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Mercer and D'Arnaud
Written by admin
So we have two weeks until an arbitrator decides the fate of Pedro Alvarez. And the Pirates decided against signing 2nd round pick Tanner Scheppers. But lets focus a little on picks #3 and #4 from the 2008 June MLB draft.
While I feel the Pirates had a plan of drafting the best player available, letting a few guys slip to later rounds with calculated guesses that they would be there because of signability purposes, there is a reason the Bucco’s took shortstop with picks #79 and #114.
No doubt that Jack Wilson’s days are numbered. And while he says he’s perfectly happy playing in Pittsburgh, there are playoff teams out there looking for guys like Wilson to fill their needs. A guy that can come in right now and give you above average defense while hitting at the bottom of your order. He was rumored to be going to Detroit at the 2007 trade deadline in the Tigers playoff pursuit, and rumored to be headed to LA this year in the Dodgers playoff pursuit. I have no doubt he’s traded this winter to a team looking for that one missing piece. Detroit? St. Louis? White Sox?
So how are our draft picks doing? At Single A Hickory, Jordy Mercer is hitting .247 with four home runs and 4 stolen bases. But over his last ten games, his hitting .389.
In 37 games in the NY-Penn league, Chase D’Arnaud is batting .307 with one home run and 12 stolen bases. These young men are still years away, but they are giving the Pirates minor league shortstops to keep their eyes on.
If the Pirates can pull a deal this winter, maybe sending a Zach Duke or a Nyjer Morgan out for a blocked shortstop that can fill the Pirates need for 2009, and let these young guys develop for a year or two, the Bucco’s might have something to look forward too.
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Lost to the Brewers. No surprise there. Gorzo gave up a first inning, 3-run shot to Ryan Braun. Nate McLouth did homer for the Pirates.
I’m actually really surprised the Pirates can’t score a few more runs. Soft-tossing Dave Bush was on the mound. A guy you can tee off of. But the Pirates are just going through the motions now, the season can’t end soon enough.
And while I think we handed 3rd base off to Andy LaRoche a little too soon, how cool would it be to be sharing the same major league infield with your brother? I think he should have had to earn his spot, but at this point in the season I guess we’ll just have to see what he’s got, taking the bad with the…uh…bad.
Filed under: News & Opinion
Mercer has been very steady at short defensively. Nothing spectacular, but he does make the routine plays and gets to a lot of baseballs. No doubt the transition to the wooden bat stumped him at first at the plate, but he has seemed to pick up his game the last month after a truly awful start.
The guy I really liked that several scouts have as well is Jose De Los Santos at short. During last season’s playoff run, he was a key member of the club even though he hit only about .228. The pitchers could relax and pitch knowing this guy would get to about everything. This season, he utilized his speed more at the plate offensively. He was content to put the ball in play and take off. He did make the All-Star team although he tailed off with the bat due to an injury.
Also, one other SS to figure into the equation somewhere, last year’s 3rd round pick, Brian Friday.
Bill what would you consider Luis Cruz is he a prospect or filler? He is 24 years old and is tearing up AAA.
Chris P.,
Cruz is definitely opening some eyes. And I’d imagine he knows that he’s on the short list of possibilities to get a September call up to the bigs. He’s playing extremely well as of late. Hitting close to .340 in Indy. He has two homers in the past three games, knocked in 3 of the Indians 8 runs last night. He has an 8 game hitting streak, with 4 of those games being multi-hit attacks. And he’s only 24, so still prospect age.
I say bring him up. And maybe give his just as much, if not more playing time than Brian Bixler. It won’t be much, but it would send a message to Jack and Freddy that nothing in 2009 is set in stone.
Hickory Mark- maybe OF isn’t the only position of depth with the Pirates now. And that’s exciting to know we have options. If not for the majors, then to maybe trade to acquire other needs.
The Rays get Michel Hernandez from the Buccos for Cash.