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.

Opening Day Roster is Set

The final roster moves have been made before today's 2pm deadline to finalize the opening day roster.  Hayden Penn and John Raynor get the final two roster spots, while Ramon Vasquez  was DFA'd and Steve Pearce sent to AAA.

The Bucs have 10 days to either trade or release Vasquez, so it's almost certain they will release him and eat his salary of 2 million for this season.

Here is what the opening day roster will look like

Starters: Zach Duke, Ross Ohlendorf, Paul Maholm, Charlie Morton, Daniel McCutchen.
Relievers: Octavio Dotel, Brendan Donnelly, Evan Meek, Javier Lopez, D.J.Carrasco, Jack Taschner, Penn.
Catchers: Ryan Doumit, Jason Jaramillo.
Infielders: Jeff Clement, Aki Iwamura, Ronny Cedeno, Andy LaRoche, Bobby Crosby, Delwyn Young.
Outfielders: Lastings Milledge, Andrew McCutchen, Garrett Jones, Ryan Church, Raynor.

Carrasco and Taschner had to also be added to the 40-man roster.  The release of Vasquez and Jose Ascaino to the 60-day DL, cleared spots for them.

Spring Notes:  Bucs finished  with an MLB worst 7-21 spring record.

Batting:  McCutchen led the team hitting .351, followed by Milledge at .308.
              Young led the team with 6Hr & 18 RBI's

Pitching: Carrasco led the team with a 2.25 ERA and a .184 opponents batting average against (my prediction is that he will lead all relievers in innings pitched for the second straight season.  He will be forced to pitch alot.)
              Other ERA's- Maholm 4.30 (best among starters), Duke 6.27 and Ohlendorf  9.61.

As you know, I place no stock in spring numbers, but I figured I'd throw that in for those who do.

The time for optimism is nearly over, opening day is tomorrow. The road to losing season #18 begins.  I will be in attendence.  I'm working on a new Bucco project for this season.  I will give details later

Around the Diamond- First Base

Let's move from behind the dish to first base and look at what the Bucco's will offer this season.  The job is unproven Jeff Clement's to lose.  I have always been a fan of the power potential of the former #3 overall pick Clement.  Now that he could be given a full-time opportunity, along with a short porch in right field, it could mean big things for Clement.

In 75 career games, Clemet has homered only seven times, but I expect a solid 25 dingers out of him if he holds onto the job. The Pirates desperatley need some power in the middle of the lineup.

 Defensively, he looks good so far; so hopefully that won't be a problem.  If Clement fails to win the job, Garrett Jones will shift from right field to first base, opening up a compettion for the starting job in right.

Throught the season, Bobby Crosby could also see some playing time at the position.  Steve Pearce also has an outside shot of making the team.  Management likes his versatility- he can also play right field (although not very well).  Pearce still has an option left so let's hope he is destined for Indianapolis.  He doesn't do anything for me.  He had a long look and didn't impress.

Position Grade Compared to the rest of the league-  D-  - Well below average.  You have to have run production from the corner infield spots and right now the Pirates just don't have it.  As much as I like Clement getting the shot, he also has yet to prove he can be a legitimate run producer.  If he does, the position could suddenly become a strength.

Figuring out the Opening Day Roster

So, spring training is right around the corner and not too many jobs are available.  Today I'm gonna look at the position players and with your help, we will decide wo makes the 2010 squad.

First off, I'm going to assume JR will carry 12 pitchers. Next, I'm going to assume Jeff Clement wins the first base job, something the Bucs are hoping as well.  In your scenerios though, assume whatever you want.

Here are the guys that should have the team made

Catchers- Doumit and Jaramillo
First Base- Clement
Second base- Iwamura
Third base- Laroche
Shortstop- Cedeno
Outfielders- Jones, McCutchen, Milledge, Church
Backup Infielders- Vazquez and Crosby

Assuming they keep 12 pitchers, they have a difficult decision ahead of them.  The final outfield spot.  It will come down to Brandon Moss, Delwyn Young and Rule 5 guy John Raynor.  Longshot candidates include Brandon Jones, Neil Walker and Steve Pearce.

So who gets the final job?  They could go with 11 pitchers but for a young team that will likely use the pen a good bit, that would likely be a bad idea, so we are still assuming only one roster spot is open, barring injury.

