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Buccos Off-Season Moves
Pirates Prepare To Pursue Free Agent Starters
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [November 5, 2010 at 7:55am CST]
Pirates president Frank Coonelly told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the team “must pitch far better in 2011” and confirmed that GM Neal Huntington will have money to spend on free agent arms. The Pirates, who had a $35MM payroll in 2010, could boost that above $50MM in 2011, Coonelly said.
Huntington anticipates “a low-supply, high-demand market" for starting pitching this offseason, so he’s apprehensive about over-committing and signing deals that look questionable in a few years.
"We know we've got some holes to fill and some money to be able to do it," Huntington said. "But, we'll still have to do it intelligently."
Huntington says he is open to signing pitchers to one-year deals or, under the right circumstances, multiyear contracts. The Pirates don’t have much certainty in their projected 2011 rotation, so they’ll explore ways of adding starters via trade and free agency.
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Bucco's Off-Season Moves
Renck says there's about a "60%" chance that Francis returns to Colorado. He notes that Pittsburgh could be interested in Francis if former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle is hired to manage the Bucs and if Zach Duke is non-tendered.
Steven Jackson, Brandon Moss and Justin Thomas can all become minor league free agents after being outrighted to Pittsburgh's Triple-A affiliate, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. Sean Gallagher, who was also outrighted, can declare free agency on Saturday but Langosch says the Pirates will try to sign the pitcher to a contract before then.
Pirates Re-Sign Wil Ledezma
By Mark Polishuk [November 3, 2010 at 5:12pm CST]
The Pirates have agreed to terms with left-hander Wil Ledezma on a one-year contract, according to a team press release. The Bucs signed the 29-year-old to a minor league deal last winter and he delivered a 6.86 ERA in 27 relief appearances. With the signing, Pittsburgh avoids arbitration with Ledezma.
Amateur Signing Bonuses: Pirates
By Mike Axisa [October 31, 2010 at 9:01pm CST]
Let's move our amateur signing bonus to the Steel City...
- Jameson Taillon, $6.5MM (2010)
- Pedro Alvarez, $6MM (2008)
- Bryan Bullington, $4MM (2002)
- Brad Lincoln, $2.75MM (2006)
- Luis Heredia, $2.6MM (2010)
If there's any good that can come out of finishing with a below-.500 record for 18 straight years, it's that you'll have a ton of high draft picks. Unfortunately for the Pirates, they really didn't take advantage of those high picks until the last few years, as too many first rounders to count have flamed out since the team's last winning season. Neal Huntington has been dedicated to building the next great Pirates team through the farm system, so he's spent a ton of money on amateurs since taking over in late 2007. In fact, Pittsburgh has doled out close to $30.6MM on draft picks in the three years that Huntington's run the team, the most in baseball by more than $2MM.
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Re: Is this REALLY< REALLY true!!!
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Re: Is this REALLY< REALLY true!!!
Good read nice post! but if the Buccos are really going to go after pitchers in free agency all I have to say is Ill believe it when I see it.
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Re: Is this REALLY< REALLY true!!!
Please dont get my hopes up, Ive been waiting for this for 20 years
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It would be nice if it actually happens.
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Would all pitchers suffering from arm problems and offering services at a discount please step forward? Also, if you are a cricket player wanting to make the switch please come on down?
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I'll file this one under "I'll believe it when I see it."
Instead of a $50mm payroll, how about shoot for $70mm to try to find a couple of pitchers and another power bat for the middle of the lineup, preferably one that can play RF?
*Nutting faints*
What, too much? Sorry...instead we'll spend $40mm, bring in another guy with a 8.00 ERA and say we're "investing those dollars saved in other areas of the organization." How's that?
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Moss and Jackson are now minor league FA's and Jakubauskas was released. That sucks for jak because he was the one pitcher I was rooting for from the minors. He was hit in the head by a hit ball in his first major league start and could never recover from the disabled list. I saw that game it was a nasty one with him just laying there and his legs flopping like a fish out of water...
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Zach Duke, Andy LaRoche and Delwyn Young have been designated for assignment. Club's 40-man roster now contains 40 players.
