Pirates Rumors

Taking Stock Of The Pirates

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 23, 2009 at 12:40pm CDT

John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus catalogues a decade and a half of poor decisions by the Pirates in his latest column, up at ESPN.com. Some of the team's more memorable gaffes:

Releasing Tim Wakefield.
Signing Pat Meares to a four year $15MM deal that surprised even Meares.
Commiting nearly $10MM to Derek Bell, then claiming the deal sent "shock waves through baseball" during the same offseason that Alex Rodriguez signed for $252MM.
Giving Bronson Arroyo up on waivers only to have him return to Pittsburgh as an All-Star for the Reds and call the Pirates the "most inept organization in baseball."

But the Pirates have shed some contracts in recent years and appear poised to get younger and better under current GM Neal Huntington. After next year they have commitments to Paul Maholm, Nate McLouth, Ian Snell, Ryan Doumit and Pedro Alvarez, but no one else. They reportedly have a good chance of signing 16-year-old shortstop prospect Miguel Angel Sano and are considering top talent with the fourth overall pick that they hold in this year's draft.

So what's the verdict on the Pirates? They don't appear likely to end their streak of 16 straight losing seasons this year, but are they on the right track? Or do they need new direction? What moves have to take place for the Pirates to join the best teams in the NL Central?

Odds & Ends: Giles, Vlad, Bay

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 23, 2009 at 10:00am CDT

Links for your Memorial Day weekend…

Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that the Giants should concede the division to the Dodgers and build for the future.
Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle shows that Nolan Ryan's presence has strengthened the Rangers by making it easier for them to recruit the coaches and executives they need.
As Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports, Brian Giles says he's "not even close" to being done. The right fielder's making $9MM this year and hitting .161 so far.
Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reports that the Angels would like to have Vladimir Guerrero back next year, at the right price. One executive said Vlad could be looking at a contract worth $5-7MM per year, for no more than two years when he becomes a free agent after this season.
As Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald notes, Jason Bay is "driving up his value almost daily." McAdam says there are indications the Red Sox could re-start extension talks during the All-Star Break.
Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer looks back at the deal that would have sent Andy Pettitte to the Phillies a decade ago.
In an article for ESPN.com, John Perrotto argues that the Pirates have no one to blame but themselves for their futility.

Dodgers Complete Delwyn Young Trade?

By Steve Adams | May 22, 2009 at 5:34pm CDT

The Dodgers have acquired minor leaguer Eric Krebs from the Pirates as one of the players to be named later for Delwyn Young, according to Diamond Leung.

Krebs, 24, is a right-hander with a 4.86 ERA to go along with a 2-4 mark. He's posted a very nice 8.9 K/9 rate and has allowed just nine HR over 195.1 innings in his five minor league seasons, but has also posted an ugly 5.0 BB/9 to go along with those otherwise impressive numbers. He was a 16th round pick out of high school by the Buccos in the 2005 draft.

Leung doesn't mention any other players yet.

Odds & Ends: Sano, Kieschnick, Strasburg

By Brian Shephard | May 21, 2009 at 8:31pm CDT

A few links for Thursday night:

In a Q&A, Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discusses the Pirates' chances of signing Dominican prospect Miguel Angel Sano, how they might replace Adam LaRoche at 1B if he is traded, and whether they might seek frontline starting pitching via trade.
Todd Coppernoll at Brewersfan.net has an interview with former major leaguer Brooks Kieschnick, the first player to hit a home run as a pitcher, a pinch hitter, and as a DH. This is a fascinating account of the rise and fall of a ballplayer. Key quote: "I knew my career was in trouble the minute the Cubs drafted me."
Jonathan Mayo at MLB.com makes his predictions for the top 10 picks in June's First-Year Player Draft. Not surprisingly, Stephen Strasburg tops the list.
Jim Callis at Baseball America says that Strasburg leaving Wednesday's game with back cramps is not cause for alarm.
Callis also offers his predictions for which players will fall in the draft due to signability concerns. He puts OF Donavan Tate, RHP Jacob Turner, and LHP Matthew Purke on the top of the list. Tate and Turner are Scott Boras clients and Purke is advised by Select Sports Group.

Jack Wilson-Yuniesky Betancourt Not Happening

By Tim Dierkes | May 21, 2009 at 2:33pm CDT

THURSDAY: Baker has an update: the Pirates find Betancourt too pricey. Baker is surprised by this, but it seems reasonable to me that they would not want to take on an additional $4MM+ for that kind of project.

MONDAY: According to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, the Pirates and Mariners have discussed swapping shortstops Jack Wilson and Yuniesky Betancourt. Let's break down the details.

Wilson, 31, is hitting .254/.289/.310 in 77 plate appearances this year; he missed time with a sprained finger. He's owed another $5.59MM this year plus a $600K buyout for 2010, for a total of about $6.2MM. He has a limited no-trade clause that applies to six teams. Wilson approached the Bucs in March about a possible extension. John Dewan of The Fielding Bible rated him as the third-best defensive shortstop in the game.
Betancourt, 27, is hitting .264/.290/.368 in 132 plate appearances this year. Earlier this month, manager Don Wakamatsu benched Betancourt to send him a message. In his book, Dewan rated Betancourt the fourth-worst defensive shortstop in baseball. Under his contract signed in April of 2007, Betancourt will earn $1.53MM more this year, $3MM in 2010, $4MM in 2011, and a $2MM buyout in 2012 for a total of about $10.5MM.
Given the $4.3MM difference in guaranteed money, I can't see why the Pirates would entertain a deal like this. Betancourt would be more appealing if he was not locked up. Even then, he's a project.

Pirates Claim Steven Jackson

By Tim Dierkes | May 18, 2009 at 4:03pm CDT

The Pirates have added another Yankees pitcher, claiming righty reliever Steven Jackson off waivers today according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Injured pitcher Jimmy Barthmaier was released to make room.

Jackson, 27, posted a 1.88 ERA in 14.3 Triple A innings this year. This is his third stint at that level. He'd joined the Yanks in the Randy Johnson-Arizona deal, and was the last remnant of that 2007 trade. Jackson works with a low-90s sinker, according to Baseball America.

Odds & Ends: Mets, Cubs, Astros

By Tim Dierkes | May 18, 2009 at 11:16am CDT

Links for Monday…

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told Baseball America's Jim Callis that the team's #10 overall draft pick will not be influenced by signability. MLB.com's Bill Ladson's source believes negotiations between Rizzo and Scott Boras for Stephen Strasburg will go well, given their past history.
Regarding Friday's call for MLBTR writers, I still have many applications to review. I will keep you updated here on the site.
McCovey Chronicles discusses The Jonathan Sanchez Paradox.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post names Nick Johnson, Aubrey Huff, and Mark DeRosa as the most probable trade targets for the Mets if Carlos Delgado is out for an extended period of time. Check out MLBTR's discussion of this topic from Saturday. SI.com's Jon Heyman also weighed in today.
Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal has an update on progress made on the sale of the Cubs.
On Sunday, Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote that Freddy Sanchez's current contract clause will likely cause the Pirates to avoid vesting options in the future.
On June 1st, Alyson Footer will begin a new job working for the Astros. The new MLB.com beat writer will be Brian McTaggart, who covered the team for the Houston Chronicle.

Pirates Add Two Prospects

By Nat Boyle | May 17, 2009 at 1:02pm CDT

According to George Von Benko of MLB.com, the Pirates have acquired outfielder Jeff Corsaletti from the Red Sox and pitcher Randy Newsom from the Indians, both for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Both prospects will be assigned to Double-A Altoona. Benko writes,

"The 26-year old Corsaletti was batting .128 at Triple-A Pawtucket. In 13 games, the left-handed-hitting outfielder had no home runs and one RBI. Newsom, a 27-year old sidearming right-hander, was 2-0 at Double-A Akron with a 2.45 ERA and one save in eight appearances."

Odds & Ends: Rays, Gorzelanny

By Nat Boyle | May 17, 2009 at 1:00pm CDT

Links for Sunday…

Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburgh Times says the Rays are lacking the "joie de vivre" that perpetuated their success last season. Is this from the Rays offseason personnel changes and loss of clubhouse guys like Cliff Floyd, Eric Hinske, or Jonny Gomes? Gabe Kapler was supposed to help fill this void. Maybe the Rays need to begin winning consistently before they look like they're having fun, not the other way around?
Pirates starter Tom Gorzelanny has been recalled, according to Dejan Kovacevic. Tyler Yates was put on the 15-day disabled list due to right elbow inflammation, making room for Gorzelanny.

Signing Sano Risky For Pirates

By Nat Boyle | May 17, 2009 at 9:43am CDT

We've been keeping a watch on Dominican top prospect Miguel Angel Sano recently. The 16 year-old is reportedly coveted by all 30 teams and expected to land a signing bonus over $3MM when the international signing period begins July 2. The Pirates are reported as having the inside track but Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the signing is "fraught with risk."

According to Kovacevic, dealings between Major League Baseball and Latin American systems are done "mostly through unwritten, unspoken agreements" and the Pirates would be throwing out an established pay scale. Further, the Pirates have never committed anything close to $4MM in a bonus for a Dominican player, and to do so for a 16 year-old carries obvious risk. Lastly, Kovacevic notes the Pirates spent $9.8MM on last year's draft. If they continue to spend more, they'll risk damaging their draft class.

On the other hand, not signing Sano could result in dispirited talent evaluators "effusive in their praise of Sano's potential," as well as a loss of participation in "special tryouts" in the D.R. should the Pirates come off as unserious buyers.

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