Where have we been since August?
McCutchen has a three-homer night at PNC
McCutchen's first blast came off Washington's starter Craig Stammen. He then hit a two-run shot off Tyler Clippard in the fourth, and took Logan Kensing deep in the sixth for his final homerun.
He now has a total of 6 HR on the year with 31 RBI and 37 runs scored. Rookie of the Year may be awaiting McCutchen at the end of the season.
Trading Day 09: Sanchez to SF; Wilson, Snell to SEA
GM Neal Huntington went to town two days before the July 31st Trading Deadline, sending SS Jack Wilson and RHP Ian Snell packing to Seattle while shipping 2B Freddy Sanchez to San Francisco. Wilson ($7.4 mil), Snell ($3.2 mil) and Sanchez ($6.25 mil) were the highest-paid players in the Pirates organization.
From the Mariners, the Bucs picked up 1B/C Jeff Clement, SS Ronny Cedeno, and right-handed pitchers Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lorin, and Nathan Adcock. Clement has a tremendous power bat was regarded as one of Seattle's elite prospects. Cedeno's above-average on defense, but could use some work offensively. Pribanic, Lorin, and Adcock are all young pitchers with (as Neal would say) "high-ceilings for success."
In return for Sanchez, the Giants dealt 2007 first-round pick Tim Alderson. Alderson, 20, was rated San Francisco's No. 4 best prospect prior to the trade. At Double-A Connecticut, the right-hander is 6-1 with a 3.47 ERA. He will begin his Pirates career with the Altoona Curve.
All in all, Neal balled it up on the Major League trading court today. Wilson and Sanchez will be greatly missed by the Burgh community, but can one say that either were part of a winning Buccaneer ball-club? Unfortunately, a lot of these moves were influenced by the idea of Moneyball, but at least the Pirates can now boast they have the cheapest team in baseball!
The 2009 campaign seems to be coming to a close for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and a 17th straight losing season is inevitable. However, don't you cry my children. Put your faith in players like Garrett Jones and Charlie Morton.
To 2012 we go.
Elder LaRoche dealt to Boston
'Burgh Blues will meet to decide future with club
It's that time of wonderful time of year again in Pittsburgh. The July 31st Trading Deadline is rapidly approaching, which means everyone working with the Pirates is available. That's right, everyone. Infielders Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez have had their contract extension offers pulled, while Adam LaRoche, John Grabow, and Ian Snell have officially been placed on the club's trading block.
In a similar situation to Sanchez and Wilson, The 'Burgh Blues staff must meet to determine their future with the Buccos. Since the matter will not be up to General Manager Neal Huntington, Jesse Behr (writer) and Daniel Baruch (graphic designer) will hold a "creative conference" later this week to discuss the state of TBB.
Stay tuned for exclusive coverage from the event.
Don't Mess with Jones
Will the real Mike Hampton please stand up?
Following his victory on Monday, Hampton improved to 14-3 in his career against the Pirates. He's now won his last 10 decisions against the Buccos. The former 22-game winner officially has John Russell's number, no matter what the skipper tries to pull.
Back to the (Pirates) Future
Expect a number of updates within the week. It's been a busy last couple of weeks, but we have not forgotten about our 'Burgh Blues faithful. Clearly, Mike Hampton could care less.
Pirates talking Nyjer-Lastings swap
The Washington Nationals offered Lastings Milledge to the Pirates for Nyjer Morgan is a straight-up swap of outfielders. Huntington, the Pirates' general manager, apparently wants Nationals acting GM Mike Rizzo to add a second player before he would consider making the trade.
However, the Pirates need to bring as many multi-talented young players as possible into the organization. They also need to take some gambles if they are ever going to pull out of their 17-year tailspin. Thus, if I were the GM, I would pull the trigger on this deal. (Pirates Report)
I agree one-hundred percent with what John Perrotto said regarding the possible deal. Milledge, 24, and Morgan, 29, are both very talented ball players that can do a lot for a team. However, Milledge has so much more to offer as an everyday player than what Morgan can bring to the table. He's got both terrific power and speed.
Also, Pittsburgh's farm system includes names like Jose Tabata, Gorkys Hernandez, and Steve Pearce (currently on the 25-man roster). If Milledge wound up to be a total disaster, someone would be able to step in and take his place. Nyjer's one of my favorite Buccos, but I'd take Lastings in a heartbeat.
Ian Snell to TBB: Tell me how my *** tastes
7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 17 (!!!) SO in his first start at Triple-A Indianapolis.
We apologize if the title is a little graphic, but with everything surrounding Mr. Ian Snell, we believe it's justified. Snell was demoted to Indy on Thursday, and after just one start, he may have slapped Pirates management silly. We'll have to wait and see if this was a showing of the righty's "true character."
