Pirates Rumors

Chan Ho Park Leaning Towards One More Season

By Mike Axisa | October 2, 2010 at 8:42pm CDT

This season hasn't gone according to plan for Chan Ho Park, who is currently with the Pirates after being designated for assignment by the Yankees, but he told MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch that he's leaning towards playing at least one more season. If he does return, he'd be willing to remain in Pittsburgh if there's mutual interest…

"It's a good team with a good future," Park said. "If I play for this team next year, a .500 or winning record is going to be a big goal for this team. I want to be a part of that and have that. We have so much talent here."

GM Neal Huntington left the door open for a reunion, but the two sides haven't talked about anything definitive yet. The club likes the way he has mentored the young pitchers on the staff.

Park indicated that a guaranteed contract would certainly tilt the scales towards a return. Money might not be of much importance though; not only has CHoP banked over $85M in his career, he's also married to the daughter of the 76th wealthiest man in Japan.

The 37-year-old righty has pitched to a 4.66 ERA in 63.2 innings this season, but he's been much better since moving to Pittsburgh: 28.1 IP, 3.49 ERA, 7.3 K/9, 2.2 BB/9. He picked up his 124th career win just last night, setting the record for the most ever by an Asian-born pitcher in MLB.

Huntington Non-Committal About Russell’s Future With Bucs

By Mark Polishuk | September 30, 2010 at 8:17pm CDT

It's not exactly a ringing vote of confidence when a GM refers to the issue of his manager returning next season as "the million-dollar question" (Twitter link) but that's just how Pirates general manager Neal Huntington referred to the club's situation with manager John Russell. Speaking with Jim Bowden of FOXSports.com, Huntington said that the club would evaluate their major league staff after the season and didn't seem to hint as to whether or not Russell would be back in 2011 (both Twitter links).

Both Huntington and Russell had their contracts extended last winter, though there were some rumors that Russell could be fired back in June. Russell has a 185-296 record in three years as Pittsburgh's manager, and while it's hard to entirely blame Russell given the team's lack of talent, the fact that the Pirates have the league's worst record this season doesn't help his case. Russell was Huntington's first hire as the team's manager back in November 2007.

Should Pittsburgh decide to go in a different direction, they will be the seventh club (after the Blue Jays, Braves, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Mariners and Marlins) looking for a new manager this winter. This number could rise if Milwaukee declines to pick up Ken Macha's option, the Mets fire Jerry Manuel, Tony La Russa leaves St. Louis and Joe Girardi doesn't re-sign with the Yankees. One potential managerial opening is all but officially closed with Dusty Baker on the verge of re-signing with the Reds.

Pirates To Select First In 2011 Draft

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 29, 2010 at 12:45am CDT

No team in baseball will have a worse record than the Pirates this year, so Pittsburgh will have the top selection in the 2011 first-year player draft. The Mariners and Pirates could both finish 61-101 if the Mariners lose all of their remaining games and the Pirates win all of theirs, but even if that happens, the Pirates will have the first overall pick. Pittsburgh's record was worse than Seattle's in 2009, so the Mariners will not select higher than second. For a look at how the rest of the picks are shaping up, check out MLBTR's reverse standings.

The Pirates will have the first overall pick for the fourth time in franchise history. The organization selected Jeff King (1986), Kris Benson (1996) and Bryan Bullington (2002) with its other top picks. Baseball America's Jim Callis took a closer look at those three picks on Monday.

The Pirates have a poor major league product that clinched an 18th consecutive losing season earlier this year, but GM Neal Huntington has spent aggressively on amateur talent. For example, the team signed second overall selection Jameson Taillon to a reported $6.5MM bonus this year, so look for the Pirates to draft the best amateur player available next June. Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon might be the favorite; Huntington told Dejan Kocacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last night, "Prior to the [ankle] injury, Rendon's a very interesting player. We've got to see where he is post-injury."

Odds & Ends: Pirates, Marlins, Rangers

By Tim Dierkes | September 27, 2010 at 12:52pm CDT

Six years ago today, the Rockies signed righty Jhoulys Chacin as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela. This year as a rookie, Chacin has a 3.26 ERA in 132.3 innings. Links for Monday…

Pirates GM Neal Huntington indicated a preference to sign a free agent pitcher to a multiyear deal, in comments made to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The Marlins are considering a slight payroll bump for 2011 to the $48-50MM range, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
The Rangers signed a 20-year extension with Fox Sports Southwest worth $3 billion, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
The Brewers' trade return on a one-year rental of Prince Fielder may be disappointing, suggests Dave Cameron of FanGraphs. In a U.S.S. Mariner post, Cameron explains why he doesn't find Fielder a good fit in Seattle.

