2010 Draft Target: Manny Machado

Baseball Rumor Mill

Immediately drawing comparisons to Alex Rodriguez, Machado may be the best high school positional talent on the board. The comps to A-Rod are fitting, as he has the same ancestry and attends a private school in the Miami area. Add to that the same position and a bit of the same style at the plate and you can see why some compare the two.

Machado is a shortstop that may end up moving to third base if he adds more than expected bulk to his frame. From reports, some think that he may be athletic enough to stay at short no matter what but others express the thought that he may be forced to move.

Machado is not the fleetest of foot out in the field, but he is a smart player that is in the right positions to make the plays in the field. He has soft hands and a strong arm that will enable him to move to anywhere on the diamond should that be the case. He has some speed on the base paths, but not so much that it should be considered a big plus skill.

The biggest thing that sticks out with Machado is what he does at the plate and what he is projected to do as he grows. He has a great swing that strikes the ball well for well hit line drives. He has quck hands that can help in getting around on some faster fastballs. With a currently smaller body, but with a good frame, you can see if he were to add some bulk, he could have some above average power.

There is no doubt that Machado is an offensive infielder that will hit for a good average and perhaps above average power. He is athletic enough that he can grow a little defensively at short or easily make a move to a different position should the need arise. Aside from everything else he does, he will definitely bring in a high upside bat into the organization that drafts him.

The Pirates have dabbled in adding younger high upside bats since Neal Huntington has taken over. There are risks associated with high school hitters, but there is a ton of upside to them that a collegiate player does not have. Adding Machado would give them their first blue chip high school position talent in years. Adding a bat like this would be the one thing that the system has a glaring need for, high upside talents at the plate.

Bryce Harper and Manny Machado

This Week on the Farm

Team of the Week: Altoona Curve
Hitter of the Week: Alex Presley, Altoona
Pitcher of the Week: Bryan Morris, Altoona

Indianapolis: 3-4 For the Week

Pedro Alvarez and Jose Tabata each led the Tribe in hits this week with 9 a piece. Tabata had 6 runs and 3 RBI to go with the hits and Alvarez had 5 runs, a home run, and 7 RBI. Erik Kratz had 2 home runs and Brian Friday had 6 hits and 5 runs.

Brad Lincoln picked up a win going 8 innings and allowing only 3 runs. Justin Thomas allowed only 1 run in relief this week to pick up a win as well. Jean Machi notched two saves and Vinnie Chulk struck out 8 in 5.2 innings. Daniel McCutchen got a no decision in his his 7 innings of work, where he allowed only 2 runs.

Altoona: 7-1 For the Week

Alex Presley led the Curve attack this week with 13 hits, 2 home runs, and 14 RBI. Matt Hague was right behind with 11 hits. Jordy Mercer had 9 hits and Gorkys Hernandez broke out of his funk this week to get 8 hits. Catcher Hector Gimenez had 2 home runs and 5 RBI.

Bryan Morris went 11 innings over two starts to get two wins in AA. He allowed only 7 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks, while striking out 13. Justin Wilson had 6 innings in his start, allowing only 1 run and striking out 10. Rudy Owens got a win, by going 7, allowing 2 runs. Tim Alderson went 7 scoreless, striking out 5 to get a win as well. Danny Moskos went three scoreless to pick up two saves.

Bradenton: 5-2 For the Week

The atmospheric conditions most have been friendly to the Marauders as 5 guys had double digit totals in hits. Calvin Anderson had a huge week with 15 hits, 3 home runs, and 13 RBI. Jeremy Farrell had 12 hits, 3 home runs and 7 RBI. Tony Sanchez, Quincy Latimore, and Brock Holt all had 10 hits a piece.

Jeff Locke went 8.2 innings and struck out 10 to get a win. Nate Adcock went 6 scoreless and struck out 8 for his win. Hunter Strickland and Melkin Laureano, in what looks like split starting, each went a shade over 4 scoreless innings to get wins. Noah Krol picked up 3 saves.

West Virginia: 3-4 For the week

Jesus Brito had 2 home runs, Aaron Baker had 1 home run, 5 hits and 6 RBI, while Elevys Gonzalez pitched in another home run. Evan Chambers had 4 hits and Jarek Cunningham and Rogelios Noris each went hit less for the week.

