The Return of the Pirates: The Summers Era

[TavesSoul]

Well, the Pirates seem to have started to turn things around in July, finishing the month with a 10-14 record. It’s not as good as their fans would wish, but it’s definitely the best baseball the team has played since April. There is hope that the team might catch fire at some point, although injuries still play a factor in it’s failure to excel. “Someday, we won’t get smacked upside the head with injuries,” said GM Neil Summers, “and I greatly look forward to that day. Yet, I am pleasantly impressed that my team played close to .500 ball this month, and I like the way the boys are coming together.”

July’s Hot Players
SP Zach Duke - 2-0, 2.53 ERA, 1.1 K/BB
CL Matt Capps - 1-2, 1.08 ERA, 6 SV
RF Brandon Moss - .235, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 1 SB

July’s Cold Players
SP Phil Dumatrait - 0-3, 8.44 ERA, 1.1 K/BB
MR Shawn Kelley - 0-1, 6.46 ERA, 1 SV
1B Adam LaRoche - .163, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB

July Injury Report
For the third month in a row, injuries were the dominating headline for the Pirates. First, on the 4th, 3B Andy LaRoche went down with a oblique strain, and was declared out for 2 weeks. Then on the 5th, his replacement at third, LF Eric Hinske, went down with a fractured shoulder blade, which will keep him out 4-5 weeks. SP Zach Duke complained of soreness in his shoulder, and was shut down for 2 weeks on the 12th. Then on C Ryan Doumit went down with a sprained finger, and is out 2 weeks. Finally, to cap off the month, five days before the trade deadline, rumored trade bait SS Jack Wilson went down with a shoulder sprain, and was declared out for 2 weeks.

July Transaction Report
This was Summers’ last chance to actively influence his roster, and he took it, making a couple moves before the trade deadline struck at the end of the month. First, MR Hayden Penn was claimed off of waivers from the Florida Marlins to add some bullpen depth. Toiling in AAA for the Marlins, picking up the cheap reliever is a move with very little risk. Summers then started to actively put feelers out to try and deal some of his trade chips for the future of the organization. The first to be traded away was SP Ian Snell, to the Boston Red Sox along with $1,200,740. The Red Sox get a solid fourth pitcher while absorbing the next three seasons of an expensive deal. In return the Pirates get SP Casey Kelly, 2B Ryan Dent, SP Felix Doubront and RF Kyler Burke. Dent and Doubront are pretty well respected prospects, and should help the team in the next two years. Kelly is someone that Summers was specifically targeting, and Burke will add outfield depth to their minors.
Next, in their second trade, they dealt away stalwart MR John Grabow to the Atlanta Braves. The Braves get a consistent reliever who they can renew through arbitration. The Bucs get MR Mike Gonzalez and RF Jason Heyward. Gonzalez will help shore up the loss of Grabow, then leave in the off-season, while Heyward is the #54 prospect in baseball.
There were rumors that SS Jack Wilson was being heavily bid on, but his injury shortly before the deadline killed any chance of moving him.

July Prospect Report

AAA
MR Jesse Chavez - 0-1, 3.44 ERA, 18.1 IP
Analysis: Has underperformed at the major league level, but he tends to pitch well in AAA. May get another chance to prove himself, but he’ll need to continue to earn it.
RF Garrett Jones - .389, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 3 SV
Analysis: Has shown plenty at the AAA level this year, dominating the competition. Deserves a look, but he’s buried on the RF depth chart this year.

AA
CL Jeff Sues - 1-1, 2.92 ERA, 6 SV
Analysis: Finally seems to be putting it together after a rough start. May being earning himself a job for next season in the Pirates farm system again.
RF Jason Heyward - .327, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 3 SB
Analysis: Only played five of the games in our AA, but he still deserves to be honored. there are high hopes for this fielder, and he may get a look in the majors as early as next year.

A
MR Victor Igsema - 20.1 IP, 1.77 ERA, 2 SV
Analysis: This guy just keeps trucking and proving himself, even though if I had followed my scouts advice he’d be long gone by now. Just a smart and tough pitcher. Still, he has no major league hope.
2B Danny Bomback - .259, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 4 SB
Analysis: The DH has finally found his stroke again after a bad two months. Hopefully Danny can keep this going, and prove he deserves a shot in AA.

Short A
SP Nelson Pereira - 2-0, 2.04 ERA, 2.9 K/BB
Analysis: Has pitched well since being promoted. In fact Nelson’s been lethal at this level. Another solid two games, and he’ll likely be pitching in A ball.
CF Eric Eiland - .244, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 10 SB
Analysis: Eiland has played well all year, but he’s really started to heat up, especially the last week of the month. His speed and defense make him a solid prospect, but if he keeps hit bat going, he’ll fly through the system.

R
SP Dionis Rodriguez - 2-0, 1.88 ERA, 2.9 K/BB
Analysis: Rodriguez has performed well pitching out of the five-spot. Out pitched some higher ranked prospects, and has started to earn himself a spot for next season in Short A.
1B Diego Cruz - .353, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 0 SB
Analysis: It was expected that Cruz would need a little more time to adjust, but he’s proving he can dominant the rookie league. May get a shot at Short A. He has a bright future ahead

[TavesSoul]

The Pirates road of gradual improvement continues, as they finish the month of August with a 14-14 record. They are 54-78 overall, and are officially out of the playoff picture, though for all intents and purposes they’ve been out since May ended horribly. The theme of injuries continues to rack against the Pirates, but the team has learned to roll with the punches. Asked about how he thinks the season will end, rookie GM Neil Summers said that he believes “that the Pirates will strong. We won’t be the last place team, I can tell you that. We’ve learned how to become fighters, and at some point, we’ll catch a break.” Whispers persist that with the last two strong months, Summers has saved his own job. Whether the manager he inherited, John Russell, is around after the season more then likely rest on the Bucs performance this month.

August’s Hot Players
SP Paul Maholm - 2-2, 4.10 ERA, 2.0 K/BB
CL Matt Capps - 16.1 IP, 1.10 ERA, 7 SV
CF Nate McLouth - .356, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 3 SB

August’s Cold Players
SP Ben Sheets - 1-2, 6.85 ERA, 2.2 K/BB
CL Trevor Killick - 0-1, 12.10 ERA, 9.2 IP
LF Eric Hinske - .172, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB

August Injury Report
The injury bug just won’t leave the Pittsburgh Pirates this season. “I’m not sure what we’ve done to piss off the baseball gods this year, but I can tell you I can’t wait till this season is over,” said RF Eric Hinske. The first injury of the month was RF Brandon Moss, who sat out two weeks with a foot contusion. Then SS Alcides Escobar, in the midst of his rookie season, fractured his finger after being hit by a pitch. He will miss five weeks. SP Ben Sheets finally made his way off the disabled list, which was the best news of the month, yet nine days later SS Jack Wilson found his way to the DL for the third time this season, this time straining his oblique, and missing three weeks. Then SP Esmil Rogers tore an elbow ligament in his pitching arm, and will miss 11 months, while follow SP Zach Duke hit the DL for the fourth time, spraining his elbow yet again. He’ll be out four weeks this time.
The worst news though came fro the AA affiliate Altoona Curve, as they announced that CF Robbie Grossman tore his labrum, and due to the shoulder injury would be forced into retirement. At a press conference to announce the retirement, Grossman could be seen tearing up as he spoke, saying “I’ll I’ve ever wanted to do was be a Major League Baseball player, and to have that taken away from me hurts.” Neil Summers released a statement to the press shortly after he heard the news, saying “you never want to see a players career taken from him, especially one as young as Robbie. As a young man of 19 years, this must just tear him up, and we will do our best to support him in this difficult time. It sucks to lose such a great young man for our organization, as not only did he figure prominently into our future from a talent perspective, but he is such a great and hard working young man that losing him hurts on a personal level.”

