The Pirates have signed a number of players to minor league contracts to help shore up their upper minors. (Which, as we've come to expect in the last couple years, needs depth badly.)
-P- If, like me, you have a lot of space in your brain that isn't being used for anyting, you may remember pitcher John Wasdin from his excellent season with the Pirates' Class AAA Nashville in 2003. He was traded to the Blue Jays that year for Rich Thompson, and got only a cup of coffee with Toronto. From 2004-2006, he moved back and forth between the Texas Rangers and their Class AAA affiliate in Oklahoma. He was decent in 2005 and might be an acceptable reliever in the majors, but the Pirates have a zillion relievers already, so Wasdin will probably just be a swingman in Indianapolis.
-P- Outfielder Chris Aguila has put up good-looking numbers at the Marlins' Class AAA affiliate in Albuquerque the past three years but has flopped whenever the Marlins have called him up. That isn't necessarily surprising, since it's pretty easy to put up good-looking numbers in Albuquerque. At 28, he's unlikely to help, even for a short time.
-P- Middle infielder Eddy Garabito had one decent year in 2005 in the thin air of Denver and Colorado Springs, but has been completely unable to hit before or since. The Pirates often send ringers to levels lower than the ones at which they should be playing and they've got a hole at second base in Altoona, so they may send him there.
-P- With Neil Walker and possibly Mike McCuiston behind the plate at Altoona, the Bucs may send catcher David Parrish, who played 72 games for Altoona last year, to Class A+ Lynchburg.