I have not been able to watch many games since the season tipped of. School has seemed to kidnapped me. I have only now  managed to escape from them for the holiday break.

Kind of curious about Rondo's mid range game. Last year in the finals the Lakers just dared him to shoot it from mid range. Are teams still employing this tactic? Our did he develop one?

Thanks for all the feedback... getting to watch my first tonight. Happy Holidays.

Thought this would be an interesting way to get different opinions from posters on our minor league strength. Feel free to pick a position then rank the top 5 Pirate minor league players that fit in at that position.

My choice is the outfield.

1. Starling Marte - tools to do it all and has been producing. If he learns some plate discipline he could become an impact player.
2. Evan Chambers - does it all but hit for average and that is misleading. This cat gets on base at a .400 clip
3. Mel Rojas Jr. - the small sample size and reviews have been excellent. He has excellent size and played in a wooden bat league. Should quickly adapt and rise up the system
4. Robbie Grossman - very young and has all the tools. Faced with adversity he has rebounded and is starting to put up some nice looking stats.
5. Exicardo Cayonez - bonus baby from the international signings.Results have been good so far.. speedy slap hitter who may mature into a legit cf with top end speed.

Overall the Bucs have some interesting OF and although it may not be or strength. It is far from a weakness and should have us talking their potential for many years to come.

OK.. it's your turn. Pick a position and  give us a top 5 or feel free to critique my list and let me know who I left out.

Just found this information out on the Post Gazette courtesy of Dejan.


My two thoughts...

1 - good lord our rotation would be beyond bad if we dealt Paul. Pretty much locking us in for the #1 pick in next years draft and locking down Rendon.

2 - who would we actually get of value out of the Dodgers system.


Here is a list from February from Hardball times.


Los Angeles Dodgers

 

1. Andrew Lambo / OF / Am I crazy for liking Lambo as much as I do? Most scouts seem to be very down on him due to his mildly disappointing 2009. Sure, his power and plate discipline didn't take the step forward that I was hoping for, but I'm still a believer that his ability to make contact is good enough for the majors right now. And I'm still a believer that his power potential could result in a 30-home-run prime. He is young enough to pull it off.

2. Chris Withrow / SP / Withrow has overcome some early-career injury concerns to become L.A.'s best pitching prospect. His curveball has the makings of an out pitch, and the natural movement on his fastball is enviable. With some work on his command and change-up, he could become a No. 2 starter.

3. Ethan Martin / SP/RP / Martin has the same fastball/curveball combination that Withrow possesses, but Martin brings more pure velocity to the ballpark. Holding him back, though, is his inconsistent command and questionable endurance. The upside is immense, however.

4. Dee Gordon / SS / In my opinion, Gordon gets too much hype. His speed is game-changing, despite his lack of current baserunning instincts, and his defense will be an asset going forward, but his bat doesn't do much for me. His swing is inconsistent and I don't see home run power developing. But he is still raw, and the fact that he put up the numbers that he did in 2009 based on athleticism and tools alone is incredible.

5. Aaron Miller / SP / I was not a fan of L.A.'s selection of Miller in the 2009 draft, mainly due to the fact that he was soon to be 22 years old and just beginning to figure out how to pitch. But his initial numbers have shown much more polish than I was expecting, and his fastball/slider combination has turned heads.

6. Scott Elbert / SP/RP / Elbert has had a couple of opportunities to carve out a place in L.A.'s bullpen, but I think his future still lies in the rotation. He may never have anything more than average command of his fastball/curveball combination, but I still feel that he has the arm and work ethic necessary to be a middle-of-the-rotation stalwart sometime soon.

7. Josh Lindblom / RP/SP / Lindblom doesn't have the projected out pitch needed to be a closer or top-of-the-rotation starter. But he does have a solid repertoire that is highlighted by his above-average fastball. The question is, will he earn his living as a starter or setup man?

8. Garrett Gould / SP / Gould has good projection in his right arm with a low-90s fastball and a potentially devastating curveball. His mechanics, command, and change-up need some real work, but he has lots of time to straighten everything out.

9. Allen Webster / SP / With some hard work, Webster solidified his delivery and improved his command immensely in 2009. He has an impressive three pitches for a kid just one year removed from high school. Having never pitched beyond rookie ball, he has much to prove.

10. Ivan DeJesus / 2B/SS / DeJesus suffered a lost 2009 season due to a broken leg. His best offensive skills are his plate discipline and contact ability. He has no power to speak of, but he is a solid defender at either shortstop or second base and could have a long career as a pesky hitter who is difficult to strike out and keep off base

Save money on the 1rst couple round picks and spend it signing above slot contracts to lower round guys. The article below from Peter Gammons caught me as odd, anyone know if there is any truth to this? The Pirates are the only central team in either league not to have a winning season in the past 5 years (Royals had a winning record in 2003). Sounds like it has to be our Pirates. If so... is the Buccs draft shot?

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