm and Zach Duke were counted on to have solid seasons and both took huge steps backwards. Duke was often so bad that he likely won't be tendered in the off-season.

Then there is Charlie Morton, who the Pirates had high expectations for. Instead he delivered a 1-11 record with an 8.81 era.

For the year, the Pirates have used 11 different starting pitchers, which have combined for a 29-80 record and an awful 5.50 era.

Brian Burres and James McDonald have provided bright spots the last few weeks, but it's not nearly enough to off-set the poor performance of the entire starting staff.

2. Free Agents Bust:

Pirates GM Neal Huntington thought he upgraded the roster in the off-season to the point where it could compete in the NL Central. Huntington knew he had future young studs in waiting, but the guys he added in the short term were supposed to help and add depth.


Instead, they were all awful.

Starting with Aki Iwamura, who was supposed to hold down the second base job. The Pirates didn't do the necessary homework on his knee and Iwamura turned out to be damaged goods. The former Tampa Rays second baseman was no where near the player he was in Tampa.

Iwamura had zero range in the field and only hit .182 before being shipped to the minors.

Ryan Church was signed to be a quality fourth outfielder, but hit under .200 and turned out to be an all-around lazy player.

The same for Bobby Crosby who provided zero production.

These guys were all just stop gaps and weren't going to be around anyways, but while they were here, they produced nothing and took at bats away from younger players that should have had them.

It's not all bad news though. Huntington did add some quality bullpen arms through free agency and turned Octavio Dotel and the rest of the bums I mentioned before into James McDonald, Andrew Lambo, Pedro Ciriaco, Chris Snyder and John Bowker.

Also, Iwamura's struggles opened up a spot for Neil Walker to shine.

3. Most of the Returning Players Also Sucked:

I've already detailed how bad the pitchers coming back were, but the everyday players were just as bad.


Ryan Doumit started the season batting in the middle of the line up and has practically played his way out of Pittsburgh. He's been awful both at the plate and in the field.

Andy Laroche was expected to improve, but regressed and is batting .206.

Guys that were on the opening day roster, including: Lastings Milledge, Ronny Cedeno, Jeff Clement, Delwyn Young and others showed no consistency.

Even Garrett Jones failed to meet expectations, although he didn't have a terrible season.

Overall, Andrew McCutchen was the only everyday player on the opening day roster that continues to get better.

4. Road games:

Remember, the goal is to be able to compete. However, for those of you that feel like finishing .500 would be something special; here's an idea. Maybe the Pirates could play every game next season at PNC Park.


At home, the Bucs are a respectable 36-39 on the season. On the road though, it's a much different story, where the Pirates are a miserable 15-59.

How did they ever win 15? It's a miracle.

The Pirates finished the season 5-4 on the road against the Cubs and 2-1 against the Rockies, which means they are 8-55 against the rest of baseball on the road. That's hard to do.

The road record is a huge cause of concern. There's no reason to be that bad on the road.

More often than not, the Pirates don't even compete away from home. All of the blowouts aren't good for the teams confidence.

You can't compete when you have very little chance in 81 games of a 162 game schedule.

5. No Power:

Not having power and run producers in the middle of the line up has been tough to deal with. Especially as bad as the pitching has been.


Pedro Alvarez has shown glimpses of what he will be able to do, but as it stands right now, Garrett Jones leads the club with 20 homers.

The top three Pirates leader in homers: Jones (20), McCutchen (16) and Snyder (14, not all came with the Pirates) are only one more combined then major league leader Jose Bautista(49).

When the Pirates fell behind in games, especially early; before Alvarez, Walker and Jose Tabata were called up, they simply didn't have the bats to compete in games.

6. Fundamentals:

The finger here has to be pointed directly at Pirates manager John Russell. Way too often this season, the Pirates played lazy baseball.


A team takes on the personality of it's manager, and that's the way this team played.

Have you even seen a team lack so many basic fundamentals.

Not knowing what base to throw do. Not being able to lay down bunts. Not being able to hit behind runners. Not being able to turn routine plays on defense and finally the countless base running mistakes all were factors in the countless Pirates losses this season.

Average teams execute most of the time. Good teams execute most of the time. Bad teams, well they play like the Pirates.

That's the most disturbing part. The talent is starting to emerge, but at times it looks like these guys have never played the game before.

Changes will and must be made before next season.

Not everything was bad this season. My next column will be a look at the positive things we saw this season.

Is Jose Tabata the MVP of the Pirates?

In the midst of another miserable season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, it's often tough to find real bright spots to talk about, but the Pirates have one in outfielder Jose Tabata.


Neil Walker gets the press being the hometown kid and he's deserved it. Walker is having a tremendous rookie campaign and has cemented himself as part of the future core of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pedro Alvarez also gets a ton of attention paid to him. Coming up as "The Savior" of the Pirates hasn't been easy for Alvarez, but he's handled it well and has shown at times what type of major league player he has the potential to become in the upcoming seasons.

Having said all of that, is it possible that Jose Tabata is the best of the three future Pirates stars?

Since his June 9th call up, Tabata has been nothing short of outstanding for the last place Pirates. He's definitely been the most consistent.

Tabata has settled in very nicely in the 2-hole in the Pirates lineup. What seperates him from the others is his approach at the plate, which is the best on the team. Tabata is the one guy on the team that simply hits the ball where it's pitched. He's a very good situational hitter as well.

He's even shown some pop. The power will come. He's shown he has it. he's never going to be a 30+ homer type guy, but with time he has the ability to hit 15-20 a season.

Add to that outstanding speed and solid defense and Tabata could be a future all-star.

His 2010 numbers are very good. In 70 games, Tabata is hitting .312. His four homers and 21 RBI are modest numbers, but Tabata has shown he can hit well at the MLB level.

He's also stolen 14 bases. He's been caught seven times, but that percentage is likely to go up as he learns the pitchers around the league.

Other impressive numbers for Tabata,

. His .312 batting average ranks second among all rookies with at least 300 at bats, behind only the Giants Buster Posey.

. He reaches base consistently, reaching base safely in 58 of his 70 starts.

. He has 59 hits since the All-Star break, ranking him second to only the Cubs Starlin Castro.

. Tabata's 87 hits since his call up ranks him second in baseball behind only Albert Puljos (88). That's great company to be in.

That's quite the early resume for Tabata. He will only get better with experience. He deserves some votes for Rookie of the Year. While he has no chance to win the award, he should be recognized along with some of the other great young players in the game.

While he won't win the Rookie of the Year, Tabata should win another award and that's the team MVP. He's definitely the Pirates MVP at the moment. No one else has stood out to make a strong case this year

Maybe it could go to relievers Joel Hanrahan or Evan Meek who have both had outstanding seasons out of the Pirates bullpen. However, if you are giving the award to the guy that's had the best season, then Tabata has to be considered the Pirates Most Valuable Player.

Who Woke the Bats Up?

Who woke up the Pirates offense after the all-star break? Whoever it was, what took you so long? The Pirates entered the break with pretty much the worse offense in baseball. It looked like it would be another long and dreadful summer, but the Bucs have come out swinging the sticks to begin the second half of the season.


