Pitching Question

[pixburgher66]

With Morton gone for the year, an maybe done as a Bucco, and Karstens still on the mend and seemingly a bit fragile right now, what's the answer in shoring up the rotation? Obviously I think our bullpen is solid, we even have some extra depth in the minors. So, do you think the answer is calling up a guy like Owens and Morris and giving them their shot, or going long term with the Morton replacement and trading for someone. Joe Saunders was mentioned as potentially being on the market on MLB Trade Rumors (can't remember the direct source), and the Pirates were named in the interested parties. I'm not certain how long he's under contract, but certainly a very interesting idea.

 

[sychmd]

seriously, we need to let the auditions begin.
karstens will be back soon, let him work into shape with the pirates.
owens first, then locke, then vandenhuk, reyes, and leroux as he gets stretched out.
morris a shot in the pen,
leroux pitched well as a reliever and in winter ball if i remember.
correia - not sure what you can dump him for but try as a throw in.
lincoln - possible mid to long reliever or 7th inning guy.
resop - he's done. not consistent enough and not the mental makeup when the game is on the line.
cruz - the honeymoon period is over, too many baserunners and a puny guy.
we keep hanny, grilli, hughes, slaten, burnett, mcdonald, karstens, bedard.
bedard is still intriguing to keep around given his age and if he can stay healthy this year.
i will also be bummed if cole does great in AA and if we havent found #5 yet and we dont get him some exposure after 9/1. he is a big boy who has 3 pitches and the #1 draft selection. time to put on the big boy pants and see if you have ace makeup. let him see what it is like and work on it in the winter to be the #3 or 4 next april.

we need to know what are pitching is for the next several years, so we then know who is expendable.
this isnt our year anyway, but learning how to win and developing the mental makeup is important.

mcgehee is having a great june and hopefully is finding his comfort zone.
if pedro can also, then that gives us decent corners to really pursue a SS and catcher.

cutch presley tabata, marte, jones can handle the OF better next year.
if we can get a corner OF, great, but that is 3rd priority after a catcher that can handle a staff, hit 260, ob 340 14 hr 23 2B, and 70rbi and will grow from there over the next 5 years.

 

[pixburgher66]

seriously, we need to let the auditions begin.
karstens will be back soon, let him work into shape with the pirates.
owens first, then locke, then vandenhuk, reyes, and leroux as he gets stretched out.
morris a shot in the pen,
leroux pitched well as a reliever and in winter ball if i remember.
correia - not sure what you can dump him for but try as a throw in.
lincoln - possible mid to long reliever or 7th inning guy.
resop - he's done. not consistent enough and not the mental makeup when the game is on the line.
cruz - the honeymoon period is over, too many baserunners and a puny guy.
we keep hanny, grilli, hughes, slaten, burnett, mcdonald, karstens, bedard.
bedard is still intriguing to keep around given his age and if he can stay healthy this year.
i will also be bummed if cole does great in AA and if we havent found #5 yet and we dont get him some exposure after 9/1. he is a big boy who has 3 pitches and the #1 draft selection. time to put on the big boy pants and see if you have ace makeup. let him see what it is like and work on it in the winter to be the #3 or 4 next april.

we need to know what are pitching is for the next several years, so we then know who is expendable.
this isnt our year anyway, but learning how to win and developing the mental makeup is important.

mcgehee is having a great june and hopefully is finding his comfort zone.
if pedro can also, then that gives us decent corners to really pursue a SS and catcher.

cutch presley tabata, marte, jones can handle the OF better next year.
if we can get a corner OF, great, but that is 3rd priority after a catcher that can handle a staff, hit 260, ob 340 14 hr 23 2B, and 70rbi and will grow from there over the next 5 years.

I know what you mean, obviously the priority in trades would be SS/C/1B/next bat no matter position. The OF is set in my opinion, at least for now. However, there's basically no market for SS/C options. Honestly I like Barajas. If the asking price for a guy like Saunders is decent though, I'd look into it. I agree with your assessment of our staff though. Pretty much spot on there.

