Like alot of you out there I'm very upset at this acquisations or lack thereof this off season. I thought this would be a great off season to build off of last years first half success and put together a team to contend this year in the weak NL central. Granted this off season is'nt over, but as of now this offseason has been a huge fail for Huntington. Not saying he had to go out and spend a ton of money, but I feel there were alot of sensible trades to be made. As most of you know I voiced alot of frustration after the failure to acquire Anthony Rizzo and alot of people asked what I would have done diffferent; so here it is. This is what I would've done different...

1. Re-signed Paul Maholm (I would've gave him a 2/3 year deal for 4/5 mil. per year. Would be a nice back of the rotation/mentor guy when Taillon/Cole arrive.)

2. Signed Erik Bedard (low risk, high reward. Everyone sees him as a cheap replacement to Maholm, but why is management always trying to replace and not add.)

3. Trade Jared Hughes for Chris Iannetta (Have always really liked Iannetta. Has the experience you want from a catcher, but still young enough to be around for awhile. A high OBP guy with some pop is exactly what this team needs; not Rod Barajas.)

4. Trade Robbie Grossman and Kyle McPherson for Anthony Rizzo (A young impact bat at a position of need for us. Thought it was a no brainer. Would start him in AAA and if Jones is'nt setting the world on fire be quick to call him up.)

5. Trade Kevin Correai and Jeff Locke for Seth Smith (Smith is another guy that I've always really liked. Does'nt have the best splits and is similar to G. Jones but would be a nice addition incase Presley tanks or Tabatas injuries continue. He would see alot of ABs)

6. Sign Taylor Bucholz (Could be another one of those great bullpen signings. Love his curveball. Low risk signing that could put together another season like in 2009. Nice replacement for Veras)

7. Don't over pay for Clint Barmes (I think D'Arnaud showed enough last year when healthy to be the starting SS. We won alot of games with D'Arnaud as a starter. I really like the speed that he brings to the bottom of the lineup. His enthusiasm seems to be contagious. He'll hit more than what he showed with more consistant ABs.)

With that being said; not a ton of money was spent (probably less than what NH actually did spend) and we did'nt sell the farm to acquire any of these players. Our 25 man... Rotation: Maholm, Morton, McDonald, Bedard, Karstens Bullpen: Hanrahan, Meek, Leroux, Bucholz, McCutchen, Resop, Watson, Moskos Infield: Iannetta, McKenry, Jones, Walker, D'Arnaud, Alvarez, McGehee or Josh Harrison Outfield: McCutchen, Tabata, Presley, Smith, Gorkys Hernandez (really like Hernandez; think his speed and defense could be very valuable late in games. More so than Nate McClouth.) I really think this team mentioned above could compete this year. I view the Barajas, Barmes, Mclouth signings as the same old signings that haunt us every year and it frustrates me beyond belief...THOUGHTS?

I'm pretty optimistic about the Pirates as an organiztion but even I'm surprised at the PIrates record right now. Yes, the pitching has been great so far this year, but I can't believe were winning major league baseball games with guys like Overbay, Harrison, Wood, Cedeno, Diaz, Brown, Mckenry, etc..in the lineup every night. That means if I were GM I would be looking to make moves asap to stay in contention for as long as possible. One obvious move I think the Pirates will explore is...

 Trade for 1B Yonder Alonso (Overbays .227/.307 line and K rate in the 20s is just not acceptable. I know its risky to trade within the division but Alonso is having another good season in AAA while being blocked by Joey Votto for the foreseeable future. They've talked about moving Alonso to LF, but I can't see it with his speed and having guys like Hermida/Frazier having great years in AAA also. Given Cincinnatis depth I believe this makes Alonso very expendable which may make the asking price very reasonable. Only down side I see is Alonsos struggles against lefties.

Thoughts?

With under a half an hour until the Pirates make one of their most important decision in years I'm still not convinced like the rest of you that we are taking Cole. I think theres still a small chance we take Rendon, and I'm holding out hope. I don't think theres any way you can take Cole with this pick.  Heres why:

1. Too much risk involved with Cole. Even more so than Rendon even with the existing injuries. Tommy John or any arm surgery for Cole could completely derail his career. He threw a ton of innings at UCLA making it very likely. Just look at prior drafts...

2. Experts don't even have Cole as the top ranked pitcher in this draft let alone top ranked player. I don't believe his ceiling is as high as everyone thinks it is. So even if he does stay injury free and makes it through the system (which is doubtful) I view him as a number 3 starter.

3. Seems very similar to Bullington. Bullington never threw as hard in the minors as he did in college thus he was never affective. Coles affectiveness relies heavily on his velocity. Bullingtons velocity somehow disappeared, and I suspect Coles to drop considerabely. Cole already lacks plus-command, so a drop off in velocity will be magnified greatly with his poor command, and ability to locate secondary pitches.

