Pirates Journal

Minor League expert Kevin Goldstein recently unveiled his top 10 Pirate prospects in his latest Future Shock.  It’s a pretty encouraging list as the Pirates have one “excellent” prospect and two “very good” prospects.

Centerfielder Andrew McCutchen tops the list as the lone excellent prospect.  He tore it up at Low A and then did it again when he got promoted to Double A.  He just turned 20 so I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts at Double A this year, where he got only 87 at bats in 2006.

Rounding out the top three were Brad Lincoln and Brent Lillibridge.  Lincoln got limited time in the Rookie League and Low A and he’s 21 so we probably won’t be seeing him with the big league club for a couple of years.  Lillibridge hit both Low A and High A pitching well last year and shouuld start the season at Double A.  Goldstein said Lillibridge could be potential sleeper.

The Pirates signed Cuban right handed pitcher Yoslan Herrera to a three year, $1.92 million deal.  There’s not a whole lot to work but this BA column talks about his makeup.  It looks like he’ll start the season in Indianapolis and he’s only 25.  It’d be nice if this guy pans out.  The Pirates need all of the arms they can get.

The Pirates still might have a chance to nab Adam LaRoche from the Braves.  After a deal for Mike Gonzalez fell through at the winter meetings, it now looks like the Yankees of all teams might save the deal.  The Yankees would send infielder Melky Cabrera to the Braves, who would send Adam LaRoche to the Pirates.  Pittsburgh would then send Mike Gonzalez to the Yankees.  Works for me because it gets the Pirates to the same spot.  Yeah, Gonzalez has a nice arm and he’s left handed but to get a good power bat in the lineup to help out Jason Bay every day.

The Braves are blaming the Pirates for being sticks in the mud when it came down a deal that would have sent Mike Gonzalez to the Braves for Adam LaRoche.  This would have been a nice deal while it happened and the Pirates are denying the Braves claim although I tend to think someone botched something here.  Damn shame too because LaRoche would have been a nice power bat to have in the lineup to help out Jason Bay.

The only thing that happened for the Pirates during the Winter Meetings was they scooped up Braves pitcher Sean White in the Rule 5 draft and sold him to the Mariners.  Yippee.

The Winter Meetings are winding down and it looks like once again the Pirates will be on the side line.  While I’m sure the team got a ton of offers for their young pitchers, the Pirates will probably go into 2007 just like they did last year and the result will be the same.  Sigh, it sure would be nice if the Pirates got a motivated owner.

The one trade rumor floating around has been Adam LaRoche for Mike Gonzalez, which I’d do in a heartbeat.  LaRoche is slugging first baseman and Gonzalez is a guy who will be lucky to log 75 innings in a given season.  Once again, it just goes to show how short sighted the organization is.