So far, in six games after the all-star break, the Pirates have scored 50 runs on 77 hits, going 4-2 in that span. That averages out to a major league best 8.3 runs per game and 12.8 hits per game. Looking just at the wins after the break, the Pirates are averaging 11.75 runs and 16.25 hits. While I'm not suggesting we are looking at the 1927 Yankees, it has been a nice change of pace from what we've been used to seeing from the Pirates bats of late.

What's the reason for the hot streak? I don't want to hear that they have been playing bad teams. They have, but those same two bad teams (Houston and Milwaukee) have owned the Pirates up to this point of the season. The main reason for the success is the approach. We haven't seen hitters chasing many balls out of the zone. They've been waiting for good pitches and when they have gotten them, they are putting good swings on the ball.

Another thing I like is that the Pirates have been more aggressive early in the count. They haven't been digging themselves into an 0-2 hole every at bat. They've been jumping on fastballs early, which is a good approach to have for a young team.

Even more impressive is the fact that the Pirates have been hitting well, without the services of Andrew McCutchen, who has missed the last three games nursing a shoulder injury.

Let's take a look at some numbers through the six games after the all-star break.

McCutchen- 4-12 (.333), 3 RBI's before he got hurt.
Jose Tabata- 10-27 (.370), 6 RBI's
Neil Walker- 14-26 (.538), 7 RBI's
Garrett Jones- 6-24 (.250), 1 HR, 5 RBI's.
Pedro Alvarez- 10-24 (.417), 4 HR's, 10 RBI's.
Lastings Milledge- 9-24 (.375), 4 RBI's.
Ronny Cedeno- 10-24 (.417), 2 RBI's.
Delwyn Young- 5-7 (.714), 1 HR, 6 RBI's.

As you can see, everyone other than the catcher platoon of Eric Kratz and Ryan Doumit (combined .192) are hitting well coming out of the break. Not only that, but they are driving in runs and hitting for power. The Bucs have combined for 29 extra base hits in the six games, something that has bee a huge problem all season.

I'm not suggesting that this torrid streak will continue, but it gives you a glimpse at what the Pirates could be capable of. Two things stick out at me. One is the fact that Lastings Milledge is playing everyday. Having a guy hitting a respectable .285 in the middle of the lineup is a major upgrade over Ryan Church (currently hitting .190).

The other thing is that the rookies are starting to become legit major league ball players. They've made the lineup deeper and more effective. It was just 14 games ago that Alvarez was hitting .065. He has quietly got the average up to .259 with 7 HR's and 20 RBI's in just 29 games.

Tabata looks like he is becoming a guy that will be a fixture in left field. He's hitting .266 and has a great approach and a knack for getting on base.

Walker's bat has been the biggest surprise for me, hitting .319. If the youngsters can keep getting on base and coming up with big hits, the rest of the lineup will prosper.

They still have a few holes, but at least for a few game stretch, we may have seen a glimpse of what could be a productive Pirates offense in the future. If they've done anything this last week, they saved John Russell's job for the near future.

What Exactly is the Pirates Plan?

Before I get started, this isn't bashing Neil Huntington or Frank Coonelly, but just an overall analysis of the long term plan of the Pirates.  I don't feel Huntington has done a terrible job and should be given at least another year on the job. Throughout the last 18 seasons, we've heard the word "plan" attached to the numerous Pirates re-builds.  Weather it be numerous five year plans or a three year plan, they have all failed miserably.  What exactly is Huntington's plan with this current group.

Let's take a look at where the Pirates currently sit at 30-58.  They are on pace to lose roughly 105 games this season.  That's fine.  I didn't expect much this year anyways.

However, a majority of the public has been eyeing next season as the year the Pirates get to .500 and start to compete.  That is just not a realistic goal.  Hypothetically, let's say the Pirates improve by 15 games next season off of their projected 57-105 record. A fifteen game improvement is quite a stretch, but that still would only make the Pirates a 72-90 team.  Then let's say in 2012 they improve on that and win 81 games, hitting .500.  Where does that leave us?

It's quite realistic that those numbers could be pushed back by a year.  It's realistic to say that without some real veteran talent; not your Ryan Church's or Bobby Crosby's, but some real talent, that the team could be just as bad next season.  That would lead to an improvement in 2012 and not hitting .500 until 2013, which means competing is 2014 or later.

Depending on which theory you subscribe to, where does that leave the team.  The core of youngsters that include: Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, Jose Tabata and Brad Lincoln will be three, maybe four years into their first contracts.  This is assuming they all become legit major league players, and it's not a guarantee that they all do. Will the Pirates front office make the attempt to keep them here long term to see this "plan" out?  That doesn't even include Andrew McCutchen, who surely will be due for big money when his current deal expires.

Remember, the goal here is to win a pennant and compete year in and year out.  It's not to just get to .500 and be happy.  There is talent at Bradenton and Altoona, but they are still a couple years away.  As for this years class that includes Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie?  They still have to be signed.  If they do, they would still be a few years away from PNC park as well.

Assuming Lincoln develops, the Pirates are still thin on pitching at the big league level for the next couple of seasons.  All of the talent they are counting on, including : Bryan Morris, Jared Hughes, Jeff Locke, Rudy Owens, Justin Wilson, Nathan Adcock, Tim Alderson, Hunter Strickland and Aaron Pribanic are at a minimum two years away.  Morris could be fast tracked to the big leagues, but the rest won't be around anytime soon.  That's not even considering the fact that once the young pitchers do arrive, they will likely struggle their first go around at the major league level.

Not everything is so great down on the farm though. Alderson has been demoted.  High regarded prospects such as: Starling Marte, Tony Sanchez, Victor Black, Quienten Miller, Brock Holt and Colton Cain have all suffered long term injuries that will push back their development.

So exactly what is the Pirates plan?  Do we wait around until at least 2014 to see if these guys are a good judge of young talent?  More than likely, based on past results, they aren't. Was it worth calling up all of the young guys this season, starting their major league clocks?  Do we have to cross our fingers and hope they team can lock up all of our young players?  We may have to.

I've said it many times before.  Once the Pirates get some of their young core in place, they have to start adding to it from the outside.  They are simply not going to win a pennant operating at the current pace.  Granted, there is more talent in the system now then at any time in the last two decades.  The Pirates overall farm system has improved from dead last to the middle of the pack.  That's quite the improvement in a little under three years.

Most of the talent though is viewed as borderline major league talent.  There are very few game changers currently in the system.  We've been hearing for years that this is the core they wanted to build around, so let's see them do it.  I have no problem this season if they deal every veteran on the current team.  Trade Ryan Doumit, Zach Duke, Octavio Dotel, Church and others. They can't quit adding talent to the system.  Also, continue to draft well.  The plan should be to have a continuous pipeline of talent to the majors.

As for the big club, the time is now to start to add to this group of young players.  That needs to start this off season.  You can't run a major league team on nickles and dimes.  Now the pressure is solely on Bob Nutting.  If you don't want to spend money or can't spend money, then this franchise will always be a loser.  You have stated you have no problem spending the necessary money.  The time is upcoming. Show us, quit telling us.

They don't need to go out and spend $200 mil on one superstar.  That doesn't make sense at the moment.  What they need to do if add some quality bats and arms to the current group.  They will be out there next year.  Then we will see exactly what the "plan" really is.

Pittsburgh Pirates second half Preview

The Pirates first half record of 30-58 is another indication of an 18th straight losing season and another possible 100 loss season. The first half gave fans very few things to be happy about, but there were a few.

For one, the performance of the bullpen, which has been very good. The Evan Meek- Joel Hanrahan seventh and eighth inning combo has been very effective.

Another positive first half thing has been the promotion of youngsters: Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, Jose Tabata and Brad Lincoln. That, coupled with many youngsters performing well throughout the minor leagues, give fans some real hope going forward.

The final positive thing of the first half has been Andrew McCutchen. He’s been around over a full calendar year now and keeps showing signs of being a legitimate stud.

So what should we look forward to in the second half of the season? While the record likely won’t get much better, there are several things that should keep fans intrested for the rest of the season.

For one, the youngsters should slowly start to get better. All four of the guys up right now should make the team worth keeping an eye on the rest of the way.

The trading deadline should also be worth keeping an eye on. While there won’t be a fire sale similar to years past; if the Pirates are smart, they will deal some of the current dead weight on the club. That includes: Ryan Doumit, Zach Duke and Ryan Church, among others.

They should also look into dealing some productive bullpen arms such as Brenden Donally, Octavio Dotel and DJ Carrasco. Stick to the plan and keep bringing in young players to the system.

With trades, you need new bodies to take their places, which means we could see even more young players promoted to the big club. Shortstop Argenis Diaz and left handed reliever Daniel Moskos are likely the first two on the radar.

As for the play on the field, it can’t get much worse fundamentally than the first half. The fundamentals have to start to improve all the way around, which could lead to a few more wins. Also, the starting pitching has to get better and the Pirates have to start to hit as a team.

One main area of focus has to be the play on the road, where the Bucs are a major league worst 11-38. They have to find ways to win on the road.

The plan to do this should be to continue to get younger at the big league level. The current mix of vets just flat out haven’t produced and their time should be up. Turn things over to a group of talented young players. While they will initially struggle at the major league level, let them grow together and learn to win together. It’s a risky plan, but it worked for the Rays. At this point, it’s worth trying to an extent, the current group won’t get much better until changes are made.

If anything, in the second half, the Pirates aren’t likely to improve their win total much, but are more likely to improve their chances at landing the number one overall pick, where they currently sit only one game ahead of the Baltimore Orioles.

Around the Diamond- Part 7 -Center Field

First, if you missed another disappointing loss, take a listen to my post-game recap by clicking HERE.

We are on to center field in my look around the diamond and truthfully, there isn't really much to discuss here.  Andrew McCutchen is and will be the center fielder for the Pirates for years to come.  I don't want to hear any of your uneducated "until he gets traded to the Yankees," comments.  The Pirates will make a statement in the next year or so by locking up Cutch to a lengthy extension.

Cutch has now been in the big leagues for a full calender year with good numbers that will just go up.  In his first go around in the bigs, Cutch has a .292avg, 19Hr/36Sb, with a majority of that run production coming from the lead off spot.  Now that he is batting third, he should get even more opportunities to drive in runs.  I want to see Cutch use all of his tools as much as possible.  Use that speed as an advantage.

Offensively, the guy is a doubles and triples machine and the average should be around .310-.320.  I don't need many homers out of him, but need that stolen base number to consistently exceed 50 and drive in around 80 runs if he's batting third all season.  As Jose Tabata and Neil Walker continue to get on base, the RBI numbers should go up, providing Cutch has a bat protecting him in the clean up spot.

Defensively the guy can cover ground and make plays.  He has a above average arm, but likes to show it off a bit too much for me. The throw doesn't have to come home every time.  Other than that i have absolutely nothing to criticize this kid about.

Cutch is the face of the franchise and it's deserving, considering he is the most talented player this team has seen since Barry Bonds.  He is a flat out stud.

Around the Diamond- Part 6 - Left Field

Having to do both Pirates and Wild things games, I've fallen a bit behind on the Around the Diamond series, but will wrap it up this weekend.

So far I would like to see
C- Anyone other than Doumit
1B- Garrett Jones
2B- Neil Walker
3B- Pedro Alvarez
SS- Ronny Cedeno

The promotion of Walker helped some things fall into place and now the promotion of Jose Tabata has helped even more.  My original post on this topic was to promote Tabata and move Lastings Milledge to right.  Now that I don't have to write about that, let's look at what Tabata brings to the table.

Offensively, the top of the order should perform.  One through three, Tabata, Walker and Andrew McCutchen should be on base a ton.  Now they just need to find someone to drive them in.  That could happen when Alvarez comes up.  The lineup just gets deeper and tougher to pitch to if Jones is batting 5th, Milledge 6th and Doumit 6th.  Until then, there are still holes in spots where guys need to drive in runs.



I'd like to see the rest of the way, how John Russell plays things.  I would love to see him utilize the speed of Tabata, Walker and Cutch and be very aggressive on the bases.  It will turn into more runs in the long haul.  I'm not overly concerned about running out of an inning here and there.  Knowing JR though, they will likely be even more passive then they have been in the past.

Tabata's presence should make the Pirates a better defensive team as well.  We may actually see a Pirates left fielder get to a ball hit down the line.  I'm sure bench coach Gary Varsho won't adjust to Tabata's speed so I'm sure he won't play too much of a traditional left field, so don't hold your breath.

Either way, as the youngsters start to emerge, the team is slowly getting better.

Tabata and Lincoln to Debut

The Pirates have made strides to showing off the future of the franchise.  It looks to be a third consecutive good draft, assuming the clubs signs top picks Jameson Taillon and Stetson Aliie.

Tonight is another step towards the future as the team unveils top prospects Brad Lincoln and Jose Tabata to make their debuts tonight against the Nationals.

They won't be met with the national media flare that Stephen Strasburg did last night, but they are just as important to the teams future as Strasburg is to the Nats.

Lincoln will get the start and Tabata will likely play left and bat either first or second.  It's been so many years since the team has had "REAL" prospects.  So this is a time to get excited and see what these young guys, as well as the talented youngsters to follow can do.

Around the Diamond- Part 2- First base

Today it's time to take a look at the first basemen.  If the production from the catchers didn't sound good, well then, the first basemen are even more disappointing.

So far we've seen four guys see time at first base this season: Jeff Clement, Steve Pearce, Garrett Jones and Bobby Crosby.  Let's eliminate Crosby from this analysis, well because he stinks and he will only play first in an emergency.

I'm also taking Jones out for a moment and just going to look at Clement and Pearce.  Both have performed well defensively, but first basemen have to hit for power and drive in runs and right now, the Pirates don't have that.

Clement is hitting .184/4hr/7rbi. in 103 at bats.  His 29 k's average out to about a k every five at bats.  Pearce has had only 29 at bats since his call up and is hitting .276 with 0hr/5rbi.  He has shown some gap to gap power, but has since been put on the dl.  Either way, neither guy can hit for enough power to remain there.

I'm still intrigued by Clement's power potential and don't want to see them give up on him after 100 at bats, but they need production there.

Jones on the other hand, while not hitting for much power, has driven in 30 runs and has raised the average above .250.  He is having much better at bats than he did a season ago.  Once they get a bat to protect Jones, he should get better pitches to hit and the power numbers should rise.

What to do at first?  When Pearce returns, he should come back as a bench player.  Clement should also be sent down to become more consistent.  Jose Tabata should be called up to take his spot on the roster and take Jones' everyday spot in the outfield.  Jones will then shift to first base permanently, even though he doesn't field the position well.

Jones can shift to right field on rare occasions to give people a day off and Pearce and newly called up Neil walker can make spot starts there.  By doing this, the Pirates lineup becomes deeper and there isn't a hole at a position where you have to have run production.

Minor League Report

Usually I write my weekly Pirates Minor League Report and seeing that as we are over a month into the season and I have yet to do one,  now seems like a good time.

Searching through the organization, I have been very excited and have really kept tabs on what a lot of these guys are doing.  It's not a joke, for the first time in decades, the Pirates have REAL prospects.  Not only do they have real prospects, they have real good prospects with high ceilings.

I will try and make this a weekly thing again but I have been very busy of late.  So let's take a look at the minor leagues.

Indianapolis Indians (AAA)-  Neil Walker has been tremendous with both the bat and the glove and had played all over the diamond.  Scouts are raving about his versatility and he is hitting. 325 with 6HR/25RBI.  Jose Tabata has been very good as well, hitting .315 2/11 and also has 17 steals.  Many feel we will see both guys very soon in Pittsburgh.  Pedro Alvarez had some problems with the batting average early, but is all the way up to .265 with 9HR and 36 RBI's in 36 games.  he's starting to hit for power off lefties as well, which is something the organization has wanted to see.

On the mound, Brad Lincoln is off to a 4-1 start with a 3.23 era.  He is throwing three pitches consistently for strikes and once he gets a little more confidence in his change up, then PNC Park should be the next step.  Donnie Veal and Daniel McCutchen have been decent down in AAA but keep your eye on Michael Crotta.  Crotta who wasn't listed among the Pirates Top 50 prospects a year ago has quickly climbed through the ranks.  After getting promoted from Altoona earlier in the season, Crotta has made three very good starts with the Indians, going 2-1 with a 2.86 era; including seven strong innings on Friday.  Crotta is a sinker baller with above average stuff that just gets people out.

Altoona Curve-  The prospects starting with Alttona and lower in the organization are really worth keeping an eye on.  Looking at the position players at Altoona, outfielder Alex Pressley leads the team with a .361 average.  Infielders Josh Harrison and Jim Negrych are both hitting over .300 as well.  Harrison is highly thought of and this seems to be a bounce back year for Negrych, who is back on the map.  There isn't really much power to pay attention for the Curve off the bat.

Two guys struggling to keep an eye on are shortstop of the future Chase D'Arnaud and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez.  Both got off to very slow starts at the plate, but both are still highly thought of.  Some have said D'Arnaud may be the best athlete in the minor leagues at the moment.  D'arnaud has picked things up lately though his numbers don't look like it.  He's hitting only .216 and hasn't shown any power. Scouts say not to expect numbers like that for long.  Hernandez on the other hand has only two extra base hits all season and is only hitting .205.  he may quickly be getting passed up by other young talented outfielders.

On the mound, right hander Jared Hughes and left hander Rudy Owens have been very good.  Hughes is 7-1 with a 3.16 era and Owens sits at 3-2 with a 3.86 era. Owens should have a few more wins but his body of work has been great; especially his 40 strikeouts to only eight walks.  Tim Alderson has a 2-1 record but an inflated 6.19 era.  I'm not really worried about the era because that came as the result of one bad outing.

Keep your eye on Daniel Moskos.  Moskos will be forever linked to Matt Wieters, but seems to have found a role as a left handed reliever.  Moskos is 1-0 with a 1.15era in 15.1 innings of work.

I will have a report on Bradenton and West Virgina posted tomorrow

Exciting Walk-Off Win- Can The Bucs Build Off It?

Big win for the Bucs last night. If you missed any of it, you can hear my Lexycast by clicking HERE.

Lastings Milledge came through with the walk-off single and he deserves a ton of credit, but a ton of credit also needs to go to Andrew McCutchen.  After his two-out single to left, Cutch's steal of second turned out to be the big play of the game.

Now several people have stolen 50 or 60 bases, but it takes a special type of player to steal that bag, in that situation, when everyone in the ballpark and everyone in both dugouts know you are running.  Not only that, he stole it easy.

After the steal, Milledge came through with a very good at bat.  He's probably the only Bucco I would want up in that situation.  He proceeded to spoil four, two-strike pitches, before working the count full and then delivering the walk-off single up the middle for the Bucco win.

Zach Duke gave the team another tremendous start, I have since backed off my criticism of him.  He looks great and the ball just seems to be coming out of his hand much better.  That's the big thing I noticed last night.  His delivery and arm slot is real consistent right now.

If Duke keeps it up, he very well could become the ace the Pirates desperately need.  His trade value is increasing by the start. Usually, this would excite me, but with a team lacking effective starting pitching and a team with the lowest payroll in the majors; could this be a time to lock Duke up long term?

The bullpen was horrific last night, unable to find the strike zone.  Joel Hanrahan looked good, with his fastball in the 95-98 mph range, but even he walked a batter.  Javy Lopez- 2 walks without throwing a strike and Brenden Donally also walked in a run. Although, Angel Hernandez didn't do these guys any favors.  He's the worst ump in the league, with the most inconsistent strike zone.

Octavio Dotel blew his first save after giving up a leadoff triple on a fastball right down the middle, but give him some credit to get out with the game tied 3-3.

Now with the team at 5-5, coming off a big win at home; it's time they build off that and string together a few in a row.

NOTES
-Ross Ohlendoff was placed on the 15 day DL, retroactive to April 12th.  He will come off on April 27th.  Daniel McCutchen was called back up to take Ohlendorf's spot tonight.  I think he will fare better than he did in his first start in Arizona.

-Andy Laroche is not in tonight's lineup as he left last nigh'ts game in the second inning with back spasms.  He was replaced by Bobby Crosby last night. Delwyn Young gets the start at third tonight.

-Pedro Alvarez hit his fourth homer of the season last night for Indy (made two errors though). Jose Tabata has an eight-game hit streak and is hitting .351. For all you Ryan Doumit haters, Tony Sanchez is hitting over .370 at Bradenton.  I will start doing my minor league reports again sometime this week.

-Pirates are ranked 17th in hitting with a .249 team avg.  They have averaged 4.3 runs per game and their team OPS is .716

- They rank 30th in pitching with a team ERA of 6.93.  Opponents are hitting .302 off them.  That's a little misleading though.  If you take the poor outings of Hyden Penn, Charlie Morton, Brian Burres and McCutchen away, they have a team ERA of 4.01.  Not too bad of a job.  Now the other guys have to start pitching better.

-Penn cleared waivers and was outrighted to AAA Indy.

-I sit next to all the scouts at the games and lucky me, there was Dave Littlefield, scouting for the Cubs.  For his sake I hope he's better at that job than his last.