August Transaction Report
After a busy first year on the job, Neil Summers let the dust settle this month, making absolutely no moves. “There was nothing on the waiver wire that really caught my eye, and I wish to see how our team functions untouched these last two months.”

August Prospect Report

AAA
CL Brian Slocum - 10.1 IP, 2.61 ERA, 3 SV
Analysis: Slocum is trying to earn himself a look in the majors again, but despite this month, he still hasn’t impressed since being demoted. At 28, his time here is running out to prove he deserves another shot at the majors.
1B Larry Broadway - .252, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 0 SB
Analysis: A good month in a bad year for Broadway, he’s finally starting to realize that if he doesn’t put it together like this the rest of the year, he’s likely gone in the off-season.

AA
SP Shawn Nottingham - 2-3, 1.83 ERA, 1.7 K/BB
Analysis: Returning from injury, he had an impressive month, although his record doesn’t reflect that. Even had a complete game shutout against the Portland Sea Dogs. Will play AAA next season.
RF Tom Hagan - .281, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 1 SB
Analysis: Has started at first, thanks to his heavy bat. Still, has very little future in this organization, unfortunately for Tom.

A
SP Matt McSwain - 3-1, 2.33 ERA, 3.6 K/BB
Analysis: Is finally producing at 24 in A ball, which is a bad sign for him. Likely gone, unless he continues to throw like this to finish off the year.
LF Jared Keel - .282, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 1 SB
Analysis: Continues to impress, and may get a look in AA ball this year, but at the very least will get to start the 2010 season there. Hits with some power, though nothing about him jumps out at you.

Short A
SP Sean Smith - 3-2, 1.83 ERA, 9.3 K/BB
Analysis: Has been solid, but this month he just dominated. In two separate games he pitched shutouts, each with 15 strikeouts, and only one walk and four hits between the two games.
SS Gustavo Pierre - .336, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 6 SB
Analysis: Has been solid, but is really starting to find his groove. Still hasn’t found his glove, but he’s a heck of a shortstop prospect. Will finish out the year here, before moving on to A ball in 2010.

R
SP Dionis Rodriguez - 1-2, 2.28 ERA, 7.1 K/BB
Analysis: Despite struggling in Short A to start the year, Dionis has been brilliant in the Rookie League this year. Might get another Short A look.
1B Diego Cruz - .333, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 0 SB
Analysis: Despite getting injured halfway through the month, Cruz was still the best player for the GCL Pirates in August. I can’t rave much more about this kid then I already have.

[TavesSoul]

Is this the beginning of a turn around. The Pirates finished the season on an good note, finishing with a 17-14 record, which shows hope for next season. Not only that, but the final attendance numbers for the season rolled in, and while Pittsburgh sat 26th in attendance, they set a franchise record for attendance at 2,472,805. The lower ticket prices that rookie GM Neil Summers offered are thought to be a big part of the reason why in a city short on fan interest at the moment. Asked on his thoughts for the season, Summers’ said, “look, clearly I would have preferred to still be playing ball at this point, but it wasn’t to be. Still, we finished with three more wins than last season, and we turned a profit. Our critics both said we wouldn’t do either, but we did. And we weren’t dead last, so that’s worth something. I just want to thank the fans for their support this year, and hope that they realize that this season was a rebuilding one, and we should see some results for the work of this year in the 2010 season, and beyond.”

September’s Hot Players
SP Zach Duke - 1-1, 1.38 ERA, 3.5 K/BB
MR Mike Gonzalez - 1-1, 1.00 ERA, 9.0 IP
1B Adam LaRoche - .253, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 0 SB

September’s Cold Players
SP Phil Dumatrait - 1-4, 14.06 ERA, 1.0 K/BB
CL Trevor Killick - 14.1 IP, 11.30 ERA, 4.1 K/BB
CF Njyer Morgan - .143, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 4 SB

September Injury Report
It seems that even with the season running out, the injury bug wouldn’t release it’s hold on the Pirates. 2B Freddy Sanchez partially tore his labrum, and will miss 2-3 months, which was followed by 3B Andy LaRoche straining his hamstring. Andy missed 3 weeks. Then SP Zach Duke, recovered from his sprained elbow, came back and pitch two games, tearing his labrum in the second one. He’ll miss 8 weeks, but at least it’s the off-season for us.

September Transaction Report
True to his word, Neil Summers made no moves this month, letting the team gel and to see what he had going into next season.

September Prospect Report

AAA
SP Jimmy Barthmaier - 2-0, 2.13 ERA, 0.9 K/BB
Analysis: Finally Jimmy got into a groove, but it’s too late in my book. He will be traded/waived/released in the off-season. Despite the finish, I haven’t seen anything worth keeping around from him.
1B Larry Broadway - .360, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 0 SB
Analysis: Larry finished a good season strong, but even with the bump, he still hit poorly overall. He might be worthy of a look in a backup capacity in the majors next year.

AA
SP Marc Rzepczynski - 1-1, 3.68 ERA, 2.3 K/BB
Analysis: A decent finish to an underwhelming season from Marc. He pitched badly in 47 innings in AAA, and was just okay at the AA level, which he should have dominated. Still, I have faith he’ll be a good pro.
2B Jim Negrych - .304, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB
Analysis: Doesn’t hit with any power, but he does hit well. Has earned the right to stay, but I’m not sure whether he’s ready for AAA yet.

A
SP Matt McSwain - 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.2 K/BB
Analysis: Dominated the last two months of their season, and even pitched a no hitter this month against the Salem Red Sox. Clearly has earned the right to stick around and get a promotion next season. We’ll see how he copes.
3B Pedro Alvarez - .348, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB
Analysis: A nice finish from Alvarez, to a decent year. We’ll see how he does starting next year at AA. I must admit that I expected a little more from him though.

Short A
SP Casey Kelly - 1-1, 2.45 ERA, 20.0 K/BB
Analysis: A beastly end to the month, in three games he struck out 40 batters, with just 2 walks. Still, there’s a lot of work Casey needs to do to prove himself. Maybe I should give him his wish and let him play shortstop next season.
2B Shelby Ford - .326, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB
Analysis: The former third round pick had a good year in Short A ball, but the question becomes, is it too late for the 24 year old to being showing signs at the second lowest level?

