These past few years I have been one of many fans wondering about how much money the Pirates were making and what they could be spending. Recently though I have been happy to focus on not making stupid baseball mistakes, you know resembling a competent organization. That was something that has been missing for many, many years here.
Today I read two very interesting articles that has me thinking a great deal about the amount of money that the Pirates may indeed be making. Both are written by two of the more respected baseball writers out there on a national level in Jayson Stark and Ken Rosenthal. In both they talk about the apparent money woes that the teams are crying about and the collusion watch that the union is on.
In the middle of it all is our old friend, Scott Boras. Granted there are times when I wish Scott Boras did something else with his life, but this is one time that I appreciate him. Boras is making a call to anyone who will listen that something is fishy out there with the books for baseball, and Scott Boras is not one to make such pronouncements without a leg to stand on. You may argue if it is the right leg to be standing on, but he does have something backing him up.
Boras points from many sources of his, and he has a research firm of his own, that many teams are making almost $80 million before even opening the gate, and he accuses the Pirates of being one. Of course Frank Coonelly immediately denied the report, but if you read over those articles it makes sense. Revenue sharing, plus extra funds for being in a smaller market, plus local media contracts, well it all adds up rather quickly.
This not only involves the Pirates, but also all of baseball, as the CBA is coming up after next season and the commish has plenty of things he wants done and the union seems to want to stop many of them. It may lead to some sort of labor strife, but it might be a good thing if we can move ever more closer to fixing the game.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Going Back to Japan
It seems that there has been some news this week that Neal Huntington is going to continue to mine Japan for talent. We all remember Dave Littlefield's flirtation with Japan in signing Masumi Kuwata. Kuwata by the time he came here was well past his prime, but was a legend in Japan. Huntington is taking that up a notch, first by the trade for Akinori Iwamura and now with the flirtation with Japanese free agent Ryota Igarashi.
Igarashi is a right handed reliever that has pitched for the Yakult Swallows for the past decade. At age 30 he is not too old and is a very useful pitcher. His numbers in Japan are pretty impressive and he has the renown of being of one of the hardest throwers in the entire history of the NPB. Igarashi has posted some pretty good strikeout numbers, though he did miss 2007 due to Tommy John.
Looking at Igarashi's numbers, he seems to fit the mold of guys that Huntington really likes to have, power throwers. Add that to what the fact that few if any MLB players have seen him, and he looks like an attractive option to look to sign.
Other things that are going for Igarashi are that the Giants are the only other team apparently interested in him, he was once teammates with Akinori Iwamura, and he might come pretty cheap. If my conversions are correct he did not make over a million dollars last year in Japan, so he will be well within the Pirates price range to add him.
Adding Igarashi would be a good move. I mean we have already trotted out a bunch of guys that don't really belong in the big leagues out of our bullpen, so why not give him a shot. If anything he will raise the profile of the Pirates in that area of the world, especially teaming him with Iwamura, and he will be a tangible sign of the Pirates doing things differently.
Igarashi is a right handed reliever that has pitched for the Yakult Swallows for the past decade. At age 30 he is not too old and is a very useful pitcher. His numbers in Japan are pretty impressive and he has the renown of being of one of the hardest throwers in the entire history of the NPB. Igarashi has posted some pretty good strikeout numbers, though he did miss 2007 due to Tommy John.
Looking at Igarashi's numbers, he seems to fit the mold of guys that Huntington really likes to have, power throwers. Add that to what the fact that few if any MLB players have seen him, and he looks like an attractive option to look to sign.
Other things that are going for Igarashi are that the Giants are the only other team apparently interested in him, he was once teammates with Akinori Iwamura, and he might come pretty cheap. If my conversions are correct he did not make over a million dollars last year in Japan, so he will be well within the Pirates price range to add him.
Adding Igarashi would be a good move. I mean we have already trotted out a bunch of guys that don't really belong in the big leagues out of our bullpen, so why not give him a shot. If anything he will raise the profile of the Pirates in that area of the world, especially teaming him with Iwamura, and he will be a tangible sign of the Pirates doing things differently.
Friday, November 6, 2009
40 Man Shuffling
Today the Bucs removed Virgil Vasquez, Eric Hacker, and Steve Lerud off the 40 man. All three were on the roster for about a year or so.