First Base Options For The Pirates

By Tim Dierkes | September 27, 2010 at 7:07am CDT

Pirates GM Neal Huntington recently expressed interest in finding a platoon partner for Garrett Jones at first base next year, specifically a right-handed hitter who performs well against southpaws. MLBTR has eleven names to kick around; here they are with their work against lefties since 2008:

Mike Napoli – .321 batting average/.415 on-base percentage/.608 slugging percentage. Napoli would be an expensive platoon bat, as he'll be getting a raise on this year's $3.6MM salary. He could help out behind the dish as well, but the Bucs already have Chris Snyder and Ryan Doumit under contract and may try to move the latter.
Garrett Atkins – .297/.375/.468. Atkins struggled against righties and lefties this year with the Orioles, but he'd only be a minor league signing.
Ryan Garko – .294/.373/.443. Same story as Atkins.
Fernando Tatis – .286/.367/.435. He's in line for a minor league deal as well, but will be battling back from July labrum surgery.
Ty Wigginton – .273/.353/.425. The Mets traded Wiggy, Jose Bautista, and Matt Peterson to the Pirates in '04 for Kris Benson and Jeff Keppinger. Pirates GM Dave Littlefield released Wigginton in advance of the '05 Rule 5 draft so he could take Victor Santos from the Royals.
Melvin Mora – .283/.351/.471. He's had a resurgent year; perhaps the Rockies will look to re-sign him. Mora would be a viable candidate for the Pirates, though most of his first base experience is limited to this year.
Andruw Jones - .215/.350/.427. He's logged only eight career games at first base.
Troy Glaus – .222/.350/.405. Glaus could be signed on the cheap with the hope that his power returns.
Jorge Cantu – .286/.349/.464. Cantu's stock is down, but he could be a buy-low opportunity.
Juan Rivera – .285/.335/.514. Rivera's a trade candidate, but the Angels would have to pick up much of his $5.25MM salary for 2011. Doumit will earn a similar amount, but he's not a great fit for the Halos.
Marcus Thames – .264/.332/.504. He doesn't have a ton of first base experience (44 games), but he will be coming off a fine season for the Yankees.

Odds & Ends: Pettitte, Marlins, Laird, Pirates, Ely

By Luke Adams 2 | September 26, 2010 at 12:13pm CDT

Sunday links, as the Rays look to extend their league-best winning streak to five games….

Andy Pettitte tells Newsday's Ken Davidoff that his participation in the government's indictment of Roger Clemens won't impact his baseball future. The 38-year-old also says he doesn't expect to still be playing at age 40.
Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post tweets that the Marlins have no timetable for when they'll hire a permanent manager, though they have a short list of four or five candidates.
Like teammate Jeremy Bonderman, Gerald Laird isn't sure whether he'll be a Tiger next year. "If a better opportunity presents itself, I'll probably take that route," the backstop told Tom Gage of the Detroit News (Twitter link)
GM Neal Huntington discusses the Pirates' upcoming offseason with Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, noting that the club may pursue a platoon partner for Garrett Jones at first base.
Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun wonders if the Orioles will aggressively go after an impact bat this winter.
John Ely may be pitching himself out of the Dodgers' 2011 plans, writes Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times.

Odds & Ends: Webb, Pirates, Ozzie, Pena, Mets, Lopez

By Mike Axisa | September 25, 2010 at 9:37pm CDT

Some links to check out after the Rangers clinched their first AL West title since 1999…

Brandon Webb will meet with new Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers next week to discuss his immediate future, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert and Andrew Pentis. Webb acknowledged that he's not 100% back from shoulder surgery, but he wants to be activated next week to showcase himself before hitting the free agent market.
Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com says that the Pirates have begun the process of evaluating their relievers. It's safe to say that Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan are the only guys guaranteed jobs next year.
Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times tweets that Ozzie Guillen said the Cubs would be an option if he does not return to the White Sox next season.
Carlos Pena doesn't think his struggles this season (.200/.329/.412) are the result of him putting too much pressure on himself in advance of free agency, writes Tony Fabrizio of The Tampa Tribune.
Michael Baron of Metsblog.com says that the Mets shouldn't rule out any kind of trade that can improve the roster, even if it includes David Wright or Jose Reyes.
Felipe Lopez told FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal that he rejected the Padres' waiver claim because he wouldn't have felt like part of the team (all Twitter links). Lopez wouldn't have been eligible for San Diego's playoff roster if he helped them clinch a playoff spot.
ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider req'd) says that some within the Orioles organization view Victor Martinez as someone who could serve as a backup catcher and mentor to Matt Wieters while still getting plenty of at-bats at first base and designated hitter. We learned of Baltimore's interest in V-Mart yesterday.
With their contracts set to expire after the season, the futures of long time Tigers Jeremy Bonderman and Brandon Inge are up in the air, writes Lynn Henning of The Detroit News.
Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune reports Ozzie Guillen indicated that any decision about his future will first go through his family. Ozzie's status beyond this season has been uncertain of late.
MLB president and COO Bob DuPuy is expected to move out of his current role according to Olney, though the timing of the move is unclear. DuPuy was viewed by some as a potential successor to commissioner Bud Selig, who has indicated that he will retire when his contract is up in two years.
Last, but certainly not least, hello to MLBTR reader Aaron Hill! He was caught checking out MLBTR in this clubhouse video tour with Shaun Marcum.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: LaRue, Martin, Ortiz, Minaya