[TavesSoul]

2009 Ends with a Bang for Giants Fans
October 28th, 2009

The season has ended in MLB play, and it was an exciting one through and through. The league itself was extremely close this year, with only the AL West being a runaway. Every team that made the playoffs felt confident in itself, with just 10 wins separating the best record from the lowest qualifier. The Milwaukee Brewers surprised everyone, and lead the league with 95 wins, one win above Tampa Bay. Chicago White Sox fans were humiliated this year, after their team finished with 100 loses, 4 more then the pitiful Texas Rangers. The Rays and the Brewers were the favorites going into the playoffs, but both failed to get a win, and were eliminated in the LDS’s. Los Angeles fans were buzzing as both their teams advanced to the League Championships, where the Angels beat the Blue Jays 4-1 to advance to the World Series, while the Dodgers were destroyed by the San Francisco Giants. Thus, a LA finale was ruined. It only took 5 games for the Giants to destroy the Los Angeles Angels.

[TavesSoul]

Rookie General Manager Neil Summers started a new tradition for the Pirates at the conclusion of the season, naming the teams best pitcher and batter for the regular seasons of each level. “I felt that we should acknowledge their contributions,” said Summers. The first ever list of recipients of each reward at each level was released in today’s season closing press conference, after last nights team banquet.

MLB

Pirates Outstanding Pitcher: CL Matt Capps - 5-6, 3.47 ERA, 62.1 IP, 29 SV
Pirates Outstanding Batter: 1B Adam LaRoche - .254, 30 HR, 109 RBI, 89 Runs, 2 SB

AAA

Indians Outstanding Pitcher: MR Corey Hamman - 1-1, 4.34 ERA, 76.2 IP, 5 SV
Indians Outstanding Batter: RF Garrett Jones - .313, 24 HR, 88 RBI, 85 Runs, 10 SB

AA

Curve Outstanding Pitcher: SP Shawn Nottingham - 8-9, 3.87 ERA, 160.2 IP, 128 K
Curve Outstanding Batter: LF Marcus Davis - .215, 25 HR, 72 RBI, 53 Runs, 16 SB

A

Power Outstanding Pitcher: SP Rudy Owens - 10-5, 3.38 ERA, 149.0 IP, 163 K
Power Outstanding Batter: RF Kyle Burke - .253, 15 HR, 60 RBI, 73 Runs, 8 SB

Hillcats Outstanding Pitcher: SP Matt McSwain - 9-6, 3.89 ERA, 169.0 IP, 148 K
Hillcats Outstanding Batter: 1B Erick Huber - .249, 16 HR, 70 RBI, 66 Runs, 1 SB

Short A

Spikes Outstanding Pitcher: SP Sean Smith - 6-7, 2.41 ERA, 86.0 IP, 120 K
Spikes Outstanding Batter: 2B Shelby Ford - .352, 3 HR, 42 RBI, 41 Runs, 5 SB

R

Pirates Outstanding Pitcher: SP Dionis Rodriguez - 3-2, 2.14 ERA, 42.0 IP, 47 K
Pirates Outstanding Batter: 1B Diego Cruz - .348, 8 HR, 37 RBI, 37 Runs, 0 SB

[NYY #23]

Looks like things started to turn around in the end. Definitely not a bad year for the Pirates, but hopefully it'll turn out better next year.

Interesting to note that four of the current division leaders in real life (Phillies, Cardinals, Yankees, and Tigers) did so bad though.

[TavesSoul]

Originally Posted by NYY #23

Looks like things started to turn around in the end. Definitely not a bad year for the Pirates, but hopefully it'll turn out better next year.

Interesting to note that four of the current division leaders in real life (Phillies, Cardinals, Yankees, and Tigers) did so bad though.

I agree with you that it's weird that the Phillies and Cardinals in particular did so poor. I think their teams are consistent enough that they'd be okay. The Tigers and Yankees don't surprise me though, as both are inconsistent.

[TavesSoul]

Smoltz, Hoffman, Glavine, Johnson and Thomas All Make Hall
October 29th, 2009

Today the new additions to the Hall of Fame were announced. Five players make the list, all recently retired. First up was SP Tom Glavine, who cried during his acceptance speech, and thanked the fans for their support. The long time Atlanta Braves pitcher finished his career at the age of 43 this year, with a 305-206 record, and a career ERA of 3.55. In 4457.2 innings he struck out 2631 hitters. One of his managers observed at the ceremony, "Tom was a bulldog on the mound. If a man put a gun to my head and said I'm going to pull the trigger, if you lose this game, I'd want him to pitch that game." The manager was later arrested for using a completely ridiculous metaphor. Glavine won the Cy Young twice, and made the All-Star team a remarkable 10 times.
Best Season: 1991 - ATL - 20-11, 2.55 ERA, 192 K, 69 BB
Second up for induction was the mercurial pitcher, SP Pedro Martinez. Retiring this year at the age of 38. In 2902.2 innings, he fanned 3181 batters, with a 2.96 ERA. He finished with a 223-104 record. His speech roused a standing ovation from the other HoFers in attendance. Pedro won 3 Cy Young’s in his career, and was an All-Star 8 times.
Best Season: 1999 - BOS - 23-4, 2.07 ERA, 313 K, 37 BB
The third induction was 46 year old SP Randy Johnson. In his stellar career, he finished with a 305-167 record in 4179.2 innings, fanning a remarkable 4921 batters, with a career ERA of 3.28. That put him at second on the all-time strikeout list. Johnson won an amazing 5 Cy Young’s in his career, and was an All-Star 10 times.
Best Season: 2002 - ARI - 24-5, 2.32 ERA, 334 K, 71 BB
The fourth induction was the longtime Chicago White Sox, 1B Frank 'Big Hurt' Thomas. Retiring at the age of 41 after 20 seasons in the majors, he finished with career numbers of 2376 games, 2490 hits for a .299 average, 523 HR, 1713 RBI, and 1502 runs. When asked how he felt about his 32 SB career total, Thomas said with a smirk he was "convinced it was that number that got me into the Hall." Thomas won back to back MVP’s in 1993 and 1994, and was an All-Star 5 times.
Best Season: 2000 - CHA - .328, 43 HR, 143 RBI, 115 runs
The final induction was Glavine’s longtime teammate with the Braves, SP John Smoltz, who retired at 42, after 21 seasons, 20 of which were with the Braves. He finished his career with a 223-152 record, with 3118 strikeouts in 3533.1 innings. He finished with a 3.47 ERA, about which he joked, “when I looked at the numbers and saw that I had a lower ERA than Tom, I had to retire. Couldn’t risk coming back and losing that edge over Tom.”
Best Season: 1996 - ATL - 24-8, 2.94 ERA, 276 K, 55 BB