4. I know you never draft on need, but this year is the exception. The pirates minor league is pretty loaded with high ceiling pitchers (not as polished as Cole, but as talented). There are no impact bats in our minor league system right now. There are huge holes in the infield for the Pirates right now, and no way are we going to be able to fill them through free agency. We have to fill those holes through the draft...

5. Alot of people are skeptical of drafting Rendon, because we already have Pedro. Well Pedro has'nt even established himself as an everyday player yet. Think what the roster will look like in the coming years if Pedro is a bust.

6. Alot of people think Rendon projects as a second basemen. I don't care where he plays. He has a plus glove. Just think of the infield of Rendon, Walker, and Alvarez (if he can live up to the hype). Put Walker at 3rd, Rendon at 2nd, Pedro at 1st. Put Alvarez at 1st, Rendon at 3rd, Walker at 2nd. Leave Alvarez at 3rd, put Rendon at 2nd, move Walker to 1st. It really does'nt matter...

7. I truely view Rendon as Pujols-esque. I think he lacks the power of a Pujols, but he could always develop that with a professional training program. I think he has the eye and quick hands that only comes around every so often. It's also something you can't teach. I think Rendon will win gold gloves and batting titles. You can't pass on that...

8. I'm not at all concerned with Rendons injuries. Obvisouly I have'nt seen or heard much about his medical records, but I don't think there at all as bad as every one is making them out to be because he is still playing. If it was at all major he would've been shut down all together. Once he has time to rest/heal I think he will be 100% with no lingering affects or set backs down the road...

9. Backlash from fans. If the Pirates draft Cole, and not Rendon and Rendon goes on to become Pujols II fans will be outraged. If the Pirates draft Rendon, and Cole goes on to become an Ace/Cy Young winner I think fans will be fine with that, and believe they truely took the best player possible.

10. I know pitching and defense wins championships, but I believe a position player is always going to be more valuable than a pitcher. A position player is out there everyday contributing. Cole is only going to pitch every 5th day...

The draft is right around the corner, and for us Pirate fans is usually the biggest day of the year. Obvisouly the first pick is going to be important for any team and will ultimately make or break the draft, but I would like to know who you guys think can fall to us in our 2nd pick and below. Guys that have 1st round talent but because of signability issues and what not may fall out of the 1st round i.e. Stetson Allie.

Here are a few guys with 1st round talent that I'm praying fall out of the 1st round and/or have high ceilings that we could take on as projects in the minors...LHP Matt Purke, LHP Henry Owens, RHP Bryan Brickhouse, RHP Hawtin Buchanan, RHP Ricardo Jacquez, RHP Robert Stephenson, LHP Brett Mooneyham..Could you imagine drafting Purke in the 2nd round and it turns out he only has some tendinitis and regains his velocity. Talk about a steal..

For the record heres my draft board for the 1st round...

1. Anthony Rendon

2. Gerrit Cole

3. Francisco Lindor

There has been alot of negative posting going on here about the lack of top prospects in the minor leagues and the lack of respect the national scouts are giving Pittsburghs minor league system. Well, to cheer up some of those people and put things into perspective I would head on over to CBS sportsline.com to check out their top 10 positional rankings...

A few positional players have made some of the writers list...Neil Walker (2b), Pedro Alvarez (3b), Jose Tabata (lf), and Andrew McCutchen was named the top Centerfielder in major league baseball (pretty impressive after just 2 seasons if you ask me). With all these guys still very young I think this means the future is very bright...

We just need the pitching to catch up now...

After looking over John Sickels rankings of the best minor league systems I got to thinking about not only the best minor league systems, but who will have the youngest/most competitive teams in the coming future. I think the general consensus is that around 2014 this Pirates core should've gone through their growing pains, and our minor league system will be developed enough, and ready to help the core compete for a championship. Also, with other clubs trading away the farm to win now (e.g. Cubs, Brewers) it really is starting to look like more of a possibility the Pirates can compete come 2014 +/- a year. After some serious boredom I decided to take a look at what that W.S could look like? 14' Pirates vs. 14' Royals? very possible.

C. Tony Sanchez; Yadier Molina Jr.?

1B. Pedro Alvarez; 40 HR/year becomes the norm.

2B. Neil Walker

SS. Chase D'Arnaud

3B. Anthony Rendon; Pujols esque? average, power, patience, and defense.

LF. Gorkys Hernandez; game changer with his speed, and defense.

CF. Andrew McCutchen; established all star; best CF in baseball?

RF. Jose Tabata

ROTATION: Jameson Taillon, Stetson Allie, Luis Heredia, Zach Von Rosenburg, Rudy Owens.

