Monthly Archives: February, 2010

I understand why the Nate McLouth trade incensed many Pirate fans. McLouth was a quality player and a fan favorite. He was one of my favorites, too. But once we get past the emotional reaction, we see that the trade of McLouth, along with the subsequent acquisition of Lastings Milledge, did not exactly hurt the Pirates.

Two prospects who have been battling injuries:

SS Jarek Cunningham was the Pirates' 18th round pick in the 2008 draft. �The Washington State native was forced to miss his entire high school senior season due to an ACL (knee) injury. �He was able to get back to playing in time to join the GCL Pirates after being drafted, and he had an excellent pro debut. �In 43 games, he hit .318 with 11 doubles, 5 homers, and batted in 22. �He also walked 14 times and struck out 26 times, so he was doing ok for plate discipline. �Cunningham finished the season with a bang, going 4-for-4 with a home run in the GCL Pirates' playoff game. �He returned to Bradenton in 2009 fired up for advancing in the new season -- only to reinjure that ACL early in spring training. �This time the knee required surgery, and Cunningham missed the entire 2009 season. �He was able to participate in the fall instructional league. �You can listen to a radio interview with Cunningham on Rum Bunter . �He says that he feels the best he's felt since his junior year in high school, and he's having no pain in his knee. �He's been working out, but is looking forward to getting down to Florida and getting to face some live pitching, and getting to play real games. �He's hoping that he'll be assigned to A level West Virginia, and feels like he's 100% and ready to go.

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OF Jose Hernandez capped off a dazzling final year at �University of Texas-San Antonio (.360 average, 25 doubles, 17 homers, 61 RBI) by being drafted by the Pirates in the 23rd round of the 2009 draft. �A little older than average at 23 years of age, Hernandez got signed and got going. �He reported to State College, and appeared in 8 games for the Spikes. �Then, just as he was getting settled in, he injured his ankle and was done for the season. �He went 5-for-19 (.263) with a double and an RBI in those 8 games. �His second game, on June 20th, was the most exciting, as he had 3 hits, including the double. �Hernandez too should be back to normal strength for spring training. �The California native might get a shot at West Virginia early in the season, or be headed back to State College.

Looking at some of the Pirates prospects....

Rinku Singh and�Dinesh Patel came to the US from their native India as the winners of the "Million Dollar Arm" contest. �Both had trained as javelin throwers and would have joined the Indian Army if it were not for this opportunity. �They spent most of a year in at USC in Los Angeles, where they were taught the basics of baseball and the basics of pitching (as well as English and American culture) by a cadre of coaches, including Tom House. � The Pirates signed both of them, and sent them to Bradenton for more work and more training. �Both pitchers made their debuts in the Gulf Coast League in the 2009 season.

Singh is the lefty, and the taller of the two at 6' 2" and 190 pounds. �He was the winner of the Million Dollar Arm contest, with the fastest throw (calling their throws "pitches" at that stage might have been a bit generous). �The 21-year-old appeared in 11 games, all in relief, for the GCL Pirates, and posted a 1-2 record and a 5.84 ERA. �Singh's debut came on July 4th, when he allowed singles to the first two batters he faced, and a stolen base and a wild pitch brought in a run. �Then he buckled down and got a strikeout, a ground out, and a pop out to end the inning. �Singh's next four �appearances resulted in 9 more hits and 6 more runs over 4 innings, with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. �Batters feasted off him with a .458 batting average against. �But then Singh turned it around in his next 6 outings. �In 7.1 innings, he allowed only one earned run, and 3 hits. �He again walked 2, and struck out 5, and batters found him more difficult to hit -- a .125 average against.

Patel is the right-hander, weighing in at 5' 11" and 185 pounds, and 20 years old. �He was the runner-up in the big contest, but was a little more accurate in his throws than Singh. �Patel made 6 appearances for the GCL Pirates in 2009, for a total of 6.1 innings. �He won one game, and posted a 1.42 ERA. �His first inning, also on July 4th when he came in to relief Singh, was more successful than Singh's. �The second batter he faced reached on a throwing error, but the other three batters he faced went down, including a strikeout. �Patel allowed just one hit in each of his next two appearances, and an unearned run in the second. �His fifth outing was the most difficult -- in 2 innings, he allowed a run on 2 hits. �Patel gave up a total of 5 hits and that one earned run, but no walks, and he struck out 4 batters. �Batters hit just .192 against him.