I say NH will work out a deal with the Malins to keep Raynor in the system, otherwise they either give him back, or Moss and Young are in trouble.  They love Raynors speed and ability to get on base, so I can't see them offering him back to the Marlins. NH did similar with the Rays in order to keep Evan Meek in the system.

I also would hate to see them give up on Moss so soon, but when there is talent behind you, the pressure is on to perform and Brandon Moss simply hasn't.  I would expect them to wait until closer to opening day, to make sure they are healthy and then deal Moss.

If all that happens, then my last roster spot goes to Delwyn Young.  I was happy with what Young showed last season. I also feel he was more effective as a pinch hitter and a spot starter than playing second base everyday.  Young is a valuable guy to have and he is can play a couple different positions and is a switch hitter, although he is much better from the left side.

Young earns the job in my mind and adds depth to the ballclub.  That's just my opinion though, let me know who makes your opening day roster.

Busy week for Bucs

A busy couple of weeks of moves for the Buccos.  The Bucs signed Ryan Church to a 1yr/1.5mil deal as a fourth outfielder.  I like the move.  Could be a good bench guy.  He is a good fit for the Pirates.  He hits left handed, something they desperately need.  He also plays solid defense and could play everyday if Jeff Clement doesn't work out at first base and they have to move Garrett Jones there.  He was often injured last season, splitting time between the Mets and Braves, combining to hit .273.  Church only hit four homers last season, but did hit 15 in 2007 with Washington.  Not a splashy type of signing, but teams need good bench guys also.

The Bucs also signed a couple relievers in D.J Carassco and Brenden Donnelly.  Carrasco is 32 and will earn a 950k base salary if he makes the squad.  He had a god year with the White Sox last season, posting a 3.76 era in 93.3 innings pitched.  Intresting that Carrasco and Brian Bass (who also signed a minor league deal with the Bucs) were 1&2 in the majors last season in innings pitched by relievers.

Donnelly was signed to a major league deal for 1yr/1.35mil.  He is a bit of a risk, coming off Tommy John surgery in 2007.  He saw his first big league action since 07 last year with the Marlins and was very effective, posting an era under 1.5 in slightly over 25 innings pitched.

The Bucs are also very close to signing Octavio Dotel.

The Pirates also cleared a spot for Donelly on the 40 man roster by dealing Brian Bixler to the Indians for ss Jesus Brito.  I don't know much about him but he is 22 and hit .353 combined between the Indians Rookie and Short Season teams.

I believe for Dotel to be signed, another spot on the 40 man must be cleared.  The likely guy in my mind to be released or dealt is Steve Pearce.

Again, not big named relievers, but the bullpen should be a bit more reliable this season.

One funny note is that with the signings of Donnelly, Carrasco and Chris Jakubauskas- that gives the Bucs three pitchers that used to pitch  in the Frontier League.  Probably three too many.

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

Where is the O?

During this rain delay I had time to do a lot of writing and thinking about this team. It's not a real good time for casual Pirates fans, but the real baseball fans need to just stick with it. I will be the first to admit that the last six games had me frustrated as hell watching the now feeble offense. Getting shut down by Gorzelanny yesterday was just as bad as the 17-2 beat down the day before. Leaving me with the question of, Where is the offense?

The answer is easy, it is mostly all at West Virginia and Altoona, but in the meantime, it would be nice to see these guys go out and at least battle. What happened to the patience and the solid approaches they had been taking at the plate all season? It's now become a collection of light hitting guys that are swinging for the fences and that approach simply never works. Remember that they are the youngest team in baseball and bad swings like this will happen. Better to happen now while they have nothing to play for. However, to me, these are the times when these guys can gain valuable experience and become major league hitters.

Let's take a look at the last 5 games. Tuesday started with a 7-3 win at Colorado and they had a good approach as a team. They had 11 hits, while drawing 9 walks. Seven of the hits went for extra bases and they stole 6 bases. They still struck out seven times, but on six of them the batters worked a full count. After that, you see the results drastically change, as did the teams approach at the plate. Wednesday's 8-0 loss to the Rockies saw the Bucs get only 4 hits and 5 bb's. No extra base hits, while fanning 8 times. Thursday the Rocks hammered the Bucs 10-1. The Bucs garnered only 3H and 3BB's. One extra base hit and 9k's.

