Pitching Falls Apart Against Twins & Orioles This Afternoon

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit:  http://www.hardballtalk.nbcsports.com

The Pirates had a busy Saturday afternoon today, with intra-squad games against the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles.  Kevin Correia and Erik Bedard started against the Twins and Orioles respectively, and neither, well, exactly propelled much confidence with their performances today.

Kevin Correia will make his first start of the season in a little over a week in the Pirates’ first road game of 2012.  In his final Spring Training game, he (and the rest of the team) was hoping for a strong performance to carry over to the regular season.  Unfortunately, that didn’t happen today against the Minnesota Twins.

Ryan Doumit’s new teams lit Correia up for 10 runs on 12 hits in just 2.1 innings today.  After a routine opening inning, Kevin ran into a world of trouble in the two subsequent innings, and wasn’t able to escape the third frame.  Daniel McCutchen, who will also be apart of the Opening Day roster bullpen, also struggled, as did Tim Wood.  D-Cutch surrendered three runs on three hits in an inning, while Wood was touched up for two runs on four hits in two innings.  Not the kind of performance we want from the pitching staff leading up to the regular season. 

Offensively, Jose Tabata and Michael McKenry were the only Pirates to have a multi-hit game, and McKenry blasted a homerun for the Bucs today.  Pedro Alvarez went 1-4 with only one strikeout, and Matt Hague also homered, his sixth of the spring.  He continues to make a strong case for an Opening Day roster spot, along with Yamaico Navarro, who went 1-4 today.

The Twins won the game, 15-3.

Similar to Correia (but not quite to that extent), Erik Bedard struggled in his start today, giving up four runs on five hits, including two homeruns.  His ERA sits at 5.03 right now, and even though this is just Spring Training, this is not the way one of the top pitchers in the Pirates’ rotation needs to throwing as we approach Opening Day.

Joel Hanrahan gave up a run today, while Chris Leroux had a solid one inning of relief, striking out two batters without giving up a single hit.

Garrett Jones had a homerun (his fourth of the spring) and two RBI’s, while Rod Barajas and Casey McGehee had a pair of hits a piece.  Clint Barmes and Alex Presley each had a hit as well, including Presley’s solo homerun.

The Bucs and Orioles played to a 6-6 tie. 

The Pirates will face the Toronto Blue Jays tomorrow afternoon before heading to Philadelphia for the final two exhibition games against the Phillies.

Grapefruit League:  8-18-2

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates-Rays End Game In A Tie?

Photo by AP

by Zane Heiple

Well I guess the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays forgot to post their lineups for the shootout before the first pitch today, as their game ended in a 3-3 tie.  This is the only time of year where one can see a baseball game end like this and with the way the Buccos have been playing maybe this was for the best.

Pitching for Pittsburgh today was strictly done by bullpen and minor league players.  The bullpen grouping of Tony Watson, Jason Grilli and Chris Resop shutdown the bats of Tampa.  Watson and Grilli each pitched two scoreless innings, while Resop threw one shutout inning.  The Rays were able to get to Brad Lincoln in the seventh inning touching him up for three runs.  Tim Alderson then came in for the final two innings allowing zero runs on two hits.

Offensively for the Pirates Casey McGehee and Matt Hague led the way.  Each would go 2-4, with McGhee bringing one run home on a solo shot in the first and Hague bringing in two on a home run in the seventh.  Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker had a rough go of it at the plate going 0-4 each.

Always good to see some quality innings from the bullpen guys as I am sure they will be leaned upon heavily this season.  Pittsburgh will have a split squad game tomorrow.  One game will see Erik Bedard at home against the Baltimore Orioles, while the other will be against the Minnesota Twins on the road with Kevin Correia starting.  First pitch for both games is scheduled for 1:05.

Grapefruit League Record 8-17-1

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Pedro’s Struggles Continue, Pirates Lose To Phillies

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit:  http://www.wickphotography.com/

It’s March 27, with a little less than a week left in Spring Training, and I have yet to be negative about the Pirates. I’ve been objective in my analysis of individual players and the Bucs as a whole, but I haven’t been negative. After today’s 5-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, I have to break my streak here this spring and come down pretty hard on the Pirates.


This was just one of those frustrating afternoons for a Pirates’ fan…and of course, it was aired on MLB Network for all to see. They managed eight hits on the afternoon, three of which came off of Phillies’ starter Cliff Lee, who pitched six scoreless innings. The hits came from Alex Presley, Andrew McCutchen, Eric Fryer, Nick Evans, and Casey McGehee, as well as Pedro Alvarez. Wait, before anyone gets excited about Pedro, no this wasn’t a coming out party for the third baseman.

