The Pirates Won't Trade for Starlin Castro

The rumors coming out of Chicago today were stating that the Cubs (18-32 so far in 2012) were about to go into "firesale" mode, offering any player on their roster in a deal with the exception of SP Jeff Samardzija.  That got the baseball gossip train moving on the possibility that SS Starlin Castro, the teams 22-year old phenom, could be had in the right deal.

Shortstop hungry teams (The Pirates included) immediately saw the internet light up with fantasy trade offers for Castro.  Speculation all day was about whom the Pirates would have to give up in a potential deal for the superstar shortstop.  Names like Taillon, Cole, Marte, Allie, etc. were thrown around the message boards and social media realms, with the fan base split 50/50 on whether the Bucs should mortgage their future for a chance to obtain a player who could help them win this season and be under control for another four years.

A few hours later, the Cubs were squashing those rumors at every chance.  Bottom line:  Castro is at the "top of the list" of players who are untouchable in Chicago.  Veterans like SP Ryan Dempster, OF Alfonso Soriano, SP Matt Garza, and even young first baseman Bryan LaHair are all available for the right price.  Even with hefty price tags, starting pitchers with the pedigrees of Dempster and Garza will find homes very easily.  Soriano is a different case, with $48 million remaining on his long-term deal and a declining skill set that has rendered him a mediocre player in his twilight years. 

Let's play devil's advocate for a minute and assume the Pirates are buyers and the Cubs are dangling Starlin Castro out there.  What would it take to acquire him?  The Cubs GM is Theo Epstein, not an easy guy to get over on when it comes to player evaluation and value.  The immediate reaction would be that the Pirates would need to offer a deal that is based around either SP prospect Gerrit Cole or Jameson Taillon, two first-round picks that are being counted on to become the aces of the Bucs future pitching staff.  Of course, we would need to throw in OF Starling Marte for good measure and add a third player out of the B-class prospects (Jeff Locke, Robbie Grossman, etc.).  That would make this deal the biggest gamble the Pirates organization ever undertook.  The odds of GM Neil Huntington giving away the best talent he has accumulated in his tenure is slim, and the odds of the Pirates even talking about Cole/Taillon is even slimmer.  Marte is probably going to be in Pittsburgh by July as the Pirates begin to make decisions on the long-term playability of OF Alex Presley, Gorkys Hernandez, and even Jose Tabata - the latter having regressed badly this season. 

Last season at the trade deadline, the Houston Astros were dangling OF Hunter Pence to contenders for a package that would have to include at least one top prospect.  The Pirates inquired, but didn't like what they heard and settled for minor deals that brought 1B Derrek Lee and OF Ryan Ludwick to the Steel City.  The Philadelphia Phillies pulled the trigger on Pence, and ended up getting him for a package of mid-level talent that made GM Ruben Amaro look like a genius.  How nice would Hunter Pence have looked playing right field in the black and gold this season?  He is currently holding the Phillies lineup together while the team waits for All Stars Ryan Howard and Chase Utley to return from injuries.

As much as we all want to the Pirates to be for real in 2012 - and they very well could be - this team is not going to trade away blue-chippers like Gerrit Cole or Starling Marte for ANYBODY.  It just isn't the way small market teams do business.  The Pirates need to take a lesson from the Tampa Bay Rays, who have been World Series contenders for a few years now and have accomplished that through player development and bargain gems they found on waivers or in the mid-season free agent dump.  The Rays are the cream of the crop when talking about small market clubs, and when the Pirates do contend, it will be by following the same format.

The Bucs will make some deals if they are in the race come July 31.  Perhaps they go out and get a big bat or another lights-out bullpen arm.  Regardless of what they do, they won't be trading all of the aforementioned players and the return package will not include Cubs SS Starlin Castro.  Sorry Pirates fans, but that is reality.

Analyzing the Pirates Offseason Moves

When discussing the Pirates offseason moves, five big names come into play. AJ Burnett, Erik Bedard, Clint Barmes, Rod Barajas and Juan Cruz were all added to the Bucs roster this offseason through free agency or trade. Here is my analysis after the first 50 games of these moves.

Great Charity that everyone needs to check out

What's Wrong with Charlie Morton?

After his first nine outings of the season, Charlie Morton has shown more regression than any other pitcher on the Pirates staff. At one point during last season, I heard Morton being compared to a young Roy Halladay. I am not making that up. This season he has done nothing but disappoint Bucco Nation. So what has happened to Charlie Morton during his up-and-down seasons with the Bucs?

Ike Taylor trying to talk some sense into Mike Wallace

Ike Taylor is the man, good football player, good person, keeps it real. Also a very good teammate, one of the few players that has always supported Ben Roethlisberger over the years. On Tuesday, during his weekly show on TribLive Radio, Taylor spoke about Wallace's state of mind.

Is Ending the Losing Streak all that Matters for the Pirates?

Almost 50 games into the 2012 season the Pirates find themselves with a .500 record and three games back of the division lead. Most of the Pirates faithful would say this is a victory in itself. But with a division that consists of mediocre to downright horrible teams would a .500 record be considered a good season?

PIrates reach .500 Down so long it seems up

Yesterday the Pittsburgh Pirates reached .500 yesterday and everyone was excited about it. "Pirates are at .500 baby!" was a common Facebook status or tweet all day yesterday. Sure, the Pirates are playing good baseball and right are in contention for the division title, and a wild-card spot as of right now.

