Best Case Scenario: Pitching Prospects

The title of this article is slightly misleading.  It's very rare for a best case scenario to actually happen. A better scenario can always be imagined. Therefore, the Pirates pitching prospects could have technically done better this year, but realistically it's hard to imagine a better overall season for the pitching strength of the Pirates farm system as a whole.  In fact, elation is probably the best word to describe the appropriate reaction of Pirates fans.  Below is a short description of all the pitchers who have a very good year for the Pirates, based loosely starting at the top on how they are viewed as a prospect currently.

Dissecting the Pirates Farm System

Over the past several years, the Pirates farm system has steadily improved under the watch of general manager Neal Huntington.  At the moment, prior to the official graduation of Gerrit Cole, it may be at its zenith.  The farm system is absolutely loaded with both pitching and hitting prospects.  For fun, I decided to break the farm system into two systems, one consisting of just pitchers and the other of hitters. From there, I'll compare each Pirates farm system to farm systems league-wide, identifying those that that one or both of the Pirates farm systems are clearly stronger than.  This will show how incredible the Pirates farm system currently is and how balanced it is as well.

Treasure Trove: 6/19/2013

Indianapolis played a double header. The Indians won both games against Norfolk by scores of 8-1 and 5-3. In the first game, Jeanmar Gomez pitched a gem in a rehab start.  He threw 5 innings, giving up no hits and no earned runs. Gomez walked 1 and struck out 4. Andy Oliver started the second game, giving up 4 hits, 3 earned runs, and 7 walks in 4.2 innings.  He did strike out 7 batters as well.  On offense, Tony Sanchez went 2-4 with a double. Andrew Lambo went 4-8 with 2 homeruns, a double, and a strikeout. Ivan DeJesus went 3-8 with a double. Next game: 12:00 P.M., 6/20.

Treasure Trove: 6/18/2013

Indianapolis DNP - Rain postponement; The Indians will play a doubleheader on 6/19, with Jeanmar Gomez slated to start the first game and Andy Oliver the second game.

Treasure Trove: 6/17/2013

Indianapolis beat Norfolk 4-2. Stolmy Pimentel made his first AAA start and pitched very well. He pitched 6 innings, giving up 5 hits, an unearned run and 2 walks.  In addition, Pimentel punched out 7 batters. On offense, Matt Hague went 3-4, with a run scored and an RBI.  Tony Sanchez continued his impressive season, going 2-4 with a 2B and a homerun.  He also scored a run and knocked in two. Ivan DeJesus also had two hits, one run scored, and one RBI, hitting a homerun along with a single. Jean Gomez will pitch against Norfolk on 6/18 at 7:05 PM.

Treasure Trove: 6/16/2013

The Indianapolis Indians dropped their game against the Durham Bulls by the score of 5-2.  James McDonald took the mound on a rehab start and gave up 8 hits, 3 earned runs, and issued 3 walks, while only striking out 1 batter in 5 innings.  He threw 93 pitches and only 52 for strikes.  Josh Harrison led off for the Indians and went 2-4 with a triple and a strikeout.  Tony Sanchez went 1-4 with a run scored.  Newly promoted Andrew Lambo went 1-3, with a 2-run homerun. Stolmy Pimentel will make his AAA debut on 6/17 at 7:05 PM.

Gerrit Cole: Where are the Strikeouts?

Through 12IP, Gerrit Cole has only recorded three outs via punchout.  Considering the confirmed importance of strikeouts - batters who never put a ball in play only reach base in the most rare of circumstances - this could be alarming considering the expectations surrounding Cole.  The former first overall pick is supposed to come into his own quickly and anchor the Pirates as the best starter to pitch in the steel city in decades, if not possibly ever.  A scouting reports suggests Cole could meet these expectations.  His stuff is tremendous and he pitched well in 2012, but in 2013 Cole's numbers in AAA were less than inspiring.  To date in AAA this year, Cole had only struck out 47 batters in 68 innings compared to 28 walks prior to being called up.

The Swing Frequencies of the Pirates Offense

The 2013 season is 19 games old for the Pittsburgh Pirates; yet hot or cold starts are still nothing more than that in most cases due to the small sample size of the season. However, a hitter’s swing rate is something that tends to begin to stabilize early on in the season (at around 50 plate appearances) and the Bucs have eight hitters that can be examined using this statistic.