Both Singh and Patel need a lot more work and seasoning, and still need to drill in the baseball fundamentals that most of their teammates have been doing virtually all their lives (when do you cover first base? �when do you back up the catcher or the third baseman?). �Both should be back with the GCL Pirates for 2010. �But, they are making progress. �Their signing was considered by some to be just a gimmick on the part of the Pirates, but while their chances are on the low side, both Singh and Patel do have a shot at making it. �They are clearly willing to work very hard and learn. �Singh is generally considered to be the one with the highest upside, but that doesn't rule out Patel.��And consider this: �from the point of view of their families and friends in their home villages, Singh and Patel are already huge successes. They have a blog,�the Million Dollar Arm Blog, �that (going back) tells about their training and experiences in California, and then their time with the GCL Pirates.

Taking a look at a few of the Pirates' prospects as we wait for spring training to start... These will not be in any particular order, other than generally from the lower levels to the upper levels in the system.

Gerlis Rodriguez is a 21-year old Dominican native, who played three seasons in the Dominican Summer League before taking over as the GCL Pirates' first baseman in 2009. �He hit .291 with 16 doubles, one triple, one homer, and 28 RBI in the DSL in 2008, but found some adjustment was necessary in his first season in the US. �Rodriguez started off hitting solidly in July, with 5 doubles, 3 homers, 19 RBI and a .293 average. �He walked only 5 times, but struck out 16 times. �Those big swings caught up to him in �August, though, as his average slipped to .267, his RBI dropped to 9, and he did not homer again. �He walked just 4 times and struck out 13 times. Overall for the season, his average was .266. �Rodriguez may be headed for State College, but he needs to work on plate discipline and patience -- he needs more walks and fewer strikeouts.

Catcher�Joey Schoenfeld was the Pirates' 10th round pick in the 2009 draft. �The California native took awhile to sign, and by the time he got to Bradenton, it was the later part of August. �He did get into 5 games for the GCL Pirates, but went hitless in his 14 official at-bats (5 strikeouts). � He did walk 4 times and was hit by a pitch once. �He also stole one base and was caught stealing once. �The 2010 season will be all but a total beginning for Schoenfeld, but he should get a chance to figure it out with the GCL Pirates.

Looking at some Pirates' prospects as we wait for spring training to begin... a couple of pitchers today.

Ryan Beckman was the Pirates' 18th round pick in the 2009 draft. �The 20-year old righty signed quickly and got down to business in Bradenton early enough so that he was able to accumulate 39.1 innings for the GCL Pirates. �He pitched in 11 games, making 3 starts. �Beckman generally struggled, allowing 45 hits and 26 runs (24 earned) over those 39.1 innings, including 5 gopher balls. �He walked just 8 batters, and struck out 19. �The Texas native allowed at least one run in all but one of his appearances, and that one run-less spot came in the middle of a particularly tough stretch from the end of July to mid August, when he gave up 17 earned runs over 5 appearances. �Batters hit .281 against him, and the difference between right-handed batters and left-handed batters was insignificant: �.282 and .279 respectively. �Beckman has some work to do, and he could do that either back with the GCL Pirates or maybe with State College.

Lefty Zac Fuesser was chosen later in the draft but ended up with better numbers than Beckman. �Fuesser also got around to signing later, and so appeared in just 5 games (one start) for the GCL Pirates. �The South Carolina native walked 10 batters in just 14.1 innings, but allowed 6 hits and 4 runs (2 earned) for a 1-1 record and a 1.26 ERA. �In his pro debut, Fuesser pitched 2 innings, walked one, and struck out 4. �He had two more very good outings, allowing one hit in 3 scoreless innings and then one hit in 4 scoreless innings. �On August 15th, he had his toughest outing, resulting in a loss: he gave up 3 runs (one earned) on a hit and 5 walks. �His last outing resulted in one run on 3 hits and 2 walks. �It turns out that the worst damage came when he pitched to left-handed batters: �though they hit just .154 against him, his ERA against lefty batters was 3.86, while his ERA against righty batters was 0 (.125 batting average against). �Fuesser probably doesn't have anything more to prove in the GCL, and at 19 years old, he's probably targeted for State College to begin 2010.

