Notes: Brett Wallace, drafting, Ervin Santana

-P- I wrote a big piece on the Pirates' offseason at MLBTR. It mostly just amplifies some things you've probably already seen me write here, but I did spend a fair amount of time on it.

-P- The Astros have released Brett Wallace. He's not a good player, but as a left-handed first baseman who can hit a little bit, he would be a smart minor-league signing for the Pirates, who still don't really have a credible backup plan for Andrew Lambo's half of the first base platoon. Wallace, a poor defensive player, certainly wouldn't fix the Pirates' first base issues, but when you've got question marks, depth is important.

-P- I enjoyed Travis Sawchik's piece from this weekend about the Pirates' attempts to draft young pitching.

-P- In a surprise move, the Braves have signed Ervin Santana. Santana had been connected to the Blue Jays and Orioles, but evidently he didn't want to pitch in the AL. He'll get $14.1 million, the exact value of the qualifying offer he turned down from the Royals.