Pedro Alvarez's Early Season Slump

After looking at Russell Martin’s start to the season, it’s natural that a fellow struggler who hit his first home run of the season against the Braves on Thursday night should follow. Many people saw Pedro Alvarez as one of the most important players on the roster if the Pirates are to be successful this season; however Alvarez will need to refine his approach at the plate if he’s going to hit for more than power this season. 

Highlighting Russell Martin's Plate Discipline

When I wrote about the start of Russell Martin’s Pirates career at the plate yesterday, I stated that his low batting average on balls in play combined with his plate discipline indicated that he would likely see a turnaround in fortunes. What I didn't expect was to see an immediate example of how his selectivity at the plate will help him break out of his slump. 

Russell Martin's Unfortunate Start To His Pirates Career

Russell Martin was the Pirates’ big free agent addition over the winter, signing the largest major league free agent contract in club history. While his Pirates career his started slowly offensively, he has helped the club defensively; FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan looked at the impact that Martin has had with his pitch framing skills and noted a big change for the Bucs. However, as good as Martin could be defensively he will soon need to offer something at the plate in order for him to have value to the club. 

Jonathan Sanchez's Pirates Future

Prior to the suspension of Tuesday night’s game against the St Louis Cardinals, Jonathan Sanchez had given up two runs (one earned) over two innings – he gave up two hits while striking out three and walking just one hitter (with all the damage done in the first inning). With Francisco Liriano, Jeff Karstens and Charlie Morton either beginning to make rehab outings or close to it, the Pirates rotation has the potential to get overcrowded fairly soon. The question is where this leaves Sanchez in the future with the club. 

Starling Marte's Hot Start

Through the first thirteen games of the season, Starling Marte has a triple slash line of .370/.404/.519 in 57 plate appearances, picking up 20 hits – five of which went for extra bases (three doubles, one triple and a home run) - and is currently on a nine-game hitting streak. Marte has been the Pirates’ best hitter so far; his .402 wOBA is almost 50 points higher than Travis Snider’s .355 wOBA.

The Polar Opposites of Pirates Pitching and Hitting in a Small Sample Size

The Pirates offense has been that bad so far this season that it has overshadowed some very good pitching. The season is still very young and much will change, even over the next week, and not much can be garnered from this small sample size. However, what the early season statistics do show is the polar opposites of the club’s pitching and hitting so far in 2013.

The Current Focus on Splits in Clint Hurdle's Line-Ups

Clint Hurdle’s line-ups so far this season have had a focus on spits (with a lefty-righty balance against right-handed pitching). For example, the clean-up spot has been filled by Pedro Alvarez against right-handers and Gaby Sanchez against lefties, with Garrett Jones and Neil Walker hitting second against righties and Russell Martin against lefties (although Walker will hit second against Clayton Kershaw tonight). The only consistencies have been Starling Marte leading off, Andrew McCutchen hitting third and Clint Barmes eighth.

A Look At The Current Batting Order

Clint Hurdle has elected to continue with the Opening Day line-up for the second game of the season, despite the Pirates offense struggling in the season opener with Cubs right-hander Jeff Samardzija on the mound. While much of the focus centered around Gaby Sanchez’s presence ahead of Travis Snider, I believe that Hurdle’s line-up is really the bigger issue.

Notes After Opening Day

The 2013 season did not begin in an ideal fashion for the Pittsburgh Pirates, dropping the opener to the Cubs while offering little at the plate. Nonetheless, one defeat doesn’t mean that the Pirates are going to struggle, much like a win today wouldn’t have meant that the Bucs were going to be contenders. The Pirates have a shot at bouncing back on Wednesday night, with Wandy Rodriguez getting the start against Edwin Jackson. Drawing conclusions on how the season is likely to pan out would be nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction at this point; however there are some noteworthy items after today's game:

Pittsburgh's 25-Man Roster Set For Opening Day

The Pirates have finalised their 25-man roster ahead of today’s opener against the Chicago Cubs.

Projecting The Offense: Right Field

Right field is the toughest position to project; the Pirates entered Spring Training appearing to give the majority of playing time to Travis Snider, who is attempting to stick in the majors for the sixth time, with Jose Tabata backing him up – perhaps in a platoon. However, Garrett Jones will get the Opening Day start, with both Snider and Tabata on the bench. What is almost certain is that right field is a position that will be in a state of flux for the first half of the season at least.