In fact, it was more of the same debacle that has Pirates’ fans pulling their hair out over this guy. He went 1-4 on the day with three strikeouts, including an at-bat with two runners on base and one out in the seventh inning. He was called out on strikes. Garrett Jones struck out after Alvarez to end the threat.

Making things even more excruciating was Pedro’s fielding error in the third inning, as well as Jake Fox’s error in the second. All aspects of Alvarez’s game are on the rocks at this point. For a guy with this much pedigree, it is astonishing to see him struggle this mightily in all areas of the game.

The Pirates used a total of eight pitchers today, collectively giving up five runs on twelve hits. Chris Resop, in a spot he’ll never find himself in a game that matters, started this afternoon, surrendering two runs on three hits in two innings, while striking out three batters. Daniel McCutchen, following his horrendous outing last week against the Tigers, gave up a run on a pair of hits in the fourth inning, while Ryota Igarashi also gave up a run, coming in the sixth inning. Daniel Moskos gave up the walkoff homerun in the bottom of the ninth to the Phillies’ Scott Podsednik.

Bright spots? Hmm…well Joel Hanrahan and Chris Leroux each tossed a scoreless inning. But in the regular season, if the Bucs can’t score runs, Hanarahan will leave his jacket on in the bullpen. Not much point in a closer when you can’t score runs to obtain any type of a lead. From an offensive standpoint today, however, the Bucs did manage a couple of runs in the eighth inning. Nick Evans’ RBI single scored Nate McLouth and Eric Fryer’s RBI double scored Evans to make things interesting at 4-2. McGehee hammered a double next, scoring Fryer.

Later in the game with the score tied 4-4, Pedro Alvarez walked to the plate with a chance to be the hero. Spring Training game or not, this was an opportunity for Pedro to give his team the lead. So what happened? He was called out on strikes.

I realize this is Spring Training, and I know the Bucs were facing a Philadelphia Phillies’ starter in Cliff Lee, and I know they weren’t sending a starting pitcher out to the mound themselves, but this was an utterly frustrating game to watch for this Pirates’ fan. While they did make a comeback in the eighth inning and put a string of hits together, the production from the everyday players was absent. Sure, it’s nice to see Evans and Fryer come through, but the guys we need to see production from, most particularly Pedro, didn’t come through.

With the loss, the Pirates fell to 8-15 in Grapefruit League play. Again, while wins and losses don’t matter at this point, it continues to leave a bad taste in the mouth of this Pirates’ fan.

Well after my rant, I feel a little better. As for the Pirates, they face the Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow night at 7:05pm.

Grapefruit League Record: 8-15

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Correia Struggles, Pirates Win Close One Over Red Sox

Photo Credit:  http://www.bradenton.com/

By Chad Carlson

The Pirates beat the Boston Red Sox today, 6-5. To be perfectly honest, I couldn’t care any less about the score of this game or the fact that the Bucs lost. This is still Spring Training; wins and losses don’t matter for another two weeks.


Prior to A.J. Burnett bunting a ball off his face, Kevin Correia was more than likely on his way to beginning the 2012 regular season in the bullpen. Now, even despite Burnett’s impressive (and speedy) recovery thus far, Correia will be in the starting rotation to begin the season, and in fact, he may even be the Opening Day starter when the Pirates host the Philadelphia Phillies in a little over two weeks from today.

Correia got the start today against the Boston Red Sox, and unfortunately, he looked more like his post All-Star Game from last year, lasting five innings while giving up four runs on eight hits. He fought hard against a number of batters, but he proved vulnerable to leaving pitches a little higher in the zone than desirable, and it cost him on several occasions.

Before today’s start, Correia had looked incredible on the mound…very solid, confident, and reminiscent of last year’s Spring Training and early regular season. Today was definitely a step backwards for him. That being said, this was against a pretty jacked up Boston Red Sox lineup, one that is among the best the Pirates will see this year. Still, as we draw closer to the regular season, it’d be nice to see the Pirates’ pitchers performing better, not worse.

Joel Hanrahan relieved Correia and tossed a scoreless sixth inning, giving up a hit and walking one batter while striking out one. Evan Meek, unfortunately, wasn’t as strong, giving up a run on two hits, including a homerun, in the seventh inning.