The removing of Lerud makes the most sense of them all. He was added last year as a worst case scenario backup at catcher. A team needs to have one and since Lerud needed to be added and was the highest level catching 'prospect' he was the guy. His removal signals to me that, while he probably won't get added this offseason, Tony Sanchez is the "if all of our major league guys go down he'll be our in house option". I think that speaks a lot of how highly Sanchez is regarded.
Hacker only appeared in three games so we really did not get to see what he can do on the big league level. He came to the Bucs from the Yankees on a waiver wire claim, so the Bucs might be hoping they can slide him through and get him back to the minors.
The puzzling one is Virgil Vasquez. Not that he was really great, but he was one of the few options we had in the upper minors. But after some thought, his spot may get taken by one Brad Lincoln, now sitting at AAA and almost assuredly a guy that will at some point, pitch in Pittsburgh this next season. It is either that or they are all of sudden comfortable with Daniel McCutchen being the upper level minor league guy to call upon in troubled times.
The removing of Lerud makes the most sense of them all. He was added last year as a worst case scenario backup at catcher. A team needs to have one and since Lerud needed to be added and was the highest level catching 'prospect' he was the guy. His removal signals to me that, while he probably won't get added this offseason, Tony Sanchez is the "if all of our major league guys go down he'll be our in house option". I think that speaks a lot of how highly Sanchez is regarded.
Hacker only appeared in three games so we really did not get to see what he can do on the big league level. He came to the Bucs from the Yankees on a waiver wire claim, so the Bucs might be hoping they can slide him through and get him back to the minors.
The puzzling one is Virgil Vasquez. Not that he was really great, but he was one of the few options we had in the upper minors. But after some thought, his spot may get taken by one Brad Lincoln, now sitting at AAA and almost assuredly a guy that will at some point, pitch in Pittsburgh this next season. It is either that or they are all of sudden comfortable with Daniel McCutchen being the upper level minor league guy to call upon in troubled times.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The Dealer Strikes Again
It seems as though Neal Huntington just can't sit too long without making some move to shake up the roster. Just when you thought that it might be quiet for a while, Neal goes and pulls off a trade during the World Series. In this one, he made a move with Tampa Bay to acquire Akinori Iwamura for reliever Jesse Chavez.
First, it is sad to see Chavez go. We went through some growing pains with him and it seemed as though he may have turned the corner this season. As the endless summer dragged on, Chavez was at times one of the more reliable guys we could turn to in the pen. In the end, Huntington saw Chavez for what he was, a reliever, and they are a dime a dozen.
Coming over we get Akinori Iwamura, a second baseman that the Pirates probably were going to target if the Rays were to non-tender him by declining his option. Iwamura is far from a star or someone that will put us over the top, but he is a solid above average second baseman. If he is over his knee injury, he is surely an upgrade over the out of position Delwyn Young.
What I like about this trade is that we get an everyday position player that is above average, for a reliever that is much easier to try to replace. There is some stability there now in the middle infield by having Iwamura come over from the Rays.
What is puzzling, and Dejan seemed to hint at it in his blog, is that the Bucs are really big on pushing the amount of years they control a player. In Iwamura, it is only one year and Chavez was multiple. Why did they give up those controlled years? Why also add an older player when you are trying to get younger?
The answers to those questions are simple. Yes, they are looking to get younger and better, but at the same time that won't happen overnight, so we will need to not look like a train wreck until then. The best example of that philosophy right now is our middle infield.
Chavez was coming off a great year, but was that his ceiling. Could he ever become a closer? Could he be a lights out setup guy? Or is he what he is? Huntington felt that his ceiling might have been reached or is close, so move him now. In return, we get stability in a position that we sorely needed and a player that is not all that bad, without betting the farm. I'd say it is a deal that makes sense all around.
First, it is sad to see Chavez go. We went through some growing pains with him and it seemed as though he may have turned the corner this season. As the endless summer dragged on, Chavez was at times one of the more reliable guys we could turn to in the pen. In the end, Huntington saw Chavez for what he was, a reliever, and they are a dime a dozen.
Coming over we get Akinori Iwamura, a second baseman that the Pirates probably were going to target if the Rays were to non-tender him by declining his option. Iwamura is far from a star or someone that will put us over the top, but he is a solid above average second baseman. If he is over his knee injury, he is surely an upgrade over the out of position Delwyn Young.
What I like about this trade is that we get an everyday position player that is above average, for a reliever that is much easier to try to replace. There is some stability there now in the middle infield by having Iwamura come over from the Rays.