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#Pirates add LHPs Jeff Locke (Altoona Curve / 3.59 ERA), Daniel Moskos ???, RHPs Mike Crotta (Indy / 4.93), Kyle McPherson (WVA / 3.59) , Tony Watson (Altoona / 2.67) to 40-man roster.
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ZachDukeFans
“I understand this business decision and wish the Pirates and my friends still on the team the best of luck in the future.” ~ Zach Duke
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Re: Is this REALLY< REALLY true!!!
I know what else is true.. all of us in the halfway house have been saddened by the sudden departure of our buddy BPS3. :pout:
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Re: Is this REALLY< REALLY true!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
smokin3000gt
I know what else is true.. all of us in the halfway house have been saddened by the sudden departure of our buddy BPS3. :pout:
I'll be back guys.. I promise.. I am working on something BIG!! Real big.. Ya hear me... EPIC
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Pirates Interested In Scott Olsen
By Mark Polishuk [November 24, 2010 at 6:03pm CST]
The Pirates are "deeply interested" in former Nationals left-hander Scott Olsen, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Bucs are known to be looking for pitching this winter, and they have a particular need for left-handed starting help after the club designated Zach Duke for assignment last week.
Olsen posted a 5.56 ERA and a 1.96 K/BB ratio in 17 games (15 of them starts) for Washington last season. He spent some time on the DL due to continued soreness in his throwing shoulder and had his 2009 season cut short due to labrum surgery on that same shoulder. Health issues aside, Olsen has shown only flashes of consistency in his six-year career (a lifetime 4.85 ERA), but he has value as a low-risk/high-upside signing. Matt Sosnick, Olsen's agent, tells Kovacevic that Pittsburgh is "one of several teams that have expressed interest in Scott."
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/1...medium=twitter
In other news Zach Duke is now a D-Back..
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Re: Is this REALLY< REALLY true!!!
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Re: Buccos Off-Season Moves
I still feel like nothing is happening.
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Re: Buccos Off-Season Moves
Quote:
Originally Posted by
steelerdude15
I still feel like nothing is happening.
And what would you like then?
p.s. And don't say for Nutting to sell the team..... Everyone wants that..
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Re: Buccos Off-Season Moves
Scott Olsen? Can they PLEASE go after a pitcher who doesn't have a history of arm problems AND sucks on top of it? Sheesh! It's the same shit, different damn day with this "organization."
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Quote:
And what would you like then?
p.s. And don't say for Nutting to sell the team..... Everyone wants that..
For the Pirates to actually get good people and yes, for shithead to sell the team.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
steelerdude15
For the Pirates to actually get good people and yes, for shithead to sell the team.
Wouldn't happen with new owners either... Pittsburgh is not a major market.. At best Nutting could spend as much as $50-$75 mil in a season..
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But know this: The money is there.
A breakdown of the current 40-man roster commitments shows $18.1 million committed to five signed players for 2011: Chris Snyder ($6.25 million), Paul Maholm ($5.75 million), Ryan Doumit ($5.1 million), Wil Ledezma ($600,000) and Pedro Alvarez ($550,000). There also are five arbitration-eligible players with the recent release of Zach Duke, and they probably will wind up costing an additional $8 million. The rest of the roster, although subject to significant change, is made up of players with less than three years of major-league experience, meaning the team can assign any salary it wishes. That usually is close to the $400,000 minimum, which would make for an additional $7 million.
Grand total: $33 million.
That is about $20 million below where the Pirates can be expected to finish the year in 40-man roster payouts and, yes, should management choose to laser in on top talent, it can buy a de la Rosa or two.
Consider this, too, for those justifiably skeptical that the team will take that to the limit: No one on any side is likely to acknowledge this, but the Pirates probably must spend more than their $48 million total of 2010. Coonelly was successful in convincing the union in the spring that the team was spending appropriately for a young roster, but that stance will not last long. If the union does not like what it sees, it could push for an investigation similar to the one that prompted the Florida Marlins to finally raise payroll.