Travis Snider: 

2012 (Minors): 246 PA, 16 doubles, 0 triples, 13 home runs, .335/.423/.598, .435 wOBA, 2 stolen bases 

2012 (Majors): 185 PA, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs, .250/.319/.378, .307 wOBA, 2 stolen bases 

2013 Projections: 

Bill James: 312 PA, 19 doubles, 1 triple, 11 home runs, .278/.345/.468, .352 wOBA, 5 stolen bases 

ZiPS: 497 PA, 27 doubles, 1 triple, 13 home runs, .253/.312/.403, .310 wOBA, 9 stolen bases 

Oliver: 482 PA, 23 doubles, 2 triples, 15 home runs, .255/.319/.421, .320 wOBA, 9 stolen bases 

Projecting The Offense: Center Field

Out of all of my Projecting the Offense series, this post is the easiest. Andrew McCutchen is the club’s best hitter and will lead the offense again in 2013. The only thing that could hold him back from being a prominent player in the MVP conversation is his team mates – given the BBWAA’s preference for players to win the award being members of contending teams. 

2012: 673 PA, 29 doubles, 6 triples, 31 home runs, .327/.400/.553, .403 wOBA, 20 stolen bases 

2013 Projections: 

Bill James: 675 PA, 34 doubles, 6 triples, 24 home runs, .286/.372/.483, .363 wOBA, 22 stolen bases 

ZiPS: 673 PA, 31 doubles, 6 triples, 24 home runs, .283/.372/.480, .365 wOBA, 23 stolen bases 

Oliver: 626 PA, 29 doubles, 5 triples, 25 home runs, .290/.374/.500, .375 wOBA, 23 stolen bases 

Projecting The Offense: Left Field

When Starling Marte finally arrived in the big leagues last summer, he became the 28th player in major-league history to go deep on his first pitch seen. Marte really came as advertised; power, speed and great defense combined with little patience at the plate. While Clint Hurdle’s old-school approach to building a line-up will likely force Marte into a role that his skillset is not really suited for, he should still continue to develop into one of the more dynamic Pittsburgh Pirates hitters. 

2012 (Minors): 431 PA, 21 doubles, 13 triples, 12 home runs, .286/.347/.500, .372 wOBA, 21 stolen bases 

2012 (Majors): 182 PA, 16 doubles, 6 triples, 5 home runs, .257/.300/.437, .316 wOBA, 12 stolen bases 

2013 Projections: 

Bill James: 551 PA, 28 doubles, 11 triples, 15 home runs, .297/.336/.479, .350 wOBA, 31 stolen bases 

ZiPS: 578 PA, 27 doubles, 14 triples, 11 home runs, .264/.311/.428, .317 wOBA, 24 stolen bases 

Oliver: 602 PA, 27 doubles, 9 triples, 16 home runs, .268/.317/.436, .325 wOBA, 27 stolen bases 

Projecting The Offense: Shortstop

Clint Barmes will enter the season in his final year of the two year, $10.5M contract that he signed in November 2011. With no obvious internal replacement and a weak free agent market at shortstop next winter, he could very easily play his way into a contract extension. However, in order to do so, Barmes will have to provide more of an offensive contribution that he managed in 2012. 

2012: 493 PA, 16 doubles, 1 triple, 8 home runs, .229/.272/.321, .260 wOBA, 0 stolen bases 

2013 Projections: 

Bill James: 441 PA, 21 doubles, 1 triple, 9 home runs, .233/.286/.353, .273 wOBA, 2 stolen bases 

ZiPS: 475 PA, 26 doubles, 1 triple, 9 home runs, .237/.291/.353, .280 wOBA, 3 stolen bases 

Oliver: 502 PA, 20 doubles, 1 triple, 10 home runs, .234/.297/.349, .283 wOBA, 3 stolen bases 

Projecting The Offense: Third Base

Pedro Alvarez took a step forward in 2012 after a miserable 2011, hitting 30 home runs on his way to becoming one of the strongest hitters in the Pirates line-up. While it appears that Alvarez will begin the season as the Pirates clean-up hitter, he will need to continue to progress at the plate this season if he is going to find success in this role.

