Here’s a look at some news on the Pirates courtesy of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Rob Biertempfel..
- Kevin Correia’s agent told the Biertempfel his client will test free agency and Bucs management has given no indication it will try to bring Correia back. The right-hander requested a trade over the summer when Wandy Rodriguez’s arrival bumped him out of the rotation. Correia posted a 4.21 ERA with 4.7 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 28 starts and four relief appearances last season.
- General Manager Neal Huntington certainly will try to acquire a big league-ready catcher if he moves closer Joel Hanrahan over the winter. If they try to acquire a backstop on the open market, they’ll find a rather shallow market at the position. Potential targets include Gerald Laird, A.J. Pierzynski, Yorvit Torrealba, Kelly Shoppach, and Humberto Quintero.
- The Pirates will stick with A.J. Burnett and Rodriguez at the top of their rotation and look for a veteran starter to bolster the back end of the starting five. Given their budget restraints, the club may look at Kevin Millwood, Tim Stauffer, Chris Young, Carlos Villanueva, Jeff Francis, and Jeremy Guthrie.
- Despite his up-and-down performance in 2012, right-hander James McDonald remains in the plans for the rotation next season.
Cool, looking forward to 21. Can’t wait.
Please sign Shaun Marcum
Keith Law says that his FB is now down into the mid 80s.
At the end of the year, it was topping out around 88 versus being around 91-92 previously in the year.
this isnt a slow pitch softball league?
I’m in the minority but I wouldn’t trade Hammer. I seriously doubt anyone they sign with the savings will be as good. The Pirates problem isn’t contract value, it’s talent. Hanrahan is a good pitcher, whether you agree with his role or not is moot.
I think a closer on a losing team is more of a luxury than a necessity. I would rather pay $7 million to get an veteran catcher (unlike Barajas, someone who can throw to 2nd) than give it to a pitcher who will only get the ball in close games. The Pirates have so many needs on offense.
I think they should trade Hanrahan if they can get a decent return. I’d offer him for Salty and Andrew Miller and see what Boston thinks. I know they have Bailey but he’ll always be a question mark and they have many other dominant lefties in their pen.
However I disagree with your notion that he is a luxury. Even though they had a losing season, the Pirates aren’t a “losing team” anymore who’s talent goes to waste because their season is over by June. They have been in contention the past two seasons and should operate as contenders. They should have no problem fitting 7M in their payroll for a closer along with adding a few other things.
Nutting has greenlighted expensive players like Burnett and Wandy, and they should push the payroll up to 70-80M if they really want to win. They are so close but just need a little extra push.
Not a huge Salty fan and would like to see him moved for prospects with the shortage of decent catchers around the league, but relievers are not anything Boston needs to move him for and especially high priced ones.
Boston already has 1 closer making 4m due a raise in Bailey, Aceves closed last year and can close if need be, they have Tazawa.. The setup relievers are fine. There is no need for Hanrahan and if they chose to move Salty? They could fill a hole at a position of need.
I could easily see Correia end up in KC. He wouldn’t be too expensive a free agent, and I don’t see Dayton Moore having the funds or ability to land any top tier starters this year.
And he’d be an improvement over most starters they have (not counting Duffy and Paulino till they get 100% healthy)
The Padres have lots of catching depth. I don’t know who they would want from the Pirates, but maybe that’s a match.
Why would they trade for Hanrahan when they just extended Street?
Probably not for Hanrahan, but they have to want someone from PIT.
Wouldn’t mind Nick Hundley
I think SD would deal Hundley to anybody who wanted him in a heartbeat.
I think Hundley will have a comeback season, but the Padres have Grandal and Baker making him the odd man out. They need to trade him, get something for him.
I was thinking Hundley as well as soon as I read that the Bucs were looking for a catcher. Sure he had an off year last season, but he definately isn’t as bad as he was last year and at $3 million a season for the next two, he won’t break the bank either. I’m sure he wouldn’t cost the Pirates to much as I’m sure San Diego will just be trying to take his salary off the books.
It’s too bad it didn’t work out for Hundley in San Diego. He signed what looked to be a team friendly deal to stay on board and then Grandal comes along and sets the bar, offensively, a little higher than Hundley can get to.
If the Pirates are only going after those catchers then get A.J. Pierzynski. What about Russell Martin from the Yankees? I would like to have seen them make an effort for Mike Napoli but that looks like thats not happening. I don’t like any of the pitchers that are listed, I would like the Bucs to be in on Haren, Dempster, or Marcum. What about bullpen pitchers?
