Pirates SP prospects...

by rhodehead on Sep 28, 2005 8:22 PM EDT Comment 12 comments

Would anyone care to rank/give thoughts on the plethora of pitching prospects the Pirates have brought up this year...

Who will have a rotation spot in '06? What about potential beyond next year?

Zach Duke - should have a spot locked up. Highest regarded prospect of the group.

Ian Snell - walks too many, but has had a couple pretty good starts lately.

Tom Gorzelanny - probably needs a year of AAA

Paul Maholm - a finesse lefty

Bryan Bullington - had a pretty good year at AAA this year.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

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Maholm

joined the likes of Roger Clemens, Paul Maholm, Kerry Wood, Bartolo Colon, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Jon Garland, Jake Peavy, Jarrod Washburn, David Wells and Bob Wickman today.

Each have given up one of Jose Macias's 26 career HRs.

Nice list.

by Ienpw on Sep 28, 2005 8:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Only Duke and Maholm should make the cut

It's hard to imagine that the Pirates wouldn't have Duke and Maholm in the rotation next year. Snell, on the other hand, will work in the bullpen while Gorzelanny and Bullington, along with Sean Burnett and John VanBenschoten, will pitch at Indianapolis (AAA). The Pirates starting rotation should look like this in 2006:

Perez (LH)
Duke (LH)
Maholm (LH)
Williams (LH)
Wells/Redman (LH)

It now seems clear the Pirates would greatly prefer Redman to opt for free agency. He won't, though, if he prefers money in his hand (his 2006 option) to risking a move to a contender who needs a lefthanded starter and who is willing to bear the risk by giving the job to Redman. Littlefield will probably keep Wells till the 2006 trading deadline in the hopes that Wells, like Benson before him, improves enough that he could get someone useful in return.

Everything could change if Littlefield deals some of his young and promising pitchers for a bat. Wells' 2005 collapse was just another monkey wrench fate threw into the Pirates' quest for respectability. Snell was meant to be a starter and Wells should have brought the team a good young hitting prospect. Neither will happen until next season, if they happen at all.

by Steve Z on Sep 29, 2005 12:18 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It's what they should do

My guess is that if Redman exercises his option, though, he'll be in the rotation along with Wells, Perez, and Duke, and Williams and Maholm will compete for the last spot.

Mike Emeigh http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org

by MikeE on Sep 29, 2005 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i just

happened to have a nice conversation with josh fogg on tuesday night, mostly about the state of the pirates. he says redman won't be back next year.

i'd like to see duke and maholm in the rotation, and i think snell has an outside shot. it's so hard to tell what's going to happen there next year as far as management goes, so it's hard for me to see if it will be a team that plays it's potential guys, or if they only take the sure things and go into free agency to fill the holes.

by huckleberry on Sep 29, 2005 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hope Fogg is right about this one

I'd expect the Pirates to go to great lengths this winter in order to shed Redman's contract. Still, the organization has been unwilling to recognize sunk costs when they occur. That's been their recent history. They do have their limits. So, it's doubtful whether the McClatchy partnership would be willing to pay another team up to $4M in order to avoid paying Redman $4.9M next season. They would do it if they could get a young major leaguer in return. But, who would be crazy enough to make that deal?

by Steve Z on Sep 29, 2005 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I suspect...

the Pirates will try to move Williams, especially if he could package Williams with another player or two. His 2005 season was strong enough that a NL team might want to have him in their rotation. The Pirates seem to like Maholm, and he's not hurt himself at all this summer. That makes Williams expendable. On the other hand, I can't imagine Littlefield would give Williams away. It helps the Pirates that the free agent market is a bit bare this year.

by Steve Z on Sep 29, 2005 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Burnett

Speaking of Burnett, Where does he stand on his recovery and does he still have a future? Could he be in the Rotation in 2006?

by 14reasonswhy on Sep 29, 2005 10:11 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

not likely

It isn't very likely he'll be in the rotation in '06. Might get a chance late in the season if the cards fall right in Indy.

3Rivers, United League of Moderate Gamers | Writer, Minor Details | Writer, Independent Thinking

by rockies73 on Sep 29, 2005 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Peterson?

Did Matt Peterson fall totally off the map? I know John said he probably could use a demotion in his Pirate top 20 review, but haven't heard a word about him since. Looking at how badly he lost the strike zone you have to wonder if there's not something more to it?

by MetfanBren on Sep 29, 2005 5:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

He picked things up a bit

as the season went on. But, his final line remained terrible for a player repeating a level. It's hard to imagine he'd turn things around next year.

What's strange is that Peterson and Wigginton both tanked immediately after they arrived in the organization. If my memory is right here, I believe Peterson did miss a few starts this summer because of an injury. One does have to wonder about him.

The only reason most Pirates fans don't complain more than they do about the trade that brought them here is the lingering hatred and resentment they feel for Kris Benson. Peterson and Wigginton reflect what they believe Kris Benson to be -- a big nothing.

by Steve Z on Sep 29, 2005 10:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs