PIRATES PROSPECTSPITTSBURGH PIRATES MINOR LEAGUE NEWS, TRANSACTIONS, AND ARTICLES

The Pirates signed Craig Monroe to a minor league contract today, including an invite to spring training. Monroe hit .202/.274/.405 in 179 plate appearances with the Twins last year, good for a .291 wOBA. That is slightly below replacement level, although it was an improvement on his .273 wOBA in 2007. Including his slightly below average outfield defense, Monroe has been at or below replacement level in each of the past three years. With his 32nd birthday approaching, he is much more likely to decline than he is to improve.

I am not a fan of this signing at all. Sure, it is only a minor league deal. But there is no reason that we should even be considering bringing him north for the start of the season, even if it is as a backup. Monroe’s O-Swing% has increased each of the past four years, while his contact percentage and line drive percentage have steadily dropped. CHONE projects him to post a .315 wOBA in 2009, the most optimistic of the projections provided by FanGraphs. That might get him back to replacement level. If he makes the team and someone like Steve Pearce (projected .337 wOBA) goes to Indy, I am going to be upset. I hope it will not come to that.

I am counting down my personal list of the top 25 Pirate prospects. You can follow the countdown here, or by clicking on the “Top 25 Prospects” link in the site header.

Date of Birth: 12/16/1985

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 180 pounds

Bats/Throws: R/R

Position: SS

Drafted: 3rd Round, 2007 (Rice University)

Brian Friday is said to have excellent makeup, which could make him a candidate to overachieve in the future. He is undersized and has shown little power in his professional career, and has also battled injuries. He was limited to 341 at-bats with Lynchburg in 2008 due to back problems. Friday is a smart player with a great work ethic, and he has produced solid walk rates aside from his debut for State College in 2007. He is pretty solid defensively, with a strong arm being his greatest asset. His upside is pretty limited, but his strong fundamentals could make him an average starting shortstop down the road. At the least, he should become a solid utility player. Friday likely has the inside track to taking over the starting shortstop spot in 2011, although there are several prospects from the 2008 draft that will be right behind him.

Expected arrival in Pittsburgh: 2011