External Transactions

Baseball is fairly unique.  Twenty-five players comprise a major league squad, but an organization has contractual control over significantly more than that amount.  They are prospects - players in the minor leagues.  Take a glance at a major league team today and a good portion of their players were in that teams farm system in the past.  That's one of the focuses of Buried Treasure - examining and evaluating the minor league system of the Pittsburgh Pirates because it's the lifeblood and foundation of the major league team.

The Five Million Dollar Men

In 2009, it was Aki Iwamura.  In 2010, it was Lyle Overbay and Kevin Correia.  This year, it is Clint Barmes and Erik Bedard.

All five players are veterans acquired by Neal Huntington, one via trade (Iwamura) and four via free agency. and All five made or will make approximately 5 million dollars in their first year with the Pirates.  Unfortunately, the first three provided very little value.  The Pirates hope this year is different.  That will be up to the newcomers to the Five Million Dollar list, Barmes and Bedard.