I understand that it would bring fans to the park and maybe encourage more casual interest in the club but it seems like Pedro’s presence would block some young pitchers. Obviously no star prospects but I think the Pirates would be better served by seeing how Karstens or Ohlendorf or Dumatrait perform as starters more than they would be served by having Pedro pitch for a year.

With respect to the ’Burgh Blues article, standing next to Joaquin Andujar, Pedro looks like Henry Cabot Lodge.

It looks like Dumatrait’s heading to the pen, Barthmaier and McCutchen to Indy. That leaves Maholm, Snell, Gorzelanny, Duke, Karstens and Ohlendorf for the rotation and the Vogelsong role. I don’t know about Pedro, but I would like to see at least a Tony Armas-type on an NRI, maybe giving the guy an out if he doesn’t make the trip north.

He would not be that bad of an option if the Pirates could sign him to say a 2 million a year with performance based incentives. Their is not a veteran starter on this team and Pedro at 75 percent is better than most of their options. He is no Matt Morris that is for sure. You bring him in see what happens they have definately made worse decisions before. And I wondering if they are going to make a run at Andrew Jones he had a bad year but that was the only one that he had in his career unless that his problems began when Major Leage baseball kicked up the drug testing. He fits what they need in right handed hitting outfielder with power and he will come cheap. He fits in that category that Neil Huntington was talking about as a “bound back player”.

And probably give him $7 million for one year. The only real argument against doing that is whether he would block younger talent, or more precisely impede its development.

I don’t see that. There’s room in the rotation. Even in the best case scenario (barring a lousy spring or injury) the first four spots belong to Maholm, Snell, Gorzo, and Duke, despite what NH says. That leaves Ohlendorf, Barthmaeier, and McCutchen for the fifth spot. None can be said to have mastered AAA yet (though Ohlendorf’s last 7 starts there were pretty good); each could benefit by starting the year there. The better talents, Morris and Lincoln, have yet to reach AA.

Even if Pedro is signed at least one or two of the top 3 will get their chance in the Pit at some point anyway. No team goes through the season using only 5 starters. Even if he stays relatively healthy, Pedro ain’t going to make 33 starts.

Comparisons with Burnitz et al are silly. This is one of the greatest pitchers of his era we’re talking about. He’s not close to that anymore, but neither do his numbers, or accounts of his stuff scream “washed up”, as, e.g., Morris’s did.

But his main value to the Pirates is if he does well, they have the option of trading him for younger talent at the deadline. That’s enough of a value gamble for me to give him the money. Unless you’re worried that McNutter’s business empire is in danger of capsizing in the coming economic tsunami.

I applaud all moves leading us to the future, but would it be such a tragedy to do something for 2009 that might simply offer some fun? For me, rooting for Pedro to turn it around in PNC would be like a few years ago when all the fun came with rooting for Freddy to win the batting title. And if the cost of all this is just the stalling of, lets face it, some pretty mediocre young talents who’ll be distant memories by ’11 or ’12, fine by me.

pedro would be a great add to the pirates he would bring fans and maybe he could help our young pitchers…more than likely he would get traded to a contender at the deadline maybe we could get some prospects