-  I should have something up for tomorrow as well.  Until then, LET"S GO BUCS.  You can listen to my Lexycast of tonight's game, which should be up 15-20 minutes after the last pitch.

Around the Diamond- Right Field

Another solid position for the Bucs.  If the outfield looks like Milledge-McCutchen and Garrett Jones in right, then the outfield could be a real strength.  Jones needs to devel;ope into a better defensive outfielder, but right now I can live with him defensively.

I love the bat, but which Garrett Jones will we see.  Will we see the guy that pounded out 21 homers in 82 games?  Can he possibly have a repeat of that?  Did the Pirates actually catch lightning in a bottle with Jones?  I sure hope so because they will surely need his power bat in the middle of the order.

What the Pirates can't asfford is for Jones to be a flash in the pan.  I think he will turn out to be for real though.  He is swinging the bat well in spring training also.  A 30/100 type of season would be tremendous.

One thing "The Legend" does need to improve though is his inability to hit with runners in scoring position.  he was actually pretty lousy in those situations last season.  he got pitched tougher and didn't adjust well.  If he can become a legitimate threat with men on base, then the Bucs may have something here.

In the event that Jones has to be the everyday first baseman, then one of a group of Ryan Church, Brandon Moss and Delwyn Young should get at bats in right field.  I would look for them to find ways to get Church into the lineup anyways.  Moss and Young should be strictly bench guys for the time being.

The big question is, what do the Bucs do when Jose Tabata is deemed ready?  There will be some dealing and lineup shuffling, but it's a good problem to have.  Jeff Clement really could hold the key to Tabata's arrival.  If he struggles for two months, the by June, the Bucs may be willing to move Jones to first and call up Tabata.

Position Grade Compared to the Rest of the League-  B-   - Would be higher, but as much as I like Jones, he is still a bit unproven at the MLB level

Five Things That Need to Happen For the Pirates to Compete in 2010

It's the spring training opener and it's the usual time to say "What If," becuase when the calender turns May, we know we will more than likely be saying "Here We Go Again," for the 18th consecutive season.

As I get ready to watch some live spring training baseball on MLB Network, anything can happen.  Even the Pirates could (though not likely) catch lightning in a bottle.  here are five things the Bucs will need to happen in order to compete in 2010.

5. Bullpen-  The bullpen needs to be rock solid.  The signing of Octavio Dotel, for a change a good Bucco signing, needs to work.  Too many late leads blown the last couple of seasons.  A team like the Bucs can't blow 15-20 games that should be in the win column.

They have the arms in the pen to be successfull.  Dotel, Joel Hanrahan and Evan Meek are all power right handed arms with tremendous stuff, they just have to do the job.

4. Break Out Season-  One of the holdovers finally has to have a breakout season.  I'm expecting Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones to get better, so who's it going to be? From a group of Andy Laroche, Brandon Moss, Lastings Milledge, Ryan Doumit and I will throw Jeff Clement's name in there for the hell of it- I'm looking at Milledge and/or Doumit.

Milledge has every tool and he's healthy and motivated.  He's running out of time so he's going to be the guy.  I like what he showed in his two month stint in Pittsburgh last season.  As for Doumit, everyone know how strongly I am not a fan of his, but similar to Milledge, he's running out of chances.

Doumit needs to stay healthy and start swinging the bat.  If one, or both have big seasons then suddenly the Bucs have a decent lineup throwing in Cutch and Jones.

3.Youth Be Served-  Pedro Alvarez will likely get the call sometime between June and July and possibly be joine in Pittsburgh by the much anticipated debuts of Jose Tabata and Brad Lincoln.  For the Bucs to have any shot at competing, Alvarez needs to come up and hit the cover off the ball from day one and hit with power.

It has been done.  Look at how Evan Longoria and Ryan Braun came up and made an immediate impact for the Rays and Brewers respectively.  Alvarez will be carrying a ton of pressure to be that big middle of the order bat that the Bucs so desperately need.  If Tabata and Lincoln could produce similar results then the Bucs would really have the ball rolling.

2. Starting pitching-  The Bucs have a young rotation and it's usually that third year around that young arms take the next step.  Paul Maholm should be the staff ace.  It's his time to get it done.  Charlie Morton will take big steps to becoming a legitimate big league guy. Ross Ohlendorf just needs to do exactly what he did last season.

Zach Duke flat out needs to be better.  Now I hear you saying that he was an all-star and the Bucs best pitcher last season.  He had an ok season and nothing better. A starters job is to give his team a chance to win everytime out and Duke doesn't do that.  The Bucs won only 11 times that Duke started last season, all 11 times Duke got the W.  He is either really good or really bad.  He needs to start performing like an ace.

Suddenly if the starters put things together then you have four guys, maybe five if Lincoln can come up after the all-star break, that can get deep into a ball game and give the team a chance to win.

If all four of these things happen and that's highly unlikely, but for this instance let's just say that they do.  Then the big thing that would have to happen in order for the Bucs to compete in 2010 is.............

1. Ownership Opens the Checkbook to Improve the Club-  Say the Bucs are hanging around .500 at the all-star break and are chasing a wild card spot.  What will Bob Nutting do?  Will he open the checkbook and go get the big power bat the team needs?  Will he add another big arm to the rotation?

Now Neil Huntington has said often that they have the resources to do exactly that.  I have been a big supporter of NH's in the past but when it comes down to this scenerio, I'm tired of the empty promises.  It's time to Show Me and quit telling me about what is going to happen.

When it comes down to it  as good as the players could possibly perform, we all know that Nutting will drop the ball at the end of the day.  Cross your fingers Pirates fans.                     

Top Prospects List

This last week, many of the baseball writers released their top prospect lists.  To read Jonathen Mayo's top 50 list for mlb.com, click HERE.  Also you can check out Keith Law's Top 100 for ESPN by clicking HERE.

Naturally Pedro Alvarez was on both list. He ranked 7th on Mayo's and 35th on Law's.  Jose Tabata and Tony Sanchez also cracked he Top 100 on Law's list. Atlanta's Jason Heyward and Washington's Steven Strausberg were one and two on both list.

So what does all of that mean? Absolutely nothing.  Now some of you may be asking, with all of those trades, we only have three guys recognized?    Well that's three more than in recent times.  To look at the Pirates situation, one must look deeper. Out of the Pirates Top 30 prospect this season, 22 of them were either drafted or acquired the last two seasons.

For years, there have been guys ranked high on those list who became average or below average major leaguers and there have been guys not ranked who have turned into studs. It is good for the guys to be recognized, but in reality it doesn't mean much.  I'm very into reading it all and finding out things and looking at projections, but in the end, that's all they are-projections.

Looking at the Baseball America Organizational Rankings, the Bucs are up to 16th, a considerable jump up from the bottom of the barrell.  Looking at a couple less recognized sources, one even has the Bucs as high as sixth. Very few people pay more attention to minor league baseball than me and I can tell you that there are few can't misses and the rest is all guess work. hence the disparity on Alvarez's ranking.

One thing is for sure is that the depth in the organization is much better, but no where near complete. In the next couple of years, we will see more Buccos be recognized on these lists. Until then, strap yourself in for what looks to be another long season of Pirates baseball.