Nate Baker went 7 scoreless innings to get a win. Ryan Kelly struck out 10 in 7 innings. Kyle McPherson went 7 scoreless, striking out 9 for a win. Marc Baca went 4 scoreless and Victor Black did not last inning, as he left a game due to injury.

Likely Outcomes

Which do you think will be the most likely to happen first? Jeff Clement has a batting average over .200, Aki Iwamura has a batting average over .200 or Lastings Milledge hits a home run? The month of May is almost through and those three things all look to be likely to not happen before the month is out. It is probably statically impossible for Iwamura or Clement, but Milledge has some hope, but it is seeming like a lost cause.

The fact that Jeff Clement has thus far been a bust is perhaps no big surprise. In his previous stops in the majors, he had not hit all that well. Though he never hit this bad. When he was 'anointed' the first baseman coming over from Seattle, it struck me as odd at that time. Sure you don't want to give up on a guy that was highly thought of, but things just did not seem to bode well for him.

With Iwamura, no one could have seen this happening. He is no All-Star, but is a solid major league player. How he has struggled has been very strange to watch. The only thought behind his struggles is that the injuries he has, are still bothering him. You can see it in the field, that he moves a little slow. Perhaps it is affecting him at the plate as well.

As for Lastings Milledge, I had plenty of high hopes for him coming into the season. I had hoped we would get at least a glimpse of the big time talent many had predicted when he was drafted. We really have not seen that. Sure he has had some big hits, but he has struggled with the batting average and is very lacking in the power department.

The struggles of these three, counted on at the beginning of the season to be a big part of the lineup, it is amazing to see the team where they are right now. It is a testament to the ability of the team to collectively pull together in tough out some wins. The only problem is that toughing out wins, may only last for a short time. It is not enough to sustain them over the course of the season. If there is any hope for semi-relevant baseball this summer, things will need to change.

The Promotions Begin*

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.

The Real Bad News

In going to Cincinnati, the Pirates took snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Jumping off to an early lead, things went downhill, rather quickly for the club, as the infield defense simply let them down. While on the surface that looks to be the story of the game, the real story of the game is that Steve Pearce left with a sprained ankle. If he were to stay out of the lineup a significant amount of time, it would mean that Jeff Clement will be manning first base. I never thought that I would say this, but we might miss Steve Pearce.

Pearce was on a bit of an offensive tear, as he was getting more and more starts mixed in the occasional Clement starts at first base. Unlike his many other trips to the big leagues, he was seemingly making the most of it. He had been batting, .276/.395/.414. It is pretty good production at first base. Granted there are no home runs, but considering the rest of the lineup lacks much power, this production from Pearce was more than enough.

If Pearce were to stay out of the lineup for any duration, we will more than likely be treated to watching the worst OPS of all National League first basemen in Jeff Clement take the field. With how 'well' Clement has been hitting, even the crappy Steve Pearce we have come to know would be better. Clement has 4 home runs, but has no plate discipline at all, walking 6 times and striking out 29 times. In addition, he has only a .184 average.

Even if Garrett Jones were to play first base in Pearce's absence, it is getting to the point that you cannot even justify the inclusion of Jeff Clement on the current major league roster. I would not give up on him just yet, but he needs to be playing everyday. Getting his swing back and working at first base. He simply does not have the time to do that in Pittsburgh.

One would have assumed that there would be plenty of growing pains with Jeff Clement this season, you just never quite thought that the bat would be that big of a pain. Learning a new position, sure that would take time, but for him to look as bad as he has at the plate, is quite something.

2010 Draft Target: Jameson Taillon

In a year where Bryce Harper is not available in the draft, a big, tall, hard throwing, fireballer from Texas would probably be considered one of the contenders for the number overall pick. Add in that the righty throws three above average pitches and has a solid change up you might have something special. Did I also mention he sits at around 95 with his fastball? If it sounds too good to be true, it is not, as that is all descriptive of Jameson Taillon.

Taillon (Tay-own) is senior from The Woodlands High School in Texas, the same school that produced Kyle Drabek. Taillon, or Jamo as they call him, is much taller and a more athletic build than Drabek. Taillon stands at 6'7" and checks in around 230. His height and arm action are a big reason he zips the fastball in there so quickly.