Onto Chicago they went Friday and a 17-2 beating occurred. Offensively, they had 7 H and only 3bb's. Again only 1 extra base hit while 7 k's. Yesterday's 3-1 defeat, they showed even less patience, swinging at everything. Only 5 hits and 3bb's. One extra base hit and a whopping 13k's. You can see a theme and a pattern going on here. The Pirates are awful when they are a free swinging team. Including their win this week, they are batting .178 as a team. In the 4 straight losses, the have had a total of 21 hits and only drew 14 bb. Only 3 extra base hits, while striking out 37 times. They haven't stole a base in the 4 losses, after stealing 6 in the win. You can't be aggressive on the bases when guys aren't getting on base frequently.

I will address the power problem first. I have heard all the time lately that the guys brought over in deals aren't hitting for power. Mostly people are talking about Moss, Milledge and Laroche. I'm not worried about the home runs. Any hitting coachin the majors will tell you that the power will come. Young hitters have alot to do when they get to the majors. They basically have to learn how to hit. The biggest jump is between AAA and MLB. They have a lot to worry about at the plate. Picking out pitches to hit, picking out pitches to lay off, recognizing what the pitcher is doing to them, learning to go the other way, situational hitting, etc. Basically, learning how to have quality MLB at bats every time to the plate. Major league pitching can't be duplicated in the minors. Only the real special players can make a flawless transition to the majors. I'm confident the homers will come, especially from Laroche and possibly Milledge.

My problem is none of those 3 guys, or anyone else in the lineup is having consistent quality at bats right now. No one on the team is driving the ball, using the gaps. Everyone in the lineup has become pull happy. That's not a good approach for young hitters to take, ever. That's not the approach for veteran hitters either. I don't know if hitting coach Don Long isn't getting the message through, which I doubt, because when things are going good, everyone shows what they can do at the plate. I feel the pressure of losing is getting to these guys.

I also feel changes are needed although i wouldn't panic to make them since this team isn't going anywhere. Steve Pearce is not any everyday big league player. Bring up Clement and get him some at bats. He has nothing more to offer a AAA team and from what I hear, his defense hasn't been that bad. Keep Pearce up though, there are worse bench players around. Another option that could be considered is to bring Pedro Alvarez up. Get him some at bats at the MLB level. He has put it together at AA. He is hitting .350 at Altoona, hitting with power and drawing walks. I'd leave Young and Cedeno where they are. They are beginning to look solid up the middle. I'm also still a fan of Laroche at third.

In the outfield, I pretty much leave it the same. Milledge will be fine, but has to learn how to play left field. On a side note, Why do the Pirates continue to play defensively on the road like they are at PNC Park. I hate having the left fielder play well in the left center field gap all the time. They get killed on balls down the line. Milledge doesn't cover as much ground as Nyjer Morgan did, you would think they would adjust the outfield alignment. especially with the amount of ground McCutchen can cover in center. Suddenly we can't catch a cold in the outfield.

I would drop Milledge down to sixth in the order though. Put him in a spot where he can succeed and possibly some RBI spots. Cedeno would be a much better 2 hole hitter. He just handles the bat better. Not everyone can hit in the second spot of the order. Drop Milledge down now.

Starting today it would be nice to see the Bucs battle everyday at the plate. Go down fighting at least. Being aggressive doesn't mean swinging at everything. They have a much better team than they have shown this month. it would be nice to be able to go out and play spoiler for teams like the Cubs and Brewers. No more tanking it, it's getting painful to watch.

Notes
-Not to many since we haven't done anything of note lately, but you have to feel a little bad for Duke. He could easily have 15 wins this season. Every year though there is a guy who doesn't get run support and this year it's Zach.

- Have you noticed that Ohlendorff velocity has been back his last couple of starts. Having Joe Kerrigan around has been valuable to some of these guys. Tweaking the wind up and Ross's fastball has been backup to the 94-96mph range. He still has to find a way to be able to pitch the 3rd time through the order. He needs a second out pitch.

- I'm about tired of watching Moss come out of his shoes swinging for the fence. He is one guy that needs to simplify his approach.

- Not much good can come out of a 17-2 loss, but give Steven Jackson some credit for taking one for the team. He tossed 4.1 innings of scoreless relief, saving the bullpen.