C. Wil Myers

1B. Eric Hosmer

2B. Christian Colon

SS. Alcides Esobar

3B. Mike Moustakas

LF. George Springer (projected 2011 1st rd. pick)

CF. Lorenzo Cain

RF. Alex Gordon

ROTATION: Jake Odorizzi, Danny Duffy, Mike Montgomery, Aaron Crow, Jeremy Jeffress.

What team would you rather have in the next few years?

The Post-Gazette reports that the Pirates are set to name the majority of their coaching staff. They apparently have settled on pitching coach Ray Searage, hitting coach Gregg Ritchie, third base coach Jeff Banister, and bench coach Nick Leyva.

I think that choice of Searage was to be expected as he did good work with a few of the Pirates' younger pitchers at the end of the year (particularly Charlie Morton). I would've like to see a more established major league instructor like Rick Peterson, Dave Duncan, or someone along those lines, but I'm excited to see if Searage can't help the Pirates' young pitchers gain some confidence by getting off to a good start.

Gregg Ritchie has been in the Pirates minor league system for years, so he's already familiar with the Bucs' young hitters, and probably deserves so credit for their success so far. He can keep working with guys like Neil Walker and Jose Tabata.

UPDATE by Charlie: The return of Jeff Banister isn't unexpected, but it's also nice to see. Levya was the Blue Jays' bench coach last year, and the P-G notes that he's probably Clint Hurdle's choice. Overall, some fans may be wondering why the Pirates didn't hire more outside talent, but I think that ultimately the picks of Searage, Ritchie and Banister are fine and really not much of a surprise. I don't know much about Ritchie, but I like the idea of adding a hitting coach from the Pirates' tightly-controlled minor league system - he'll be familiar with the Bucs' system and, as Jerry notes, will already know how to work with the Pirates' core of young hitters.

These picks also suggest that Frank Coonelly and Neal Huntington are very much running the show here, not Clint Hurdle. Hurdle only got one coach who was 'his guy,' and the rest are very clearly Coonelly and Huntington's people. John Russell was often criticized for being too subservient to Coonelly and Huntington, but it doesn't look like the new manager will wield too much power, either. We'll see if that turns out to be right.

Just thought I'd let everyone know that I'm really excited about the package NH got in return for Dotel. Yes, Dotel was having a really good year for us, but it would have been a crapshoot if he could've been able to repeat that performance next year, and I really feel thats why NH has no problem with dealing our bullpen year to year (I believe hes been on record saying that before).

As for the players we recieved in return; Both have seem to fallen out of favor with the Dodgers, but again I think the Pirates will reep the benefits. Look back to the beginning of the 2009 season; Mcdonald, and Lambo were ranked as the #1, and #4 prospect in the Dodger organization respectively. I believe they have much higher ceilings than alot of people seem to believe, and more upside than alot of NHs acquisitions to date. I view Mcdonald as a possible #3 starter; he has a high fly ball rate, but it does'nt seem to amount to alot of home runs (only 7 in 75+ innings). I see Lambo as our corner outfielder of the future to compliment McCutchen, and Tabata if Milledge falters. Lambo is still very young, and I believe he still has time to develop more power which the current Pirate team lacks. I've also read that a possible move to first base may be in Lambos future which would be welcomed if Jones falters. He's also a left handed bat which is always a plus at PNC park, and also because I see our future lineup as being a little right handed heavy...

Overall, I believe we'll look back on this trade in a year from now, and realize how big of a steal this trade was for us. Unfortunetely, I can't say I'm as excited for any of the other players we acquired today, but as long as Church is not taking away ABs for Milledge, etc I'm happy...

What's everyone thinking?

During a time while the Pirates are struggling mightily our pain as Pirates fan is eased a little by the recent debuts of top prospects (Tabata, Walker, Lincoln), and the success of other top prospects in the minors (Alvarez, Morris, Moskos). It seems though everyone on this board has forgotten about/written off any future for Gorkys Hernandez. I'd just like to say don't look now, but Gorkys is hitting .343 with a .465 OBP in his last 10 games. It's a short sample size, but I just wanted it to be known that it is too early to write off Gorkys. I for one would love to see an outfield, and top of the order of Gorkys, McCutchen, and Tabata.

So let the Gorkys watch begin!

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/04/rays-acquire-virgil-vasquez.html

For a player to be named later....

I'm glad to see him go...he pitched way too many innings for us last year

Any update on Brandon Moss? I have'nt heard of anyone claiming him; can he be optioned now?

I'd personally like to see him go back down AAA, and see if he can get things together...would anyone trade for him mid year if he went down and raked AAA pitching?

Who else is really excited about tonights game? It'll be the first time I get to see the Pirates in action (I missed the MLB networks broadcast of the Yankees v. Pirates), and I can't wait...I hope the Pirates play alot of our prospects, and try to put them "on show" for us viewers that won't get to see them during the year. I'll post lineups as soon as I know them...I know it's only spring training, but hopefully we go for a win as well.