2009 Pittsburgh Pirates Season wrap up

So I haven't had time to write about our beloved Buccos for about a month now for a variety of reasons. I have been very busy with work and the team did nothing exciting for me to write about the last month or so of the season. When I did get the time, I was very furious of how the Miguel Angel Sano situation played out that I couldn't put my words into a PG rated product. Here are a few random thoughts on the season.

- We weren't as bad as the 99 losses indicate. We did some good things this season and went through some streaks that show that this team should be able to compete in time. Flip the coin and we also looked awful at times. I think with the experience, the youngsters will continue to progress and hopefully by 2011 it will result in wins.

- We saw trade after trade after trade. I still stand by everyone of them. The organization is now deeper with talent than at any point in the past. There are a few more guys I think can still be dealt to improve the team, most notably Doumit, Capps and Duke. These guys aren't part of the future. Get something for them. it wasn't only the guys we dealt, but NH did a decent job of finding a gem in Garrett Jones and acquiring Delwyn Young for nothing. stick to the plan Neil, just hurry, please.

- I was very upset that NH didn't lock up Sano. Boy i hope this guy doesn't become a stud. It was a necessary statement to the fan base to lock this guy up. what's more upsetting is that we didn't get outbid by the big boys. The low budgeted Twins sneak in and steal him. No excuse.

_Young talent continues to show up. We saw McCutchen make an immediate impact. He is a stud. Jones looks to not be a flash in the pan. In addition, we saw some good things from Andy Laroche, Young, Ronny Cedeno, and pitchens Daniel McCutchen, Ross Ohlendorf, Charlie Morton, Jessie Chavez and Evan Meek. We do have some talent, what we need is an impact player or two.

-The guys in the minors that will be the future of the franchise are all performing well. Led by Pedro Alvarez, Brad Lincoln and Jose Tabata, these guys are all performing. That has to be the best sign of all.

-The main problem is consistency. The young guys haven't maintained it. They can't play well on the road. They aren't disciplined enough to keep the same approach from at bat to at bat, but it will come. The vets that should be reliable just aren't. most of them are long gone, but some remain. It takes all 25 guys playing well all of the time to have sustained success in this league.

Just a few thoughts to get writing again. Check back in a couple of days for an organizational view and 2009 grades at each position. On Monday it will be the catchers and I know how much you guys like bashing Ryan Doumit.

Zach Duke Shelled in Milwaukee

Well remember how much I praised the pitching during the last home stand. How much I said the pitching was responsible for 7 win out of the last 9 games. Forget it. Just the opposite held true in the first game of the road trip at Miller Park last night.

Zach Duke got pounded. Giving up 7 runs and 11 hits in only 3 innings of work. he gave up 7 hits and 5 runs in the first alone. By far, his shortest outing of the season. I have been waiting all season for the 07-08 version of Duke to re-emerge, and it did last night. The 07-08 Duke in which the league batted over .300 against him. What went wrong for Duke? Horrible location on all of his pitches. The Brewers are a good hitting team, especially in their ball park and Duke made it easy for them early.

Still though, the young Bucs kept fighting back, but just didn't have enough in the tank. The losing streak at Miller Park extends to 19. The Bucs looked good early though. Runners on second and third with no outs in the first and somehow don't score. Of course the rally was killed by No-Mitt, bouncing weakly into a double play. A Prince Fielder monster shot moments later had the Bucs down 3-0, instead of possibly up 3-0.

Hard to blame Tony Beasley for not sending McCutchen on Young's first inning double, with no outs. Ryan Braun played the ball well, but I still feel Cutch scores easy. Kudos to Ken Macha for managing the game to win, even early. Walking Andy Laroche intentionally to get to Doumit proved to be the big play in the game. If Doumit comes through, the Bucs probably win the game. Just goes to show how big moments in a game aren't saved for the 8th and 9th innings all the time.

Even though Duke gives up 5 in the first, if he limits the damage in the second and third innings, after the Bucs score the previous inning, it may have been a different game.

NOTES
- Doumit was pulled from the game. He isn't hurt and wasn't sick the Bucs say. One can only hope he was close to being dealt. However the likely scenario was that he was pulled because he flat out sucks.

-Great job by the Bucs bullpen. In particular, Bootcheck, Jackson, Hanrahan and Bautista. One hit allowed through 5 innings of work.

-Boy is Cutch something to watch or what. I'm starting to run out of things to say about him.

-Did you see Luis Cruz get hit in the head by a line drive in BP? Hard to believe he was in the lineup. He looked a step slow and had to have a headache. Would have been a good opportunity for JR to get Bixler a start. Bixler came through with a pinch hit double though.

-Thumbs down to FSN Pittsburgh. Why do they have to drop the Bucs game and show the meaningless Steelers preseason game? The Steelers game is already on KDKA. I see why the casual fan doesn't get interested in this team when the Steelers are shoved down peoples throats.

-September call ups will be coming soon. We know that Alvarez and Daniel McCutchen won't be coming. i expect Neil Walker, who is tearing the cover off the ball finally to get a look, but where? I don't want him taking many at bats away from Laroche. Clement will get a look as well. Erick Hacker will likely get a start or 2. Other than that, not too many youngsters will be up. I would like to see Brad Lincoln and Jose Tabata get a quick look. Some other arms will get the quick promotion as well. Nothing to get excited about though. probably a Virgil Vasquez type pitcher or 2.

-Here is where I want this rebuild to go. Did you see the Scott Kazmir deal to the Angels last night? The Rays unloaded Kazmir, who's velocity has been down & his 23 mil left on his deal, for 2 quality prospects and possibly a third. What do they do? They replace Kazmir with Wade Davis and aren't likely to miss a beat. The Rays keep loading up their system and keep filtering young studs through the major league club. That's where I want the Bucs to get to. Being able to deal a struggling star for a good return and have plenty of options to step in a do the job. Tampa is becoming a well oiled machine. Too bad they are in the AL East

- Gallardo (who we never hit) vs Hart tonight. Should be a great game since it's not on TV. Let's go Bucs

My Thoughts on the Neil Huntington Rebuild

Many have asked about my overall opinion of Neil Huntington's rebuild of the Pittsburgh Pirates or for my letter grade of it, so here we go. This may be long so bear with me. First of all we are going to look at this as a 2 year rebuild, not just at the current trades of this season.

First I want to look at the guys that we dealt, since opening day 2008. In no particular order, they were: John Grabow, Jose Bautista, Tom Gorzelanny, Freddy Sanchez, Ian Snell, Jack Wilson, Adam Laroche, Nyjer Morgan, Sean Burnett, Nate Mclouth, Jason Bay, Damaso Marte, Xavier Nady, Soloman Torres and Ronny Paulino. A total of 15 guys that had spent time on the big league club the last two seasons.

For the most part, everyone on this list was under 28 and contributed somewhat at the MLB level. I will argue that we really didn't part with much at all. Aside from Bay, who went into an ideal situation, with a stacked lineup, where he will see a ton of fastballs; what did we give up? Maybe you can argue about Mclouth, but I still view him as a very good player, not a superstar. I would rather have Andrew McCutchen in center field than Mclouth, and that is no knock on Nate.

