Pirates Stocking Up On Corner Players

by Charlie Wilmoth on Feb 17, 2009 7:26 PM EST

Earlier today Vlad noticed that the Pirates just signed first baseman and former Nationals prospect Larry Broadway (who, just in case you saw the name and got a little confused, isn't the same person as White Sox pitcher Lance Broadway). Obviously, this move isn't any kind of a big deal and Broadway is highly unlikely to play for the Bucs, but it clouds the situation at Indianapolis. Here are all the players the Pirates have who are likely to play first or outfield (I've included centerfielders too, because they're tough to separate from corner guys) for the Bucs at Pittsburgh or Indianapolis this year:

PLAYER	POSITION(S)	LIKELY ROLE	NOTES
Brandon Moss	OF	Pirates starting corner OF	Job relatively secure
Nate McLouth	CF/OF	Pirates starting CF	Obviously will start somewhere, but could move to corner if McCutchen emerges
Nyjer Morgan	OF/CF	Pirates starting corner OF?	Job may not be secure
Adam LaRoche	1B	Pirates starting 1B	FA after 2009
Eric Hinske	OF/1B/3B	Pirates bench	Insurance against struggles by Andy LaRoche, Morgan or Moss
Andy Phillips	OF/1B/3B	Pirates bench?	Minor league slugger may wind up in majors or AAA
Jeff Salazar	OF/CF	Pirates bench?	Good hitting relative to Morgan and fielding relative to Hinske would make Salazar a great option as the Pirates' fifth outfielder. Indianapolis also a possible destination
Andrew McCutchen	CF	Indianapolis starting CF	Could probably use another month or two at AAA but should join Pirates soon
Steve Pearce	OF/1B	Indianapolis starting OF	The Pirates have said they want Pearce to play every day at Indianapolis
Craig Monroe	OF	Indianapolis OF	Markedly worse than Salazar, but will probably get look as Pirates bench OF
Jose Tabata	OF	Indianapolis OF?	If Bucs send him to Indianapolis rather than Altoona, he obviously needs to play every day
Brad Corley	OF	Indianapolis OF?	Former 2nd round pick's strike zone judgment is so bad he probably struggles to avoid swinging at pickoff throws to first. Altoona also possible
Jason Delaney	1B/OF	Indianapolis 1B?	Only played 1B last year and is probably just a hair too interesting to give up on completely
Garrett Jones	1B/OF	Indianapolis 1B?	Interesting lefty option at Indy
Larry Broadway	1B/OF?	Indianapolis 1B?	Eight career minor league games in OF. Older and probably a lesser hitter than Jones
Adam Boeve	OF/1B	Indianapolis OF?	Not a prospect, but reliably decent hitter in AAA
Ryan Mulhern	1B	Indianapolis bench?	Former Cleveland prospect now an organizational player

As you can see, this is a ton of players for a limited amount of playing time, particularly at Indianapolis. Jamie Romak could also cloud the picture further with a strong start at Altoona. These players will therefore be interesting to keep track of in Spring Training. A few of them, like Monroe, could have out clauses in their contracts that allow them to become free agents if they don't make the team. Some, like Broadway or Boeve, could be sent to Altoona. It will be interesting to see where Tabata is assigned, also.

The proliferation of minor league options may mean the Pirates want to hedge their bets against potentially weak starting options like Morgan, Moss or (to a lesser extent) Andy LaRoche. Also, note that Adam LaRoche becomes a free agent after 2009, and I don't think the Pirates will try to sign him to a long-term deal, so he could depart in a trade at midseason. In that case, the Pirates might promote Hinske or Pearce to a starting role.

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Lance and Larry Broadway

Best gay porn names in baseball?

by wickethewok on Feb 17, 2009 7:52 PM EST reply actions

There are some other strong contenders:

I’ve always been fond of Johnny Dickshot. And who can resist Dick Pole?

Also, it’s not a gay porn name, but any post about porn names in baseball would be incomplete without a name-check for Hall of Famer Candy Cummings.

by Vlad on Feb 18, 2009 9:00 AM EST up reply actions

I often see a guy sitting in the left field bleachers at PNC Park that wears a Johnny Dickshot jersey. Makes me laugh every time.

Pittsburgh Lumber Co.
http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco

by MBandi on Feb 18, 2009 9:37 AM EST up reply actions

That's awesome!

by Vlad on Feb 18, 2009 1:42 PM EST up reply actions

Just glanced at his B-R page

His nickname was Ugly? They called him Ugly Dickshot? Even better.

Pittsburgh Lumber Co.
http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco

by MBandi on Feb 18, 2009 2:44 PM EST up reply actions

What a great chart

This is the exact “problem” that’s been running through my head the past few days. It helps to see it in black and white.

-Huntington is making sure Cutch and Pearce have all the time they need in triple-A. Between these acquisitions and Vazquez, he’s managed to put the Pirates in a position to trade away Jack, Freddy and/or Adam and maintain a baseline of performance in their wake. Not rushing prospects by having veteran placeholders is the smart move right now and in my opinion, Huntington is executing it well.

-I agree that Pearce sees some time at 1B this year. Jury’s still out on his OF defense.

-I really think Tabata starts the year in Altoona. Has anyone seen anything to the contrary? He struggled last year before the trade and he’s still so young. I think I’d give him a month or 2 there at least. Maybe move him up a level when Cutch or Pearce vacates Indy.

by OlStubbleBeard on Feb 18, 2009 7:15 AM EST reply actions