I just saw a Bryce Harper update over at mlbtraderumors.com, and thought I'd share the article here for anyone who does'nt visit their site often....

Through 16 games with the Coyotes, the 17-year-old Harper is hitting .356/.451/.712 with four homers and 11 doubles in 71 plate appearances.

----- pretty impressive so far...

Then, Keith Law gives a report after scouting him...He basically said that hes already working on improving any flaws in his bat, and that hes got softer hands behind the plate than he originally thought; coupled with his impressive arm, a position change may not happen, and that the only person he would take over Harper in this years draft is HS pitcher Jameson Taillon...

"Harper brings two plus-plus tools to the table -- huge raw power and an outstanding arm behind the plate. He has ridiculous leverage in his swing, even after mechanical changes made by CSN coach Tim Chambers, who has done a good job of quieting Harper's swing down and lessening some bad habits. He's not jumping as early as he used to, although he still gets his front side open a little too early and ends up hitting off his front foot, although his hand and wrist strength make that irrelevant from a power perspective. Behind the plate, he's good enough that few runners are going to try to steal on him at this level, and he's been clocked in the low 90s off the mound. On Thursday, he also received very well, with softer hands than he's shown me in the past and good agility behind the dish."

He also spoke to several people in the game, including one who had concerns about Harper's swing, "particularly the way he can drag his hands through the zone, and whether or not [he] could hit when facing above-average fastballs."

--- I found this interesting, because I watched Harper in the H.S East-West all star game, and he seemed to me to be overmatched against good pitching. I'm worried he has everyone hyped up too much, because he took advantage of, and raked poor pitching; I think this puts a little truth in my first impression.

Buster Olney also touched on Harper in his blog today; he compared Harper to Florida QB Tim Tebow. Basically he also has his doubts whether, or not Harper can handle professional pitchers. He had this to say...

"On one hand you have those who praise Tebow's athleticism and leadership, but on the other hand you have those who doubt his ability to succeed as a pro because of poor throwing mechanics. Harper draws the same kind of responses, there are those that love his natural talent and those that doubt his ability to handle professional pitchers."

Basically I have'nt reached an opinion on Harper yet, but the fact that he got off to a pretty good start starts to put alot of pressure on teams like Washington, and Pittsburgh. I'll continue to follow Harper more before I reach a final opinion on him. I'm high on Ranaudo if he can bounce back from his recent injury, and raise his K/9...I also would'nt mind taking Taillon, but I think he will be  hard to sign. Three months, and counting; I hope the Pirates are doing their homework!!!

Was just wondering if there were any gamers out there, and if they picked up MLB 2k10 for xbox 360 yet? I believe it came out yesterday...I'm thinking about buying it, but wanted to hear if it was any good or not, first? I downloaded the demo, and the graphics and gameplay seem like they definetely improved over last years game. I noticed everything seems pretty realistic, which is what I like. It did seem to be a little too easy as I was hitting homeruns pretty easily, and had'nt given up a run yet. I could'nt change the difficulty setting in the demo, so I'm geussing that it was, because it was on its easiest setting.

Welp, if anyone has any input I'd like to hear it...

BaseballAmerica.com finally released their top 100 prospects list for 2010 which can be viewed for free here,

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=7539

A few things that jumped out to me....

*Pedro Alvarez, ranked #8; I'm surprised at the difference in opinion between BA, and Keith Law...I honestly believe Alvarez is a top 5 prospect at this point, and not a top 40 prospect that Keith Law suggests. Just goes to show that you can't put much stock into these lists...

*Dustin Ackley, ranked #11; I thought this was pretty high for someone that has yet to take a pitch in his pro career, but I'm also a big fan of Ackley, and only reminds me of how close the Pirates were to getting him. The Pirates future would look alot brighter with Ackley in the system right now...

*Tanner Scheppers, ranked #42; It also would've been really nice to have Scheppers pitching in his 2nd year in our organization this year. Obvisouly I don't know the exact numbers on why the Pirates could'nt get a deal done, but I hope it was'nt a few thousand dollars risk that we missed out on a top 50 pitching prospect. I think Scheppers becomes a dominant pitcher in the next few years, and really makes the Pirates look bad...

*Reid Brignac, ranked #54; While Bay was being shopped as a Pirate there were reports of a deal with Tampa Bay for Brignac, and Jeff Niemann. At the time I was really hoping the Pirates would pull the trigger on this deal, because I really liked Brignac. After watching Brignac some more in the minors, and a small sample size in the majors last September, I think Brignac is a top 10 prospect, and a ROY candidate this year. Brignac should would look nice in a Pirates jersey going into this year as our starting shortstop...