Aside from his already plus fastball, Taillon has a curve that could match his fastball in terms of effectiveness, as it has very late bite to it. He also features a slider in the mid 80's that is another swing and miss type pitch for him. On top of all of that he is working on a change-up, that needs work as he does not have a need for it, but is more advanced than most his age with it.

Taillon has excelled well in showcases and has pitched well in many showcases. He also pitched well internationally in the Pan American Games, winning the Gold Medal game against Cuba, blanking the Cubans through 7.2 innings, striking out 16. The attention does not seem to get to him as the national media has been keeping tabs on the big righty. GQ profiled him and ESPN interviewed him after he had a 19 strikeout complete game performance.

The Pirates historically have never really had a guy that you could look to and call an ace. Sure they have had guys with good stuff that had runs, but they never had the just raw stuff that an ace has. Taillon has all of that ace stuff in his arsenal. As a high school pitcher he is no sure thing, but a pitcher with this type of pedigree out of high school is one you really cannot pass up.

This Week on the Farm

Team of the Week: West Virginia
Hitter of the Week: Eric Fryer, Bradenton
Pitcher of the Week: Brad Lincoln, Indianapolis

Indianapolis: 2-3 for the Week

Leading the Tribe in hits, was Jose Tabata with 6 hits. He also had 3 runs scored and 3 RBI. Pedro Alvarez had a home run to go with his 4 hits and 3 RBI. Neil Walker had 3 hits, one a home run, and 1 RBI. Brandon Moss and Brian Friday each had a home run.

Brad Lincoln picked up a loss in his one start, though it was not his doing, as he allowed only 3 runs through 7 and struck out 10, while walking 1. Donnie Veal also went 7 innings, though his were scoreless and he got the win, while striking out 7. Daniel McCutchen gave up 7 runs in 6 innings, while Mike Crotta gave up 19 hits in 12 innings.

Altoona: 3-3 For the Week

Alex Presley continues to have a solid, but quiet year, as he had 9 hits for the Curve. Shelby Ford had 2 home runs and 5 RBI, while Hector Gimenez had 6 hits. Gorkys Hernandez had only 3 hits, Chase D'Arnaud 4, and Jordy Mercer 2.

Jared Hughes picked up another win, giving him 7, as he went 7 innings, allowing only 1 earned. Rudy Owens is experiencing some growing pains, but still only gave up 3 earned through 12, but he gave up 11 hits. Justin Wilson went 5 allowing 2 in a loss. Danny Moskos pitched 4 innings, allowing only 1 run to get 2 saves.

Bradenton: 4-3 On the week

Eric Fryer had 9 hits, three of them home runs to lead the Marauders. Jeremy Farrell had 8 hits. Calvin Anderson had 7 hits and Brock Holt had 7 hits and 5 RBI. Quincy Latimore had a home run and 5 RBI. Tony Sanchez had 5 hits.

Diego Moreno had 2 wins in relief, as he allowed only1 run onver 5 innings, while striking out 7. Jeff Locke went 7 and allowed only 1, while striking out 5 batters. Hunter Strickland went 3 scoreless in his Bradenton debut to get his first Hi A win. Noah Krol went 3 scoreless to get 3 saves.

West Virginia: 5-2 For the Week

David Rubinstein had 9 hits and 3 RBI. Jarek Cunningham and Ramon Cabrera each had 6 hits, with Cunningham getting a home run. Aaron Baker had 5 hits, as did Rogelios Noris and Elevys Gonzalez, with Noris going deep twice.

Zach Foster got two wins in relief, by going 3 scoreless. Maurice Bankston went 5 scoreless to get a win. Gabe Alvarado got a win for his 7 strong innings, allowing only 2. Duke Welker picked up a save and Victor Black went 4 innings, allowing 3, but struck out 7.

Another Quality Start

Every offseason major league clubs scramble to pick up minor league free agents. In this mad scramble, a team like the Pirates can hit it big if they get that right player. They did it last year with Garrett Jones and they may have done it again with Brian Burres. No matter what he does the rest of the season, he has more than made up for the small investment the team made in the offseason for him.

Moves like getting players of Burres and Jones' quality can go a long way towards helping the Pirates become a little more respectable. Burres has been a great find for the Bucs. His quality start tonight helped the Bucs continue their recent respectable play against the Brewers, who are doing their best to look pretty hapless.

