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: Pirates' Roster Moves

Even though the World Series ended just a matter of weeks ago, we are still only a few months away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Bradenton in February.  This is sure to be a busy offseason, and already, news and rumors are circulating regarding the Pittsburgh Pirates and their prospective roster moves.  Let’s get to the latest Pirates’ news right here on Bucco Blurbs:

Pirates Sign Rod Barajas: 

It was announced earlier today that the Pirates signed catcher Rod Barajas to a one-year contract with a club option for 2013.  Barajas will reportedly earn $4 million in 2012, while his 2013 club option is worth $3.5 million including no buyout.  Barajas is an 11-year veteran, hitting .230 with 16 homeruns and 47 RBI’s last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The 36-year old has played for six teams, hitting .238 for his career.  He joins a list of prospective starting catchers that includes Matt Pagnozzi, Michael McKenry, and Jason Jaramillo. 

This is another head-scratching move by the Pirates, similar to the club’s acquisition of Pagnozzi in the last few weeks of the 2011 season.  Are the Pirates buying time until Tony Sanchez is ready for Major League action?  That seems to be the only logical explanation.  While he has much more experience and success than Pagnozzi, at age 36, Barajas obviously isn’t the Bucs’ long-term answer as their catcher.  Regardless, it appears as though the starting catcher position is going to be a four-man race to begin the 2012 season.

Club Discourages Idea Of Harrison Starting At Shortstop:

Despite the freefall the Pirates and their fans endured the last two months of the season, one of the brighter spots was the inspired play of Josh Harrison.  He made his Major League debut in 2011, hitting .272 while scored 21 runs and playing as hard as any one of the team.  While his effort is unquestioned, general manager Neal Huntington has been upfront in saying that they expect Harrison to be no more than a utility player next season.  He filled in well in his role last year, whether it was relieving Neil Walker at second base or putting in reps at third base during Pedro Alvarez’s mess of a 2011 season. 

Speculation momentarily arose following the news that the Pirates were not going to exercise their option on Ronny Cedeno, suggesting that Harrison could take over the starting role.  Furthermore, Josh agreed to go to instructional league at the end of the Major League season to get repetition at short, but despite these factors, it appears highly unlikely he’ll be a starter for the Pirates next season.  Expect more platoon work for Harrison in 2012.  This, of course, means that the Pirates’ current starting shortstop position is vacant.

Five Bucs Sent To Triple-A:  

Though this news is a couple weeks old, the Pirates’ decision to option these players to Triple-A is worth discussing.  Brian Burress, Aaron Thompson, Kevin Hart, Brandon Wood, and Steve Pearce were optioned at the end of October, and all five players have been expected to test the free agent market.  All of these players have been ineffective in one form or another, and while there is a chance of re-signing any or all of them this offseason, but by making these moves, the Pirates clearly are looking elsewhere for contributions that they feel these players won’t be able to provide going forward. 

Pearce is by far the most frustrating and disappointing of these players, having never really given a clear shot to perform at the Major League level.  He’s certainly been injury plagued throughout his career thus far, and after a strong Spring Training and earning his spot on the 2011 Opening Day roster, appeared in only 50 games this past season.  In his five-seasons with Pittsburgh, he hit .232 in 185 games.  Wood, of course, was claimed off waivers in April, played in 99 games, hitting .220.  He was a former top prospect in the Angels’ system, and while many see the upside in a guy like Wood, he simply doesn’t seem to be in the Pirates’ interest to retain.  Burres and Thompson both achieved limited success in their stints with the big club, while Hart’s experience as a Pirate has been non-existent due to injuries. 

There shouldn’t be any major issues regarding these moves.  Wood and Pearce certainly had bright spots, but neither has proven to be consistent, while Burres and Thompson are replaceable in the bullpen.  With the dissention of five role players and relief pitchers, this only adds to the roster moves and acquisitions Pirates’ fans can expect from the team this offseason.

Bucs Decline Options On Cedeno, Maholm, Doumit, Snyder:

As had been previously expected and announced, the Pirates announced last month that they declined to exercise the 2012 club options on Paul Maholm, Ryan Doumit and Chris Snyder.  All three were owed a ton of money, and their lack of production, accompanied by injury problems made these decisions to allow them to become free agents was expected and understood. 

The biggest surprise, however, centers on Ronny Cedeno, whose option was also declined.  The Bucs’ starting shortstop was due $3 million next season, which is a far lower amount when compared to the other three players.  It had become common knowledge during last season that Cedeno wasn’t exactly Clint Hurdle’s favorite player, and his mental lapses and inconsistent play, along with his apparent lack of production at the plate, no one can argue with the Pirates’ desire to seek better play elsewhere.  But without clear targets in mind to replace Cedeno externally, we all have to wonder what the future will hold at this position. 

If the Bucs end up negotiating with any of these four players later in the offseason, it would be on a contract worth less than the options that have been declined.  That being said, the Pirates will have competition.  The free-agent market is low in catching, shortstop, and pitching options, which will certainly increase the cost of those players that are available.

With the team’s signing of Rod Barajas, it appears clear that the Pirates will not seek to re-negotiate with Snyder or Doumit.

As we approach the middle of the month, there is a busy offseason ahead of us.  Other than a few concrete spots in the outfield and at second base, the Pirates’ prospective starting roster is wide open, and many questions will be answered over the coming weeks and months.

Stay tuned to Fans From The Stands for reactions to the latest Pirates’ news.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

"30 Clubs In 30 Days" Visits Bradenton And The Buccos!

Buccos Featured on 30 Clubs In 30 Days Tonight!

Good news Buccos fans!  The Pirates will be featured on MLB Network’s 30 Clubs In 30 Days TONIGHT!  Set your DVR’s and be sure to tune in tonight at 11:00PM to the MLB Network. 

We at Fans From The Stands will be discussing our reactions to the show tomorrow!  Be sure to tune in and share your comments with us.  Shoot us an email at comments@fansfromthestands.com for your chance to win some great Bucco prizes!

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!