*Tony Sanchez, ranked #79; I thought this was a pretty good ranking for Sanchez. Some will say he should be higher, and some would say he should be lower, but after only one year it's a good ranking, and one that I think will go up drastically in the next year or two. To put it in perspective; Sanchez is ranked right ahead of Mike Moustakas (2007 2nd overall pick; ahead of Matt Wieters)

*Miguel Sano, ranked #94; The prospect that the Pirates missed out on seems to have some serious doubters. Before being signed some were thinking he would instantly become a top prospect with the likes of Strasburg, and Ackley. I thought this was a really low ranking for Sano, and a sign that he is'nt an elite talent as some suggested prior to signing. It still would've been nice to see the PIrates sign Sano, but at this point it does'nt look like the catastrophe it once did, but who knows he could come out, and rake in his first year of pro ball...

*Jose Tabata, unranked; I was really surprised to see Tabatas name not show up on the list at all. It seemed he had been gradually growing on everyones top 100 list every year since signing with the Yankees at age 16. Coming off a year where he raked double AA pitching while healthy, and playing decent in his first taste of triple AAA at the age of 21, I would have thought that he had done nothing to prove he did'nt belong as a top prospect. Not to mention his success in winter ball; I look for Tabata to continue to improve, and be in Pittsburgh this summer proving that he is still considered a top prospect.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm really getting anxious for baseball season to start, and inparticulary Pirate season.  I have high hopes of .500 baseball this year from this team. Sadly, I was just reminded this weekend with all this snow how close, but how far away we still are. To pass the time I just wanted to know who you guys truthfully think will fill out our 25 man roster for our Monday afternoon opener. It's not as clear cut as years past as management has brought in alot of guys for competition this year. Also I'd like to know what you guys thought the lineup will look like this September as the season winds down, and into next year....here are my thoughts.

Opening Day

1. CF McCutchen
2. 2B Iwamura
3. RF Jones
4. C Doumit
5. LF Milledge
6. 1B Clement
7. 3B LaRoche
8. SS Cedeno

Bench: C Jaramillo, INF Vasquez, OF/1B Church, OF Raynor

Rotation: 1. Maholm 2. Ohlendorf 3. Duke 4. Morton 5. Hart

Bullpen: Karstens, Carrasco, Donnelly, Meek, Lopez, Cotts, Hanrahan, Dotel

End of the year/2011 Opening Day lineup (what I think will happen)

1. CF McCutchen (posts .400 OBP, more SB)
2. LF Milledge (hits for high avg., more SB)
3. 3B Alvarez (becomes our best power threat, high K rate)
4. 1B Clement (develops power, leads team in RBI)
5. RF Tabata (perfect 5 hole hitter, high avg., some power, good RBI guy)
6. C Doumit (does'nt have cleanup hitter power, bridges gap to Sanchez)
7. 2B LaRoche (high OBP, develops more power, smooth transition to 2B)
8. SS Cedeno (good glove, OK bat)

Rotation: 1. Maholm 2. Morton 3. Lincoln 4. Ohlendorf 5. Hart

I think Duke, G. Jones, Iwamura, and Dotel all get traded at the deadline for pitching prospects, and I don't really see any upcoming free agents that would interest the Pirates, but it's too far off to know. Maybe it'll be the year we go after a top of the rotation starter, but I highly doubt it (e.g Josh Beckett, Erik Bedard, Cliff Lee, Brandon Webb, and Jeff Francis will all be FAs)

Over the past couple years I've been keeping my eye on the Reds, and what they've been building over there, and just recently I realized how stock piled there organization is right now. I know alot of you are probably thinking that I'm just saying that, because of the recent Aroldis Chapman signing, but to you people I say no. The Reds know what they're doing, and if you have'nt noticed they're building a contender for years to come. I don't know that they have any one player that's going to make a huge splash, but they have great depth at all positions, and look to be well set up for many years to come. They're also making some nice veteran acquisitions to help bridge the gap, and help the prospects come along. As long as none of them block playing time I think it will work out great for them. Lets take a look at a possible 2011-2012 lineup...

Catcher: Yonder Alonso (power hitting 1st basemen making a possible move to catcher this year; 1st round pick in 08, and was late signing, but has come on as of late), Ramon Hernandez (experienced veteran starter/backup), Ryan Hanigan, and Devin Moresco (top prospects in the lower minors).

1st base: Joey Votto (looks like hes developed into a middle fo the order consistant 30/100 guy), Yonder Alonso (top prospect)

2nd base: Brandon Phillips (power hitting secondbasemen with a gold glove), Todd Frazier (top prospect)

Shortstop: Orlando Cabrera (just signed; veteran experience), Paul Janish (above average glove), Zack Cozart (top prospect)

3rd base: Scott Rolen (veteran experience; still has a decent bat, and above average D), Juan Francisco (power hitting prospect), Adam Rosales (average prospect; can play multiple positions)

Left field: Todd Frazier (top prospect; most likely end up in LF, but can play multiple positions), Chris Heisey (top prospect)

Center field: Drew Stubbs (top prospect), Willy Tavares (veteran experience; nice off the bench guy)

Right field: Jay Bruce

Starting pitching: Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, Aroldis Chapman, Homer Bailey, Mike Leake, Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo

Looks to me the Reds are well setup, and should be ready to compete as soon as this year. Wish I could say the same for the Pirates, but hopefully after another year of development, and another draft we can be in as good a position as the Reds right now....What do you guys think? Are we better off than the Reds? Are we close?

