Pirates Rumors

When To Expect Top Prospects

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 1, 2010 at 9:43pm CDT

From now on, teams that call prospects up to make their major league debuts no longer have to worry that those players will go to arbitration an extra time. It's now June and prospects that debut from this point on will not pick up more than 124 days of MLB service time this year. There's almost no chance that that would be enough for super two status after 2012. We all know when to expect Stephen Strasburg, but let's take a look around the majors and anticipate the arrivals of some more top prospects:

Mike Stanton – You thought Jose Bautista had a lot of homers? Stanton hit his 19th and 20th of the season tonight at AA in front of Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest. The 20-year-old Stanton, ranked by Baseball America as the Marlins' best prospect this offseason, entered today's action with 39 walks and 50 strikeouts. Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel says it may not be long before Stanton is playing in the majors.
Carlos Santana – The 24-year-old catcher began the season as one of the best prospects in baseball and he has lived up to expectations so far in 2010. Santana has hit .315/.450/.565 at Triple A with ten homers and more strikeouts than walks. Lou Marson, who is actually younger than Santana, struggled early on for the Indians, but has impressed Indians manager Manny Acta lately. Still, Marson has a .216/.270/.276 line this season, so Santana appears to have more offensive potential.
Pedro Alvarez – The Pirates, who have scored the second-fewest runs in the National League, might be tempted by the .261/.349/.511 line Alvarez has posted in Triple A. No Pirate has a slugging percentage as high as the one Alvarez has posted in the minors and just Ryan Doumit and Andrew McCutchen have been getting on base as much.

Stanton, Santana and Alvarez have played well, but they aren't the only ones who could arrive in the majors before long. Desmond Jennings, Jeremy Hellickson, Aroldis Chapman and Brett Wallace could conceivably get the call within a few weeks.

Odds & Ends: Trembley, Konerko, Oswalt, Athletics

By Tim Dierkes | June 1, 2010 at 8:33pm CDT

Links for Tuesday, as Scott Rolen's big season continues…

The Orioles should put manager Dave Trembley "gently out of his misery" and fire him, if you ask Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the D'Backs were smart to acquire Dontrelle Willis.
Jack Moore of FanGraphs says Oliver Perez and Jeff Suppan have "parasitic" contracts.
Paul Konerko told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that speculation linking him to the Angels is none of his business and a "non-issue" for him.
If you're on your cell phone, consider checking out our mobile site at mlbtraderumors.mobi. It's a stripped-down version of the site that just shows headlines on the front page.
The Cardinals could use a starting pitcher, and Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch runs through some options. One official told AOL FanHouse's Ed Price about a rumor that Roy Oswalt would only accept a trade to the Phillies, Cardinals, or Yankees.
Josh Willingham, Corey Hart, Jose Guillen, Luke Scott, and Garrett Jones are a few speculative names tossed out by FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi as offensive additions for the Athletics. Keep in mind, though, that Willingham is not known to be available and Jones is slugging .415.
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wonders if the Pirates will release Akinori Iwamura, though he admits it'd be "an especially bitter pill for management."
It's too early for the Rangers to think about trading Vladimir Guerrero, opines ESPN's Richard Durrett. They're only one game out!
Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe looks at Theo Epstein's midseason work from years past. This year, Massarotti feels that adding a late-inning reliever is a priority.
Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues hopes Kanekoa Texeira clears waivers and is offered back to the Yankees. ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that he thinks the Yanks would take him back if given the chance.

Pirates Acquire Dana Eveland

By Tim Dierkes | June 1, 2010 at 12:36pm CDT

The Pirates acquired lefty Dana Eveland from the Blue Jays for righty Ronald Uviedo, according to a press release. Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was first to report the Pirates' impending acquisition.

Eveland, 26, posted a 6.45 ERA, 4.2 K/9, and 5.4 BB/9 in 44.6 innings for the Blue Jays before being designated for assignment on May 23rd. The Jays had acquired Eveland in February from the Athletics for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Before the '06 season, Eveland was ranked seventh among Brewers prospects by Baseball America – one spot before Nelson Cruz. BA likened Eveland to David Wells in terms of his build and pitchability. A statement from Pirates GM Neal Huntington indicated Eveland will join the team's rotation.

Uviedo, a 23-year-old Venezuelan, has a 3.22 ERA, 11.3 K/9, and 4.8 BB/9 in 22.3 relief innings this year for the Double A Altoona Curve. Baseball America ranked Uviedo 18th among Pirates prospects heading into the '09 season. BA described him as rail-thin and homer-prone, but praised his fastball and slider.