Other Notes:

OF�Jared Keel,�who was released by the Pirates in November, has signed a contract with Sioux City of the American Association (independent league). �Keel was the Pirates' 31st round pick in the 2006 draft.

SS�JJ Furmaniak (Pirates and Indy Indians 2005-06) signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. �OF�Alfredo Amezaga (Indy Indians 2005) signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers. �Reliever�Jonah Bayliss (Pirates and Indy Indians 2006-08) re-signed with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Two infield prospects today:

Elevys Gonzalez made his US debut in 2009. �The �20-year-old Venezuelan native hit .311 in the Venezuelan Summer League in 2008, though with little power (1 homer and 23 RBI). �Once in Bradenton with the GCL Pirates, he hit a solid .271, with one double, two triples, one homer, and 9 RBI in 35 games. �He also showed a little bit of speed on the bases, with 6 steals. �Gonzalez walked only 5 times, so could use a little more plate discipline. �He played mostly third base in Bradenton, as he had in the VSL, plus a few games at second base and a few at shortstop. �He made 7 errors at third (in 20 games), but none at second or short. �Gonzalez was promoted to State College in mid-August, and played in 13 games for the Spikes. �Eleven of those games were at second base, and the other three were at shortstop (none at third), and he made one error at each spot. �At the plate in State College, Gonzalez went 11-for-51 (.216), with 8 of those hits coming in a 5-game stretch from August 29th to September 2nd. �That included two doubles on August 31st and two triples, a single, and 3 RBI on September 2nd. �It was likely enough to earn him a return ticket to State College for 2010, though it isn't clear where on the infield he'll be playing.

Benjamin Gonzalez also plays shortstop and second base, but spent more time at short in 2009. �The 20-year old is from Caguas, Puerto Rico, and he was the Pirates' 7th round pick in the 2008 draft. �He began his pro career with the GCL Pirates shortly after being drafted, and got into 37 games. �He started off hot for his first week or so, going 7-for-23, but then cooled off the next week. �Gonzalez finished the 2008 season with a .207 average, with 2 doubles and 23 RBI. �He returned to the GCL Pirates in 2009, where he was the primary shortstop. �His hitting improved to .289 in 49 games, with 5 doubles and a triple, but just 13 RBI. �He also stole 7 bases. �Gonzalez is not a huge guy -- 5' 11" and 160 lb -- so it's not surprising that he does not have big power numbers. �Gonzalez was promoted to A West Virginia at the very end of the season, and got in 3 games with the Power. �He went 3-for-12 at the plate, with a double and an RBI. �Gonzalez also played in 8 games for Los Gigantes de Carolina in the Puerto Rican Winter League, mostly appearing as a pinch runner. �He scored 3 runs, but had only 2 official at-bats. �Gonzalez's placement in 2010 is going to depend on his own performance in spring training, and also on where a few other key middle infielders (Jarek Cunningham, Brock Holt, Ty Summerlin) are placed.

Another prospect from last year's draft:

(John) Walker Gourley is still just 18 years old, listed as a shortstop, but also able to play other infield positions. �He was the Pirates' 13th round draft pick in 2009, coming out of high school in North Carolina. He signed in early July and got started right away in Bradenton with the GCL Pirates. �Gourley got a hit in his first game on July 7th, then went 0-for-the-next-6-games before getting another single on July 14th. �Then he had 6 better games, in which he went 6-for-16 (.375). �Just as things were looking up, though, Gourley injured his ankle and missed nearly 5 weeks. �He made it back to the lineup at the very end of the season, appearing in 3 games at the end of August, and going 3-for-10, with a double in each of the last two games. �That made for a .220 average overall, with 2 RBI. �Gourley played 8 games at third base for the GCL Pirates and 4 at shortstop, but made a total of 5 errors (4 at third base). �Gourley went to fall instrux, but not much info comes out of instrux, so no idea what he showed management there. �He could start 2010 in State College, but if he's struggling again, he could spend more time in the GCL.

I have been interested in a platoon of Steve Pearce and Garrett Jones, whether that is at first base or right field. This is mostly due to their 2009 splits, which is the precise assumption that Matt Klaasen cautioned against in his excellent post on platoon splits. What should the Pirates expect out of a Jones/Pearce platoon?

