Pirates Need Fewer Minor League Free Agents This Year

by Charlie Wilmoth on Feb 7, 2011 3:05 PM EST

WTM has a nice article up at Pirates Prospects about minor league free agents. His point is that the Pirates have signed a lot fewer this year than in years past. I had never thought about it, but he's exactly right. His comparison between the 2007 minor league free agents and this year's is pretty staggering. There are a lot fewer at the Class AAA level, as Indianapolis will now be filled with real prospects (like Rudy Owens, Bryan Morris, Andrew Lambo and so on) and also a lot of more marginal ones (Kris Watts, Pedro Ciriaco, Josh Harrison, Mike Crotta and so on).

The really revealing stuff is in WTM's list of minor league free agents below the Class AAA level, though. In 2007 there were 14, as the Pirates used players like Peter Bergeron, Dewon Brazelton, and Randy Ruiz to compensate for a pitiful lack of depth. This year there are two, Gerardo Alvarez and Kawika Emsley-Pai. It isn't yet clear whether Alvarez is going to be a player or a coach, and I'd be on him being a coach. And while Emsley-Pai isn't a great prospect, WTM points out that he isn't a minor-league veteran either - he was a 10th-round pick in 2010.

Minor-league depth doesn't necessarily correlate with future major-league wins, obviously, but it's clear that the current administration, unlike the previous one, is at least trying to use the minor leagues for their intended purpose, which is to develop players.

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Using the minor leagues...

….to develop major league talent?

Hmm, this might catch on all across the league. We should keep this idea to ourselves.

by Brakeman8 on Feb 7, 2011 4:33 PM EST reply actions

Its the new market inefficiency

by Wizard of Woz on Feb 7, 2011 5:01 PM EST up reply actions

I’m sure several of the AAA guys have escape clauses where if they are not on the Pirates roster Opening Day, they can become free agents.

by Thunder on Feb 7, 2011 5:33 PM EST reply actions

atkins im sure of. maybe beimel? but he'll make it

by white angus on Feb 7, 2011 6:45 PM EST up reply actions

Beimel has an out clause if he’s not on the roster to start the season.

You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.

by WTM on Feb 7, 2011 9:43 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah

I believe you are correct, but I don’t know how many of them have this. Definitely something that I’d think is pretty common. Either way, these are WAY better players than the crap we usually end up signing to fill out the rosters.

by Tuckshop25 on Feb 7, 2011 9:31 PM EST up reply actions

Donnie Veal was also a minor league free agent.

The only position that needed to be covered by minor league veteran FAs is triple-a catcher.

by Adam Reynolds on Feb 7, 2011 10:12 PM EST via mobile reply actions

I was counting him as a prospect rather than a minor league veteran.

This wasn’t terribly scientific.

You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.

by WTM on Feb 7, 2011 10:15 PM EST up reply actions

To clarify, I left out guys like Claggett and Thomas because they weren’t FAs, even though they’re functionally in the same position as Burres and Nieve. There were some guys like that in 2007 as well, like Chris Hernandez and Shane Youman. The lists were a little arbitrary, but the basic point wouldn’t change with different standards.

You're entitled to your own opinions. You're not entitled to your own facts.

by WTM on Feb 7, 2011 10:21 PM EST up reply actions