Under Neal Huntington, the Pirates have spent significant amounts of money on projectable high school pitchers with the hopes of hitting it big on one or two. The general demographic of those pitchers is as follows: drafted in the 4th through 10th round and given a bonus ranging from 400,000 to 1,200,000 dollars. Names include Quinton Miller, Zack Von Rosenberg, Zack Dodson, Trent Stevenson, Colton Cain, Nick Kingham, Ryan Hafner, Clay Holmes, Tyler Glasnow, Jake Burnette, Jason Creasy, Colton Brewer, and most recently, Jon Sandfort and Hayden Hurst.
By now, most people know the rhetoric. The first five names, drafted in 2008 and 2009, have been largely failures. Miller has done nothing and Stevenson has already retired. Dodson has been mildly successful, but also got suspended for 50 games. According to some reports, Cain saw his stuff decline from high school, but did at least make it to A+ ball and was part of the Pirates trade for Wandy Rodriguez, producing some value. Von Rosenberg continues to tantalize with good results from time to time, but his projectable frame hasn't produced the expected and desired effect of increased velocity and that has held him back
