Tag: Pittsburgh Pirates (Page 4 of 5)

      Five MLB trades that don’t need to happen

      June 15, 2009 /

      I get it – baseball trades are fun. They’re fun to speculate about, they’re fun to debate and they’re fun to analyze. But just because a club needs a bat, an arm or is just looking to shrink salary, doesn’t mean that a trade needs to happen.

      I’ve compiled a list of five trade rumors and where they originated. I then discuss why each of them makes sense, but why they also don’t necessarily need to happen.

      Rumor #1: The Red Sox will trade for Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
      Why it makes sense: Boston is growing impatient waiting for Jed Lowrie to recover from a wrist injury that has held him out since mid-April. They’re also tired of watching Julio Lugo (who is equally bad offensively as he is defensively) make a mockery of the game whenever he trots onto the field. While Nick Green has done well filling in for Lowrie while he’s been hurt and for Lugo while he continues to work on being the most overpaid player in professional sports, the Sox feel they could do better with Wilson. (There’s also a rumor making the rounds that Boston wouldn’t have to give up any top prospects in order to acquire Wilson – they just would need to take on the rest of his salary.)
      Why it doesn’t need to happen: Wilson is excellent defensively, but he brings very little to the table in terms of offense. He’s also overpaid himself, as he’ll make $7.25 million this year and $8.4 million in 2010 despite being limited at the dish. While waiting for Lowrie to return to the field has been a slow death for the Sox, he’s cheaper than Wilson and gives the team a better overall player at the position (when he’s healthy, of course). Plus, Green has played well and Boston might be better served holding onto prospects in order to make a more productive move around the trade deadline (i.e. adding another bat in case David Oritz plans on hitting south of .200 all season) than one involving Wilson.

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      MLB

      Braves acquire Nate McLouth from Pirates

      June 4, 2009 /

      In an effort to try and inject life into their stagnant offense, the Braves acquired outfielder Nate McLouth from the Pirates in exchange for prospects Charlie Morton, Jeff Locke and Gorkys Hernandez.

      The Braves acquired a speedy slugger who can bat anywhere in the top half of their order, and who they’ll have under contract for three or four more seasons.

      McLouth joins a Braves outfield that was tied for last in the majors with 10 homers through Tuesday, and finished last with 27 homers in 2008. He almost single-handedly matched the Braves’ outfield total with his career-high 26 homers in 2008, when he hit .276.

      He stole 23 bases in 26 attempts in 2008, and he has not been caught stealing this season.
      The Braves paid a hefty price: Morton was 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA in 10 starts at Gwinnett, and Hernandez, 21, hit .316 with 11 doubles, two triples, 19 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 52 games at Class AA Mississippi.

      Locke, 21, was 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in 10 starts for Class A Myrtle Beach.
      It may seem like the Braves gave up a lot in this deal, but Hernandez might be the only real loss seeing as how Locke is struggling and Morton might not have cracked the starting rotation anytime soon.

      McLouth is a solid hitter, can play center, is locked up cheap throughout the next couple of years and seeing as how he’s only owed $2 million this season, the Braves still have room to make another move or two.

      As of now, it would appear that the Braves got the better end of this deal, which is no surprise considering their trade partner was the Pirates.

      MLB

      Carlos Zambrano ejection video

      May 28, 2009 /

      Yesterday I posted about Cubs’ starter Carlos Zambrano being ejected during a game against the Pirates after going bananas on home plate umpire Mark Carlson.

      Well here’s the video of Big Z’s tirade:

      Love the bat-to-the-cooler part, although it kind of reminds me of one Andrew Bernard’s reaction in an episode of “The Office” when Jim hides his cell phone in the ceiling tiles and he can’t find it.

      Classic.

      MLB, Video

      Zambrano goes bananas in game against Pirates, likely to be suspended

      May 27, 2009 /

      Cubs’ starter Carlos Zambrano went ape crap in a game against the Pirates on Wednesday and was ejected after bumping into umpire Mark Carlson.

      Upset with a call Carlson made at home plate, Zambrano made a huge scene, mimicking ejecting Carlson from the game, throwing a ball into left field, throwing his glove against the dugout screen and taking a bat to a Gatorade fountain.

      The Arlington Daily Herald expects that Big Z will be suspended for his actions:

      After uncorking a wild pitch, Zambrano thought he had tagged Nyjer Morgan, who was racing down from third base. Umpire Mark Carlson called Morgan safe, and Zambrano went ballistic. He got into Carlson’s face and then bumped him with his shouder or forearm, earning the heave-ho. Then, Zambrano made a show of things. He signaled that he had thrown Carlson out of the game. He tossed the ball into left field and then flung his glove against the dugout screen. He finished by taking a bat to the Gatorade fountain in the dugout. (Putting the fountain there was inviting that kind of stuff; Ryan Dempster punched it out the other day.)

      Figure Zambrano to miss at least 1 start with a suspension. Lefty Ted Lilly may get something for jumping the dugout fence the other night to take on umpire Bob Davidson, getting himself tossed. Already, Milton Bradley has been suspended for two games (reduced to one) for an argument in April with ump Larry Vanover.

      Well, nobody can ever claim that Big Z doesn’t show emotion. Maybe the tirade will breathe a little life into the recently dreadful Cubs, who have won two straight, but who had previously lost eight straight before their win Tuesday against the Bucs.

      MLB

      Wife of Pirates’ player implicated in infant abduction

      March 25, 2009 /

      In one of the more bizarre stories of the week, Pirates’ 20-year old outfielder Jose Tabata’s wife was questioned Tuesday on charges of taking an infant and could be charged with false imprisonment.

      Amalia Tabata Pereira, 43, allegedly abducted the infant Monday afternoon and reportedly turned the child in to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday afternoon. The girl is safe, police said.

      “I was shocked to be told today that my wife has been arrested for kidnapping,” Tabata said in a statement. “I am hurt, frustrated and confused by her actions. I have and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement officials in any way that I can. Until I have all of the facts, I cannot comment any further.”

      The suspect married the 20-year-old Pirates Minor League outfielder in January 2008, according to Hillsborough County records. Tabata came to the Pirates last summer from the Yankees in the Xavier Nady trade. He is currently in Minor League camp in Bradenton, Fla.

      The baby, Sandra Cruz-Francisco, was taken from her mother, Rosa Sirilo-Francisco, at about 3 p.m. on Monday by a woman her family simply knew as “Janet,” Plant City police told The AP.

      According to the Tampa Tribune, Sirilo-Francisco took the baby to the Plant City Health Department for a checkup and met “Janet,” who claimed to be an immigration official and told the mother that immigration officers were waiting at her home to deport her and the baby’s father to Mexico. “Janet” said she would help the parents, but she needed to take the baby.

      The Tribune reports that the two women then drove the baby to a farm where the baby’s father works, where “Janet” relayed the same story to him. Soon after, the mother gave “Janet” the baby. This story has yet to be confirmed by Plant City police, according to The AP.

      This is one hell of a story and while I have many questions, my first is – what is a 20-year old doing marrying a 43-year old? Freaking strange.

      MLB

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