http://post-gazette.com/pg/10020/1029894-100.stm
I am very pleased with this move. He's a very good pitcher, and will definitely help with our bullpen. I don't know if he'll close, but he'll definitely be in the running for the 8th inning job. I don't think this move all of a sudden makes us a World Series contender, but it's a move a lot of people (including me) wanted. I am sure there will be a much more comprehensive write up in the near future.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Welcome back Duker!!
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10019/1029393-100.stm
The Pittsburgh Pirates came to terms on a contract with pitcher Zach Duke. This contract helps Duke avoid arbitration and guarantees Duke's services for the 2010 season. This is a move that needed to happen as Duke was one of the Pirates' most consistent starters in 2010. He went 11-16 with a 4.06 ERA. Obviously not spectacular numbers, but for a team that was as bad as the 2009 Pirates, those numbers are solid. I am hoping Duke has another consistent season in 2010 as he hasn't shown to be consistent on a year-to-year basis since he came to the Majors in 2005. We'll see if lives up to his contract, and performs at a mid-to-high level. I also wonder if he is having a repeat performance in 2010, if he'll be traded come the 2010 trade deadline?
The Pittsburgh Pirates came to terms on a contract with pitcher Zach Duke. This contract helps Duke avoid arbitration and guarantees Duke's services for the 2010 season. This is a move that needed to happen as Duke was one of the Pirates' most consistent starters in 2010. He went 11-16 with a 4.06 ERA. Obviously not spectacular numbers, but for a team that was as bad as the 2009 Pirates, those numbers are solid. I am hoping Duke has another consistent season in 2010 as he hasn't shown to be consistent on a year-to-year basis since he came to the Majors in 2005. We'll see if lives up to his contract, and performs at a mid-to-high level. I also wonder if he is having a repeat performance in 2010, if he'll be traded come the 2010 trade deadline?
Monday, January 18, 2010
SALARY DUMP!!!!
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100118&content_id=7933158&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
The Pirates announced today that they have finalized a trade that sends IF Brian Bixler to the Cleveland Indians in an exchange for Jesus Brito. I wonder if there’s going to be public outcry for this one? Bixler never really clicked in the Major Leagues and he definitely won’t be missed on the Pirates. He was a career .178 hitter and really never recovered from his 2008 opening day blunder against the Cubs. I doubt too many people are going to care about this deal, but it was time to move on. Bixler will probably never really be a decent MLB player; he just didn’t analyze pitches well. Goodbye Brian Bixler, best of luck to you and your career with the Cleveland Indians.
This move was probably made to open up a spot on the 40-man roster for RP Brendan Donnell, who recently signed a contract for one season worth $1.5 million. A lot of people believe Donnell was the “mystery pitcher” that was referred to, and many are waiting for the signing of Octavio Dotel. Which is rumored to be happening in the next couple days.
The Pirates announced today that they have finalized a trade that sends IF Brian Bixler to the Cleveland Indians in an exchange for Jesus Brito. I wonder if there’s going to be public outcry for this one? Bixler never really clicked in the Major Leagues and he definitely won’t be missed on the Pirates. He was a career .178 hitter and really never recovered from his 2008 opening day blunder against the Cubs. I doubt too many people are going to care about this deal, but it was time to move on. Bixler will probably never really be a decent MLB player; he just didn’t analyze pitches well. Goodbye Brian Bixler, best of luck to you and your career with the Cleveland Indians.
This move was probably made to open up a spot on the 40-man roster for RP Brendan Donnell, who recently signed a contract for one season worth $1.5 million. A lot of people believe Donnell was the “mystery pitcher” that was referred to, and many are waiting for the signing of Octavio Dotel. Which is rumored to be happening in the next couple days.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
DJ DJ!!!
Several sources have reported that the Pirates have inked former White Sox pitcher DJ Carrasco to a minor league deal. This is a very good signing for the Pirates who are trying to shore up their bullpen for the 2010 season.
Carrasco put up some pretty solid numbers in Chicago last season out of the bullpen. He was 5-1 with a 3.76 ERA and striking out 62 batters. He isn't a dominant pitcher by any means, but he should hopefully be consistent as a middle reliever. The only major area of concern is his WHIP 1.414, that is definitely a little high, and hopefully it comes down to his 2008 number of 1.138.
A lot of people think this move signifies that Octavio Dotel will be signing with the Pirates fairly soon as he and Carrasco were teammates in Chicago and from what I've heard are pretty good friends. Obviously baseball is a business, but you never know. Dotel would be a very good signing for the Pirates and would definitely shore up the bullpen for 2010.
I have been critical of Neal Huntington in the past, but so far this offseason he has remained true to his word in trying to find decent, but low cost options for the bullpen. He isn't signing A-List relievers, but the players he is signing are definitely better than what we would have had if we just stuck to our internal options. Don't mistake me, I don't think we're going to all of a sudden be a 90-win team, but right now the Pirates should put a better team on the field in 2010 than the one that ended the 2009 season.