AJ is 35 and can go ‘any minute’. Russel Martin’s bat speed has been going downhill. Law says that, if he leaves Yankee Stadium, he’d be lucky to slug .400
i want A.J with no doubt but i just said about Martin if the Bucs dont get A.J.
36 when next season starts. Worth mentioning that he was a below average hitter (by wRC+ or OPS+) every year from 2004 to 2011.
Jeff Keppinger would be a perfect addition to the Pirates. Not only can he play multiple positions (2B,SS, OF, 3B), but he got on base in 37% last season (career obp= .331), which is a critical need for this offense (the team was 4th worst in obp last season). Use the money saved from trading Hanrahan to sign Keppinger.
I’m a Rays fan. I like Keppinger a lot but his numbers this past year are pretty deceiving. A little luck was definitely on his side.
Bedard!
I have Liriano going to the Pirates
I don’t like his lack of command..
Toronto could move Arencibia if it meant Neil Walker coming to the Jays. Thoughts?
Don’t think the Pirates will fill one hole by creating another.
crazy is my thoughts. a good hitting, smooth fielding infielder for a horrible average/OBP power hitting catcher, not really. Walker should have quite a bit of trade value and while Arencibia isn’t bad, he’s not worth Walker. You guys can have Snider back or maybe swing a three way deal where someone takes Hanrahan.
Walker is a native , so the only way he leaves, is when his 6 years are up, and they attempt to lowball him, which they will. That is the mentality of the current FO, unfortunately.
The Biertempfel. lol
Pierzynski is underrated because of his attitude…I think he is a huge asset to whatever team he is on. Unfortunately I feel like the Sox have lucked out on his health and will not be interested in paying for the contract under which he will decline into retirement (or pro wrestling).
I didn’t watch many Pirates game this year, but McKenry’s numbers look good. Is his defense poor? Seems like they have bigger holes than catcher…
McKenry is below average at throwing out runners. But he has been praised for his work with the pitching staff. He’s a decent hitter, a spark plug in the lineup
He’s a decent hitter but sort of got exposed and slumped when he played every day. He’s a good catcher but needs to share time with someone else to be effective.
Bringing in someone like Salty or Arencibia to split time would probably generate a good amount of production out of the catcher spot.
I’d like to see Pittsburgh take a flyer on Guthrie, or some other NL team with a stadium that plays fairly large. Guthrie never really had a chance at offensive friendly Coors field and bedard was a terrible move last year.. Can always count on him going down, then when he is healthy just standing on the mound and throwing without emotion.. Like he could care less and just for the money.
This club never goes anywhere, as long as Huntington holds the title of GM. 2013 will just be another wasted year, and i am a life long pirate fan.
It really sucks having such an incompetent front office overseeing this franchise.
Hanrahan is gonna make $10 Million. Not worth it, if you ask me. Someone will want him though. I say Hanrahan to the Blue Jays for Arencebia. I also think Villanueva is another Karstens, which isn’t bad. The Pirates will pick Morton over Karstens, so it seems Karstens is done in Pittsburgh. I like Villanueva and Liriano the most here. I think Mike Morse is the best option in the OF, but on a one year contract, he might not be worth it. I hope the grab Victorino but maybe Hairston, Andruw Jones, Gomes, or Keppinger is the best move here.
I’ll post lineups with Morse and Vicorino… Both look playoff worthy
with Morse
1.) LF Marte/Tabata/Snider
2.) 2B Walker
3.) CF McCutchen
4.) 1B/RF Morse
5.) RF/1B Jones
6.) 3B Alvarez
7.) C Arencebia
8.) SS Barmes
9.) Pitcher
OR
with Victorino
1.) RF Marte or LF Victorino
2.) LF Victorino or RF Tabata/Snider
3.) CF McCutchen
4.) 1B Jones
5.) 2B Walker
6.) 3B Alvarez
7.) C Arencebia
8.) SS Barmes
9.) Pitcher
Alvarez will not be batting 6th this year
In what universe? As long as they are forced to play never-was players like Garrett Jones they aren’t making play-offs.
The stats looked good from these same guys last year. They’re one big bat away from contending
That’s my point, that bat is nowhere in sight. The Buc recent history is any bat they acquire fits into one of two categories: 1- never-was or 2- has-been.
Morse is not a free agent.
They could trade him if LaRoche comes back.
I forgot, the Pirates cannot through a runner out. I don’t pay a whole lot of attention to what catcher can through out a runner but out of the guys mentioned up top or Arencebia, Ramos, Maldonado, Hundley, and Salty; who can through runners out?
Hundley can.