Roundup: Michael McKenry trying to steal more bases

-P- Michael McKenry is interested in trying to steal more bases next year, which is a funny idea. He had 17 steals total in the minor leagues and got caught 19 times, and it isn't as if catchers tend to get faster as they age, so I bet he's not going to get the green light very much. This is the sort of news that can only come out in February. The article also says that "McKenry is built like an offensive lineman," which I also thought was pretty funny -- a figurine of an offensive lineman, maybe. Or an offensive lineman from the 14th century, or from the pickup team at Willie Wonka's chocolate factory.

-P- From the same article, it sounds like the Pirates really are interested in Jonathan Sanchez -- Neal Huntington, Clint Hurdle, Larry Broadway, Kyle Stark, Ray Searage, Bill Mazeroski and Dean Treanor were all watching him yesterday. Sanchez can ask to be released if the Pirates don't place him on the roster by March 24, so there's a little more urgency than usual for the Pirates to figure out what they have.

-P- Brandon Inge apparently has an out clause if he doesn't make the Pirates late in Spring Training. Less importantly, he practiced mixed martial arts this offseason.

-P- The Rays signed Jack Cust, who I'd thought about recently, since he came up in the research for the Pedro Alvarez / Pete Incaviglia article. Cust was a sabermetric fave at the beginning of his career, but after a few years as a big-league starter with Oakland, Cust has settled back in as a Quad-A masher. His total lack of defensive value has hurt him, as have his struggles to hit for average. Like a low-rent Adam Dunn, a huge percentage of his plate appearances end in strikeouts, walks or homers. There isn't much room for singles in there.

-P- Here's my first byline in my new gig at MLBTR.