Carrasco put up some pretty solid numbers in Chicago last season out of the bullpen. He was 5-1 with a 3.76 ERA and striking out 62 batters. He isn't a dominant pitcher by any means, but he should hopefully be consistent as a middle reliever. The only major area of concern is his WHIP 1.414, that is definitely a little high, and hopefully it comes down to his 2008 number of 1.138.
A lot of people think this move signifies that Octavio Dotel will be signing with the Pirates fairly soon as he and Carrasco were teammates in Chicago and from what I've heard are pretty good friends. Obviously baseball is a business, but you never know. Dotel would be a very good signing for the Pirates and would definitely shore up the bullpen for 2010.
I have been critical of Neal Huntington in the past, but so far this offseason he has remained true to his word in trying to find decent, but low cost options for the bullpen. He isn't signing A-List relievers, but the players he is signing are definitely better than what we would have had if we just stuck to our internal options. Don't mistake me, I don't think we're going to all of a sudden be a 90-win team, but right now the Pirates should put a better team on the field in 2010 than the one that ended the 2009 season.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Big Mac admits to being on the special sauce.
I was going to write about the Pirates signing Ryan Church, but this seems like a bigger deal. Mark McGwire finally admitted that he did steroids during the course of his career. This may be the biggest news story of the offseason, and it probably isn't a surprise to many.
I am glad McGwire finally admitted the truth and revealed his steroid use. This probably ensures that he will never make the Hall of Fame, but this will definitely improve the way the general public views him. Baseball fans love to forgive people, and I think this revelation will make 'Big Mac' a beloved figure around baseball again. Some people are going to say he cheated the game, and in a way he did, but he certainly wasn't the only one. No one can take away him basically saving baseball in the summer of 1998, and personally I already forgive him.
McGwire probably decided to come clean because of him being the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, and I think that is very commendable of him. Coming clean because he doesn't want to disgrace his employer. I am sure a lot of people will give him flack, and he might be booed at many of St. Louis' stops during the course of the season, but as far as I am concerned him telling the truth makes it all okay. It didn't take him getting caught ala Alex Rodriguez for him to tell the truth. He openly revealed it. I personally think Major League Baseball should thank him for being the first slugger during the "steroid era" to willingly come clean. Hopefully this leads to others, such as Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro to come clean and admit any wrongdoing.
Thank you Mark McGwire, hopefully this leads to people finally forgiving you and you eventually take your rightful place in Cooperstown.
I am glad McGwire finally admitted the truth and revealed his steroid use. This probably ensures that he will never make the Hall of Fame, but this will definitely improve the way the general public views him. Baseball fans love to forgive people, and I think this revelation will make 'Big Mac' a beloved figure around baseball again. Some people are going to say he cheated the game, and in a way he did, but he certainly wasn't the only one. No one can take away him basically saving baseball in the summer of 1998, and personally I already forgive him.
McGwire probably decided to come clean because of him being the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, and I think that is very commendable of him. Coming clean because he doesn't want to disgrace his employer. I am sure a lot of people will give him flack, and he might be booed at many of St. Louis' stops during the course of the season, but as far as I am concerned him telling the truth makes it all okay. It didn't take him getting caught ala Alex Rodriguez for him to tell the truth. He openly revealed it. I personally think Major League Baseball should thank him for being the first slugger during the "steroid era" to willingly come clean. Hopefully this leads to others, such as Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro to come clean and admit any wrongdoing.
Thank you Mark McGwire, hopefully this leads to people finally forgiving you and you eventually take your rightful place in Cooperstown.
Pirates sign Ryan Church
http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100111&content_id=7898104&vkey=news_pit&fext=.jsp&c_id=pit
This honestly isn't a bad move by any means. It's a pretty quality major league signing. He's a better option than Rick Ankiel because he's willing to accept a role as a bench player if/when Jose Tabata gets the call up to the big leagues. I think this might mean Brandon Moss will be gone soon, as Ryan Church may see more time in right field than him. Honestly, Moss had plenty of opportunities to prove he deserves to be an everyday Right Fielder, and each time he failed. Though we'll see what happens with Moss come spring training.
Overall I like the shape of the 2010 team seems to be taking, I'd like to see some more bullpen help signed before spring training, but I feel like our offense will be at least better than it was towards the end of last season. I don't think we're seeing a winning season in 2010, but we should improve. I don't see this team losing 100 games. I think if they can get to 75+ wins then that would be a good indication that the Pirates are finally heading in the right direction.
This honestly isn't a bad move by any means. It's a pretty quality major league signing. He's a better option than Rick Ankiel because he's willing to accept a role as a bench player if/when Jose Tabata gets the call up to the big leagues. I think this might mean Brandon Moss will be gone soon, as Ryan Church may see more time in right field than him. Honestly, Moss had plenty of opportunities to prove he deserves to be an everyday Right Fielder, and each time he failed. Though we'll see what happens with Moss come spring training.