I'll recently participated in a mock MLB Draft where we drafted a team we thought would win a 3 game series (not what we thought a team would do over the course of the upcoming year e.g fantasy baseball). There were 10 teams, and 12 rounds with emphasis on Hitting, and pitching (obvisouly), but team speed, and defense as well. If you are a sportsline.com member here is the link to vote...

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/messages/chrono/19788764/0/1/19789188#ID19789188

My team

1. CF Andrew McCutchen R
2. 3B Chone Figgins S
3. 2B Chase Utley L
4. 1B Adrian Gonzalez L
5. LF Jason Bay R
6. C Victor Martinez S
7. SS Jason Bartlett R
8. RF Denard Span L

#1 Johan Santana LHP
#2 Jake Peavy RHP
#3 J.A Happ LHP
CL Carlos Marmol RHP

vs.

Foreplus

1. SS Jose Reyes S
2. RF Nate McLouth L                                    
3. CF Torri Hunter R                 
4. 3B Alex Rodriguez R           
5. 1B Ryan Howard L              
6. C  Jorge Posada S            
7. LF Chris Coghlan L            
8. 2B Jose Lopez R                

#1 A.J Burnett

#2 Matt Garza
#3 Wandy Rodriguez
CL Mariano Rivera

I recently just participated in a fantasy type draft....heres the rules:

10 teams

12 players (8 pos. players, 3 SP, 1 CL)

3 game series

voters vote the winner

It's known that all teams have "equal" bullpens, and playing conditions are perfect.

Defense, natural position, and speed are taken into account (you can't draft 8 first basemen or your defense would be horendouse, thus losing)

My question to all of you is what would be a good way to rate each team? Should we come up with a team average, and team average for OBP? an average of HR/RBI or a total tally? Whats the best stat that rates defense? Any input would be appreciated!!

Once the draft is done I was hoping to post my team to get some feedback/constructive criticism....maybe have you guys vote on a winner as well

And makes me think that whoever is running the Pirates does'nt know what they are doing. I'd like to think of my self as more than just a casual fan, and have been really supportive of what Neal Huntington has done since hes taken over. But at last years trade deadline when the rumors were flying about Jack going to Seattle, and Brandon Morrow was named as possibly apart of the deal. I started doing some research on him, and watch some video. And he was a guy that I really wanted to see come to Pittsburgh. I was disappointed when I found out he was'nt apart of the deal last year. Fast forward to this offseason, and the rumors about us wanting to trade Ryan Doumit, and Seattle needing a catcher badly, and was interested in Doumit. Then I read about the Toronto Blue Jays acquiring Morrow for an above average right handed relief man, and a C grade outfield prospect.

So you mean to tell me the Pirates could not come up with a better package last year or this offseason to have Morrow thrown into the deal or dealt to us this offseason? That's what aggravates me with the Pirates. It also just seems that everyone was on vacation, and did'nt realize that Morrow was actively being dealt.

Morrow is a former top 5 pick (taken 5th in 2006; one slot behind Brad Lincoln). Many believe his potential was never reached, because he was rushed through the minors. After being drafted in 2006, he made his debut in 2008 against the Yankees; comming within 4 outs of a no hitter. Even after some control struggles he has a career ERA below 4.00 at 3.96 which would already be better than most in the Pirates current rotation. He has also closed for Seattle with 16 saves in his career. At 25 years old I still think he has not reached his full potential, and think that the Blue Jays bought low on him, and the Pirates really missed out on a buy low/high reward player. He could've been our closer or 5th starter this year.

Heres the report on Mlbtraderumors.com:

Toronto acquired Brandon Morrow in exchange for reliever Brandon League and minor league outfielder Johermyn Chavez.  Morrow has a career ERA of 3.96 over 197.6 innings.

This years non-tendered list is up over at mlbtraderumors.com, and I could'nt help, but notice they're some pretty interesting names on it. The one that jumps out first is Chien Ming Wang; with his proven success in the AL, dont you think he could revive his career in the NL with a dominant sinker?

Also, the Cubbies non-tendered Neal Cotts who I think would be a perfect fit in our bullpen, as we are lacking left handed relief pitchers. Even dating back to his days with the White Sox I always liked this guy, and thought he had better stuff than his numbers showed....