From an offensive standpoint, the Bucs looked solid today. Josh Harrison and Matt Hague, two players vying for those previous bench spots on the Major League roster, had two hits a piece, while Andrew McCutchen, Alex Presley, and Casey McGehee each added a hit as well. Nate McLouth hammered a go-ahead homerun in the seventh inning as well.

Prior to today’s game, the Pirates announced they were reassigning four players to the Minor Leagues, including Brandon Boggs, Daniel Cabrera, Jeff Clement, and Tim Wood. The Bucs’ current roster number sits at 39.

The Pirates face the Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow at 1:05pm.

Grapefruit League Record: 7-10

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Morton Shines As Pirates Fall To Phillies

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

Charlie Morton made his spring training debut today after having off-season surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip.  Morton would go two innings allowing four hits and striking out two batters.  While Charlie may not be back in time for opening day, it would be big if he were able to be back within the first week of the season to help ease the loss of A.J. Burnett during the first four to eight weeks of the regular season.  Morton had a very good 2011 campaign where he showed glimpses of the pitcher he is capable of being when the Pittsburgh Pirates traded for him in the Nate McLouth trade to the Atlanta Braves.

 

While Charlie looked good on the mound today the same could not be said for the Pirates offense in a 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.  The Buccos were only able to gather two hits on the day, coming from Gorkys Hernandez and Jordy Mercer.  Hernandez would score the only run when Michael Martinez made a fielding error on ground ball by Casey McGhee. 

Regulars like Alex Presley, McLouth, Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, McGehee, Garrett Jones, Clint Barmes, and Pedro Alvarez went a combined 0-19.  Not a good sign against anybody, buts it not like the Phils had their aces on the hill.  Vance Worley would pitch four shutout innings.  Worley will most likely be the fourth or fifth guy in the rotation. 

With three straight losses, the Pirates will get a much needed day off tomorrow and return to action on Wednesday when they take on the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota.  James McDonald will make his third trip to the bump this spring with first pitch scheduled for 1:05.

Grapefruit League Record:  3-7

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

McGhee Excels As Pirates Fall To Twins

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Grant Jefferies/Bradenton Herald

The Pittsburgh Pirates may have had a few holes to fill this off-season, but none were bigger than those at the corner infield positions.  Pedro Alvarez may still be the front runner and future of the third base position, but has yet to show that he intends to be the superstar one would expect from a number one draft pick.  Across the infield first base has been a huge question mark for many years with the Pirates and they still do not appear to have the long term answer to who will fill that position.  That is why Pittsburgh went out and traded for Casey McGehee.  McGehee is capable of playing both positions, is young, and if he can play more like he did his first two seasons in the Majors, will definitely give the Pirates the pop in the lineup we all are looking for.

Today McGehee started at third base and defensively looked like someone who has played the position for years.  The second inning alone made him look like a gold glove caliber player.  The first out came on a ground ball that appeared to head down the line, but with english on the ball, it began to spin towards the hole into short.  Casey was able to stop pick up the ball and gun the runner out at first.  He would then record the final out of the inning by diving to prevent a ball from going to the outfield and throw the runner out.  Offensively he showed signs of regaining that early career form going 3-3 with an RBI.

Erik Bedard had a great day on the bump for the Buccos as he would go three innings allowing one hit with three strikeouts.  If Bedard can build on starts like today he should be considered as an option to start on opening day.  Nate McClouth also looked like his old self today going 2-2 with a walk at the plate.  Chase d’Arnaud would collect a hit and an RBI today.  Joel “The Hammer” Hanrahan looked lights out again striking out two in an inning of work.

Unfortunately there were some signs that this was a spring training game.  McClouth would be caught stealing twice today, Rod Barajas was thrown out going from second to home on a ball that was hit to the outfield wall, and with the bases loaded and no outs Pittsburgh managed only one run.  Jo Jo Reyes had a rough outting allowing four runs on five hits while striking out two and walking one in three innings of work.  These mistakes were big factors in the Pirates losing to the Minnesota Twins 4-2.

Neil Walker is said to be back in action tomorrow as the Pirates will head to Port Charlotte to take on the Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow at 1:05.  It was also reported that A.J. Burnett has been cleared to begin working out, as he looks to get back on track to recovering from an orbital fracture.

Grapefruit League Record:  3-5

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucs Fall To Phillies In Extra Innings

by Zane Heiple

Photo by blackandgoldworld.blogspot.com

In one month the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphi Phillies will meet on opening day, today they met for the first time in spring training.  Pirate’s fans will hope that opening day goes a little better, as the Phillies won 5-4.