[TavesSoul]

This week marked the awarding of the various MLB awards and honors., starting with the Golden Glove winners list. Pittsburgh had a surprise recipient on the list:

AL
Pitcher: Chien-Ming Wang (New York Yankees)
Catcher: Rob Johnson (Seattle Mariners)
First Baseman: Mark Teixeira (New York Yankees)
Second Baseman: Robinson Cano (New York Yankees)
Third Baseman: Scott Rolen (Toronto Blue Jays)
Shortstop: Mike Aviles (Kansas City Royals)
Left Fielder: Josh Hamilton (Texas Rangers)
Center Fielder: Carlos Gomez (Minnesota Twins)
Right Fielder: Magglio Ordonez (Detroit Tigers)

NL
Pitcher: Carlos Zambrano (Chicago Cubs)
Catcher: Jesus Flores (Washington Nationals)
First Baseman: Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals)
Second Baseman: Mike Fontenot (Chicago Cubs)
Third Baseman: Andy LaRoche (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins (Philadelphia Phillies)
Left Fielder: Chris Dickerson (Cincinnati Reds)
Center Fielder: Colby Rasmus (St. Louis Cardinals)
Right Fielder: Corey Hart (Milwaukee Brewers)

Toronto’s LF Travis Snider picked up the AL Rookie of the Year Award, after hitting .284, while racking up 23 HR and 89 RBIs.
LF Chris Dickerson of the Cincinnati Reds added to his hardware, picking up the NL Rookie of the Year Award, hitting .305 with 31 HR and 95 RBIs. He also stole 25 bases.

Next the AL Manager of the Year was awarded to the skipper of the Minnesota Twins, Ron Gardenhire. He led the Twins to the AL Central title, with a 92-70 record.
San Francisco’s Bruce Bochy was selected as the NL Manager of the Year, leading the Giants to the NL West title with a 91-72 record, and then leading them to a World Series title, the first since 1954.

32 year old SP Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays won his second AL Cy Young award, after a stellar year. ‘Doc’ finished the year with a 20-11 record, with a 3.44 ERA, striking out 228 batters to just 43 BB.
San Francisco CL Brian Wilson won the NL Cy Young, after going 39 for 44 in save opportunities. In 69.0 innings, he struck out 93 with only 17 walks. His ERA was 2.61, and he finished with an 8-2 mark.

Finally, the MVP awards were handed out. Toronto’s LF Adam Lind won the AL MVP, after batting .331 with 36 HR, 118 RBI and 113 Runs.
3B Adrian Gonzalez, of the San Diego Padres, won the NL MVP, batting .328, with 38 HR, 120 RBI and 126 Runs, narrowly beating out Ryan Howard of the Phillies.

[ryan008]

So it looks like Adam Lind develops into a pretty good player in your game as well. He had a monster season for the Jays!

I am curious. Do you think that CF Eric Eiland fits into your plans as a major league calibre player? I traded him early on in my Jays franchise. He looked to me like he could be a good backup/4th outfielder but just never would be good enough to start. He seems to be hitting well in the minors for you though.

[TavesSoul]

Originally Posted by ryan008

So it looks like Adam Lind develops into a pretty good player in your game as well. He had a monster season for the Jays!

I am curious. Do you think that CF Eric Eiland fits into your plans as a major league calibre player? I traded him early on in my Jays franchise. He looked to me like he could be a good backup/4th outfielder but just never would be good enough to start. He seems to be hitting well in the minors for you though.

Ya, Lind had a monster season, but the Jays team as a whole performed well. Too bad they couldn't pull in a Series. I do think Eiland has a future as a starting outfielder, potentially, though you never know how he'll develop. I've been pleased so far though, and at worst, he's a good backup fielder to have, especially with his speed and defense.

[TavesSoul]

Neil sat at his desk, resolved that he would put his nose to the grindstone and get ahead of his competition. He pulled up the fax he had just received from the owner, and wrote the number on a sticky, and stuck it to his monitor: $74,250,000. “Not bad,” Neil murmured to himself. It wasn’t much of an increase, but in Pittsburgh after a bad season, he’d accept anything. With around $6.5 million for staff payroll, that left him with just over $67.5 million for player salaries and the scouting take. He pulled up his file of the Arbitration Eligible Players, and tried to figure out what he could expect to spend there. SP Daniel Cabrera, SP Zach Duke, SP Phil Dumatrait, MR Chris Bootcheck, MR Sean Burnett, MR Tyler Yates, CL Matt Capps and CF Jeff Salazar were the names on that list. Capps was the only one likely to get a raise. He had already decided to withdraw from arbitration with Bootcheck and Dumatrait, which would save him about a million. He would offer Capps a long-term deal, but wasn’t sure it’d get done before arbitration came. He then pulled up his list of Free Agency Eligible Players, and considered who he should push to sign. SP Ben Sheets and MR Mike Gonzalez were going to walk, as Sheets wanted too much money, and Gonzalez wanted to test the market. Both were Type-A free agents. MR Jason Davis, LF Eric Hinske and CF Corey Patterson were all bound to walk as well, though he might make a pitch at resigning Hinske and/or Patterson. There was a name on the list that glared at him, though: 1B Adam LaRoche. LaRoche had a solid year last year, and was asking for equal money, but Summers thought he might be able to convince him to sign for a little less. LaRoche was the Pirates most consistent player last season, and he played in the most games for them. Signing him was a must. Summers picked up the phone and dialed LaRoche’s cell phone. He would get this deal done.

Transaction Update:
The Pirates have resigned 1B Adam LaRoche to a 2 year deal worth $13,100,000. The deal will save the Bucs half a million off LaRoche’s salary last season. LaRoche was said to be willing to take the pay cut to continue playing in Pittsburgh.

[TavesSoul]

Going into his first real off-season, Pittsburgh Pirates GM Neil Summers got right to work. He had already resigned the one potential free agent that he felt he had to keep, and all his Arbitration Eligible players wanted too much money to sign contract outside of Arbitration. Out of the six he went to arbitration with, the players won four of them. SP Zach Duke received a 1 year, $2 million dollar contract, which was what both he and the team wanted, but there was miscommunication by Duke’s agent that prevented them signing the deal before arbitration. SP Daniel Cabrera won a 1 year, $2,400,000 deal, while MR Tyler Yates won a $1,200,000 contract, despite being injured most of the year. CL Matt Capps won a $4.2 million contract as well. MR Sean Burnett was signed to the teams offer of $600,000, as was CF Jeff Salazar.

SP Ben Sheets and MR Mike Gonzalez both declined arbitration and became free agents, joining the likes of CF Corey Patterson, MR Evan Meek, MR Corey Hamman and LF Eric Hinske in leaving the team. Summers was said to be disappointed he could not work out a deal with Sheets and Hinske, but admitted that letting them leave gives the team some financial flexibility to help improve its depth, with $22 million to spend on Free Agents.

According to Baseball US, the top Free Agents this year are:
1) SP Brett Myers
2) SP Doug Davis
3) SP Rich Harden
4) RF Vladimir Guerrero
5) MR Kelvim Escobar
6) 3B Adrian Beltre
7) LF Matt Holliday
8) SP Erik Bedard
9) SP Randy Wolf
10) RF Rick Ankiel

The Pirates GM is said to interested in making plays SP Brett Myers, SP Rich Harden and SP Erik Bedard to try and shore up a weak staff who had a 5.24 ERA last season, and lost SP Ben Sheets to free agency. He will also be in the market for some defensive backups, and a second baseman.

[TavesSoul]

In his first off-season as the GM of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Neil Summers had did a lot of work, concentrating on overhauling the Pirates pitching staff. “Going into my first off-season,” said Summers, “the one thing I saw that this team needed was a revitalized pitching staff. During the season I had tried to add some depth, but this was my first real opportunity to overhaul it. Luckily, when I looked at this years Free Agent class, there were a few pitchers I thought we could pursue and sign cheaply.” The initial rumors were that the Pirates would go hard after the mercurial SP Rich Harden, but he was considered too pricey.

The Chicago White Sox were desperately looking for a cheap defensive center fielder for their club, and they approached Summers about his logjam at the position. After a short conversation between Summers and the White Sox rookie GM Clayton Field, a deal was struck. Going to the White Sox was CF Nyjer Morgan, as well as minor leaguers 2B Jim Negrych and SP Bryan Morris. The White Sox also got $411,500 to cover Morgan’s salary this year. In return, the Pirates got SP Dexter Carter, a solid pitching prospect who will start the year in AAA likely.

Next, Summers put out feelers to see if anyone was interested in RF Garrett Jones. Jones had performed really well last season in AAA, but he wasn’t likely to see any MLB action if he stayed with the Pirates, and deserved a shot at making a team. The Arizona Diamondbacks got back to Summers with an offer of the struggling prospect SP Esmerling Vasquez, as well as minor league C Konrad Schmidt. The deal was struck, giving Arizona someone to backup in their outfield with a solid bat, while the Pirates add a young pitcher they hope they can turn the career around of, and a marginal catching prospect.

In an effort to shore up a still leaking bullpen, Summers’ next move was to sign a pair of cheap but effective relievers. MR Luis Ayala and MR Cliff Flagello both signed 1-yr, $400,000 contracts. Flagello will start the year in AAA, and provide injury insurance, while Ayala, who had a 2.81 ERA in 96.0 innings last year is expected to be a go to closer for the team.

Summers then learned that SP Ben Sheets had signed with the Mets, while MR Mike Gonzalez had signed with the Mariners. The Pirates received a pick in the Supplemental First Round for each, as well as the Mets First Round pick, and the Mariners Second Round pick. Three days later, SP Erik Bedard called Summers to inform him that he would be signing the Pirates 3 year deal, which will pay him $3,450,000 total. The third year is optional. Bedard went 8-14 with a 3.83 ERA on a bad Seattle team last season. “A lot of team’s we talked to thought I was done,” said Bedard, “but the Pirates stepped up to the plate and made an offer the first day of free agency. I’m happy to have a home for the next couple years, and I’ll be looking to prove the other teams wrong.”

The next deal that Summers worked out was a trade with the Brewers. The Brewers wanted to acquire some depth for their bullpen, and a deal was struck sending MR Trevor Killick, as well as minor leaguers SP Anthony Watson and SP Shawn Nottingham. In return, the Pirates got prospect SS Brent Brewer. “Giving up Killick was tough, as he performed well for us last season as a prospect find, and we’ll definitely miss Nottingham in our prospect system, but recent moves gave us a little security there, and we needed a shortstop prospect.”

After he got off the phone from completely the deal with his old boss Melvin, their was a message from Cubs GM Will Washington. “Listen Neil,” said Washington’s voice, “I’ve been in contact with the Billy Beane all morning, and we’ve been trying to hash out a deal. The problem is, they have nothing we want. I thought maybe I’d give you a call and see if we can work out a three way deal that’ll benefit us all.” Summers gave Washington a call back, and learned that the A’s were seeking the Cubs SS Maicer Izturis. The Cubs weren’t interested in any of the A’s offers, but they were still hoping to move Izturis, since they had no use for him since acquiring SS Jed Lowrie last season. The Cubs were very interested in acquiring C Jason Jaramillo though, to provide a backup to their catcher, and were also looking for a 3B prospect, of which the Pirates had a few. After taking to Beane, and seeing what he’d be willing to offer, the deal was struck. A’s got Izturis to replace free agent Bobby Crosby, the Cubs got Jaramillo and 3B Jarek Cunningham from the Pirates, and the Pirates ended up with young SP Tim Cahill. “It was a complicated deal,” said Beane in an interview afterward, “but I believe we all got what we wanted. We get a starting shortstop, the Cubs got their third base prospect and a backup catcher, and the Pirates get a young starter that’ll pitch fourth or fifth for them.”

Ten days after that deal, SP Doug Davis finally agreed to the Pirates offer, signing a 3 year deal worth $6,150,000. The 34 year old will pitch second for the Pirates, and the deal offers the veteran a stable home for his two young children. SP John Lackey called the next morning after hearing that Davis had signed, and signed a four year contract, worth a total of $25,880,000. The fourth year is a player option, and there is an incentive clause that if he wins the Cy Young, he’ll receive an extra $250,000. “The additions of Lackey and Davis, as well as our early deals for Cahill and Bedard give us a starting rotation we think will be feared around the league,” said Summers. As compensation for signing Lackey, the Pirates second round pick will go to the Angels.

Veteran C Brian Schneider than agreed to a 1 year deal with the Pirates for $410,000. He was signed to fill in for the loss of Jaramillo in an earlier trade. He’s a great defensive catcher, who can hit a little bit. They also signed SS Francis Auger, a 20 year old prospect found by one of the teams scouts playing in Japan. The Halifax native agreed to a minor league contract, and will start out in rookie ball.

In their last off-season move, the Pirates looked to finish clearly their old staff away. SP Zach Duke was dealt to the Houston Astros along with LF Steven Pearce. Pearce was another young outfielder buried by the teams depth, and Duke will be the Astros third starter. In return, the Pirates get two young batters, C Jason Castro and CF Jay Austin. They both are great defenders who project as backup hitters down the road. Castro will start the year in AAA, while Austin will be in AA ball.

Note: It was announced today that Minnesota Twins CL Joe Nathan has decided to retire due to an injury. Having suffered a torn labrum late September, Nathan had been in rehab after surgery. He had suffered a series of setbacks, and after the top specialist on shoulder injuries took another look at it, Nathan was informed that he would never be able to pitch effectively again. A distraught Nathan, tearing up at the press conference, said, “I anticipated that the recovery would be slow, but I never expected this.” He finishes his career with 247 Saves and a 2.71 ERA. In 688.0 IP, he has 684 strikeouts. He was just coming off what was arguably the best season of his career, saving 47 games, with a 1.76 ERA.

[TavesSoul]

The Baseball US list of the Top 100 Prospects was released today, on the eve of the season. This year, Washington has the #1 prospect with SP Stephen Strasburg, last years first overall pick.

1) SP Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
2) SP Madison Bamgarner, San Francisco Giants
3) SP Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers
4) SP Michael Ynoa, Oakland Athletics
5) 1B Yonder Alonso, Cincinnati Reds
6) SP Tommy Hanson, Atlanta Braves
7) 1B Alex Barrera, San Diego Padres
8) 3B Pedro Alvarez, Pittsburgh Pirates
9) SP Jose Pacheco, Detroit Tigers
10) SP Jarrod Parker, Arizona Diamondbacks

The big surprise after the release of this years Top 100 Prospect List was who the number one team in the Farm System rankings was: The Pittsburgh Pirates. Thanks largely to the moves made by their current GM Neil Summers, they have four of the top 25 prospects, and rank 40 points above the Rangers. “Look, I have to give respect to the outgoing GM, who took Pedro Alvarez 2nd overall in 2008,” said Summers, “he is what gets us the number one ranking. Still, I’m happy the moves I’ve made have helped to rescue our farm system, but they are all for not if those prospects don’t pan out and turn the big league team around. Let’s not kid ourselves and think we’re assured of being a good team just because some magazine likes our kids.”

[TavesSoul]

SP John Lackey
31 Yrs Old; RHP; Velocity 91-93 MPH
2009 Stats: 11-7, 5.32 ERA, 41 BB, 110 K
4-Yrs, $25,880,000
Comments: John is our ace, and I feel good to have him as such. He may not be a Roy Halladay, but he’s still the best pitcher we’ve had in Pittsburgh in a while. Had a rough year last year, but I think that’s a bit of a fluke, and with his five pitches, he’ll be fooling our competition.


SP Doug Davis
34 Yrs Old; LHP; Velocity 84-86 MPH
2009 Stats: 13-9, 4.30 ERA, 61 BB, 133 K
3-Yrs, $6,150,000
Comments: Doug ‘s a little bit of a late bloomer, and he’s still productive at 34. Probably not going to be anyone’s ace anymore, but he’ll be a solid addition, and a good veteran on the team. Not a whole lot of financial risk, which was the key.


SP Trevor Cahill
22 Yrs Old; RHP; Velocity 90-92 MPH
2009 Stats: 7-12, 4.42 ERA, 68 BB, 149 K
1-Yr, $400,000 (auto renewed)
Comments: There is much hope that Cahill could emerge as the ace of this rotation as early as next season, though for now I just hope he can hold in as our third pitcher. Had a solid first year last season for the A’s, and if he repeats those numbers, I wouldn’t be too disappointed.


SP Paul Maholm
27 Yrs Old; LHP; Velocity 87-89 MPH
2009 Stats: 12-16, 4.74 ERA, 61 BB, 135 K
3-Yrs, $20,000,000
Comments: The only hold over from last years staff at the start of the season, due to Ohlendorf’s injury. Maholm will hold down the fourth spot, which suits him better then the ace role. My most dependable pitcher last year, I’ll admit there is some attachment to him… for now.


SP Erik Bedard
31 Yrs Old; LHP; Velocity 86-88 MPH
2009 Stats: 8-14, 3.83 ERA, 87 BB, 171 K
3-Yrs, $3,450,000 (3rd year team option)
Comments: Don is worried about him, now that he’s seen him in camp, but there is very little risk in trying Bedard as the 5th starter at the start of the season. I have depth enough that if he fails, I can replace him, and I know that he’s working hard to try to prove his doubters wrong. Hopefully that translates into wins. Still, he’s been so good the last four years, I will give him the benefit of the doubt.


SP Ross Ohlendorf
27Yrs Old; RHP; Velocity 89-90 MPH
2009 Stats: 3-3, 8.89 ERA, 24 BB, 33 K
1-Yr, $413,500 (auto renewed)
Comments: Once had a bright future for this club, but having elbow ligament reconstruction may be the end of Ross’ career. His potential has fallen dramatically, but we’ll give him a shot in AAA to see if it’s truly over once he returns.


SP Daniel Cabrera
28 Yrs Old; RHP; Velocity 92-94 MPH
2009 Stats: 9-9, 4.60 ERA, 81 BB, 131 K
1- Yr, $2,400,000 (arbitration eligible)
Comments: Meant to be a band aid, he’s likely going to be the fifth starter when he returns. He’ll never be the ace people thought he would be, but he’s a solid 4 or 5 for any club. Performed well after arriving in Pittsburgh in a mid-season deal.

[TavesSoul]

MR Luis Ayala
32 Yrs Old; RHP; Velocity 90-92 MPH
2009 Stats: 9-3, 2.81 ERA, 23 BB, 55 K, 1 SV
1-Yr, $400,000
Comments: Should help to turn this bullpen into a solid unit, although he’s likely only here for this one year. A cheap option to work heavy innings, he pitched 96.0 innings last season.


MR Christopher Blazek
26 Yrs Old; LHP; Velocity 90-92 MPH
2009 Stats: 3-2, 3.06 ERA, 21 BB, 59 K, 3 SV
1-Yr, $400,000 (auto renewed)
Comments: Had a great year for the team last season, and will resume his role this season. Has impressed, and will have a role here as long as he performs.


MR Sean Burnett
27 Yrs Old; LHP; Velocity 90-92 MPH
2009 Stats: 5-3, 4.93 ERA, 53 BB, 85 K
1-Yr, $600,000 (arbitration eligible)
Comments: In 100.1 innings last year, Sean performed well. Still, he needs to refine an out pitch, as none of his three pitches is a true out pitch. Has good movement on his pitches though, and that’s what sees him through.


MR Shawn Kelley
25 Yrs Old; RHP; Velocity 90-92 MPH
2009 Stats: 3-4, 4.25 ERA, 33 BB, 63 K, 2 SV
1-Yr, $400,000 (auto renewed)
Comments: Pitched well last year, and answered the questions we had about him. Now, we’ll see if he can take the next step and lower his walk total this year, as that will go a long way towards lowering his ERA. Will be the second option after Ayala.


MR Juan Mateo
27 Yrs Old; RHP; Velocity 92-94 MPH
2009 Stats: 0-0, 4.15 ERA, 2 BB, 4 K
1-Yr, $400,000 (auto renewed)
Comments: Pitched well in AA, and performed well in a short stint in the bigs, but the AAA hitters lit him up, which worries me. He’ll get a short audition to start the season, but he’s on a short leash.


CL Brian Slocum
29 Yrs Old; RHP; Velocity 90-92 MPH
2009 Stats: 0-1, 4.82 ERA, 17 BB, 31 K, 1 SV
1-Yr, $400,000 (auto renewed)
Comments: Slocum has the talent to be the perfect setup man, but he has yet to perform. He has an absolutely deadly slider, but he struggles with control some nights. The pressures on him this year to produce, or he could be moving on.