In addition to the great work by Burres, the team has gotten great work by the bullpen and they face a tough decision tomorrow with it. Brendan Donelly is coming off the disabled list and the team will have to make a corresponding move to put him back on the roster. The million dollar question is where does Donnelly fit in and who's spot does he take.

Since Donnelly has gone on the DL, the team has been a groove as of late with the bullpen. They have found spots for each guy in the pen and each has excelled in their spot. It almost looks as though Donnelly does not have a spot in the pen anymore. That of course won't be the case, but it will be interesting to see who goes. Among the candidates are Jeff Karstens, or a move that might be outside the box. Perhaps they send down struggling Charlie Morton and add Karstens to the rotation or they send down or out a position player. Either way it will be an interesting move.

Unlikely Outcome

Remember yesterday when the Bucs were blown out by the Phillies, 12-2? Remember when it looked as though they would just get rolled over by Roy Halladay? Well baseball is a funny game in that the team can look horrible one moment and look like winners the next.


These Pirates seem to be able to plenty of good things when they get good pitching. Zach Duke was able to hold the explosive Phillies to just one run over 6 innings, before turning it over to the bullpen. Meek, Hanrahan and Dotel made it one, two and three to close it out.

The pitching in the game has been a tried and true formula for success for this Pirates team. The pitcher only needs 6 innings and the bullpen takes over, akin to the Houston Astros in the early part of the decade, when Dotel again was a part of the winning formula.

Coming into the season, the bullpen looked to be a question mark, as Neal Huntington was cobbling together the bullpen coming into spring training. It looks like he had an idea of what he was doing as the finished product has been pretty reliable and able to do the job. It does not have a lot of flash, but bringing in guys like they did tonight, with the ability to throw smoke, makes things pretty easy.

Despite the great pitching, there was not much great hitting, but that can be expected coming against Roy Halladay, who went the distance in the loss. It is encourging to see Garrett Jones hit well against the ace.

The win coming in what has turned into a house of horrors for the Bucs should be a good springboard to the series against the Brew Crew, who has not looked as invincible, but has the ability to run away with a game against the Bucs. Who knows what team may show up to face Randy Wolf.

Don't Count on Much

One could have easily predicted that the Pirates would not fare all that well in Philadelphia. Charlie Morton was going to be taking the hill, and even with his recent better pitching, he still has performed badly this season. Couple that with the fact that he would be facing one of the more potent lineups in all of baseball on their home turf, well lets say that there was little left to the imagination.

In getting beaten by 10 runs, the Pirates have now done that feat I believe 5 times this season. We are only into a month and a half or so of the season.

I would not expect to see things improve all that much in the second game of the two game series, as the Bucs will be getting their first National League look at Roy Halladay. With the way Halladay has been pitching this year, I would expect to see the cold Bucco bats, continue to stay cold through this one.

In other news, I found an article that might be of some interest to those that have a memory of Pirate prospects from the last 10 years. If so then the name Walter Young might ring a bell to you. He was a big power hitting prospect that the Bucs drafted in 1999. By the 2004 season, Young was released by the club. He would latch on to the Orioles, where he made his MLB debut. After a few seasons, he has returned to Hattiesburg, MS and is a member of the Sheriff's Department there. Nice to see him getting along in his life's work.

2010 Draft Target: Drew Pomeranz

Perhaps one of the more talented pitchers in the 2010 draft class is lefty Drew Pomeranz from Ole Miss. Pomeranz is big projectable guy at 6'5". A lot of things about Pomeranz scream a Neal Huntington/Greg Smith pick.

For one he is a safe pick. He may not have a ton of upside, but Pomeranz is a pretty safe bet to be an above average major league starter. He will be a guy that could move quickly and settle into the middle/front of a rotation for a big league club in fairly short order.

Two he has size and has the ability to strike guys out. Smith and Huntington seem enamored with size in their pitchers that they acquire, and Pomeranz has that, as well as a low 90's fastball and a decent change up. He may still need to work on his curve, as it right now seems to work best against lefties.

The drawbacks to Pomeranz are that he may be close to his ceiling already, but that is the risk always floated about many of the top collegiate players. He also has some mechanical issues, as he has trouble repeating his delivery over and over from his big frame.

Pomeranz came to Ole Miss as a heralded high school talent in Tennessee. He struck out 312 batters in his high school career.

Going to Oxford,MS as a freshman, Pomeranz was used in a swing role, making 11 starts. he was named a Freshman All-America, as he struck out 81 in 71.1 innings. As a sophomore, he was the Rebs Friday starter and went 8-4, striking out 124 in 95.1 innings. He held opponents to a .237 batting average that season.

He followed up his sophomore season, traveling with the USA Collegiate Team, where he made five starts, winning 4 of them. He struck out 48 batters in 25.2 innings. His performance caught the eye of Baseball America, who named his the 7th best prospect on the team.

There is plenty to like about Pomeranz. He is big, a lefty, the makings of being a three pitch pitcher, and a solid track record thus far. He is definitely going to hear his name get called early in the draft, The Pirates took two Rebel pitchers last year in Nate Baker and Philip Irwin, could this be a third in two years?

A Sweep With No One Around

Is it that bad of sweep if no one was around to really see it? The bad stretch of weather and the hockey playoffs, made for the series against the Reds to be the least watched of any this season for the Bucs. The Pirates made sure to make even the sweep look good for the Reds, as they were shut out in back to back games. The Reds had not done that since 1989, with Jose Rijo and Tom Browning.

Speaking of Reds pitching, if not for the Pirates, Home Bailey would look really bad. Bailey is now 13-15 in his short career, though he is a 5-0 against the Bucs. He has a career ERA of 5.70, but against the Bucs he has one of 1.58.

Bailey and Cueto from the night before, both went the distance in their games as well, the first time each has done that. What is amazing is the amount of pitches it took each to do it. Cueto went 103 and Bailey went only 90, 73 of which were strikes. That type of ratio from Bailey makes you just really shake your head and wonder what on earth is going on.

It is pretty easy to know what is going on. The team is a free swinging group that does not work the count. Add those two factors up and you can see why stuff like this happens. A trip to Chicago and a series against the Cubs is next. The team swept the Cubs last week, but coming off the horrendous performance against the Reds, I would not expect the same outcome.

Motivating Prospects

In what maybe one of the more stranger stories so far this Pirates' season, is the back story to why the club did not look to promote Neil Walker from Indianapolis, while he has been playing extremely well. On the surface to the regular observer, it looks as though Walker is doing all that he can do to earn a promotion. He has been playing many, many positions around the diamond and doing so rather capably. He has also hit well and has been drawing more walks than he really, ever has in the minors.Why not promote him?

It looks as though there are some issues with the team not liking what they see from Walker, in regard to his intangible attributes. According to Dejan's article the other day, Walker is not impressing the disciplinarians in manager Frank Kremblas and Kyle Stark. It seems he has problems with ways of being disciplined and was told about not running out a pop up.

What strikes me as odd is that if there was some issue with his discipline, they have not punished him with any reduction in game time. They have done it in the past, Bryan Morris is a good example, but it does not seem to be the case with Walker. Instead I want to think that there is something different going on with Neil Walker.

The Pirates want to make sure that every prospect has acquitted themselves at their level before getting promoted. Sometimes a guy is held back to see how he responds, Rudy Owens last year, Bryan Morris this year. I would guess that they are using this story to motivate, Walker to see how he responds. This is the first time that he has shown that he can use his ability at this level and it has not been all that long. Perhaps they want to see if he can keep it up, with a little added pressure on him.

It might not be the worst strategy in the world to get a player to move forward in development. A lot of times the issues are mental, but that is the hard line to walk. You can try something like this and it work, or it may backfire. I would say the positives outweigh the negatives in his development though.

If I had to guess what will happen further down the line in the season, is that Walker will stick in Indy until even after Jose Tabata and Pedro Alvarez. If they were to isolate him there, it will be yet another mental test for him. If he can get through it and grow because of it, he might be more of the player we had hoped he would be.

Mental Game

"Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical." - Yogi Berra

One of the more famous Yogisms that Berra ever had was the above one about the mental aspect of baseball. They often say that no matter how gifted the athlete, it won't really matter unless he has something on his shoulders. Baseball is a game where so many things can happen within a play, that you need to be able to think quickly and accurately to succeed.

The Pirates don't seem to have that mental acuity about them. Take for instance the blunders over the weekend. Andy LaRoche not getting caught up in the run down, and instead creating a double play. I place blame on third base coach Tony Beasley as well, as LaRoche, but a mental error like that cannot happen.

Later in that same game, Aki Iwamura failed to get a tag down and did not stay with the tag to get the runner out on a stolen base attempt. While not highlighted on the broadcast, Iwamura could have applied a strong tag to the runner to get him off the base.

You had Jeff Karstens bunting into the wheel play and not swinging away on Saturday and you had Lastings Milledge misjudge a flyball on Sunday and have his infamous double the other night.

These errors just cannot happen for a club that is light on talent. John Russell and his staff can only do so much to get these guys prepared, but some of these mistakes are ones that you would not expect to see a Pony leaguer make.

Errors are a part of the game, that is why they have a stat for them, but some mental errors are not tracked. It is these untracked mental errors that cost a team. It seems for years the Pirates have been plagued by these mental errors. They will have to cut them down if they ever plan on improving as a team.

2010 Draft Target: Christian Colon

USA Baseball

In Christian Colon's bio with Cal state Fullerton, he says that he models his game after that of Derek Jeter. After reading a good bit about Colon, I can see that there are some comparisons to be made there. While perhaps not near the prospect that Jeter is, he does have the same kind of skill set.

Colon was considered one of the top collegiate players in the country, until he broke his leg last summer playing for Team USA. Despite that broken leg, many still think rather highly of this shortstop.

Colon has many skills that old scouts would simply drool over. He has the baseball instincts at the plate and in the field. He has above average range in the field and many think that he can stick at shortstop in the pros.

At the plate he is a solid contact hitter, with some gap power that comes and goes. He will not blow anyone away with his power, but it is there. Mainly he is the more higher contact, get on base type of guy.

On the basepaths, he is not blazing fast, but is fast enough to be a threat. Again it is his baseball IQ that many point to when he is on the basepaths.

In the World Baseball Challenge last season for Team USA, Colon led the team in hitting at .362 and in home runs, with 5. For good measure he had 37 RBI as well. His performance made Baseball America name him the number two prospect on the US team.

Colon has been one of the premier shorstops in NCAA baseball the past few seasons. He has a very broad skill set that many would like to have on their team. He does many things well, but not one that jumps out at you. In all he is a very well rounded baseball player.

Sitting at second in the draft, the Pirates might look to Christian Colon as this year's Tony Sanchez. He is a safe pick with some upside, but not a ton. He probably would be a fast mover through the system if he were to be selected and could get to Pittsburgh quickly. If Huntington and Smith are again looking to a safe, quick prospect, that plays in the field, Colon will be their man.

Youtube Video

Approval Ratings

For a week I had posted two poll questions up on the blog. One was would you extend Neal Huntington's contract and the other asked the exact same question of John Russell's contract.

The two questions could not have gotten more divergent results. On the Neal Huntington question, 87% of the respondents said to extend Neal Huntington. For John Russell, 66% said to not extend him.

I don't know if that could be reflective of an approval poll or not, but if it is then the people seem to be more in favor of the job that Huntington is doing/trying to do than that of John Russell.

I find it odd, as Neal Huntington has a lot to do with the lack of success in wins and losses for John Russell, than perhaps Russell himself. I also have to ask the question why get rid of Rusell?

Is it the 'lack of energy' that so many 'fans' look to? It seems some want some raving lunatic managing the club and arguing over everything.

Do some think that he could be getting better results? I don't think you could meld the DNA of Casey Stengel, Vince Lombardi, and Phil Jackson into a coach to get some of these Pirate teams to win.

Or do people really not care for his management of the team? He does make some moves that are real head scratchers, especially when handling the bullpen and pitching staff.

I did find the results rather entertaining and insightful to say the least.

This Week on the Farm

Team of the Week: Altoona Curve
Hitter of the Week: Pedro Alvarez, Indianapolis
Pitcher of the Week: Bryan Morris, Bradenton

Indianapolis: 3-3 On the Week
At AAA the sleeping giant Pedro Alvarez has awoken. This week he had 9 hits, 3 home runs, and 13 RBI to lead the Tribe. Jose Tabata scored 10 times and had 11 hits. Neil Walker had 7 hits, five RBI, a home run, and walked 3 times to 4 strikeouts. Brandon Moss had 5 hits.