What is puzzling, and Dejan seemed to hint at it in his blog, is that the Bucs are really big on pushing the amount of years they control a player. In Iwamura, it is only one year and Chavez was multiple. Why did they give up those controlled years? Why also add an older player when you are trying to get younger?
The answers to those questions are simple. Yes, they are looking to get younger and better, but at the same time that won't happen overnight, so we will need to not look like a train wreck until then. The best example of that philosophy right now is our middle infield.
Chavez was coming off a great year, but was that his ceiling. Could he ever become a closer? Could he be a lights out setup guy? Or is he what he is? Huntington felt that his ceiling might have been reached or is close, so move him now. In return, we get stability in a position that we sorely needed and a player that is not all that bad, without betting the farm. I'd say it is a deal that makes sense all around.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Minor Movement
The news sort of broke yesterday in the Cincinnati newspapers. Then today it was in the Lynchburg and Pittsburgh papers. It looks as though the Pirates are going to end their longest affiliation relationship after 2010 and leave Lynchburg and the Carolina League. It turns out that with the Reds moving to Arizona for their spring training, they see no need to keep a team in the Florida State League. So the Pirates are looking to buy that team and move to Bradenton.
This story was pretty interesting on many levels. One the Pirates are going to move a team further away from Pittsburgh geographically, but closer to the team by going to Bradenton. Lynchburg had been their affiliate for years, since 1995. Now the longest tenured affiliate is the Altoona Curve, and I don't see that relationship ending any time soon.
Another note that made it interesting is the fact that the Pirates are being rumored as buying the team. Now this is nothing new. The Yankees and Red Sox own a lot of their minor league affiliates. As do the Atlanta Braves. Many teams seemingly own at least one of their teams, especially the lower level Rookie league teams. This is a little different, as it will be a high A affiliate.
I would say that this move offers a pretty significant sign that the team is looking at putting some more money into the minor leagues. That much is a given as they will own the team, but it will be also interesting to see how this affects the development of players, as they will have more control and supervision of the players at a critical level of development.
While it is sad to see the Bucs leave Lynchburg, it is also nice to see the team doing something different for a change at the minor league and player development level. It will be also fun to see how players perform in Florida during the summer as well.
This story was pretty interesting on many levels. One the Pirates are going to move a team further away from Pittsburgh geographically, but closer to the team by going to Bradenton. Lynchburg had been their affiliate for years, since 1995. Now the longest tenured affiliate is the Altoona Curve, and I don't see that relationship ending any time soon.
Another note that made it interesting is the fact that the Pirates are being rumored as buying the team. Now this is nothing new. The Yankees and Red Sox own a lot of their minor league affiliates. As do the Atlanta Braves. Many teams seemingly own at least one of their teams, especially the lower level Rookie league teams. This is a little different, as it will be a high A affiliate.
I would say that this move offers a pretty significant sign that the team is looking at putting some more money into the minor leagues. That much is a given as they will own the team, but it will be also interesting to see how this affects the development of players, as they will have more control and supervision of the players at a critical level of development.
While it is sad to see the Bucs leave Lynchburg, it is also nice to see the team doing something different for a change at the minor league and player development level. It will be also fun to see how players perform in Florida during the summer as well.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Pitching News
Over the weekend the Pirates found their man to study under the tutelage of Joe Kerrigan next season. I thought they might look far and wide, but it turns out they only had to look in the minor leagues for Ray Searage. Searage has been around teh block a great deal, so I almost wonder how much he will 'learn' from Kerrigan.
In my own head, I pictured the Assistant to the Pitching Coach as a younger coach, not having had much time to shape his own thoughts on pitching, that could embrace Kerrigan's philosophy and grow it on his own. While Searage may be able to do that, I sort of have my doubts.
Searage has been around for years, coaching at various levels of professional baseball, so why would he embrace the ideas of someone else after all of these years? Maybe he will change his perspective from talking with Kerrigan and by having the opportunity to coach at the major league level. It almost seems to me that by picking Searage, the Pirates are assuring themselves of having a guy that they don't have to worry about leaving. That is not to say that he won't be good, but Ray Searage is not someone that will be pursued by other clubs, like a Perry Hill.
We will have to see how Searage fits in the staff. It is doubtful that any other team has tried to have two pitching coaches like the Pirates will try to have on the major league staff. As the Assistant to the Pitching Coach, it will be interesting to see how it all works out.
In other pitching news, the Pirates have out-righted Craig Hansen off the roster. It is not shocking as he has been struck with an ailment in his neck that will take a lot of time to heal. The Pirates don't have so much time to sit and wait, when they really could use the roster spot.