CL Matt Capps
26 Yrs Old; RHP; Velocity 92-94 MPH
2009 Stats: 5-6, 3.47 ERA, 21 BB, 59 K, 29 SV
1-Yr, $4,200,000 (arbitration eligible)
Comments: Capps just keeps getting better. Thanks to amazing control and great movement, Capps has proved himself as the Pirates closer. Will never be an elite closer, but he is a very good one, especially on this young team.

[TavesSoul]

C Ryan Doumit
29 Yrs Old; Switch
2009 Stats: .298, 16 HR, 79 RBI, 0 SB, 35.9 VORP
4-Yrs, $24,150,000
Comments: Ryan is still our starter here, and his big bat definitely helps, but his lack of defensive skills hurts. Surprisingly, he performed well last season on d, and he had a career year offensively. Still, the jump in his salary after this season means he’ll be moving on, if I can find a good deal.


C Brian Schneider
33 Yrs Old; LHB
2009 Stats: .259, 15 HR, 66 RBI, 0 SB, 9.1 VORP
1-Yr, $410,000
Comments: Schneider’s been a starter in this league for a long time now, but he’s career is winding down, although it could be argued he’s hitting better then ever. His defense means he’ll steal starts from Doumit all season, and he may become the starter once I trade Doumit, but his age means he can’t be necessarily relied upon to stay injury free.


1B Adam LaRoche
30 Yrs Old; LHB
2009 Stats: .254, 30 HR, 109 RBI, 2 SB, 15.7 VORP
2-Yrs, $13,100,000
Comments: LaRoche had a career year last season, and he agreed to resign for less then we paid him last season, so I’m very pleased to have him back. He’s a decent defender with a heavy bat, and he’s the perfect place holder until Cruz is ready.


2B Freddy Sanchez
32 Yrs Old; RHB
2009 Stats: .294, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 0 SB, 18.1 VORP
1-Yr, $8,000,000
Comments: Freddy is still a good defender, and he hits well enough, though he’s never been a power hitter. He’s a veteran presence on this team, and he avoids strikeouts rather well. Still, he’s pricey, and if I can move him and free up his salary, I might. Still, I might be able to get him to resign cheap, as he’d be a nice backup to have around.


3B Andy LaRoche
26 Yrs Old; RHB
2009 Stats: .275, 12 HR, 55 RBI, 8 SB, 19.7 VORP
1-Yr, $413,500 (auto renewed)
Comments: Plays far better defense then his brother, Adam, and is a better runner, but he’ll never put up the numbers Adam does. He works hard, and he’s a cheap option, so I’ll keep him around as a place filler until some prospects develop.


SS Jack Wilson
32 Yrs Old; RHB
2009 Stats: .321, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 1 SB, 15.4 VORP
1-Yr, $8,400,000
Comments: Jack’s a pretty good defender, and a leader on this team that wants to win; that being said, he is way overpaid, especially in the backup role he’s been forced to. Still, as I am unlikely to find a trade partner, being stuck with a smart, veteran leader with a will to win who can play so defense on an inexperienced team is definitely not the worst case scenario.


SS Alcides Escobar
23 Yrs Old; RHB
2009 Stats: .306, 0 HR, 37 RBI, 16 SB, 6.3 VORP
1-Yr, $400,000 (auto renewed)
Comments: Escobar is an amazing defender, and he has very good speed and stealing ability. The problem with Alcides is getting on base sometimes, though that clearly wasn’t the case last season. Hopefully he keeps that run going. He’s still waiting on his first major league homer, and might wait a good chunk of the season to get it.


CF Nate McLouth
28 Yrs Old; LHB
2009 Stats: .298, 20 HR, 69 RBI, 16 SB, 40.7 VORP
3-Yrs, $21,625,000
Comments: Despite having some injury problems last season, McLouth was a forced to be reckoned with when in the lineup. He’ll see more time in left field this season, which is his ideal position. Hits with good power, and makes excellent contact, he can even swipe some bases with his speed. Worth his contract, and is our star player.


CF Jeff Salazar
29 Yrs Old; LHB
2009 Stats: .319, 4 HR, 29 RBI, 4 SB, 15.9 VORP
1-Yr, $600,000 (arbitration eligible)
Comments: Salazar say more action last year then I would have preferred, but he performed really well in that time, and will get some time in at all the outfield positions yet again, while filling in during injuries. Maybe he can be a starter, but time is running out for him to steal a job.


CF Andrew McCutchen
23 Yrs Old; RHB
2009 Stats: .286, 16 HR, 62 RBI, 19 SB, 24.4 VORP (AAA)
1-Yr, $400,000 (auto renewed)
Comments: Andrew is an awesome defender, with amazing speed, and he does all things as a batter well, although nothing great. His power numbers will be his only weakness, but he’s bound to be our center fielder for years to come. We’ll see how he handles his first full season in the majors, as it’ll allow McLouth to switch to left.


RF Brandon Moss
26 Yrs Old; LHB
2009 Stats: .253, 27 HR, 91 RBI, 3 SB, 22.4 VORP
1-Yr, $414,500 (auto renewed)
Comments: I’ll be honest, I didn’t think Brandon had a future in the league when I watched the tapes of him before last season. I planned to trade him, and even picked up Kroeger off waivers to replace him. Still, Brandon performed well and proved me wrong, never letting off the gas to give me a reason to trade him, or Josh an opening to replace him. Watching him, he looks like nothing special, isn’t more then a serviceable defender, and he can’t run. Yet he performed, and he hits for the gap extremely well.


RF Josh Kroeger
27 Yrs Old; LHB
2009 Stats: .202, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 2 SB, -9.7 VORP
1-Yr, $400,000 (auto renewed)
Comments: After talking about how Moss doesn’t impress in practice, but puts it all together on game day, it’s glaringly obvious that Kroeger is just the opposite. He’s seemingly got all the talent in the world, but he never performs on the field. There’s a reason he’s been through so many organizations, and my patience with him is nearing it’s end.

[TavesSoul]

The first month of the 2010 season was a successful one for the Pirates, as the finished the month of April with a record of 10-6, and have a 1.5 game lead over the Cubs. Pirate fans are ecstatic, yet cautious, as the team had a hot start last year only to falter. “I’m really pleased with how this month has turned out,” said Pittsburgh’s second year GM, Neil Summers. “I think the offense carried us this month, and I hope that our pitching gets a little bit better next month. Still, it’s a good sign of what I think is to come for this franchise, and I thank our fans for showing up for the first month.” There are rumors abound that the Pirates might be raising ticket prices above the $12 their currently asking, having sold out all six of their home games, and starting off hot. There is no comment from the front office on those rumors, though.