 

[Burgh Sports Rule]

With Morton gone for the year, an maybe done as a Bucco, and Karstens still on the mend and seemingly a bit fragile right now, what's the answer in shoring up the rotation? Obviously I think our bullpen is solid, we even have some extra depth in the minors. So, do you think the answer is calling up a guy like Owens and Morris and giving them their shot, or going long term with the Morton replacement and trading for someone. Joe Saunders was mentioned as potentially being on the market on MLB Trade Rumors (can't remember the direct source), and the Pirates were named in the interested parties. I'm not certain how long he's under contract, but certainly a very interesting idea.

Kyle McPherson made his return from injury with Altoona last night & pitched a very strong game, from what I read at Bucs Dugout.com.

I know Altoona is only AA, but, from what I have read about him, McPherson is a guy that Huntington & the organization seem to be pretty high on.

McPherson, could be on the fast track to getting to Pittsburgh & helping this team at the Major Leage level, either by the end of this yr or early next yr, IMO.

Someone to keep an eye on along with the likes of Rudy Owens, I think.

Although, obviously I would expect Rudy Owens to get the 1st crack at helping out this rotation.

Just my thoughts.

Burgh

 

[magnumo]

Saunders is a decent pitcher, but he's a finesse lefty who is making $6 million this year, and he'll be a free agent after the season. As such, he doesn't appear to be a good target to pursue.

I'm in pretty close alignment with sychmd's assessment. I agree that Owens, Locke, and VandenHurk are possible candidates for promotion as starters, and I wouldn't count out Justin Wilson either. Owens is definitely a finesse lefty, while Wilson is a "stuff" lefty, and Locke is somewhere in between. I'm suggesting that, with as many viable candidates as we have at Indy (heck, even Jo-Jo Reyes is pitching well there), it might not make much sense to pursue Saunders right now.

Owens would be my first choice to join the Pirates. Although he's likely to take some lumps early as he faces major league hitters, he could prove to be a Maholm-Saunders kind of pitcher (or better) if he continues to develop. At any rate, the Pirates need to find out what they have in guys like Owens, rather than bring in another veteran who will be a free agent at season's end and thus likely to be nothing more than a part-season rental.

 

[pixburgher66]

I agree with most of you on the trying out our young guys...I just wish they would do it now instead of putting Lincoln through another start. Lincoln is just so clearly a mid-relief guy. Not a starter anymore.

 

[pixburgher66]

We have guys doin very well in AAA who could come up and make spot start. NH on the radio pre-game. That helps things.

 

[sychmd]

I agree with most of you on the trying out our young guys...I just wish they would do it now instead of putting Lincoln through another start. Lincoln is just so clearly a mid-relief guy. Not a starter anymore.

we give one more start to lincoln. it is a win-win.
if he fails, we know for sure we have given him a fair chance to be a starter and he is now relegated to being a BP stud.
if he does well, we now have a decent trading chip to package with a couple others at the deadline or in the winter. until then, we put him back in the BP so he can pad his stats(hopefully) and audition the rest.

 

[element1286]

Yea, I'm not worried about the rotation long term....Locke, Owens, McPherson are the next wave with Taillon and Cole behind them. And they can just plug and play guys like Bedard when need be.

Morris isn't a starter anymore, btw.

 

[steelparrot]

Lincoln wasnt really put in a position to succeed his first few starts, but I wouldnt stick with him for ever. KC should be the first one to be replaced imho.

Pedro is on one of his power tears, lets hope he can keep it up for a while.

 

[element1286]

Lincoln wasnt really put in a position to succeed his first few starts, but I wouldnt stick with him for ever. KC should be the first one to be replaced imho.

Pedro is on one of his power tears, lets hope he can keep it up for a while.

Lincoln is too hittable as a starter. His fastball isn't swing and miss at 92-93, out of the pen when it is 95 it plays much better. So he either has to be a reliever long term, or develop a good third pitch.