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Taking Stock Of The Pirates

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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 and Ends: Bonds, Boras, Snell

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Links for Thursday…

Braves Interested In Maholm, McLouth, Snell

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4:54pm: Dejan Kovacevic learned that the Braves asked the Pirates about Maholm and Nate McLouth.  Neither player would come cheap.

3:35pm: According to John Perrotto of the Beaver County Times, the Braves are interested in Paul Maholm and Ian Snell but wouldn’t be willing to trade Tommy Hanson.  It’s hard to see the pitching-deprived Pirates trading either starter without getting MLB-ready pitching in return.  Perrotto adds that the Nationals also have interest in Snell.

Olney’s Latest: Cardinals, Snell, Milledge, Maine, Fuentes

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Buster Olney’s latest offering is packed full of links:

  • Bernie Miklasz notes that the Cardinals have only three starting pitchers (Adam Wainwright, Todd Wellemeyer, and Joel Pineiro) locked up for next year (he’s not expecting Chris Carpenter to contribute in 2009), and no prospects waiting in the wings. His solution? Pry open owner Bill DeWitt’s wallet, "and please, no el cheapo deals for rehabbing pitchers, medically risky pitchers, broken-down pitchers."
  • The Pirates have it a little bit tougher. According to pitching coach Jeff Andrews, it consists of Paul Maholm and "a blank sheet." Here’s one vote for adding Ian Snell, "on the verge of becoming the best right-handed pitcher to come from Delaware since World War I," according to DelwareBaseball.com, who sponsors his Baseball Reference page.
  • According to GM Jim Bowden, the Nationals will explore ways to upgrade their defense for 2009, including the possibility of moving Lastings Milledge from center field back to a corner spot. Left fielder Elijah Dukes could move to center.
  • Despite going through a difficult divorce, Padres’ owner John Moores is not planning on selling the team—which he bought because of his soon-to-be ex.
  • The Mets seem to be rushing John Maine back from the DL in an attempt to keep their playoff hopes alive.
  • Dave Krieger is amazed that the Rockies aren’t doing anything to try and keep free-agent closer Brian Fuentes.

Sarah Green writes for the Boston Metro and Umpbump.

Frank Coonelly MLB.com Chat

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Pirates president Frank Coonelly chatted with fans at MLB.com today.  Highlights:

  • The Pedro Alvarez drama will not prevent the Pirates from drafting a Scott Boras client in the future.  Coonelly’s history with Boras was not a factor in the negotiations.
  • Coonelly is confident Alvarez will be a Pirate soon, and doesn’t think the contract can be voided.  He adds, "under no circumstance could Alvarez be granted free agency."
  • The Pirates will not be spending $10MM+ per year on a free agent starting pitcher.
  • Coonelly insists the Pirates were not shopping Ian Snell at the trade deadline.  Jayson Stark and Jon Heyman said Snell was available, with the Bucs asking for Franklin Morales and two other prospects from the Rockies.

Heyman’s Latest: Pie, Cole, Snell

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Here’s the latest column from SI.com’s Jon Heyman.

  • Cubs prospect Felix Pie has seen his value slip this year.  He didn’t hit in 70 plate appearances with the big club.  His Triple A OPS slipped from .973 in ’07 to .780 this year.  You have to wonder if the Cubs will remove the untouchable tag this winter.
  • Heyman says there was never any negotiations between the Yankees and Scott Boras regarding Gerrit Cole.  The Yanks would’ve offered $4MM+, but Cole preferred college (at his father’s urging).
  • Heyman confirms Ian Snell was available before the trade deadline.  The Pirates wanted pitching prospect Franklin Morales and then some from the Rockies.  Snell is on an affordable long-term contract, so maybe talks will be revisited in December.

Stark’s Latest: Manny, Fuentes, Livan, Dunn

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ESPN’s Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings column up.

  • Some teams won’t go anywhere near Manny Ramirez given the way he exited Boston.  Opinions range on whether he’ll get two, three, or four years this winter.  Will he turn it off again after signing a long-term deal?  And will other players use the same strategy to escape their contracts?
  • The Rays are likely to stand pat, despite recent injuries.
  • Rockies players haven’t hit the waiver wire yet; Dan O’Dowd plans to wait until month’s end.  Stark wonders whether the Cards could win a claim on Brian Fuentes.  Not likely, given the contenders in front of them in waiver order.
  • All kinds of near-deals in the final minutes on deadline day – John Grabow to the Phillies, Ian Snell to the Rockies, and Jason Bay to the Rays.
  • Livan Hernandez’s incentives get expensive in a hurry once he hits 160 innings, and the Twins are on the hook for those.
  • Stark talked to officials from two teams who didn’t think the Reds would’ve offered Adam Dunn arbitration.

Renck’s Mailbag: Snell, Helton, Holliday

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Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post published a mailbag today with some good rumors.

  • The Pirates wanted Franklin Morales, Esmil Rogers, and Chris Nelson for Ian Snell.  Can’t blame ’em for asking.
  • Last winter, the A’s asked for Ubaldo Jimenez in a deal for Dan Haren.  As good as Haren’s been, the Rockies still have to be happy they passed.
  • Renck doesn’t see the Rox picking up Shawn Chacon – reportedly he has not been working out over the past month.
  • Renck reveals that Todd Helton asked the Rockies upon signing his megadeal that money not be deferred.  Nonetheless it’d be an intriguing way to free up cash to use on Matt Holliday.  Renck feels the Rockies might offer Holliday five years, while he’ll seek seven.

Rockies Intensify Search For Fifth Starter

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The Rockies and Pirates were in discussions about starter Ian Snell before the non-waiver trade deadline, but Pittsburgh’s asking price of Franklin Morales was to high for the Rox to match, effectively killing the deal.

After another bad outing from one of their starters this week, however, and knowing they will look for a fifth starter via the waiver wire, the Rockies may have to revisit the Snell talks, as Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post thinks he would’ve been a "tantalizing option;" Renck also mentions Josh Fogg as an alternative for the Rox.

Fogg pitched for the Rockies in 2006 and Snell drew some interest from the Mets before the deadline.

Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com. Post-deadline rumors? Comments? alexo05 [at] umpbump [daught] com.

Mets In Holding Pattern

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8:39am: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says the Mets have "kicked around" the idea of acquiring Ian Snell from the Pirates and using him in relief for the rest of the year.  Snell is signed through 2010 with club options for ’11 and ’12.  It’s tough to see the Bucs moving him, even in an off year.

8:13am: According to David Lennon of Newsday, the Mets are not finding a deal to their liking for a reliever or outfielder.  They’ve put pretty much all of their good prospects off-limits – Fernando Martinez, Jon Niese, Eddie Kunz or Bobby Parnell.

Players such as Raul Ibanez, Brian Fuentes, George Sherrill, and J.J. Putz have all been on the radar.  But the Mets just don’t like the prices.  Lennon says they still might move Scott Schoeneweis though.

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