Pirates add Meek to roster
It took reliever Evan Meek last season just one month to get knocked down to the minor leagues, and was almost on the verge of never pitching for the Buccos again. Luckily, the Pirates were able to retain their Rule 5 draft pick, adding the young right-hander to the 40-man roster.Meek, 25, put on poor performance after poor performance with Pittsburgh. He struggled mightily with his control, walking a total of 12 in 13 major league innings. He took his first loss in the Bucs "memorable" home opener, walking five batters in just a single inning. Meek's strongest performance at the big league level came against the Phillies, where he struck out three in two scoreless innings. In the end, Meek showed comforting signs like a sinking low-90s fastball, but his wildness eventually lead him down to Altoona.
Following his demotion, Meek lit up the minors. Between Double-A and Triple-A, the righty posted an ERA of 2.51, a K/BB of 51/17, and logged a total of 57 1/3 innings. It's unlikely Meek will be making the squad heading into next season, but his up-hill battle is showing promise, and will be a much better middle-reliever than lets say... Franquelis Osoria?
In winter ball, Meek is 6-for-8 in save opportunities, and has struck out 9 compared to one lone free pass. Meek is currently playing for the Mazatian in the Mexican winter league.
South African signs: The Pirates signed shortstop Mpho Ngoepe, a small yet speedy switch-hitter from South Africa. Ngoepe, 18, had been looked at by several scouts as general manager Neil Huntington is hoping to pull all the strings he can. Ngoepe is playing for his native country in the WBC this March, and will report to Bradenton thereafter. As the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette referred to, it would be outstanding to see Ngeope make it to the major leagues, as no south african ever has.
Hi. I just wanted to say that I respect you and your blog. It takes a lot of cajones to write on one of the sorriest teams in the Majors.
Huntington should be fired. He could be the worst GM in history. What was he thinking getting rid of Bay, Nady, and Marte? They were three good, young players who could serve as the foundation of a winning ball club. They traded all that talent away for crap. How do I know it's crap? I follow the Yankees and have been following Ohlendorf and Karstens for a while. They are nothing special and the will delay the Pirates' quest for a winning record.
The Pirates still have a few young guys. Adam LaRoche, Freddy Sanchez, Nate McClouth, and Ryan Doumit are the only ones worth mentioning. This team desperately needs bullpen and starting pitching help. They cannot compete with the Reds, Astros, Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals. They don't even come close.
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Thank you for comment, as well as your surface-knowledge of the Pirates. Yes, Huntington dismantled, destroyed and disemboweled the Bucs lineup in July, but it was all in a good effort. The prospects the 'rats acquired are not as "bad" as most reports have tried to state. This is especially true with the Nady trade, and for the most part, I support Neal's moves.
No one really ever knows on the NL Central, aside from recently the successful Chicago Cubs. The Bucs can compete against the Reds, Astros, and Cards (and their 2007 season proved it), but the Milwaukee Brewers may be a significantly worse team depending on their offseason.
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The Reds will certainly be better than the Bucs next season. The Reds have more younger talent than the Bucs do. Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Volquez, Cueto, Keppinger, Freel are some of their great players. The Pirates will finish dead last again because they hurt their offense by getting rid of Bay and Nady. Yes, the Brewers may not be as good this upcoming season, but the Reds and the Astros will be much better. The Cards are also making some acquisitions this offseason, which may strengthen their team.
The way I see it, the Pirates are very far away from figuring it out. The guys they got in return from the Yanks are nothing special. Ohlendorf is pretty good, but that's about it. Tabata is a young SS, but he has yet to prove anything on the major league level. Over the years, the Pirates continue to trade away their good young talent for crap, hence the situation they are in. Aramis Ramirez and Oliver Perez are two solid players that I can think of off the top of my head. I just don't understand how teams like this say they want to get younger, yet they trade already young players for even younger players who are not nearly as good. I get that they are trying to do what Billy Beane does, but Beane would at least get more for those trades. Bay was a steal. Hansen is crap and Brandon Moss is nothing special. Andy LaRoche is not nearly as good as his brother. If the Pirates get rid of Mclouth and Doumit, then they will impede the rebuilding process even more.
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