Overall I like the shape of the 2010 team seems to be taking, I'd like to see some more bullpen help signed before spring training, but I feel like our offense will be at least better than it was towards the end of last season. I don't think we're seeing a winning season in 2010, but we should improve. I don't see this team losing 100 games. I think if they can get to 75+ wins then that would be a good indication that the Pirates are finally heading in the right direction.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Pirates add some pitching depth
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Brian Burres, Neal Cotts, and Tyler Yates to minor league contracts today. Burres and Cotts are both left handed, and we're all familiar with the right handed Yates.
Burres turns 29 in April, and has 265 career innings in the majors, with a 6.08 ERA, a 5.7 K/9, a 1.39 K/BB, and a 1.1 HR/9. Burres has mostly been a starter in his career, with 214 of his 251 innings in the rotation with Baltimore and Toronto. In his 51 innings as a reliever he's posted a 7.2 K/9 and a 1.32 K/BB ratio. He also hasn't had much of an advantage against left handers, with a .302 BAA and a .814 OPS versus lefties, compared to a .298 BAA and a .839 OPS versus right handers. In his career at AAA he has a 4.02 ERA in 261.2 innings, with a 7.2 K/9, a 2.36 K/BB, and a 0.9 HR/9, mostly as a starter.
Cotts turns 30 in March, and has a career 4.63 ERA in 256.1 innings pitched, with an 8.3 K/9, a 1.79 K/BB, and a 1.3 HR/9. He put up a decent season in 2008 with a 4.29 ERA in 35.2 innings, with a 10.9 K/9, a 3.31 K/BB, and a 1.8 HR/9, although he was mostly used in a LOOGY role, making 50 appearances. Left handers are a career .253/.335/.456 against Cotts, while right handers are a career .248/.353/.405, which doesn't really make Cotts a very effective LOOGY option.
Cotts was non-tendered by the Cubs after undergoing Tommy John surgery last July. He isn't expected to be ready until the middle of the 2010 season, at which point he could compete for any job openings.
Yates is the same as Cotts. He underwent Tommy John surgery in July, and won't be available until the middle of the season. Yates posted a 3.96 ERA in 50 innings out of the Braves' bullpen in 2006. In 2007 his ratios actually improved, with Yates cutting almost 1.5 BB/9 from his 2006 season, however his ERA jumped to 5.18. The Pirates traded Todd Redmond for Yates in 2008 and watched him put up a 4.66 ERA in 73.1 innings, although his control numbers fell back toward their 2006 totals. The big problem with Yates has always been control, as he only has one year out of the last four seasons with a BB/9 ratio under 5.0.
Burres turns 29 in April, and has 265 career innings in the majors, with a 6.08 ERA, a 5.7 K/9, a 1.39 K/BB, and a 1.1 HR/9. Burres has mostly been a starter in his career, with 214 of his 251 innings in the rotation with Baltimore and Toronto. In his 51 innings as a reliever he's posted a 7.2 K/9 and a 1.32 K/BB ratio. He also hasn't had much of an advantage against left handers, with a .302 BAA and a .814 OPS versus lefties, compared to a .298 BAA and a .839 OPS versus right handers. In his career at AAA he has a 4.02 ERA in 261.2 innings, with a 7.2 K/9, a 2.36 K/BB, and a 0.9 HR/9, mostly as a starter.
Cotts turns 30 in March, and has a career 4.63 ERA in 256.1 innings pitched, with an 8.3 K/9, a 1.79 K/BB, and a 1.3 HR/9. He put up a decent season in 2008 with a 4.29 ERA in 35.2 innings, with a 10.9 K/9, a 3.31 K/BB, and a 1.8 HR/9, although he was mostly used in a LOOGY role, making 50 appearances. Left handers are a career .253/.335/.456 against Cotts, while right handers are a career .248/.353/.405, which doesn't really make Cotts a very effective LOOGY option.
Cotts was non-tendered by the Cubs after undergoing Tommy John surgery last July. He isn't expected to be ready until the middle of the 2010 season, at which point he could compete for any job openings.
Yates is the same as Cotts. He underwent Tommy John surgery in July, and won't be available until the middle of the season. Yates posted a 3.96 ERA in 50 innings out of the Braves' bullpen in 2006. In 2007 his ratios actually improved, with Yates cutting almost 1.5 BB/9 from his 2006 season, however his ERA jumped to 5.18. The Pirates traded Todd Redmond for Yates in 2008 and watched him put up a 4.66 ERA in 73.1 innings, although his control numbers fell back toward their 2006 totals. The big problem with Yates has always been control, as he only has one year out of the last four seasons with a BB/9 ratio under 5.0.
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