The Pirates designated three players for assignment today: righthanders Virgil Vasquez and Eric Hacker, and catcher Steve Lerud. All three were sent to Double-A Altoona.
Vasquez, 27, had two stints with the Pirates in 2009, pitching to a 5.84 ERA in 44.2 IP. The 26-year-old Hacker was acquired from the Yankees in May, and allowed two runs in three innings this year, his Major League debut. Lerud, 24, hit just .240/.339/.336 in Double-A this season, though Baseball America ranked him the club’s 21st best prospect coming into 2009.

Were not just Pirates news and talk. We discuss Steelers, Penguins and Panthers!

The Penguins are off to an incredible start, leading the Eastern Conference at 7-1. They are playing as a complete team, and theres a new hero every night. Marc Andre Flurey has been nearly flawless, posting a 6-0 record.

The Steelers take on the Browns this weekend, look for the Steelers to get an opportunity to get many starters some much needed rest and time to get healthy for the Vikings next week.

The Panthers have been running their way to the top of the Big East. Deion Lewis is leading the NCAA in rushing, and Pitts defense has been very good!

Much like the Pirates we are in transition

This post is kind of ugly, so if you want to see the original post from my blog, go here:

http://eatsleepmlb.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/08/the_future_of_the_rotation.html

The Pirates have been playing great baseball lately, and that is mostly due to the solid pitching outings they have been getting. It seems all 5 starters have been going out and giving the Pirates a chance to win every game they play. This has really excited me for next season, if the pitching can be this solid, I really think this team can compete. Let’s take a look at the possible starters that could be in next year’s rotation, and who I like best to fill those spots.

Paul Maholm:

2009 stats:

26 starts, 7-7, 4.59 ERA, 0 CG, 102 SO, 1.426 WHIP, 2.7 BB/9, 5.6 SO/9

Overview: Paul was the Pirates opening day starter this year, but has not pitched as well as we were all expecting. He’s been really solid at home and has stretches of greatness. At 27 years old Paul still has a couple more years in his “prime”, but I think he has just about reached his ceiling. If he can become more consistent, I think he can be a solid arm in our rotation for the next couple seasons. His performance this year has definitely pushed him down my list though.

Zach Duke:

2009 stats:

26 starts, 10-12, 3.68 ERA, 3 CG, 83 SO, 1.290 WHIP, 2.0 BB/9, 4.2 SO/9

Overview: Duke is having a huge bounce-back year in 2009. He has been the Pirates’ best pitcher and sports that pretty 3.68 ERA. Duke was named to the All-Star team and has had a lot of confidence all year long. His performance this year has really shown that despite not having strikeout stuff he can still be effective as a starter. He pitches to contact but gets a lot of softly hit balls and groundouts. Duke is still at the young age of 26 and could have a little further up to rise until he hits his ceiling. I personally wouldn’t expect another season like this from Duke, but I still like him as a part of our future rotation.

Ross Ohlendorf:

2009 stats:

25 starts, 11-8, 4.10 ERA, 0 CG, 84 SO, 1.306 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9, 5.1 SO/9

Overview: Ross has been great this year for the bucs. He has been getting better and better with every start and has really solidified a spot in the rotation for years to come. He, like Maholm, is 27 years old. However, I believe he has a much higher ceiling than Paul which he has yet to come close to. He has an outstanding sinker and on some nights can really bring it with the fastball. On those kinds of nights he doesn’t lose many games. I think Ross is going to be a key part to the future of this team.

Charlie Morton:

2009 stats:

13 starts, 3-6, 5.00 ERA, 0 CG, 43 SO, 1.571 WHIP, 4.0 BB/9, 6.1 SO/9

Overview: Charlie’s numbers aren’t impressive in any form of the word. However, he is still learning to pitch in the majors. He is 25 years old and has better stuff than anybody on the Pirates right now. The late-break he has on his pitches makes him almost unhittable at times. His problem this year has been consistency and control. He has been all over the place at times and leaves a lot of pitches over the heart of the plate. Charlie has been getting better and you can tell he is learning fast. I personally think that Morton can be a really good major league pitcher and possibly a 2 or 3 starter for us.

Kevin Hart:

2009 stats:

8 starts, 4-3, 4.14 ERA, 0 CG, 30 SO, 1.600 WHIP, 4.5 BB/9, 5.4 SO/9

Overview: Kevin Hart was thrown into the Pirates rotation after he was traded here in the Gorzelanny/Grabow trade. Hart really doesn’t impress me much. His numbers aren’t bad, but he hasn’t shown much for the Pirates this year. He is the kind of guy who can look absolutely terrible on the mound some nights and is subject to getting rocked. I don’t see Hart being a starter for the Pirates past this year.

Daniel McCutchen:

2009 stats:

24 starts, 13-6, 3.47 ERA, 0 CG, 110 SO, 1.220 WHIP, 1.8 BB/9, 6.9 SO/9

Overview:McCutchen has some pretty impressive numbers. He has been great in AAA Indianapolis this year. He isn’t exactly a young-prospect, he turns 27 next month, but he is pitching great and could definitely help the Pirates rotation in the future. We will almost certainly be seeing him in a Pirates uniform next week as his name will be called in September call-ups and he will be added to the rotation as the 6 starter. You can never really be sure of a guy who has never pitched a game in the majors, but he definitely has some upside. You can’t argue with a 3.47 ERA in 142.2 innings pitched.