2012: 586 PA, 25 doubles, 1 triple, 30 home runs, .244/.317/.467, .335 wOBA, 1 stolen base

2013 Projections:

Bill James: 597 PA, 29 doubles, 2 triples, 29 home runs, .257/.336/.481, .349 wOBA, 2 stolen bases

ZiPS: 610 PA, 26 doubles, 2 triples, 29 home runs, .236/.315/.451, .327 wOBA, 2 stolen bases

Oliver: 548 PA, 24 doubles, 2 triples, 22 home runs, .234/.313/.427, .320 wOBA, 2 stolen bases

Projecting The Offense: Second Base

Neil Walker is firmly entrenched as the Bucs second baseman and he’s accumulated 8.5 wins above replacement since he converted to the position in 2010. Offensively, only four second basemen that would have qualified for the battle title surpassed Walker’s park adjusted wRC+ of 111 in 2012, only dropping to seventh on the list over the 2010-2012 period with a 112 wRC+ (.336 wOBA). While Walker has become a solid contributor offensively, there is an area where he could improve. 

2012: 530 PA, 27 doubles, 14 home runs, .280/.342/.426,.334 wOBA, 7 stolen bases 

2013 Projections: 

Bill James: 647 PA, 40 doubles, 2 triples, 17 home runs, .275/.337/.435,.336 wOBA, 9 stolen bases 

ZiPS: 617 PA, 35 doubles, 3 triples, 16 home runs, .270/.332/.430, .328 wOBA, 8 stolen bases 

Oliver: 584 PA, 29 doubles, 3 triples, 15 home runs, .270/.332/.423, .331 wOBA, 8 stolen bases 

Projecting The Offense: First Base

The Pirates will begin the year with Garrett Jones platooning with Gaby Sanchez at first base. If Spring Training line-ups are anything to go by, Sanchez projects to hit in the clean-up spot when the club faces a southpaw, with Jones hitting in the fifth spot against righties. It’s a situation that could provide the club with a lot of value if both players can produce in the role, with Sanchez being the bigger question mark as Jones is will begin his third year in a platoon role.

Garrett Jones:

2012: 515 PA, 28 doubles, 3 triples, 27 home runs, .274/.317/.516, .352 wOBA, 2 stolen bases

2013 Projections:

Bill James: 445 PA, 27 doubles, 1 triple, 20 home runs, .254/.315/.454, .331 wOBA, 4 stolen bases

ZiPS: 482 PA, 29 doubles, 2 triples, 20 home runs, .253/.313/.446, .324 wOBA, 5 stolen bases

Oliver: 483 PA, 28 doubles, 2 triples, 20 home runs, .253/.318/.443, .328 wOBA, 4 stolen bases

Projecting The Offense: Catcher

Russell Martin is the first player up as I look at 2013 projections. He received the largest major league contract that the franchise has ever given a free agent to upgrade the club both defensively and offensively. He is also the major/only addition to a below average offense, so will need to improve on his 2012 performance if the Pirates are going to see the upgrade that the team as a whole requires if the club will continue to progress in 2013. 

2012: 485 PA, 18 doubles, 21 home runs, .211/.311/.403,.316 wOBA, 6 stolen bases 

2013 Projections: 

Bill James: 524 PA, 22 doubles, 16 home runs, .242/.340/.394,.322 wOBA, 8 stolen bases 

ZiPS: 466 PA, 19 doubles, 12 home runs, .238/.329/.373, .310 wOBA, 7 stolen bases 

Oliver: 484 PA, 21 doubles, 16 home runs, .244/.333/.408, .325 wOBA, 5 stolen bases

The Case For Jordy Mercer

Many have seen the acquisition of John McDonald as a sign that Jordy Mercer is likely to begin the year at Triple-A.GM Neal Huntington linked the move to Chase d’Arnaud’s injury, with the logical assumption being that Mercer’s April role would be as the Indianapolis Indians’ starting shortstop. Nonetheless, this does not necessarily need to be the case.

Pirates Acquire John McDonald

The Pirates have acquired 38-year-old backup infielder John McDonald from the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to Ken Rosenthal. Jon Heyman reports that the Bucs will send a player to be named later to the Diamondbacks in return. With the 40-man roster full, the Pirates placed infielder Chase d'Arnaud on the 60-day DL to make room. 

Buried Treasure at All Sports Talk

Buried Treasure were approached by All Sports Talk to provide the Pittsburgh Pirates preview as part of their look ahead to the 2013 Major League Baseball season. Below is an excerpt from the article, so please visit All Sports Talk to read the remainder of the preview, as well as the rest of the NL Central: 

Pirates Sign Jose Contreras

The Pirates have signed veteran right handed reliever Jose Contreras to a minor league deal. He reported to camp earlier today.

