-P- This really doesn't sound serious, but, given the Pirates' track record, I feel like I have to relay and fret over every possible injury to a pitcher.
-P- Lots of good stuff in the Beaver County Times today. John Perrotto has a tribute to former Pirates scouting director Mickey White. Hear, hear.
-P- Freddy Sanchez is now eleven points up on Miguel Cabrera.
-P- The Bucs may move Jose Castillo to third. Why stop at third? Why not just move him straight to the bench? I don't know what to make of Castillo anymore, but he plainly can't hit enough to play third.
The problem here is that the Pirates are already playing Castillo at third by proxy, because they have a second baseman in Sanchez playing third. They need to trade one of these guys - and I think trading Sanchez wouldn't be a bad idea, since his value is as high as it will ever be.
By the way, Jim Tracy is back to his old tricks, bashing Castillo in the press:
"Jose's a good kid and he plays hard but he has some weaknesses and he has to understand that he needs to address them."
The primary one is strike zone judgment as Castillo went into Tuesday with 97 strikeouts and 31 walks in 545 plate appearances this season.
"How many times have we seen him swing at a slider that's in the dirt in the left-handed side of the batter's box?" Tracy said. "If we know that then the other teams certainly have that same scouting information and know how to attack his weaknesses."
I share Tracy's frustration, but to say all that in the press seems unnecessary.