-Give Pirates management credit for applying the resources they have in the right places. They have signed all top 10 of their draft picks and their aggressive approach has been noticed around baseball. They have drawn several compliments around baseball. It's a very good sign for the franchise's future.

A Tale of Two Teams

I haven't had a chance to post in a week, but I have some time now and what I watched the last two nights wasn't close to the same team. On Tuesday, we saw a young, energetic, aggressive team that was fun to watch. Patient at the plate, aggressive on the base paths, taking advantage of opportunities, timely hitting and good defense. Good pitching, (even the bullpen) and an overall team performance that was fun to watch. The Bucs broke their losing streak and even manged to win a game on the road. I was happy going to bed on Tuesday.

Last night, however; my mood changed totally after watching the miserable performance the Bucs displayed. Pretty much the same line up, but a totally different team. Granted, Ubaldo Jimenez was very good, but the Bucs made it easy on him. Let's start offensively, where was the approach from the night before? The same team that worked the count all game was gone. The same team that had a good opposite field approach was gone. The same team that utilizes both gaps was gone. Yes, a mere 24 hours later, we saw a free swinging, swing for the fences type of team that hasn't been winning lately. When the Bucs offense struggles, they are a very boring team to watch.

It's truly nothing to panic about though. They are a young team. They are going to be very inconsistent. Unfortunately, that tends to show on the offensive end of things. The don't have much power so to score runs, they rely on several guys having to hit well in the same day. The important thing is that these guys that are going to be around keep getting their at bats and get a whole season under their belt.

NOTES

- I thought Hart threw well last night, at least through 5. He has good enough stuff and the pitches he got beat on were actually good pitches. He seems to have the mental make up of a top of the rotation guy, which is always a good thing. I would like to see him get strike one more often though,

-Meek lands on 15 day DL. Probably a good thing. I like Meek's arm a lot, but suddenly with Meek, Chavez, Hanrahan, Capps, etc., the Bucs suddenly have too many of the same style of pitcher in their pen. Power arm, live fastball, suspect breaking stuff.

-With the Pirates, Lastings Milledge is hitting around .280, which is fine. I need some power and speed though. That seems to be a problem with many of the younger acquisitions of late. The power just hasn't come out. I will break down Milledge tomorrow in a new post.

- Why can't Jones seem to hit with guys on base? He tears the cover off the ball with the bases empty. His 12 Hr is a nice number, but I would like to see more than the 20 RBI's. I believe he has driven in only 4 runs that haven't come by the long ball and 9 of his 12Hr's have been solo shots. I like Jones a ton, but if he is going to be a middle of the order type hitter, he has to perform like it. Middle of the order guys drive in runs.

- Is anyone else tired of watching Ryan No-Mitt catch. I am. I hate how he calls a game. He doesn't block balls well and he has a below average arm. How many more times do I have to watch him call 3 straight fastballs in the same location then seeing the third one blistered. If that's not bad enough, where has that bat been. I have never been convinced that Doumit is an everyday player, especially behind the dish. he is a middle of the order rally killer and I would hope they consider dealing him in the off season. he has shown me nothing in the last 4 seasons to warrant sticking around.

- Piraes Fans have to love Cedeno at short. The right side of the infield in still excellent defensively. Cedeno and Laroche are fabulous with the glove and Young is looking more comfortable at second. I also like Pearce's glove at first.......BUT

- Let's end the Steve Pearce experiment. Keep him as a bench player though. Either make Jones the everyday first baseman or let's get a look at Clement, who is hitting very well at Indy.

-McCutchen is a flat out stud. I like what I saw on Tuesday. The only thing I have wanted to see more out of him is for Cutch to be more aggressive on the base paths. he picked his spots and stole 3 bases easily. He is improving in every aspect of his game every day. It just means he is becoming a complete ball player, one day at a time.

- What this team lacks is a leader. No disrespect to Ramon Vasquez or even No-Mitt, but they need a leader, or several; especially when things are going bad.

-Check back tomorrow for a story on Milledge and this weekend I will have my minor league report. Let's Go Bucs

New Look Buccos Debut with Success

Before I get into last night's game, I have to address the comments made by former Bucco Sean Burnett. He said, "We (Nyjer and him) saw this coming. They are the laughing stock of baseball." My initial reaction was "Who the F@#K are you."