On the hill, Brad Lincoln went 12 innings in two starts, allowing 7 and walking 6. He did have 10 K's and picked up a win. Justin Thomas had a scoreless inning and Daniel McCutchen went 6 allowing only 3 runs.

Altoona: 5-2 For the Week
The Curve were led by Alex Presley with 11 hits and 7 RBI. Matt Hague had 10 hits. Jordy Mercer had 7 RBI as well. Chase D'Arnaud had 8 hits, matching him with Miles Durham. Hector Gimenez had 9 hits and Gorkys Hernandez had 7.

Rudy Owens was the story of the Curve pitching staff as he continues to look well acclimated to AA. he went 6 no hit innings, striking out 11 and only walking one. He is now 3-0. Mike Dubee went 3 scoreless in his return to AA. Tim Alderson went 5 innings and struck out 8 in a no decision. Justin Wilson allowed only 1 in 4 innings. Danny Moskos seems to be reborn in the Curve bullpen, as he went 3 scoreless innings, striking out 5 to get two saves, for 6 total.

Bradenton: 2-5 For the Week
Jeremy Farrell and Quincy Latimore each had 8 hits as the Marauders finally cooled a bit. Tony Sanchez had 5 hits, one a home run, and Brock Holt had 6 hits, one a home run. Starling Marte had 6 hits and Calvin Anderson struck out 9 times.

The two wins this week were picked up by Bryan Morris. He went 14 total innings, allowing 8 hits, no runs, 1 walk, and 13 strike outs. Diego Moreno had 6 K's through 4. Nate Adcock allowed only 1 through 7, while striking out 8.

West Virginia: 2-5 For the Week
Aaron Baker led the Power with 8 hits, while Jesus Brito had 2 home runs. Evan Chambers had 7 hits, one a home run, and Rogelios Noris had 5 hits one a home run.

Nate Baker went 12 innings, allowing only 2 runs, striking out 8 to get a win this week, his 2nd. Melkin Laureano went 6 scoreless to get the other win for the Power. Hunter Strickland went 12.2 innings, allowed 6 to take a loss this week, and Brandon Holden struck out 8 in 4.1 innings.

The Streak is Broken

It seemed like it might take a good long time for this to finally happen, but it did; Charlie Morton finally won a game, against the divisional rival Cubs no less. Morton has historically, if his short career thus far can use the term historically, not held up well against the Cubs. Remember the double digit inning last season? Tonight he finally broke through and was able to record the W.

Morton was able to work into the 7th, despite not getting an out in the frame. He also worked rather efficiently throwing 80 pitches, 57 of them for strikes. After Morton, Evan Meek threw just 8 pitches to get out the 7th. It is really amazing how far Evan Meek has come since he debuted as a Rule Five pick a few years ago. The difference is like night and day. His value in the pen is extremely underrated thus far in the season.

The story of the game was Charlie Morton though having a game that he could be proud of, as well as one where he lasted past the 5th inning. Aside from Morton, Ryan Church continues to be a on roll of sorts offensively and I would expect to see him in the lineup tomorrow again, as he has two home runs in two straight days. He has provided some very solid production off the bench and thus far seems to Neal Huntington's best bench signing of his tenure. Then again it is not like he has a ton of 'competition' for that honor.

A final note from the game is that the Bucs have won the three game set against the Cubs and can go for the sweep on Thursday. A sweep puts the Bucs dead even with the Cubs and will go a long way to helping to ensure that they come out on top for the homestand. Thankfully Zach Duke is on the hill tomorrow as they do try to go for that sweep.

Centered Focus

The Bucs opened their series against the Chicago Cubs, the first par of a crucial 9 game homestand against NL Central foes on Tuesday night. Fortunately for the Bucs they were able to start the homestand off on the right foot as they were able to hold off the Cubs and get another one run victory.

The Pirates led the majors in winning percentage in one run games. They are 6-1 after the game against the Cubs. That good record in close games is the main reason that they have been able to keep things together so far this season. You may want to call it luck, but the fact remains that a win is a win. In my opinion, with no research whatsoever, the Pirates don't have the talent to win out in slugfests, so they will really only win close games. You may see that as an indicator of being good or bad, depending on how you look at, but right now am fortunate for the wins.

Wins are indeed what the team will be looking for, as in the next 8 games against divisional opponents, they will have to win a majority to keep themselves looking respectable in the division. If they take 6 of the 9, they will come out of the homestand at .500 and have a bit of a high riding them into Chicago then Philadelphia.