While this is not necessarily the sad end for a guy that was part of one of the biggest trades in recent Pirate history, it is a sad note. Hansen came here with the promise of being a piece of the bullpen that could perhaps close. He never seemed to put it together on the mound, but perhaps if he was healthy this season, working with Joe Kerrigan might have changed things. Unfortunately we will never know. Sadly that might be the case for Craig Hansen's Pirate career, we may never know.
In my own head, I pictured the Assistant to the Pitching Coach as a younger coach, not having had much time to shape his own thoughts on pitching, that could embrace Kerrigan's philosophy and grow it on his own. While Searage may be able to do that, I sort of have my doubts.
Searage has been around for years, coaching at various levels of professional baseball, so why would he embrace the ideas of someone else after all of these years? Maybe he will change his perspective from talking with Kerrigan and by having the opportunity to coach at the major league level. It almost seems to me that by picking Searage, the Pirates are assuring themselves of having a guy that they don't have to worry about leaving. That is not to say that he won't be good, but Ray Searage is not someone that will be pursued by other clubs, like a Perry Hill.
We will have to see how Searage fits in the staff. It is doubtful that any other team has tried to have two pitching coaches like the Pirates will try to have on the major league staff. As the Assistant to the Pitching Coach, it will be interesting to see how it all works out.
In other pitching news, the Pirates have out-righted Craig Hansen off the roster. It is not shocking as he has been struck with an ailment in his neck that will take a lot of time to heal. The Pirates don't have so much time to sit and wait, when they really could use the roster spot.
While this is not necessarily the sad end for a guy that was part of one of the biggest trades in recent Pirate history, it is a sad note. Hansen came here with the promise of being a piece of the bullpen that could perhaps close. He never seemed to put it together on the mound, but perhaps if he was healthy this season, working with Joe Kerrigan might have changed things. Unfortunately we will never know. Sadly that might be the case for Craig Hansen's Pirate career, we may never know.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Pirates of the Desert
This week the Arizona Fall League started play and there a few interesting Pirates to be on the watch for in the desert. Among them are Danny Moskos, Tony Watson, Donnie Veal, and Jose Tabata.
Tabata may be very interesting to see how he performs against some of the top competition in the minor leagues. There is a very real chance that he will see time in Pittsburgh this coming season and this could provide some much valued insight into what we may see when he does get here.
Playing in the infield for the Scottsdale Scorpions are Brian Friday and Chase D'Arnaud. These two guys are perhaps the two top middle infielders in the system. Both players, especially Friday, figure to get very long looks in spring training as the Bucs seemed to always seem to be looking for middle infielders. I wouldn't bank on either being in the big leagues, but if the Pirates need to reach into the minors these guys are the first two they may look to.
Perhaps the most interesting story to watch is that of the pitchers. The trio of lefties, Moskos, Veal, and Watson, represent the better lefties in the upper minors. While Veal may go back to the minors for more work, as may Watson, but Moskos may bet serious consideration for the bullpen next year. We all know how the team struggled with not having a lefty in the pen and Moskos may be able to help.
While it may not seem to be so, the fall league may give us some insight into some possibilities for the Pirates come the spring. There may be some maneuvering with players from the outside, but as for internal candidates, the fall league has a few of our internal options.
Tabata may be very interesting to see how he performs against some of the top competition in the minor leagues. There is a very real chance that he will see time in Pittsburgh this coming season and this could provide some much valued insight into what we may see when he does get here.
Playing in the infield for the Scottsdale Scorpions are Brian Friday and Chase D'Arnaud. These two guys are perhaps the two top middle infielders in the system. Both players, especially Friday, figure to get very long looks in spring training as the Bucs seemed to always seem to be looking for middle infielders. I wouldn't bank on either being in the big leagues, but if the Pirates need to reach into the minors these guys are the first two they may look to.
Perhaps the most interesting story to watch is that of the pitchers. The trio of lefties, Moskos, Veal, and Watson, represent the better lefties in the upper minors. While Veal may go back to the minors for more work, as may Watson, but Moskos may bet serious consideration for the bullpen next year. We all know how the team struggled with not having a lefty in the pen and Moskos may be able to help.
While it may not seem to be so, the fall league may give us some insight into some possibilities for the Pirates come the spring. There may be some maneuvering with players from the outside, but as for internal candidates, the fall league has a few of our internal options.
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