The rest of the list are just simply average to above average major leaguers. Most were upcoming free agents who weren't going to be here anyway. We really didn't give up anything other than a collection of guys who simply were not getting the job done in Pittsburgh. Most of these guys really had no value here and that includes Sanchez and Wilson. A total rebuild was necessary and that's what Neil Huntington did different than his predecessors. You can't rebuild a franchise like the Pirates by dealing one or two guys. The farm system needed replenished. Aside from Bay, none of the guys will be impact players for their new clubs. We really didn't give up anything of value. I thought Huntington said it best when he said, "It's not like we broke up the '27 Yankees."

Now, I will agree that a rebuild like this, requires taking on some risk. It requires an excellent job from the scouting department all the way up to the GM. This time they can't miss with their decisions. Do we know what we got with all the acquisitions? Not at all, and don't expect all these guys to pan out. Out of the 30 guys brought in since opening day 2008, if 15 prove to be solid major leaguers, then it was a great job by Huntington.

Now realize one thing, when Huntington took over the team, the cupboard was bare. Entirely empty. At the minor league level, there was McCutchen and Neil Walker. That's sad. The Pirates farm system was drained completely, by years of mismanagement. In Huntington's two seasons, he has tried to completely give the farm system a make over. You don't think he's doing it? Take a look a the current list of top 10 prospects. Only Brad Lincoln remains on that list from the Littlefield era. Now after the job Huntington did, Walker isn't viewed as a top 15 prospect. I'd say the makeover of the system is working.

The 30 guys brought in, in no particular order: Robinson Diaz, Jeff Clement, Andy Laroche, Lastings Milledge, Gorkys Hernandez, Jose Tabata, Tim Alderson, Brandon Moss, Craig Hansen, Jeff Locke, Argenis Diaz, Ross Ohlendorf, Delwyn Young, Nathan Adcock, Bryan Morris, Kevin Hart, Mariano Salas, Josh Harrison, Brett Lorin, Aaron Pribanic, Jeff Karstens, Daniel McCutchen, Kevin Roberts, Jose Ascaino, Hunter Strickland, Ronny Cedeno, Tyler Yates, Charlie Morton, Joel Hanrahan and Jason Jaramillo (I hope I didn't leave anyone out). that list doesn't include finally having a couple of good drafts and even signing a guy like Garrett Jones. On paper, it looks like quite the haul in exchange for a bunch of guys who simply weren't in the plans.

It's entirely about value and how you value a certain player. All I hear is complaining that all we got was minor leaguers. Well, that's the point. The idea is to be able to compete for years to come, not just take a shot at .500 one season. While I see value in what we got in return, it is a hard thing to figure out how these guys will do at the MLB level. Could I be over valuing some of these guys? Sure. However, the Pirates fan base definitely is guilty of over valuing guys like Wilson, Sanchez Gorzo,etc. Like it or not, none of those guys brought anything to the table for the future. Take your blinders off and realize that we really didn't part with much during the last two years. Again, the goal is winning, not taking a run at.500.

Now from here on, everything is based on projections and how these guys do at the minor league level. I expect Clement, Milledge,Hernandez, Tabata and Alderson to be solid major leaguers with upside. That's five more than currently on the roster. Mostly everyone else projects into the next tier of guys that should get to the big leagues, especially the 3 arms acquired from Seattle. If a good portion of these guys succeed, then it was a good rebuild.

Now to the question on why we are just getting good prospects in return and not great ones. To start, I thought we did well with Alderson and Clement this week. First part of the answer is that top tier, home grown guys just aren't available anymore, especially arms. Secondly, we didn't have any talent to trade worthy enough of teams shelling out top prospects. We traded average guys with no upside. Which is why I was shocked the Giants parted with Alderson for Sanchez and that we got a guy like Clement in a deal for Wilson and Snell. I thought the whole process of Huntington worked. In each case he sold low and bought high. No longer did we trade trash for trash. We traded trash for upside and I am fine with it. I do feel it was important to rid itself of the losing culture that spreads throughout that locker room like a cancer.

Therefore, we really only brought in 2 big time prospects, but not by lack of trying. So as far as a letter grade, I give the whole process a solid B. Everyone brought in has some upside and something to offer this team in the future. Just look at the organization from March 2008 until today. We had zero power and now we have a few guys with major league power in the system, We had zero arms and now we have a ton of guys with not only potential, but serious arms strength. We are stacked at a few positions, most notably outfield and corner infielders.

I also feel it's important to create competition throughout the organization. We haven't had that in a long, long time. We have more talent all through the organization now, than at any point in the past. The guys currently on the MLB roster now get a chance to prove they belong. They can secure a job for years, by simply producing. If not, there are now guys behind them to push them for jobs. Healthy competition is always good.

Part two of the rebuild is soon to begin. I still expect Duke and Capps to be shipped out, either in August or in the off-season. Now the goal is to start filling in at the MLB level. Spring training will be fun to watch, as many of these guys will be given opportunities to win jobs. Some of the outfield prospects can now possibly be dealt to sure up other positions. So, Neil Huntington's work is no where near done.

Part 3 of the rebuild is on Bob Nutting and I don't know if that's a good thing. He absolutely has to start spending some money on the product on the field. In the next two seasons, we should be able to add quality on the free agent market (I say quality because I know superstars are out of the question). By 2011, there is no reason, a team like the Brewers, in a smaller market should have double the payroll as the Pirates. Fans got the worst news possible today, when Nutting announced that ownership will not change anytime in the near future.

However, this is it. I bought into the plan and have liked the results so far. The payroll is down to the $25-$30 mil range. It's time to start adding and most importantly, it's time to start winning. No more rebuilds. This is the group that the organization likes, well let's start producing and winning. The goal here is 2011 and 2012.

Down on the Farm- Bucco Minor League Report

First an update on the Miguel Angel Sano situation. The MLB investigation on Sano's age should be completed in the upcoming days. Sources close to the situation leave the Bucs and Orioles as likely landing places for the 16 year old super prospect. It's been reported that Sano has said he wants to sign with the Pirates, but his agent wants him to take the highest offer. We all know how that goes with this organization. It's time for the Bucs to open up the checkbook.

Indianapolis (AAA) (41-49)- Brian Bixler made a position switch, as he is seeing time in center field. Steve Pearce is the team leader with 12 homers. Once second baseman of the future Shelby Ford continues to struggle, hitting .167 with no power. He doesn't appear to be in the plans any longer

On the mound, Daniel McCutchen has 8 wins, but is allowing nearly a hit an inning. There are already too many pitchers like that in the organization. Brad Lincoln has an ERA in the 4's, and is 1-1. Guys who could get a late call up include Tom Gorzelanny, Chris Bootcheck and Steven Jackson- all throwing well at Indy. Ian Snell has thrown 20 innings and is 1-1 with a 0.45era. Snell has fanned 27 to only 3 walks. It makes me sick, but maybe he has figured things out.