The pitching will be a big deciding factor in what happens with the team this homestand. Hopefully they will be able to get the rotation straightened out while at home and be able to finish out the second half of the month of May with dependable starters, at which point the wave from Indianapolis should start. It will be something to see if the club can stay afloat up to the point that the guys from AAA come up. They should give a brief shot in the arm to the team, so it will be interesting to see how that may carry them. We may just have an interesting May, if things break well this homestand.

What Depth?

Sometimes it seems as though baseball is a self fulfilling prophecy. Neal Huntington kept on making trade after trade, saying that we needed to improve the depth of the pitching in the system, while also adding quantity. Now it looks as though he was right in doing that. Unfortunately two of the arms that were acquired to add depth and quantity are now both out with the same injury.

Kevin Hart and Jose Ascanio were both acquired in the same trade and are suffering the same labrum issues. It is the hardest of injuries to come back from, mainly because the shoulder is such a delicate joint within the body. You may remember that John Van Benschoten had such an injury and he was never the same after it. Others like Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals have come back from it.

Ascanio has already had his surgery and is now recovering, while Hart is due to go under the knife this week. With these injuries on top of the problems in the rotation in Pittsburgh, you have to wonder about what is turning into a patchwork of pitching in the upper levels.

At Indianapolis, you have 40 man guys in Brad Lincoln, Donnie Veal, and Daniel McCutchen. We have already seen the mixed results of McCutchen this season, Donnie Veal looks like he will stay in AAA for a while longer, and well the team does not want to start the clock on Brad Lincoln. If you look at what they have in Pittsburgh, if one more guy goes down or if Jeff Karstens cannot stick in the rotation, you will be looking at the forcing of Lincoln into the rotation to keep it afloat.

Thankfully at Altoona there are greater numbers and even more so as you go down the minor leagues. But pitching prospects are a fickle breed and how many of the aces of tomorrow can we count on? Likely a fraction of those that we have down there. It has been said that you can never have too much pitching and every year it seems the Pirates prove that to be the case, as they are usually short of it. Hopefully in another year or two, we won't be on the short end of the stick.

2010 Draft Target: Deck McGuire

Mentioned in the same breath as Drew Pomeranz, Deck McGuire is one the top starting pitching prospects in college baseball. Seen as a safe pick, McGuire seems ticketed to be a middle of the rotation horse for some big league club. A big and tall, projectable right hander, McGuire is seen by many as a guy that could advance quickly through the minors and make an impact in the majors.

Coming out of Virginia, McGuire signed with the Yellow Jackets and as a freshman led the team in wins with 8, as he split time between the rotation and the bullpen. Becoming a featured member of the rotation as a sophomore, McGuire led the Jackets in wins with 11 and in strikeouts with 118. Coming into 2010, he was named an All-American by many publications and named first team All-ACC.

McGuire already has the big league body and build that so many old school type scouts seems to look for. He is solidly built at 6'6" and has not had any major injury issues in his past. McGuire features a fastball that has some movement on it, but not so much that it stands out. He throws it in the mid 90's, giving him plenty of velocity to hold his own.

McGuire also features a power slider that could become a plus pitch for him. He throws it in the mid 80's, though some scouts have said that it seems to be more of a slurve than slider, from the movement he gets on it. He also features an above average change up that, as with all change-ups, could use some more work and refinement.

The plus side of McGuire is that he is a very solid pitching prospect. Many can easily see him fitting in the middle of a big league rotation, but not the front of one. He probably will move quickly and he has pretty good control of his pitches. There are questions as to how good his fastball maybe, as he does not get a ton of movement on it. Some also question his ability in the clutch, as he struggled a bit in the postseason last year. Others also wonder how much more growth he may have as a player as well.

If the Pirates were to be looking at collegiate pitchers with their first pick, Pomeranz and McGuire will feature prominently in any discussion. Pomeranz the lefty may have some slightly better upside, but McGuire seems to be the safe pick. One can easily see the Pirates taking McGuire as he is a the safer bet and is the physical type of pitcher that they covet. I don't know if this new management is as risk adverse as others, but if they go with McGuire, they will definitely need to hit a few home runs with higher ceiling talent later in the draft.

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