With the injury to Steve Pearce, we got to see the beginning of what will more than likely be a remaking of the 25 man roster, by the addition of players from AAA. By placing Pearce on the DL, the Pirates brought up Neil Walker. Walker was inserted into the lineup not to take the place of Steve Pearce at first, but actually to take the place of Andy LaRoce at third.
The ascension of Walker to Pittsburgh, even if it is due to injury, is the start of a series of moves that will take place later this summer. One would expect to see Brad Lincoln appear in Pittsburgh next with Jose Tabata not all that far behind. Then when deemed ready, Pedro Alvarez will take his spot at third base.
Watching Walker tonight, I had to think how much this team will change in the coming months. Currently the team is sort of a shell, waiting for something to come along and fill it. You have Andrew McCutchen and a handful of others, but there are many that will not be here. There are many questions then to ask about the upcoming moves.
Who will be on the outside looking in? Who will be with a different organization? What will the lineup be? Will there even be a different manager as well? There are many possibilities and options. No matter what happens in the future, the present is a time to be excited, yes excited, to be a Pirate fan. We have been waiting and waiting to see a bunch of these prospects come up to the majors and we have just found the tip of the iceberg.
There is more to come this year and even into next. The process may have started slowly with the promotion of Andrew McCutchen almost a year ago, but with Neil Walker joining him and others just behind nipping at their heels, we can now say that Neal Huntington's real plan has now just begun.
0 comments:
Post a Comment