The Don Veal Dilemma

In 12 innings over 11 appearances, Don Veal's walked 13 hitters and struck out only 7. He's kept his ERA down nicely, mostly because he's only allowed 4 hits in the same span. Given Veal's recent struggles in the minors, I have to think that the Pirates can't be too pleased to see such poor control out of Veal in camp this spring. So what does the team do? Because Veal is a Rule 5 pick, they have to offer him back to the Cubs if he doesn't make the 25-man roster or they take him off the roster during the season. When Evan Meek struggled last year, the Pirates were able to work out a deal with Tampa to keep Meek for a little bit of cash, but I don't imagine the Cubs will be amenable to that sort of arrangement this year, as Veal has some real upside and the Cubs aren't as pitching rich in the minors as the Rays have been the past few years. This puts the Pirates in a tricky situation. I think Veal is the kind of player they'd like to have in the sy...