By Mike Axisa | September 24, 2010 at 12:22pm CDT

On this date four years ago, Trevor Hoffman set a new career saves mark when he retired Ryan Doumit, Jose Bautista, and Freddy Sanchez of the Pirates in order. His 479th save moved him past Lee Smith and into first place on the all-time list, a spot he still holds today with 600 career saves on the nose. Other than Mariano Rivera and the soon-to-retire Billy Wagner, no active closer is within 310 saves of Hoffman's mark.

Here's a collection of links from the last week of the baseball blog world…

The Hardball Times takes an in-depth look at the legal implications of the Johnny Cueto–Jason LaRue brawl that led to LaRue's retirement.
Disciples of Uecker checks in with the players the Brewers traded for C.C. Sabathia back in 2008.
Pittsburgh Lumber Co. looks at how the Pirates bullpen has performed since trading away some key pieces at the deadline.
The Process Report follows up a previous post and explains how Jose Lobaton continues to help the Rays even though he's never played a game for them.
Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness breaks down the Dodgers' options with Russell Martin.
Red Sox Beacon tries to figure out what Boston should do with David Ortiz.
Amazin' Avenue audits Omar Minaya's front office.
Crashburn Alley discusses the genius of Charlie Manuel.
Drunk Jays Fans looked at the merits of Rays' bench coach Dave Martinez as a potential Cito Gaston replacement.
Feeling Dodger Blue says Tim Wallach should have gotten the Dodgers manager job over Don Mattingly.
A Fan's Opinion plans out the Angels offseason.
DesigNate Robertson does the same, but for the Tigers.
Lookout Landing guesses at the Mariners' 2011 payroll.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Odds & Ends: Kasten, Pirates, Rolen

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 23, 2010 at 12:42pm CDT

Links for Thursday as we congratulate Jose Bautista and Ichiro Suzuki. Bautista hit his 50th homer of the season in Toronto today and soon afterwards, Ichiro reached the 200-hit plateau for the tenth time in his ten-year career…

Nationals president Stan Kasten will not return to the team after the season, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter links). Owner Ted Lerner released a statement saying the organization respects Kasten's decision and "will continue to call upon him for his vast knowledge of the game."
Pirates manager John Russell tells MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch that the Pirates are closer to respectability than some think. Russell, who faces speculation that he could be dismissed, says he isn't worried about his job security.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports admits that his initial assessment of the Scott Rolen trade was off-base. Like many analysts, Morosi questioned the Reds' decision to give up top prospects (Zach Stewart and Josh Roenicke) for a third baseman who appeared to be past his prime.

Odds & Ends: Pirates, Jenks, Jays, D’Backs GM, Torre

By Luke Adams 2 | September 20, 2010 at 9:38pm CDT

Links for Monday night, as the Phillies extend their NL East lead with an eighth consecutive win….

Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette provides a lengthy preview of the 2011 Pirates, speculating about how the team may improve its roster.
Ozzie Guillen tells Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that he has no idea whether the White Sox' front office plans to retain Bobby Jenks next year.
The Toronto Sun's Ken Fidlin believes that questions about J.P. Arencibia behind the plate and Adam Lind at first base mean that the Jays could attempt to bring back John Buck and Lyle Overbay.
Ed Price of AOL FanHouse reports (via Twitter) that Logan White is out of the running in the Diamondbacks' search for a general manager. ESPN.com's Buster Olney confirms (via Twitter) that it appears to be a two-man race between Kevin Towers and Jerry Dipoto. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports suggests that the D'Backs are torn between the appeal of Towers and loyalty to Dipoto; they should name a GM this week.
Joe Torre hasn't ruled out managing the Mets or another club, writes Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork. Torre told WFAN: "I don't really anticipate managing again, but I think it would be unfair not to listen just out of curiosity to see if something excites me."
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that Coco Crisp would like to return to Oakland next year, though he knows he'll have little say in whether his 2011 option is exercised.

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