Are the Pirates getting a bargin in LaRoche? Can you provide any cost information? Any idea what Johnson and Morales are getting paid?

I thought we were talking just his offense. You only mentioned offensive statistics in your original post. Yeah, his defense is suspect at 3B, and that’s why I think he will move to 1B in the near future. As far as the prospects go, you’re right about Walker and Moskos. I don’t expect a lot out of them, but I’m still worried about them a little bit because they were first round picks. The Moskos pick was a joke, but Neil Walker came to the Pirates four years ago with just as much hype as Pedro Alvarez. Friday has been playing pretty good. I just hope he can continue to play well and show management that he is ready to be in Pittsburgh in a couple of years as our everyday SS (unless management plans on getting a SS in a trade). Ford worries me the most. Yes, I understand he had an wrist injury, but still, a .165 average? It’s understandable why the power and RBI aren’t there because the power stroke has probably been zapped for the year with that injury, but that .165 average is very worrisome. Hopefully, it is just the wrist and he can bounce back the last half of this year and the next. Remember, this was the guy that was thought to be Major League ready and would come up and take over the 2B job if Freddy was traded. As far as Pedro “not even close to ready” for the big leagues, I think that’s a stupid comment. Really? So if the guy hits 35 HR and drives in 90+ runs in his first year of professional baseball, even after coming back from a broken bone in his hand, he’s not “even close” to being ready? I understand your concern about the average and the strikeouts, but the average will only get better with, as I said earlier, more experience and more at-bats. Yes, he does have to cut down on the strikeouts and get some better plate discipline, but Pedro, being a power hitter, is going to strike out a lot anyway. He doesn’t need to be striking out this much, but he’s probably going to be one of those guys that strikes out a good number of times. Alvarez was thought to be one of those guys that would be on a fast track to the big leagues, and while I don’t think it will be quite as fast as everybody thought, it will be close. He’s showing the enormous power and ability to drive in runs that made him arguably the best player in the draft last year. Pedro will be fine. I just don’t think you need to be worrying about him. This IS his first year of professional ball for cryin’ out loud.

Wow, I don’t know if I would be that extreme about it. I think Ford and Friday have good potential and they are relatively close as Friday is in Double-A and Ford is in Triple-A. They need to step it up though, especially Ford. Now, you have a point there with Moskos and Walker. Moskos clearly wasn’t first round talent and Walker is fading fast. Personally, I think Walker is done, and although I give him more of a shot than Walker, Moskos probably won’t ever make the big club either.