Brad Lincoln:

2009 stats:

24 starts, (13 AA, 11 AAA), 6-7, 3.52 ERA, 1 CG, 101 SO, 1.228 WHIP, 1.9 BB/9, 7.0 SO/9

Overview: Lincoln is a stud in the making. He is only 24 years old and was the Pirates first round pick in 2006. He has outstanding stuff and will battle for a starting job next spring. Lincoln has had some issues in AAA, with a 5.20 ERA there (although he is 5-2), but I expect him to work those issues out and become one of the Pirates’ best pitchers for years to come. He could even be our ace as soon as 2011.

Tim Alderson:

2009 stats:

23 starts, 10-2, 3.56 ERA, 0 CG, 81 SO, 1.235 WHIP, 1.7 BB/9, 5.8 SO/9

Overview: Alderson is a 20-year old future phenom. He is currently in AA for the Pirates, so chances are we won’t be seeing him next year, but the kid is so exciting I had to put him in this post. The numbers speak for themselves, he has incredibly control and great composure on the mound. He is leaps and bounds ahead of all the other 20 year old pitchers in his grouping. This guy is a future 1 or 2 starter, and teamed with Brad Lincoln could form one of the league’s better rotations with the Pirates.

So where does this leave us for 2010? Well if I were to pick it, I would say our rotation will look something like this:

1. Zach Duke

2. Ross Ohlendorf

3. Charlie Morton

4. Paul Maholm

5. Brad Lincoln

For 2011, I’d like to see something more like…

1. Brad Lincoln

2. Charlie Morton

3. Tim Alderson

4. Ross Ohlendorf

5. Zach Duke

Where does this leave guys like Paul Maholm, Kevin Hart, and Daniel McCutchen? I think Hart is going to be moved to the bullpen or just be held in AAA for emergency situations. I’d like to see the Pirates trade Maholm next year while he still has some value. I really don’t know what’s going to happen with McCutchen. They will give him a chance this year and probably get him starts next season as well, and his standing for the future will be based on how well he pitches over that time. He could be a 3-5 starter for the next couple years, or maybe they’ll move him to the bullpen where he has pitched before. Only time will tell.

Well it’s been a couple months since I posted my first installment of the “Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects Chart”. Some things have changed since I posted that the first time, so I’m going to post it again. A lot of stuff may change again in a couple days when September call-ups happen, so I’ll have that updated shortly after. Here it is:

Look how freaking high McCutchen is off the ground. The man has hops. He is easily 3 feet off the ground, and I’m sure that’s not as high as he can get. 

With the rosters expanding Sept 1 the Pirates will take a look at some guys, for the future.

Heres my best guess.

Jeff Clement. Hes pretty much gotta be on the list. They need to look at him and have him spend time with Perry Hill. Clement needs work at 1b and Hill is the guy tolend a hand. Clement has been very good since joining the Pirates AAA squad. Hes hit 7 HRS and has 19 RBI in 21 games. Pretty impressive numbers.

Daniel McCutchen should get a look as a spot starter. Kevin Hart and Ross Ohlendorf will be limited in their innings the rest of the season, so look for a guy like Daniel to move to the rotation as a 6th starter. Although the Pirates would need to remove a body (Steven Jackson??) from the 40 man roster to get McCutchen up. He has gone 5-1 with a 1.37 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break.

Robinzon Diaz will probably return, and possibly Neil Walker, who has been better of late.

Two relief pitchers that will add some bullpen help are Jose Ascanio and Donnie Veal, will come off the disabled list soon.

The Bucs have moved out of the cellar with a five game winning streak!

The Pirates dominated the Cincinnati Reds again tonight, and have moved 1/2 game ahead of the Reds in the Central division.
While its nothing to celebrate, a five game win streak is. Zach Duke won his 10th game of the season as he finally got some offensive support.

Garrett Jones had 3 hits and 3 rbi, and Ryan Doumit added a Home Run and 3 rbi as well.

Duke went 7 innings, allowing 2 runs on 8 hits. He struck out 2 and walked none.

The Pirates have all kinds of young talent in every level of their system. They have pretty much no veteran or proven talent in the majors, so it’s making the future a pretty big question mark. No prospect is a sure thing, so it’s always kind of risky to depend on them like the Pirates are doing right now. I’ve compiled a list of the most important young players for the Pirates. These will be the main guys I will be watching and hoping to improve their games and live up to their potential. If they do meet that potential, the Pirates will be a winning team in less time than anyone thinks. Here we go.

1. Andrew McCutchen

The 2005 first-rounder has burst on to the MLB scene and has already opened eyes around the league. McCutchen is legit and will be one of the Pirates best players for years to come. He’s the kind of guy that can’t fall off. His hands are so fast and his swing is so short that it’s hard for him to get into long slumps. You can’t lose speed either, which automatically makes him an above-average big league player. He is a fantastic center fielder and can get on base at any time with his ability to run. The Pirates have a great guy to build around at the top of the order, and he is my number 1 most valuable Pirate.

2. Pedro Alvarez

Pedro is the power bat the Pirates have been searching for for years. He’s a big corner infielder with 40+ home run potential. The Pirates took him with the 2nd pick in the 2008 draft and paid big money to sign him. There were big question marks after he started slow in A ball, but he since silenced those questions as he has been absolutely terrific at AA Altoona. He is hitting .335 with 9 bombs and 30 RBI in 47 games with the Curve. His average has been rising steadily in the last month, he has been on an absolute tear hitting the ball. He still strikes out a lot and struggles with left handed pitching, but he is definitely looking like a future star.

I love Ross Ohlendorf. He has single handedly made the Xavier Nady/Damaso Marte trade a good one. He has been great for the Pirates all year long, and is the only one on the staff getting better as the year goes on. His start today was one of his best. Ross hurled 7 strong innings, giving up only 1 run on 5 hits while walking 2 and striking out 5.