James McDonald started for the Buccos today and would allow one run on two hits with one strikeout in three innings of work.  Philadelphia starter Cole Hamels would go 3 2/3 innings striking out four batters and allowing four hits.

After the Phillies took a 4-0 into the sixth inning, Pittsburgh would battle back with three runs of their own.  Casey McGehee, who made his first appearance at third base, drove in Josh Harrison with an RBI single.  Matt Hague singled into a ground out to bring home McGehee.  Gorkys Hernandez then closed the gap to one with a sacrifice fly. 

Starling Marte continued his hot streak with a solo home run to tie the game in the eighth inning.  This game between cross state rivals would head to extra innings where in the bottom of the tenth Philadelphia right fielder Lou Montanez hit a walk-off home run to win the game.

Rod Barajas was the only Bucco to record multiple hits today as he would go 2-3.  Daniel Moskos would pitch two no hit innings, while Mike Crotta would give up a run in one inning of work.

Up next the Pirates will take on the Boston Red Sox tomorrow in Ft. Myers at 7:05pm.

Grapefruit League Record:  2-4

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Cutch Leads Buccos Past Yankees

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Matt Slocum/AP

After it was announced officially earlier in the day that Andrew McCutchen would be with the Pittsburgh Pirates for at least the next six seasons, Cutch showed why Bucco fans have a lot to finally be thankful for.  McCutchen would go 2-3 on the day with a double and two RBI.  His first hit of the day would come off of New York Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia.

The Pittsburgh offense saw contributions from Clint Barmes, who went 2-3, and Sterling Marte, who had two hits in as many plate appearences.  The big offensive day came from DH Yamaico Navarro, who played for the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals last season.  Navarro went 3-4 with 2 RBI.  Not sure where he could fit on the opening day roster, but he may be a name to keep an eye on.  The downside of the offense came from Rod Barajas and Casey McGehee who both went 0-3.  Nothing to worry about as both players still have a lot of time to be ready for April 5^th.

Kevin Correia made his first start of the spring today pitching two innings allowing no hits, but walking two batters in two innings of work.  Correia would say afterwards, “Everything feels as good as it did at this point last season”.  Chris Resop picked up the win allowing one run on two hits, while striking out two in an inning of work.  Daniel McCutchen didn’t have quite that good of a day as he would give up two runs on two hits while pitching the final inning.

Tomorrow will be the first time this spring that the Pirates face a right-handed starter as they will face the Toronto Blue Jays Kyle Drabek, who happens to the son of former Bucco Doug Drabek.  Jeff Karstens will make his second start for Pittsburgh, as first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 at McKechnie Field.

Grapefruit League Record:  2-2

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Fall To Blue Jays In First Spring Training Game Of 2012

Photo Credit:  http://www.rumbunter.com

By Chad Carlson

Well that could’ve gone a little better. 

The Pirates opened up Grapefruit League play today with a 7-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium in Dunedin, Florida.

Brett Lawrie went 2-3 and had 4 RBI’s for Toronto, while seven of their eight pitchers tossed scoreless innings, giving up only a total of two hits to Pirates’ batters.

It was a tough day for the Bucs on both ends, only tallying two hits the entire afternoon.  Both knocks occurred in the same inning, though, resulting in the only run they’d score all day.  With two outs in the fifth, Gorkys Hernandez singled to right center, stole 2^nd base, and scored on Michael McKenry’s RBI single to right field.  Other than three walks, the two singles by Hernandez and McKenry were the virtually the only offense for the Pirates this afternoon.

Two of the new Pirates, Casey McGehee and Clint Barmes, combined to go 0-2, while Nate McLouth walked in the second inning.  Starling Marte had a double in the ninth inning in his only at-bat.

Overall, it was a disappointing performance by the Bucs’ pitching staff.  After a flawless first inning, starter James McDonald gave up two runs on hits and a walk in the second inning, while Chris Leroux and Daniel McCutchen gave up a run each in the fifth and seventh innings respectively.  However, after giving up a solo homerun in the sixth inning, LeRoux did strike out the side. 

Unfortunately, Tony Watson had the roughest day of all, giving up three runs on four hits in the sixth inning. 