April’s Hot Players
SP Trevor Cahill - 2-1, 2.05 ERA, 4.8 K/BB
CL Matt Capps - 5.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 4 SV
1B Adam LaRoche - .318, 6 HR, 13 RBI, 0 SB

April’s Cold Players
SP Daniel Cabrera - 1-0, 7.04 ERA, 2.5 K/BB
MR Sean Burnett - 11.1 IP, 6.35 ERA, 1 SV
C Brian Schneider - .143, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB

April Injury Report
The first month of the season went off without any major injury hurdles. The Pirate affected by injuries was CF Nate McLouth, who missed 13 days with two separate injuries. First, he had a hand contusion, which cost him a week, which was immediately followed with a sprained knee suffered in batting practice. Hopefully that doesn’t keep him laid up longer then needed.

April Transaction Report
Summers sat pat this month, wanting to see how all his off-season deals worked out for the club. He kept an eye on the waiver wire, but wasn’t willing to mess any more with team chemistry for the couple decent options that floated across it this month.

April Prospect Report

AAA
SP Esmerling Vasquez - 1-1, 1.13 ERA, 2.0 K/BB
Analysis: Vasquez is shooting to be the first call-up when an injury strikes a starter, after dominating in 32.0 innings this month. He seems to have turned a corner, but you never know.
CF Daya Loyola - .324, 9 HR, 21 RBI, 3 SB
Analysis: A solid first month of AAA ball for the defensive centerfielder. If he keeps hitting like this, he’ll have to be known as the complete package, and not just a potential defensive sub.

AA
MR Yoffri Martinez - 20.0 IP, 2.70 ERA, 1.9 K/BB
Analysis: His curveball and circle change have been downright nasty so far this year, making him nearly unhittable so far, and he is looking close to being ready to play some AAA ball.
3B Pedro Alvarez - .329, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 0 SB
Analysis: He is the teams top prospect for a reason, and has shown way that is so far in Altoona. Maybe ready for AAA sooner than I thought he would be, but I’ll wait and see. I’d rather he dominated at each level.

A
SP Takaha Singh - 2-2, 1.75 ERA, 4.7 K/BB
Analysis: Casey Kelly had a phenomenal month, but Singh was crazy good. The Indian right hander has slowly been proving he may have a future in the bigs, dominating R and Short A last season. To outperform Kelly has impressed me.
3B Jeremy Farrell - .294, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB
Analysis: When everybody around him forget how to hit, the backup third baseman performed well, which tells you something about his work ethic. If he keeps working hard, he may make the majors some day down the road.

[TavesSoul]

The wins keep rolling in for a seemingly revitalized Pirates team in 2010, as they finish the month with a 18-11 record, and have now established a 5.0 game lead over the second place Brewers. In fact, for the first time in longer then this writer can remember, the Pirates are leading the entire National League. Fans are cautiously optimistic, as they are too accustomed to collapse from their Bucs to get too excited yet. Still, signs have started to appear at games proclaiming “IN SUMMERS WE BELIEVE!” and “WORLD SERIES CHAMPS 2010!!!”. Summers commented on them at his monthly ‘state of the union’ address, saying, “ya, I saw those. They gave me a good chuckle. Still, I think most of our fans are pretty reasonable about our chances. As long as things keep going the way they have been for us, we can make the playoffs. I just hope we can avoid last years injury attack.” Despite the rumors that were swirling last month, the ticket prices have yet to go up, though that buzz still remains around town.

May’s Hot Players
SP Doug Davis - 1-0, 2.25 ERA, 3.1 K/BB
CL Brian Slocum - 2-0, 0.79 ERA, 11.1 IP
RF Brandon Moss - .257, 6 HR, 15 RBI, 2 SB

May’s Cold Players
SP Paul Maholm - 1-1, 6.60 ERA, 1.6 K/BB
MR Sean Burnett - 1-0, 4.35 ERA, 10.1 IP
2B Freddy Sanchez - .172, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 SB

May Injury Report
There were some injuries this month, though they didn’t slow the Pirates down. First, backup CF Jeff Salazar strained his oblique, and was declared out for two weeks at the very start of the month. Then C Ryan Doumit picked up a knee contusion after being hit by a pitch, and missed two weeks. Then SS Alcides Escobar fell on the 5th, straining his intercostal muscle making a diving catch, and missed 3 weeks. It was at this point that the fans remembered last season, and how the injury bug started, and never left, killing the teams chances. Yet, the team held it together, and the injuries slowed up. CF Nate McLouth can’t seem to shake the bite of small injuries though, bruising his knee and missing a week, and then suffering a setback and missing another week.

May Transaction Report
The team made only two moves this month, continue the Summers’ wait and see approach. First, they agreed to a 3 year contract extension with veteran SS Jack Wilson worth $1,700,000 total. Wilson is nearing 1200 hits for his career, and he’s a great leader on this team, and he’s accepted his backup role rather well. Getting him signed that cheap means he’s likely staying around, ending speculation that he might be dealt by the trade deadline.
The second move they made was placing SP Jimmy Barthmaier on waivers, where he was claimed by the Chicago White Sox. Barthmaier was having a pretty good year in AAA, but with MR Tyler Yates returning from a torn rotator cuff that laid him up 14 months, they needed to make room on the 40-Man Roster.

May Award Winners
CF Andrew McCutchen earned the NL Rookie of the Month award for May, after hitting .341, with 0 HR, 10 RBI, and 9 SB. “It feels nice to be recognized,” said the young McCutchen, “especially with all the hard work I’ve put in to get here. Hopefully there’s a lot more honors to come in my career.”

May Prospect Report

AAA
SP Marc Rzepczynski - 3-1, 3.04 ERA, 2.6 K/BB
Analysis: Marc’s shown these year why I made a move to get him so early in my career here. With a 2.75 ERA to start the season, he’s close to earning a shot with the big club. We’ll be likely an injury call-up, but for now let him keep learning in Indianapolis.
CF Daya Loyola - .299, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 1 SB
Analysis: Despite missing time with injury, Loyola outperformed better prospects. Hitting is improving to match solid defense, and there is hope that Daya can be a nice major league backup.

AA
CL Jeff Sues - 9.2 IP, 0.93 ERA, 2 SV
Analysis: In his second year in Altoona, Jeff is lighting it up as a closer. Already, he’s earned half the saves he had all last season. Needs to get his walks under control, though, if he’s to have any future.
2B Ryan Dent - .266, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 8 SB
Analysis: Just two months ago Johnson though Dent was a stud, but he’s been down on him lately. After this performance, I’m not. I’d like to see better defense, but he’s performing well as a hitter and a runner. Still has a shot at a future in the pros.

A
SP Takaha Singh - 3-2, 2.23 ERA, 3.7 K/BB
Analysis: Singh continues to shine in A ball. Perhaps it’s time for a bigger challenge? I think he’ll be getting a call-up soon, and we’ll see how he does.
SS Gustavo Pierre - .284, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 7 SB
Analysis: Pierre just keeps proving himself. He’s eating up the competition in A ball at the age of 18. His speed and his eye make him lethal. Still, I’d love to see an improved defense the rest of the year.