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Quote:
Wouldn't happen with new owners either... Pittsburgh is not a major market.. At best Nutting could spend as much as $50-$75 mil in a season..
Yeah, but same thing with the Rays and look at what they've done over the past few years. I believe they have less money than us.
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Quote:
But know this: The money is there.
A breakdown of the current 40-man roster commitments shows $18.1 million committed to five signed players for 2011: Chris Snyder ($6.25 million), Paul Maholm ($5.75 million), Ryan Doumit ($5.1 million), Wil Ledezma ($600,000) and Pedro Alvarez ($550,000). There also are five arbitration-eligible players with the recent release of Zach Duke, and they probably will wind up costing an additional $8 million. The rest of the roster, although subject to significant change, is made up of players with less than three years of major-league experience, meaning the team can assign any salary it wishes. That usually is close to the $400,000 minimum, which would make for an additional $7 million.
Grand total: $33 million.
That is about $20 million below where the Pirates can be expected to finish the year in 40-man roster payouts and, yes, should management choose to laser in on top talent, it can buy a de la Rosa or two.
Consider this, too, for those justifiably skeptical that the team will take that to the limit: No one on any side is likely to acknowledge this, but the Pirates probably must spend more than their $48 million total of 2010. Coonelly was successful in convincing the union in the spring that the team was spending appropriately for a young roster, but that stance will not last long. If the union does not like what it sees, it could push for an investigation similar to the one that prompted the Florida Marlins to finally raise payroll.
I'm all up for an investigation. I always new the money was there, but I didn't realize there was that much money. They can pick up a couple of top notch players and they should.
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Re: Buccos Off-Season Moves
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#Pirates sign RHP Fernando Nieve (Mets ERA 09' 2.95 / 10' 6.00), INF Andy Marte (CLE for 4 yrs 1st/3rd base) and C Dusty Brown (RSOX played in 13 games 09'/10') to Minor League deals with invitation to Spring Training.
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Re: Buccos Off-Season Moves
PITTSBURGH -- By 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, the Pirates must decide which of their five remaining arbitration-eligible players -- a group that includes Joel Hanrahan, Ross Ohlendorf, Ronny Cedeno, Lastings Milledge and Jeff Karstens -- will be tendered a contract for 2011.
That list of five has already been pared down, as Pittsburgh actually began the offseason with nine players facing arbitration. Of that initial group, Wil Ledezma has already agreed to a one-year deal for next season. Zach Duke, Andy LaRoche and Delwyn Young were designated for assignment and removed from the roster last month.
Those recent roster moves take away much of the intrigue leading up to Thursday's deadline. Pittsburgh is certain to offer a contract to at least four of those remaining five arbitration-eligible players, with Karstens the only one who could potentially be left on the outside.
http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/ne...s_pit&c_id=pit
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Re: Buccos Off-Season Moves
Pirates Interested In Bartlett, Hardy
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [December 1, 2010 at 4:18pm CST]
The Pirates would like to upgrade at shortstop and are interested in Jason Bartlett and J.J. Hardy, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Pirates would like to upgrade over Ronny Cedeno before the 2011 season starts and Hardy and Bartlett appear to be available.
Cedeno, 27, batted .256/.293/.382 in 502 plate appearances last year. He has never shown much power in six big league seasons and has a .284 OBP in his career. Though he doesn't provide much offense, few shortstops do. Bartlett posted an identical .675 OPS last year and that was better than the marks Orlando Cabrera, Yunel Escobar, Elvis Andrus, Erick Aybar, Alcides Escobar and Cesar Izturis posted.
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Re: Buccos Off-Season Moves
On Connelly's online chat today he did confirm that Ohlendorf and Hanrahan have been tendered. They are still working with Cedeno, Milledge and Karstens reps. Top focus is infield defense, mainly for shortstop, right field and 1st base... They will not being doing any minor league trades.. I would expect to see a few AA pitchers in the 2011 season line-up..
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Re: Buccos Off-Season Moves
#Pirates close to wrapping up one-year contract with arby-eligible SS Ronny Cedeno. Should be worth around $2M.