Reality check to Mr. Burnett. YOU were part of the problem and the losing culture here as well. YOU were the guy that was a first round pick that never realized his potential. While not a huge part, you were still part of the problems which initiated all the moves to begin with. I will give credit when credit is due, you have become a decent lefty out of the pen, but you did nothing here except under achieve.

As far as the laughing stock comment, another reality check. Look at the name on YOUR jersey, that is if it is even spelled right. Yeah buddy, you play for the 30 win Nats and you have the balls to call out other franchises. Right now you are as low as you can be. At least the Bucs are taking the right steps to TRY and have a winning future. What have the Nats done, other than drafting Steven Strausberg, who they probably won't even sign. The future is alot brighter here then it is in Washington so you should probably keep your mouth shut.

By no means am I saying this franchise is in good shape. We will be a laughing stock until we start winning. However, for a guy like Burnett to criticize the Bucs, when he is in a far worse situation is ridiculous. He Sean, I will give you something to laugh at...........your career.

As far as the performance last night, I was excited. The lineup wasn't bad. it was no worse than it was before the deals, in fact I may like it better. Nice debut for Milledge and Cedeno. Also good for Pearce, starting to hit the ball with authority. maybe getting Clement lit a fire under him. A nice start by Ohlendorff as well. The only guy that was disappointing was Hanrahan. I think some of it was due to playing his former team.

The thing I noticed is that there was an extra step to these guys last night. A lot more energy out of the guys and they were having fun. They are definitely a more athletic team and will be fun to watch the rest of the season.

NOTES

-Andy Laroche is quietly becoming an excellent defensive third baseman.

- Fine job by Evan meek and Jessie Chavez getting big outs in big spots.

-Funny that Garrett Jones is the team leader in homers with 10, despite only being up for a month. The RBI leader is Andy Laroche with 38.

-Newly acquired Jeff Clement homered in his first two AB's at Indy.

-Tim Alderson goes tonight for Altoona

-Virgil Vasquez goes tonight for the Bucs, but expect it to be the last time. Kevin Hart will pitch on Wed.

-If you noticed, Nyjer Morgan is still a lousy base runner, getting picked off AGAIN by a right handed pitcher

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.

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.

Busy day for Bucs- Eric Hinske Dealt Away

Today was a very busy day for Pirates GM Neil Huntington. Probably just one of plenty busy days this coming month. The Bucco roster started changing early today with the trade of Eric Hinske. Hinske was traded away to the New York Yankees for two prospects. The Bucs acquire pitcher Casey Erickson and catcher/outfielder Eric Fryer. The Pirates also pitch in 400k of Hinske's salary. Both guys will start out in Class A for the Pirates.

Hinske, while a true professional, shouldn't have brought much of a return but Huntington was able to grab two prospects for him. The Bucs actually placed Hinske on waivers last week and he went unclaimed. So it was somewhat puzzling to see the Yankees offer up two youngsters for him.

Erickson has pitched as a both a starter and a reliever this season, but the Bucs will use him primarily as a starter. He throws four pitches for strikes and has a reputation of throwing strikes and throwing inside. Both traits appeal to the Pirates. In 44 innings pitched this season, Erickson has struck out 37 with a 2.25 era. Every report I have found on him has been positive.

The Bucs actually tried to acquire Fryer last season when he was in the Brewers organization. he was primarily a catcher last season, but has been mostly playing left field this year. Huntington said Fryer will return to catching immediately. He has an ops around .700 and 11 steals this season.

The trade is a win for the Bucs. You get a couple more youngsters in the organization. These guys probably won't be stars, but anything you get for Hinske is a positive. They both turn 24 in August and neither is viewed as a big time prospect, but both are viewed as improving the depth in the organization.

Plus it may free some at bats for Steve Pearce and newly called up Garret Jones to get a better look at them.

Bucco Notebook 6-26

Coming off a series win vs the Tribe, the Bucs can creep closer to .500 and the division lead with a series win, or hopefully sweep vs the Royals. That wasn't meant to be a joke, the Bucs, while in last are only six games out of first. While they won't win it, fans should pay a little attention to this team. This past week brought about three moves that give Pirates fans a cause for excitement in the future.