Just a quick note. If you are into fantasy baseball, be sure to check out the online publication Heater Magazine. Click the...

I encourage everyone to check out the 2nd Annual Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament at Sean’s Ramblings. Today marks the beginning of Round One...

Looking at more Pirates' prospects in the lower minors....

Brooks Pounders is a right-handed pitcher from California. �The 19-year-old signed with the Pirates right out of high school, taken as their second round pick (third overall, since the Pirates got a supplemental round pick) in the 2009 draft. �Pounders signed early enough so that he was able to join the GCL Pirates in early July. �He made his pro debut on the Fourth of July, but unfortunately it was not all he'd hoped for: �Pounders gave up a single and a walk, then got two outs, then gave up a single, a double, and hit a batter. �All that accounted for 2 runs, and he was relieved. �But, there's always the next time, and when Pounders got his next chance, he earned his first win by mowing down 9 straight batters. �He had two more very good outings, both 4 innings, allowing two hits in one and retiring 12 straight batters in the other. �The next four outings, two in relief and two starts, were a struggle. �Pounders gave up 14 hits and 6 earned runs over 11 innings. �Then he finished the season with a scoreless inning on August 27th, allowing no hits but two walks, and striking out two batters. �That gave him a 2-2 record for the season and a 3.04 ERA in 9 appearances and 4 starts. �In 23.2 innings, Pounders gave up 19 hits, 11 runs (8 earned), 11 walks, and 20 strikeouts. �Being a high draft pick has its perks, and there's a good chance that Pounders will given the benefit of the Pirates' aggressive promoting, and be starting 2010 in A West Virginia.

Trent Stevenson is another righty pitcher, who is similar to Pounders in some regards, but less so in others. �Like Pounders, Stevenson is a 19-year-old, who was drafted out of high school (Brophy Prep in Phoenix) in 2009. Stevenson went in the 7th round. �He signed a little later than Pounders, so didn't get to start his pro career until August. �He retired three batters in a row in his debut start, on August 10th (just the one inning). �He made four more appearances (3 more starts) and increased his duration by one inning each time. �He gave up hits, a total of 13 in his 15 innings, but did not allow a run until the last start on August 28th, when he gave up just 2 runs on 6 hits. �Stevenson struck out only 8 batters in those 15 innings, though he struck out 3 in each of the last two games, and he did not walk any batters in any of his appearances. �At 6' 6", two inches shorter than Pounders, Stevenson is still only 175 pounds (50 pounds less than Pounders), so he has some room to fill out and get stronger. �Stevenson may also benefit from aggressive promotion, and may get the chance to prove himself at West Virginia before the shorter season opens at State College.

Looking at some of the Pirates' prospects as we wait for spring training... these will not be in any particular order, other than generally from the lower levels to the upper levels. And, just in case you're counting.... Opening Day for the minor leagues is two months from Monday (April 8th). Ramon Cabrera is a 20-year-old catcher from Venezuela. �He began his pro career for the Pirates' Venzuelan Summer League affiliate in 2008, where he hit .264, with 16 doubles, 3 homers, and 22 RBI in 56 games. �Cabrera was reported to have good plate discipline -- he walked 28 times and struck out 27 times. �He returned to the VSL to open the 2009 season, but didn't stay there long. �After 20 games and a .312 average, with 6 doubles, 2 homers, and 19 RBI, Cabrera was brought to Bradenton for his US debut. �He appeared in 37 games for the GCL Pirates, and hit a very nice .291, with 11 doubles, one triple, one homer, and 16 RBI. �He continued to show good plate discipline, matching 16 walks with 16 strikeouts. �Cabrera started off hot in Bradenton, hitting over .400 for his first two weeks there, then going quiet for the next couple of weeks. �Things picked up again at the end of July, and Cabrera hit .313 in August. �He's a switch hitter, who hit southpaws better than righties -- .355 average against left-handed pitchers, and .271 against right-handers, though he split his 16 Bradenton RBI equally -- 8 off lefties and 8 off righties. �Behind the plate, Cabrera is reported to have a good arm. �He threw out 29% of base runners in the GCL (and even more in the VSL), and made only 2 errors. �Cabrera should be moving on up for 2010. �He'll be competing with Andrew Walker, who has been battling ankle problems for the past two seasons. �Look for one of them to get the job at A West Virginia and the other to go to State College.