Short post for midnight – putting up decorations and the tree this evening with the family then heading to some friends.
I saw earlier today that we picked up Marte, Brown, and Nieve. I mentioned a few days ago I heard we had signed some org fillers and I guess these are the guys. None of these guys are in the rumor circuit so whoever we have had a couple of talks with for a starting slot is still an unknown to me. One of the beat reporters will dig it out sooner or later.. my contact won’t give up the name.
As for the Hardy/Bartlett rumors, I wouldn’t be the least surprised if we are doing something with the Rays the way they have been digging for information. I haven’t heard anything specific but that doesn’t mean anything. Meek is the obvious guy to go simply because he’s in that ‘perceived cultural problem’ arena Huntington seems to have difficulty with. Since Huntington has cast all the other ringleaders out the door, it’s only logical to believe the last three guys in this group, Doumit, Maholm, and Meek, will be cut loose one way or another soon too.
If I had my way, and as I’ve said for years here, I’d hand the ball to Meek every five days and try to get some real value out of his Ian Snell/Josh Towers straight heater for the first 2/3 months and then put him back in the pen. He’d get mauled but so will a lot of the guys we’re looking at. At least we’d have some cheap high K/9 numbers on top of the 1.4 hits per inning and 2 bombs per game.
Anyway, I’m not so sure Hardy is a good fit for the Pirates and I’d be surprised if we are seriously in on him, but Bartlett is intriguing. Not exciting, just intriguing. Put a good gloveman at first and you probably don’t even need Bartlett and can keep Meek and deal him in July.
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Bucs better be careful with their decision with Karstens.. they are really, really thin on guys they can hand the ball to every five days if needed. I suppose he’ll be let go this eve and then we’ll try to get him back on a split contract, but I wouldn’t be too sure.
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Come on folks, Webb will not be starting for the Pirates. Jeez.. you have to think broken down AND no upside left in the tank to be able to start fitting the pieces to our future rotation puzzle. If Webb does eventually grace our roster, then you can believe he’ll only be here to get continuing medical treatment while on the DL. Get my drift?
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Funny responses of the week:
“19-20-21″
That was the response I got from a player who asked who the current coaches for the Pirates were. He was talking about three additional losing seasons on top of the 18 we have already mounted, of course. I don’t think I’ve ever heard so much negativism around the Bucs over field staff as I have about the group we have put together.
“They’re getting serious over there, aren’t they?”
“Whoooooo?”
Unbelievable, considering they haven’t even taken the field yet.
Things have to get better. Have to.
Original Story:
http://newbucs.com/2010/12/02/hardy-n...