Now the bright sides of the game:  Brad Lincoln, Chris Resop, and Ryota Igarashi each pitched an inning of scoreless ball.  With the injury to A.J. Burnett keeping him out at least two months, there is an opening to be filled, possibly by Lincoln?  We’ll see.  We’ve seen in the past that he has the ability to pitch extremely well, but the longevity and consistency of that quality pitching has been the issue.  Though it’s only an inning in one Spring Training game, it was still nice to see Lincoln pitch well today.

Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, and Rod Barajas sat out this afternoon, so we’ll have to wait at least another day to see them take their first official at-bats of Spring Training. 

First of all, Pirates' fans, calm down.  It's only one Spring Training game.  Despite the loss today, it’s incredibly exciting to be talking about Pirates’ baseball once again.  As with any Spring Training, this is always optimism from players and fans alike.  Considering the excitement during the first four months of the season last year in Pittsburgh, fans are looking for the team to take the next step and complete a solid season. 

The goal for this Spring Training is progress, in every sense of the word.  While it’s always nice to win games, a Grapefruit League record means absolutely nothing to me.  This is all about the little things right now on individual levels, micro levels.  How does Charlie Morton look in his inning or two of work, and how does Pedro Alvarez look in his pair plate appearances against left-handed pitching?  Keep these in mind as we watch and discuss Pirates’ baseball this Spring Training.

The Pirates and Blue Jays will meet again tomorrow afternoon, this time at McKechnie Field.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:05pm.

Grapefruit League Record:  0-1

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucco Blurb: Pirates' Top Offseason Move

By Chad Carlson

Although they haven’t been breaking national headlines, the Pirates have been busy this offseason, making moves and changing the complexion of their eventual 2012 roster.

Among the new acquisitions of the past few months include Rod Barajas, Clint Barmes, Nate McLouth, Erik Bedard, and Casey McGehee.  While the team could make more moves over the next few weeks and beyond, the majority of the holes in the lineup, with the exception of first base, have been filled.

With that being said, who has been the best acquisition for the Pirates thus far?

Rod Barajas

Apparently at the top of the Pirates’ priority list was the situation at the catcher position.  It was one of the first matters they addressed this offseason, electing not to exercise the options on Ryan Doumit or Chris Snyder.  Instead, they signed Rod Barajas, formerly of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Barajas certainly doesn’t have a lot of power.  He’s a defensive upgrade to Doumit, without question.  The main issue with both Doumit and Synder is they have both proven to be extremely injury-prone.  When Doumit was hot, he can hit any pitch out of the ballpark, but that just hasn’t happened all that often.  With a hit-for-contact approach and a solid arm behind the plate, Barajas is a quality option for the Bucs in comparison to the current market as well as for someone who is financially available to them.

Nate McLouth

At first, the signing of Nate McLouth was a puzzling one.  After all, the Pirates seem to have their starting outfield set for 2012, with a number of other players waiting in the wings of the minor leagues for their shot at the big league level in the coming years.  Certainly, Andrew McCutchen and Jose Tabata are forgone conclusions for centerfield and right field respectively, and after his impressive run last season, Alex Presley seems to be the frontrunner for the left field slot. 

This is still a smart deal for the Bucs though.  In their short tenures with the team, both Presley and Tabata have proven to be subjectable to injuries, and the wear-and-tear of a 162-game season can be detrimental to a player's performance, especially someone like Presley, who's bulk experience has come in the minors. 

McLouth adds a quality bat and glove in the backup role, while he's certainly capable of stepping into a full-time role in the event of injury or roster move.  After a rough stint in Atlanta, he came at a low price…which is always a factor concerning the Pirates.

Clint Barmes

The Pirates' decline of Ronny Cedeno's option, followed by the signing of free agent Clint Barmes, was a moderate surprise for fans, from a financial standpoint.  After all, Cedeno's option was for $3 million for 2012.  Typically, when a team declines the option on a particular player, it implies that the team doesn't feel the player's performance on the field is worthy of the type of compensation he is owed the following year. 

By signing Barmes, the Bucs upgraded, but only slightly.  He has plenty more power than Cedeno, minus a few seasons, while the two players' batting averages are virtually identicle.  From a defensive standpoint, they are strikingly similar as well. 

So..yeah, a slight upgrade moving from Cedeno to Barmes. 

But the oddest aspect of the situation is Barmes' contract, which is good for 2 years, $10.5 million.  So the Bucs were not willing to pay Cedeno $3 million for one year, but they'll pay Barmes for 2 years at a little over $5 million per?  For a slight upgrade?  Now clearly, the Pirates' management have talent evaluators who are far more skilled than fans like me, but these two players are very similar from a talent standpoint, so for a historically stingy team like the Pirates to pour extra money in a situation like this, it's a little surprising.  As I've said before, I believe this deal had more to do with the relationship (or lack thereof) between Cedeno and Clint Hurdle.  Barmes, of course, played for Hurdle when both were with the Colorado Rockies' organization.