Altoona (AA)(33-58)- Curve fans have to be pretty excited. Most of the Bucs future resides in Altoona at the moment. In 16 games with the Curve, Pedro Alvarez is hitting .230 with 4HR and 9RBI, also has K'd 27 times. Jose Tabata is starting to get healthy and has seen the average climb to .275, still waiting on the power at the moment. Second baseman Jim Negrych is hanging in well, but has seen the power drop off. He is hitting .270, but only 3 long balls. After a slump, Brian Friday has picked it back up. The average is only at .250, but has gone yard 6 times.

I've heard good reports on Gorkys Hernandez. I've heard the ball just jumps off his bat and has good gap to gap power. He is currently hitting .285. Jason Delaney is leading the Curve in RBI's with 40

On the hill, I hear Daniel Moskos has been throwing well. Before you ask, my source on that is drug free, because I thought the same thing. Moskos leads the Curve in innings pitched and his era is down to the low 4's, with a 6-7 record. However, almost 1 walk per strike out and well over a hit per inning Kyle Bloom has only 2 wins, but a very nice 3.30 era. Jared Hughes has been up for seven starts and, while only having a 1-4 record, he has posted a 1.89 era. One reliever has shown some promise at the moment and that has been Sean Smith.

West Virginia (A) (38-49)- This years first round pick, Tony Sanchez, has made an immediate impact, starting off hitting .408 with a homer in 12 RBI's in 10 professional games. he isn't the only one to get off to a good start with the power. Outfielder Starling Marte, who the Bucs are very high on, got promoted to West Virginia 15 games ago. He has hit .369, with a homer, 8 RBI and 7 steals in that time.

Last season draft pick Robbie Grossman is hitting .279 with 4 homers and 33 RBI. calvin Anderson and Quincy Lattimore are also performing well for the Power. First Baseman Anderson leads the team with 9 Hr and 52 RBI and Lattimore has 7 bombs and 49 RBI's.

On the hill, Rudy Owens has been the story all season. His 10-1 record and 1.87 era have opened up eyes. As is his 88 strikeouts to 13 walks. It's a wonder why he hasn't been bumped up, but the Bucs say they have a schedule for him and they are sticking to it. Brian Leech and Casey Erickson have also been dominant, and Kyle McPherson is coming along nicely as well.

Lynchburg (A) (51-36) Lastings Milledge homered twice yesterday and should be on his way to Indy, then hopefully to PNC Park. I have heard he has been a model citizen down there, excited about the fresh start. A couple names to keep an eye on are shortstops Chase d"Arnaud and Jordy Mercer. I hear they have opened up some eyes. On the mound, prospects Jeff Locke and Bryan Morris have struggled, both have battled injuries as well.

State College (A) (13-12) Not much to report here, but keep your eye on Evan Chambers, who has got off to a slow start.

GCL (A) (5-12)- Brooks Pounders has debuted here and is throwing the ball nicely. One note is that the two pitchers for India the Bucs signed, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, have made their professional debuts. Patel has appeared in 2 games, pitching 2.2 innings without allowing a run and allowing only 1 hit. He has struck out 2 without a walk. Singh has pitched in 4 games and has picked up a win. He has allowed 4 runs in 3 innings of work, striking out 3 while walking 2.

Breaking down the Nyjer Morgan-Lastings Milledge Trade

Ok, here we go. I can hear you Pirate fans ripping the team again, but stop. This is really not a bad trade at all for the Bucs. In fact, it's another win for Neil Huntington and his staff. The particulars in the deal are Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett in exchange for Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan.

First of all, Morgan really grew on me and they will miss his glove in left field. Reality is though he is a 29 year old outfielder with no power. He is also a guy who has never proven he can perform over an extended period of time He lacks fundamentals, especially on the base paths, where he could be the worst base runner in the game.

Had you told me before the season, we could get a five tool talent in Milledge and Hanrahan for Morgan, I would have laughed at you. To me, Burnett is the bigger loss. He had settled down in his role and really became a valuable lefty out of the pen.

Morgan, on the season was hitting .273 with 18steals in 28 attempts. Not a very good percentage, but he was great in the clubhouse. Burnett's ERA was sitting at 3.03 and in 32 innings of work had allowed only 37 base runners while fanning 27 batters.

While we mill miss Nyjer's smile and personality. Personality doesn't win titles, talent does. Is Milledge a head case? Yeah. Does he have an attitude? Yeah. Is he a gifted athlete with every tool in the book? Yeah. Is this trade a risk? Yes it is, but I think it's a risk the Pirates had to take.

Milledge, still considered one of the best young talents in the game, may just benefit from a fresh start. He knows he won't get too many more opportunities. He brings power and speed and a rocket for an arm. He didn't perform for the Nationals and was sent to AAA, but it's been so long since we have acquired this much raw talent in the organization. Too much talent is a great problem to have. Milledge could very well become a Milton Bradley kind of player, both on and off the field, but he realistically could become even better. Milledge is currently recovering from a thumb injury and should be up to the big club in about 10 days. He's just 24, and the Bucs hold his rights til 2013. Another positive is that if Milledge works out, there is no rush to get Tabata or Hernandez to the majors.

Hanrahan, has struggled in Washington, but I really like him. He pitched very well in the WBC. Manager Davey Johnson used him more than any other reliever in tough spots. Many feel the WBC hurt him this season as it has many pitchers. He has an inflated ERA, but his strikeout rate is up and his walk rate is down from last season. He has an explosive fastball and mixes in a slider and change as well. It never hurts to have power arms in the pen. He has closed for the Nats and could be insurance for Matt Capps if he has problems or is dealt. Like Milledge, the Bucs have Hanrahan's rights through 2013.

Many baseball experts agree and say its a win for the Bucs. If Milledge realizes his potential and cuts down the attitude, he has the talent to be a star and basically the Bucs get Hanrahan for free. I don't like the deal for the Nats but like it for the Bucs. It's the kind of trade the Pirates would have been on the other end of during the Littlefield regime. Finally the Bucs are selling high and getting talent in return, instead of just bodies.

It breaks down simply like this. The Pirates add two pieces to their future while giving up two guys that were not part of their plans. You have to like the risk and hope Milledge realizes his full potential.

This deal to me just isn't about the major league roster. By dealing Hinske, Morgan and Burnett, the Bucs were able to free up even more money for the international signing period, which begins Thursday. Now if they sign super prospect Miguel Angel Sano (they better) then everything makes sense. It looks as if the Bucs and Twins are the two main suitors for Sano, with the Orioles possibly sneaking in. This could be a long process though, so don't expect Sano to sign right away. This is a race the Bucs must win. Give the guy the money and make him a Pirate.

Jack Wilson spoke out against the trade and believe me if the Bucs had any alternative at short, he may be on his way out the door sooner than later. I really do feel bad for the current players, but their job is to perform and not try and play GM. As it is, I can see Wilson, Capps and Adam Laroche moving before the deadline. I have a feeling Grabow may stick around now, being the only lefty in the pen. I also don't see Freddy Sanchez being moved with so little middle infield depth in the organization. That's the next area Huntington needs to look at acquiring. I still target Brandon Wood as I wrote in a previous thread.

Back off of Huntington. Again it's a risk, but this trade could very well be a steal for the Bucs. Even if Milledge blows up and becomes a bust, the Pirates really didn't give up much to take a chance on the guy.