Contreras is coming off back-to-back seasons that have ended prematurely due to elbow problems, the latter resulting in Tommy John surgery, undergoing the procedure on June 20 last year. Bill Brink reported that he’s thrown off a mound three times so far as part of his rehabilitation process, however it would be unlikely if he will be seen in a Pirates uniform prior to June – given the usual 12 month rehab schedule.

Buried Treasure Exclusive Interview: Kirk Singer

By now, it's pretty clear what this series is about.  This is the fifth installment of an interview series that poses questions to members of the Pirates organization and gets answers back.  First was pitcher Michael Colla.  Outfielder Mel Rojas Jr. followed him.  Third was pitcher Zack Dodson. Fourth,  pitcher Mike Jefferson. Now, infielder Kirk Singer. Enjoy after the jump.

2013 Draft: Under the Radar Prospects

Come June, MLB Draft headlines will be dominated by elite players and known names taken at the top first round.  Those players will be thrust into the spotlight, expected to provide their respective teams with wins, homeruns, and all-star appearances.  Many of them will but not all-stars are drafted in the first round of a draft.  Not every valuable major leaguer was a once a big-time draft prospect.  Some guys fly under-the-radar up until they are drafted, even on the way to a productive major league career.  The four guys profiled below are draft prospects who aren't considered elite draft prospects at this time. A strong spring could propel them into that stratosphere or they could be potential diamonds in the rough for a team to take in the later rounds come June.

Hurdle To Sign Pirates Extension

The Pirates are close to extending Clint Hurdle to a contract extension for 2014, with an option for 2015. He was entering the final year of the three-year deal, so the extension buys perceived stability for Hurdle. 

#10 Pirates Prospect - Tyler Glasnow

Buried Treasure Top 30 Prospects
#10 - Tyler Glasnow

Measurables: 6'7, 200
Bats: R, Throws: R
Position: P
 Acquired: 5th round (152nd), 2012
Bonus: $600,000
DOB: 08/23/1993
Buried Treasure 2012 Top 20: Not Ranked

Buried Treasure Exclusive Interview: Mike Jefferson

By now, it's pretty clear what this series is about.  This is the fourth installment of an interview series that poses questions to members of the Pirates organization and gets answers back.  First was pitcher Michael Colla.  Outfielder Mel Rojas Jr. followed him.  Third was pitcher Zack Dodson. Next up, pitcher Mike Jefferson. Enjoy after the jump.

More On Brandon Inge And A Dual-Platoon Infield Role

Yesterday I touched on how Brandon Inge appears to be the most likely non-roster invitee to break camp with the Pirates as could have value in the dual platoon role; his career numbers against southpaws could provide an upgrade over Pedro Alvarez and Neil Walker when the club faces left-handed starting pitching.

A right-handed hitter that could produce at the plate on a part-time basis would allow the club to limit the exposure of both Alvarez and Walker against lefties while still allowing both players to attempt to improve upon their performances. It’s too early in their careers to give up on either player as a full time option; however giving either player the day off when the club faces a left-hander would likely improve the offense as a whole.

Francisco Liriano Hopes to Return in May

According to this ESPN article, the subject of most of the Pirates offseason drama, Francisco Liriano, hopes to be ready to pitch by May.  Liriano agreed to terms on a deal with the Pirates back in December, but was unable to take a physical due to a broken non-throwing arm.  The injury has been attributed to both a bathroom fall and Liriano's attempt to surprise his kids on Christmas by pounding on a door.  Basically, who knows what actually happened.

Tyler Gaffney Back to Stanford

Human Beanball Magnet and Pirates 2012 draftee Tyler Gaffney has decided to hang up his baseball spikes for a pair football cleats.  The former Division-I football player will be re-enrolling at Stanford University, the school the Pirates drafted him out of in the 24th round last year.  That will put his professional baseball career officially on hold.

More Platoon Advantage Discussion As The Pirates Sign Brandon Inge

The Pirates have signed utility infielder/outfielder Brandon Inge to a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training, making the former Tiger the 61st player in camp. 

Update: Next Man Up Depth Charts

Next Man Up Depth Charts have been updated 2/13/2013.

Thanks to Trogluddite, Buried Treasure has added the Next Man Up depth charts as a permanent fixture.   The charts are highlighted by a tab at the top of the page.  Currently there are two charts, one for positional players and one for pitchers. Links to each chart plus a key and explanation for the charts are below.  Enjoy!