I think Barmes will be exactly what people expect.  He'll be a solid defensive shortstop, while hit around .250 but will take advantage of opposing pitchers' mistakes and knock a few over the wall.

Erik Bedard

The signing of Erik Bedard at the Winter Meetings is a move that has been approved and supported by fans and critics alike.  Pittsburgh decline the outrageous option on Paul Maholm earlier in the offseason, leaving a vacancy in the starting pitching rotation…until this signing. 

The downside on Bedard is certainly the injuries, and he's been the victim of many over the years.  However, he has solid stuff and a great baseball mind.  If he stays healthy, you'll be a huge upgrade to the Pirates' starting pitching rotation.  He's also a lefty, adding to the team's otherwise all right-handed rotation, including James McDonald, Kevin Correia, Charlie Morton, and Jeff Karstens. 

This is, of course, a risky move…but it's refreshing (and rather shocking) to see the Pirates take a risk.  The key to the quality of this move will be if Bedard can stay away from the injury bug.  If he can, the Bucs' pitching rotation just got a lot stronger.

Casey McGehee

The newest member of the Pirates' family was announced earlier this week, when the Jose Veras was traded to Milwaukee in exchange for Casey McGehee.  We, as fans, certainly didn't see this one coming, and there weren't any rumors regarding interest in the multi-positioned McGehee until the deal was already done.

The last two seasons for have been extremely different from one another for McGehee.  In 2010, he was a power-hitting third baseman contributing daily to his team's offense, while 2011 saw him as almost a liability in the Brewers' astounding power-hitting lineup.

It's not realistic for Pirates' fans to believe that McGehee will return to his 2010 form, but he should be better than last year.  The Bucs are in utter need for power in their lineup, and that's exactly what McGehee brings.  If he hits for power, he will play.  Whether it's at third base, first base, or even the outfield, that remains to be seen.

Stay with us right here at Fans From The Stands for all rants and discussions surrounding our Battlin’ Buccos!

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucco Blurb: Jose Veras Out; Jason Grilli & Casey McGehee In

By Chad Carlson

The Pirates’ busy offseason continued on Monday, with two more moves that show a ton of promise for the upcoming 2012 season. 

With a number of players nearing the arbitration deadline, the Bucs had some decisions to make, and they made a couple choices on Monday in regards to their bullpen, favoring Jason Grilli over Jose Veras.

Grilli was rewarded for his strong 2011 season with a one-year deal worth just over $1 million, while Veras was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for third baseman Casey McGehee.

I like both of these moves.  Grilli had a solid year out of the bullpen for the Bucs, and Veras was horribly inconsistent.  With the players the team had on arbitration restrictions, decisions had to be made on who was worth keeping and who wasn’t, and I think they made the correct choice here.  Joel Hanrahan, Evan Meek, and Chris Resop, other pitchers in the bullpen, are still arbitration eligible.

By trading Veras, though, the Bucs also get McGehee…yes, the same player who hit .285 with 23 homeruns and 104 RBI’s in 2010, but had quite a setback this past season in 2011, hitting just .223 with 13 homeruns and 67 RBI’s.  When Milwaukee made the deal for Aramis Ramirez, it became evident that McGehee was expendable to the Brew Crew. 

The Bucs are rumored to have stated that they are not grooming Pedro Alvarez to make the transition over to first base.  So with Pedro occupying third base, or at least with the inside track to do so, that leaves McGehee as a backup…unless…

He is capable of playing first base, and also an outfield spot as well.  Granted, his most comfortable position is the hot corner, but with the Pirates’ current situation, if he’s producing at the plate, something the team needs drastically, they’ll need to find a spot for him on the field.

Maybe Pedro at third, McGehee at first?  Tabata, Walker, McCutchen, Pedro, McGehee?  Not bad.

This is obviously a gamble, considering McGehee’s 2011 season.  But still, this shows that the Bucs are willing to go after a notable bat to improve the offense.  This is an inspiring move, hopefully one that will turn out for the better for the Pirates and their fans.

We’ll continue to bring you our reactions and ask you for your thoughts surrounding the latest Pirates’ news and rumors.  Stay tuned.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!