Odds & Ends: Angels, Willis, Oswalt, Jones

By Tim Dierkes | May 31, 2010 at 9:18pm CDT

Memorial Day linkage, as Ubaldo Jimenez continues to amaze…

T.J. Simers of the LA Times offers a profile of refreshingly down-to-earth Angels owner Arte Moreno.
Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune explains the dilemma the White Sox will face when they have the chance to select Ozney Guillen on draft day.
Ryan Zimmerman would like to see the Nationals acquire Roy Oswalt, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link).
A scout told Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that he would be interested in Adam Jones if the Orioles considered trading him, despite the young outfielder's 2010 struggles.
MLBTR is looking for an intern with strong Excel skills and a willingness to contribute for 30 minutes a day. If you are interested in this unpaid data entry position, send a short e-mail to mlbtrintern@gmail.com by the end of the day.
We will be giving away a DVD of the movie Sugar to our 30,000th Twitter follower (currently 584 followers away). Sugar chronicles a Dominican pitcher trying to make it to the Majors.
The Cubs announced the promotion of 2008 first-round pick Andrew Cashner. The big righty will work out of the bullpen. Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle notes that several years ago, Cashner offered the Astros a hometown discount and they declined.
The Pirates benched second baseman Akinori Iwamura in favor of Neil Walker, reports Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Iwamura, the team's highest-paid player, was an out-of-character acquisition for GM Neal Huntington. At the time of the trade there had been talk about an extension, but we have to assume that idea has been tabled.
Dontrelle Willis' agent Matt Sosnick spoke to MLB.com's Jason Beck, saying his client could benefit from a fresh start despite a fair chance with the Tigers.
Rany Jazayerli says Dayton Moore is not the worst GM in baseball, and it is too early to judge his organizational rebuilding effort.
With one week left, AOL FanHouse's Frankie Piliere has his third first-round mock draft. ESPN's Keith Law also posted a mock draft, for those who have Insider.
Heath Bell explained to Bill Center and Chris Jenkins of the San Diego Union-Tribune why he still has hostility toward the Mets.

Pirates Acquire Jonathan Van Every

By Tim Dierkes | May 31, 2010 at 8:54am CDT

The Pirates reacquired outfielder Jonathan Van Every from the Red Sox for catcher Josue Peley, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. The Sox had acquired Van Every from the Bucs on April 24th, but designated him for assignment ten days ago.

Van Every, 30, missed most of the '09 season due to knee surgery. In '08 he hit .263/.360/.524 in 442 Triple A plate appearances. He's played mostly center field in the minors.

Peley, 22, has struggled mightily with the bat in his minor league career, most recently with the Pirates' Low A club. Peley was a 35th-round draft and follow pick in '06; the Pirates converted him from middle infield to catcher.

Remembering the 1990 Trade Deadline

By Howard Megdal | May 28, 2010 at 2:42pm CDT

Ah, 1990. Times were very different then. Ken Griffey Jr. played for the Seattle Mariners. The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live were on the air. And Congress passed a bill in response to an unprecedented oil spill.

But even if that all seems familiar, the trade deadline of 1990 certainly won't. The action came later in the season, with most of the biggest trades actually taking place in August. Let's meet at the corner of Transaction Avenue and Memory Lane…

The Boston Red Sox, keen on acquiring a first baseman, grabbed Mike Marshall from the Mets on July 27 for three minor leaguers, headlined by Greg Hansell. Marshall was actually pretty effective for Boston, with a .464 slugging percentage in 117 plate appearances, though he was near the end of his career.
An August 3 deal between the Braves and Phillies had hidden implications. The immediate deal? Dale Murphy for Jeff Parrett. Both teams also included players to be named later. Atlanta got Jim Vatcher and Victor Rosario. Philadelphia got Tommy Greene, who posted a 3.66 ERA from 1991-93 and and pitched a no-hitter in 1991.
In a Doyle Alexander-for-John Smoltz-like trade, the Pirates acquired Zane Smith from the Expos for Willie Greene, Scott Ruskin and a player to be named later. At first, the deal seemed one-sided, as Smith went 6-2 with a 1.30 ERA for Pittsburgh as the Pirates won the NL East. However, the PTBNL turned out to be… Moises Alou.
The Athletics, en route to a World Series appearance, made a pair of interesting moves just before postseason rosters could be set. On August 29, they acquired Harold Baines from the Texas Rangers for Joe Bitker and Scott Chiamparino. The same day, they traded top prospect Felix Jose, Stan Royer and Daryl Green to the Cardinals for Willie McGee. The move froze McGee's National League batting average at .335- he'd go on to win the batting title in absentia. Good thing, too- his .274 mark with Oakland brought his season line down to .324, meaning under today's rules, which combine NL and AL totals, he'd have finished behind Eddie Murray (.330), Dave Magadan (.328) and Lenny Dykstra (.325).
And the Houston Astros, on August 31, made a blockbuster move, trading longtime second baseman Bill Doran to the eventual World Champion Cincinnati Reds for Terry McGriff, Keith Kaiser and Butch Henry. Oh, and also, they made a throwaway trade, dealing reliever Larry Andersen to the Boston Red Sox for so-so prospect Jeff Bagwell.