I would like the Pirates to show some interest in Kelly Johnson of the Braves; seemed like he was going to break out a couple years ago, and be a star player, but took steps backwards. Could he be an alternative to Iwamura?

Since we lost out on Sano, and really have'nt made any big splash with any International signings like NH has promised to do; Why haven'nt we been mentioned as one of the teams that are going after highly touted Cuban prospect Aroldis Chapman? He's 21 years old, lefty, 6'4 200 lbs, played for the Cuban national team, being compared to Stephen Strasburg, and has been clocked throwing 102 mph.

Scouts also say that right now hes 80% ready to pitch in the major leagues. Which would make this signing even more valuable. If we could get him signed this year, and send him straight to either AA or AAA he could arrive in our starting rotation at the same time that Alderson and Lincoln are, and the same time the Alvarez is arriving at 3rd base. I've also recently heard scouts say the Pirates have a solid rotation, but have too many 3-4 starters and no 1-2 caliber starters. Well I think Chapman would be someone who would bring that 1-2 top of the rotation stuff. He would have a much higher ceiling than any Pirate pitcher in our organization right now, and any pitcher that was drafted in the past years draft other than Strasburg.

Sano recieved a bonus of around $3 million if I can remember correctly, and I'm sure Chapmans demands would be right around that number. Something that we can definetely afford, and something that we should definetely pursue, but like always the Pirates will sit back, and watch the Yankees or Red Sox sign him, and thats why there playing in October and were not. Does anyone have any information on this? Have we spoke with his agent at all? Have we been interested in him at all?

Does anyone know why Major League Baseball does not allow a team to trade their draft pick or swamp positions with another team? You see it all the time in the NFL Draft; it seems to really allow GMs alot of flexibility, and options plus being exciting to watch. I bring it up, because if this rule did'nt exist in baseball, I think the Pirates would be a team that could really gain alot from trading down from the 1st round selection. As we all know the Pirates are always picking in the top 5, but never really have the money to pay the best player. It'd be nice to see the Pirates trade down and stock pile more picks plus they'd end up getting the player they wanted anyway. Take last year for example; they could have traded down in the 1st round, and gotten a major league ready player or prospect, and still would have been able to select Sanchez (most likely). Does anyone know if they even plan on changing that rule?

After watching some post season baseball I couldnt help but recall what the 2008 Tampa Rays did last year. I remember that team being very fun to watch, and very fundamentally sound. Recalling their lineup last year I could'nt help, but think that the Pirates' 2010 lineup will look alot like the Rays. This being said I think the Pirates have a chance next year to surprise everyone and compete if everyone in our lineup takes a step forward, and doesnt regress. I'm not sayin we'll be in the World Series next year, but if we start out strong who knows...

Heres the Rays most consistant lineup from last year; see how you think it compares to what our lineup I hope will look like next year....

CF Upton .273/9/67  (McCutchen will be an upgrade over Upton; defensively and offensively)

LF Crawford .273/8/57 (If Milledge starts off like this September he could be very comparible to Crawford)

3B Longoria .272/27/85 (Longoria came up in the middle of the year just like Alvarez might, and may have the same impact)

1B Pena .247/31/102 (Jones career has gone much like Penas; may not hit for the same power, but will make up for it with a higher average)

RF Gross .238/13/40 (Even Moss has shown he can put up those numbers if we have no other options in Right to start the year...Tabata will be an upgrade once he arrives)

C Navarro .295/7/54 (Navarro was an all star; Doumit may not be an all star, and doesnt provide the defense Navarro does, but I believe he'll have a bounce back year with the bat, and hit for power)

2B Iwamura .274/6/48 (If Laroche can log alot of time at 2nd during spring training I think what he showed this year with his glove will carry over to 2nd, and his bat will be a huge upgrade over Iwamura)

SS Bartlett .286/1/37 (Mainly in the lineup for his defense just like I think we should view Cedeno, but will surprise you with some pop, and any offense we get is a plus)

After viewing the starting rotation I also think its very comparable to ours. They had alot of young starters (Garza, Kazmir, Shields) that threw strikes and let the defense do its job. If we can do the same next year I think the Pirates can compete, and will surprise alot of people just like the Rays did in 2008. A breakdown like this will atleast keep me optimistic throughout the offseason, and give me somethin to look forward too and hope for...

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/blog_article/projecting-jj-hardy/

What do you guys think about going after JJ Hardy this offseason? I think it follow his history of buying low on high ceiling talent, and would be worth the risk. Over the years I've seen alot of JJ Hardy playing in the NL Central and all. He always seemed to kill the pirates (who does'nt though), and I always thought how nice it'd be to have him in Pittsburgh; above average power and defense although he never really hit for average. I believe he would be an upgrade over Cedeno next year or would even create some competition in spring training at the least. What do you guys think?