The first move was the promotion of Brad Lincoln to AAA Indianapolis. After mowing down hitters at AA Altoona, Lincoln looked very sharp in his AAA debut. Lincoln's record doesn't show his dominance as he is only 2-5, but the 2.20 ERA in over 81 IP is very encouraging. As is the less than a hit per inning and the 8k/2bb per 9IP. People inside the organization say Lincoln is ready, so he may get the call this season. Probably after the July 31st trading deadline.

The second move was the promotion of Pedro Alvarez to Altoona. The average will come up, but Pedro can flat out hit. He didn't waste any time connecting on his first AA homer. In 3 games with the Curve, Pedro has hit two homers and driven in five. So far in the minors, Alvarez is hitting .246 with 16 homers and 66 RBI's. A September call-up looks realistic at the moment. When was the last time that two Minor League promotions created a buzz in the Pirates organization the way Lincoln and Alvarez have.

The third move was just as popular. That involved Ian Snell being demoted to AAA (Thank God). I actually didn't go to the game on Friday because I couldn't watch Snell pitch anymore and after that performance, I'm glad I didn't. I would rather see a pitcher with lesser stuff, but with the guts to go after hitters than watch Snell baby his way around the strike zone any longer. Pirate fans are tired of the excuses and tired of Snell placing the blame on everyone except himself. Don't expect a deal, because he has absolutely no trade value. I for one hope Ian can figure it out, but chances are he will never pitch in Pittsburgh again.

Other Notes
- Virgil Vasquez gets the first shot at replacing Snell, but expect Jeff Karstens to wind back up in the rotation or Tom Gorzelanny to get another look- at least until Lincoln is deemed ready.

-Good crowds for the 3 games series against the Tribe.

-Andrew McCutchen is on his way to winning rookie of the year, as I predicted before the season began. He will put up better numbers than the guys ahead of him at the moment. The Rockies Dexter Fowler and the Cardinals Colby Rasmus.

-Heads up play from Jack Wilson realizing the wheel play was on and taking third in the ninth last night. Heads up because it worked. If he gets gunned we are all ripping him right now. I like the aggressiveness though.

-Speaking of McCutchen, he looks like he has been here for years. Rookies don't have the poise at the plate and carry themselves the way that Cutch does. The at bat to draw the bases loaded, game tying walk last night was spectacular. Especially after starting 0-2 in the count.

-13 game hit streak for McCutchen and has hit in 18 of 20 career games. The 18 RBI's out of the leadoff spot is also very impressive. He is hands down the best player to come through the Pirates system since Bonds. I've been trying to think of others, but other than Aramis Rameriz, there just isn't much to choose from, which says a lot about how the Pirates have been run the last 15 years. they have had a couple of very good players: Rameriz, Kendall, Mclouth, etc., but none with the potential to be great.

- Love the move from Pirates management to DFA Craig Monroe. I especially love the timing, the day after dogging it in the field and not running out a ground ball. Especially with a young team, they don't need that in the clubhouse. Stick with the young guys for now.

-Steve Pearce got the call to take Monroe's place. He was having another good year in AAA but until he can adjust to a major league breaking ball, Pearce may be nothing more than a AAAA player. He made a huge blunder in right the other day, but he does have power and if he figures it out could be a nice bench player and a short term stop gap at first base when Adan Laroche gets dealt.

-Good to see John Russell get his money's worth last night when he got tossed. JR gets criticized for not showing emotion, but I think he has been good for the team. He picked his spot and it was a good, long argument and the team responded with a win.

-How awful is this team on the road? The 14-26 record doesn't even begin to sum it up. The 19-13 record at home is nice, as is the 13-7 mark against the NL East. Even worse than the road record though is the awful 10-21 mark against the NL Central. To eventually be a good team, you have to take care of business on the road and inside your own division.

-All star weekend could be worth paying attention to. Both Alvarez and Lincoln have been selected for the Futures game and Zach Duke and Freddy Sanchez are making cases for the MLB all star game. Likely only one gets the nod, but there is an outside chance both could go.

-No updates on the Sano situation. This is one I would really like the Bucs to win. Go head to head with he big boys and come out of it with the player you want. There have been questions on weather he is really 16 years old and I say Who cares? It looks like the Bucs, Yanks, Twins, Orioles and Cardinals are the top suitors. The race for the super prospect Sano is one the Bucs need to win.