Latin Links: Abreu, Herrand, Alfonzo

By Nick Collias | May 27, 2010 at 8:34am CDT

Ubaldo Jimenez dominates the Spanish-language press like he dominates NL hitters, but a few other stories have managed to make it to press. Links are in Spanish…

Bobby Abreu held a conference call with Spanish-speaking reporters press earlier this week, and the focus quickly switched from his philosophy of hitting to the end of his career. Lider en Deportes' Cesar Augusto Marquez quotes Abreu as saying he'd like to play five more years in the majors in the hopes of attaining 3,000 hits. The 36-year-old Venezuelan admits, however, that his timeline might change if he comes to believe the round number is out of reach. Assuming Abreu produces between 160 and 180 hits this season, as he has for each of the last ten, five more in the same range should put him over the edge.
The Pirates continued their recent surge of Latin American signings yesterday by adding righthanded Dominican pitcher Jonathan Herrand for $185K out of the Dominican league La Javilla. Jeffrey Nolasco at Hoy paints an impressive picture of Herrand as a potential power arm: 6'4", with a 95 mph fastball backed by two plus breaking pitches and a delivery that his Javilla coach compares to a young Pedro Martinez. Pedro plus five inches—not a bad place to start.
Edgardo Alfonzo would like to return to the big leagues, and to the Mets in particular, the player tells the New York-based El Diario/La Prensa. Given that Alfonzo's two great seasons and one memorable postseason in Flushing are now a decade past, you'd be forgiven for mistaking him to be older than Abreu at 36. Alfonzo's last stint in the majors was in 2006 with the Blue Jays, and he's been playing consistently in Japan, Venezuela and for the independent Newark Bears since.

July 2 Update: Abad, Peguero, Sanchez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 26, 2010 at 2:35pm CDT

We're still more than a month away from July 2nd, when teams can officially sign a new crop of international talent. That means most of us are thinking about Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and the other American, Canadian and Puerto Rican prospects eligible for the upcoming amateur draft. But Melissa Segura of SI.com has the latest on some international players who are attracting heavy interest (all Twitter links):

Righty Luis Alvaro Abad is attracting interest from the Yankees, Astros, A's and Blue Jays.
Six to eight teams are pursuing dominican shortstop Estalin Peguero and interest is heating up.
Elvis Sanchez is also picking up momentum; the Mets, Pirates and Astros appear to be interested.

Odds & Ends: Reds, Rookies, Pelfrey, Lima, Alvarez

By Luke Adams 2 | May 23, 2010 at 2:35pm CDT

Links for Sunday, as we await tonight's Subway series rubber match….

The Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay looks at what a trip to the disabled list for Homer Bailey would mean for the Reds' rotation. Bailey left today's game after just 2.1 IP with shoulder soreness. Fay writes that it won't be Aroldis Chapman, who is having his next start pushed back due to a blister.
Joel Sherman breaks down the tremendous amount of talent in the rookie class of 2010, and wonders if it ranks among the best ever.
In a separate article, Sherman profiles Mike Pelfrey's success so far in 2010, and relays that the New York right-hander wants manager Jerry Manuel to keep his job.
Former MLB pitcher Jose Lima has died of a massive heart attack, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes (via Twitter). Our condolences go out to Lima's family and friends.
Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports lists ten veteran players who he thinks deserve to be traded to another team.
Pirates fans could see 2008's second overall pick, Pedro Alvarez, arrive in Pittsburgh soon, writes Bob Cohn of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Alvarez is hitting just .243 at Triple-A Indianapolis this season, but he has homered ten times and slugged .497.
The Chicago Sun Times' Rick Morrissey says that Ryne Sandberg might not be a good fit as the eventual manager of the Cubs, even if fans would love to see it.
With Rays Senior VP of baseball operations Gerry Hunsicker in Houston this weekend, Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle looks back on Hunsicker's tenure as the Astros' GM.

Odds & Ends: Orioles, Scheppers, Pirates, Blue Jays

By Mark Polishuk | May 21, 2010 at 5:55pm CDT

As we prepare for a weekend of watching AL pitchers take ineffective swings, here are a few news items…

Dave Cameron of Fangraphs thinks the Orioles should take advantage of their terrible start by being the first team to put its assets on the trade market.
Texas relief prospect Tanner Scheppers could be in the majors by the All-Star Break or even sooner, predicts John Sickels of MinorLeagueBall.com.
ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill looks at what the Pirates might do with the second overall pick in next month's amateur draft.
The Blue Jays want "a top prospect" for either Scott Downs or Jason Frasor, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, and other teams consider that to be too high a price for either reliever.
Olney also notes (via Twitter) that Seattle is still looking for batting help.
Matt Eddy of Baseball America discusses several prospects in a chat with fans. In regards to Indians prospect Lonnie Chisenhall, Eddy predicts that Cleveland will buy out Jhonny Peralta (for $250K) rather than pick up his $7MM club option in 2011, and then have Chisenhall take over as the everyday third baseman. Chisenhall has just a .641 OPS at Double-A Akron this season, so it might be too much to expect him to move up to the majors that quickly.
Larry Stone of the Seattle Times compares the situations of fading future Hall-of-Famers Ken Griffey Jr. and Trevor Hoffman.
ESPN's Rob Neyer thinks Colorado can do better than Luis Castillo or Kazuo Matsui if the club is serious about improving itself at second base.
Trevor Plouffe, Minnesota's first-round pick (20th overall) in the 2004 amateur draft, will make his major league debut tonight for the Twins, reports Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

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