Positional Players Depth Chart
Pitchers Depth Chart
About "Next Man Up" Depth Charts
 

#11 Pirates Prospect - Jose Osuna

Buried Treasure Top 30 Prospects
#11 - Jose Osuna

Measurables: 6'2, 213
Bats: R, Throws: R
Position: 1B
Acquired: IFA, 2009
Bonus: $250,000
DOB: 12/12/1992
Buried Treasure 2012 Top 20: Not Ranked

Crystal Ball: Future Trade Targets v. 1.0

This is the beginning of a series that identifies potential trade targets for the Pirates in the future. Explained is the reasoning behind why the Pirates should look to make a big splash in the trade market in the next few years. This version of the series includes Dylan Bundy, Manny Machado, and Chris Sale.  Immediately after the jump is the primer I will use for the entire series.

Francisco Liriano's Unique Deal Finally Official

Francisco Liriano has finally signed with the Pirates and his reconstructed contract is certainly unique. While Liriano can still earn the full $12.75M over two years that was agreed before Christmas, he’s now guaranteed just $1M over one year due to the injury to his non-pitching arm. In order to make room for Liriano on the 40-man roster, Vin Mazzaro was outrighted to Triple-A and will be a non-roster invitee to Spring Training. 

Buried Treasure Exclusive Interview: Zack Dodson

By now, it's pretty clear what this series is about.  This is the third installment of an interview series that poses questions to members of the Pirates organization and gets answers back.  First was pitcher Michael Colla.  Outfielder Mel Rojas Jr. followed him.  Next up, pitcher Zack Dodson. Enjoy after the jump.

Industry Sources: Top Prospect Lists and Organizational Rankings

The last few weeks have been huge for prospecting.  Several top 100 lists, top 10 team lists, and organizational rankings have been published.  That includes lists and rankings from the major industry sources, Keith Law, John Sickels, Jonathon Mayo, Baseball America, and Baseball Prospectus among others.  Below is a sort of compilation, along with analysis, of those lists and rankings.  Format is by category.

Buried Treasure Exclusive Interview: Mel Rojas Jr.

In an effort to produce better and more unique content about the Pittsburgh Pirates, Buried Treasure has reached out to members of the Pirates organization for interviews.  The response was awesome, starting with our first volunteer, Pirates farmhand and pitcher Michael Colla. Moving into the future, the hope is to have more interviews similar to this one.  This particular interview is with our second volunteer, Mel Rojas Jr.  It's after the jump.  Enjoy!

Burnett with an "e"

Mention the name "Burnett" to any Pittsburgh Pirates fan, or most baseball fans for that matter, and the immediate reaction will be to discuss A.J. Burnett and with good reason. Burnett is coming off a bounce back season with the Pirates where he endeared himself to the vast majority of Pittsburgh baseball fans for his grit and his fierce demeanor. For years to come, he will be the "Burnett" when it comes to Pittsburgh baseball.

Pirates Close To Adding Jonathan Sanchez

The Pirates are close to acquiring left-handed starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez according to Jon Heyman. While it’s unclear whether Sanchez fits in with the Bucs at this point, as well as whether he’s been signed to a major or minor league deal, it is certain that the Pirates will be buying low on a player that the Royals traded Melky Cabrera for last winter.

Reminder: Facebook Page and Twitter

Please like Buried Treasure's Facebook page. Doing so helps Buried Treasure's reputation and also allows us to easily inform you, the reader, of recent content.  Nothing is posted on the page except a link to new blog posts, cutting down on spam.  By liking, your newsfeed will contain stories as they are posted, updating you on the latest from Buried Treasure. 

Also, please follow Buried Treasure's authors on Twitter. @CutchistheTruth and @JimmyCoverdale for the same updates. Thank you!

Pirates News & Notes

We’ve approached the time of year when very little noteworthy news tends to happen. Teams are generally coming to terms to contracts with their arbitration eligible players and are gearing up to Spring Training. It is a little different this year, however, as there are still two marquee free agents available (Michael Bourn and Kyle Lohse), buy-low candidates (most notably Roy Oswalt) as well as a wealth of arms available to fill 6th or 7th inning roles in the bullpen. Onto some Pirates related news and notes from the past few days:

International Pitching Prospects: Trend or Concidence

Quick, name the Pirates best pitching prospect brought into the organization via international free agency.  Luis Heredia probably came immediately to mind and that would fall in line with consensus view point used to answer the given challenge.   Then it gets difficult.  Name the second best pitching prospect for the Pirates acquired as an international teenager.