As the season winds down, I can't help, but to look forward to the offseason. Lots of decisions are to be made, and I'm sure NH will be very busy. But after looking at the 2010 free agent market I personally really could'nt find any players that would fit the mold of helping us next year and the years to come.  I really hope NH does'nt go out and spend on someone like Bobby Abreu to come in and block someone like Tabata. That would absolutely defeat the whole purpose.

I was wondering though if any of you saw anyone out there that would make sense for us to sign? I don't see any position players that would make sense for us, but I saw a couple of right handed pitchers that could make sense for us to spend on and sign. We have some pretty good young arms in our rotation, but no real ace, and our 5th starter has been a problem all year. If we added a legitimate ace, and moved everyone back a spot I think our rotation as a whole would look alot better.

I think NH should go out and aggresively pursue John Lackey. I believe hes an unrestricted free agent after this season, and is still pretty young. I know he'd command a big payday, but I think this is the type of player that we've been waiting to sign. Nutting can prove he's willing to spend, and NH can help the team next year and years after that. A rotation of Lackey, Duke, Ohlendorf, Maholm, and Morton all of a sudden looks pretty legit for a contending team even though 2011 is probably the earliest we contend. Just wondering what everyone thought of Lackey and the chances?

Other names I would'nt mind seeing us sign are Jason Marquis and Joel Piniero...

Now I know the majority of the bucco fans out there/on this forum don't like Neil Walker for some reason and/or have given up on him as a high ceiling prospect/regular in the pirates lineup in the future. As you know already I strongly disagree with that, so with that being said, and the obvious hole we have at second base do you think Neil could be a good fit at second base, and do you think NH would ever venture down this avenue?

Neil is finally starting to rake at AAA hitting  .375 in his last 10 and up to .270 for the year with 14 HRs. The way I look at it with him being a former number 1 pick, you gotta find a spot in the lineup consistantly for him this September or at the beginning of next year before you completely right him off. The way it looks now he looks to be blocked at thirdbase, and with a hole at second I think he would be an ideal fit there. Hes already showed he can handle a position change, and I'm no expert, but would'nt his defense translate even better from the hot corner to second? Scouts say he has a really strong arm even from his catching days, so would'nt that translate into a good double play turner? I think this would be a great project for Perry Hill to really prove how valuable he is to this team and work with Neil.

His bat then goes from average at thirdbase to highly above average at second base. Put your bias towards Neil away, and give an honest opinion on if you think this would be a good baseball move or not?

"Gorkys Hernandez's two-run shot in the first inning provided all the offense Moskos needed."

Don't be surprised to hear that same quote on this day in 2-3 years when the Pirates lead the central by 5 games, and just beat the cubs 2-1 and are gearing up for a playoff run.

Oh ya, Neil Walker with another 4 RBIs last night, JUST SAYING. If you throw out the middle part of this year that Neil was playing not 100 % he's hitting what? close to .350?

He's my prediction to be the Pirates first round pick next year.  He made a big velocity jump and that gets attention from the scouts. His pitches hit between 92 and 94 and touch on 96. One scout said that his fastball and curve are 60 on a Major League scale. That means they're both above average right now when compared to pitchers in the majors.

"I like to think of myself as a hard worker and part of that is paying attention to detail. That's why I keep a book on myself and take notes, so I can look back on them any time. After games, I also write down what I did right and what went wrong."

Sounds like hes got his head on straight, and not to mention hes 6'7".

Neil Walker went 3 for 4 with a home run tonight, and it was pirate jersey night for the indians....if thats not a sign then i don't know what is? Jeff Clement went 3 for 4 also (which seems like an every night occurance)

Clement needs to catch again, and we need to get rid of Doumit immediately...He shouldve been traded with everyone else, hes horrible. Walker at thrid, Pedro at first, and Clement catching....take my word for it

Promote Neil tomorrow!!

I've been seeing alot of updated prospect rankings since the flurry of trades, and I can't believe how many people are sleeping on/writing off Neil Walker. I think everyone forgets how quickly Neil made it to AAA even with a position change. Although hes struggled this year with his average he's still hit for more power than any of our other prospects. I just think hes to good of an athlete to write off just yet. My prediction is that he's gonna heat up and put alot of pressure on LaRoche in training camp next year. As far as the future, I think Neil will be the one that forces LaRoche to the bench or second base, Alvarez to first base, Clement to catcher, and Doumit out the door (thank god). I know it seems pretty bold, but Neil's the prospect I will be paying attention to the most over the next year or so..

Also the same goes for Daniel Moskos...everyone has forgotten about him already. I did'nt agree with managements idea of making moskos a starter, but they've stuck with it and it's starting to pay off. I'd look for Moskos to get a promotion soon and even crack the rotation next year. I really don't think Matt Wieters has done anything this year to warrant all the hype hes gotten. Don't be surprised if Moskos makes that pick not look so bad after all.

Theres gotta be someone out there that agrees with me?