Pirates Weekly Preview 5/28/12

Current Record: 24-24 (3.0 GB)

Upcoming Schedule

5/28 to 5/30 vs. Cincinnati
6/1 to 6/3 @ Milwaukee

After the 4-1 win over Cincinnati today, the Bucs find themselves sitting at .500, and just 3 games away from first place.  Let us give thanks.

Mcdonald leads Bucs back to .500

James Mcdonald continues to make a strong case for his name to be called at this year's all-star game. Mcdonald pitched 8 scoreless innings as the Pirates defeated the Reds 4-1 on Memorial Day to reach .500 on the season at 24-24.

Pirates Sweep Cubs, Edge Closer to .500

Christmas came early for the Pirates this year. Going into the weekend series the Pirates were on pace to score the fewest runs in a season since 1962. Low and behold, the Chicago Cubs came to town. Having lost 9 straight before the series started, the Cubs own the worst record in baseball. After squeaking by the first 2 games winning 1-0 and 3-2, the Bucs erupted for 10 runs on Sunday, their most in a game this season.

Happy Memorial Day!

A special thank you to the readers of 412sportstalk.com!  This is the Memorial Day logo we are using for my podcast over at www.steelworldorder.com and I figured it was so cool I would share it with you fine readers here!

Happy Memorial Day from Jeff Snedden and the crew here at www.412sportstalk.com!

Pirates DFA OF Nate McLouth

Nate McLouth's celebrated return to the organization that spawned him to a 2008 All Star Game appearance and a chance at big league glory lasted all of 44 games.  The Pirates - desperate to awaken from a season-long team-wide batting slump - designated McLouth for assignment today.  The Pirates gave McLouth a chance to take his troubles to Indianapolis in an attempt to change his fortunes, but McLouth has decided to part ways with the organization.

This was a tough call for the Bucs, who fully understood the commitment the outfielder felt for the franchise.  After being re-signed in the offseason, McLouth did several interviews where he reiterated his desire to be a Pirate and how he never wanted to play anywhere else.  The Pirates traded McLouth to Atlanta in June 2009 in a deal that netted the Bucs SP Charlie Morton and OF Gorkys Hernandez.  McLouth never seemed to find his way with the Braves, and lasted only three injury filled seasons before the team declined his option last winter.  The deal that sent McLouth to the Braves initially was used to open a roster spot for rookie OF Andrew McCutchen, who has since become of the best players in the game.

The odds are now against McLouth to make it back to the major leagues.  He has seemingly lost his way as a hitter, and will need a team to give him an opportunity to work out his issues.  Why he declined the trip to AAA offered by the Bucs is unknown, since after hitting .140 and going hitless in his final 20 at-bats, the best he will be offered is the same chance with another club. 

We hope that Nate McLouth finds his way.  He is a genuine guy who loved Pittsburgh and always wanted to be here.  While things didn't work out the way we all thought it would, McLouth is still a tough guy to root against.  It will be interesting to see what direction his career heads now, as he has officially hit the low mark of his seven year career.

Change is a good thing. F ESPN

According to ESPN "experts", the Pittsburgh Steelers have had too many changes on their roster and team this year. Which is a lot different than last year when they all said that the Steelers were too old. Maybe ESPN just hates the Steelers? 

Pirates Ranking Dead Last in Most Offensive Categories

After 44 games the Pirates should feel lucky to be 20-24. With an ERA ranking fourth in the major leagues, pitching has been the savior for the Bucs thus far. The Pirates currently rank dead last in runs scored, RBIs, team average, walks and on base percentage in all of the major leagues. 

Andrew McCutchen Blossoming Into Star

Expectations for Andrew McCutchen have been very high as the years go by. He has not dissapointed this season for the Bucs. After going without a home run for nearly 30 games, Cutch has rediscovered his power swing from last season.

Chris Rainey please be Darren Sproles

behindthesteelcurtain.com

I wanted to write something on Chris Rainey, the Pittsburgh Steelers 5th round pick. Rainey is a running back out of the University of Florida for those of you who were not aware. Rainey is insanely talented and very multiskilled at almost all aspects in football.

A Quick Look at Josh Harrison

Josh Harrison is perhaps the most exciting player to watch on the 2012 Pirates, but amazingly enough most fans have no idea how "The J-Hay Kid" ended up in the Steel City.

A quick look at the career of the Pirates do-it-all super-utility player and what his future may hold for the Bucs.

Mike Wallace continues to screw the Pittsburgh Steelers

Coutesy of Evil Shero

The Pittsburgh Steelers OTAs begin this coming Tuesday and Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace will not be there. Mandatory minicamp is June 12-14, which Wallace is also likely to miss. The Steelers have a brand new offensive coordinator and all new terminology in their offense. So these events are kind of important, to say the least.

Pirates Weekly Preview 5/21/12

Current record: 19-22 (3.0 GB)

Upcoming Schedule
vs. Mets 5/21 to 5/23
vs. Cubs 5/25 to 5/27


A lack of offense still eats at the Pirates.

Evgeni Malkin leads Russia to Gold at the World Championships

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin continues to add onto his amazing 2011-2012 season. Malkin helped Russia win the gold medal at the IIHF world championships.On top of that Malkin led the tournament in scoring and was named MVP.

Should the Pirates fire Hitting Coach Gregg Ritchie?

Sitting at 19-22 after today's 4-3 loss in Detroit, the Pirates are in the unique situation of being three games under .500, yet still within striking distance of the division leading Cardinals.  This past weekend once again showed that the Pirates are not yet ready for prime-time.  A three-game series in Detroit, a team packed with talent but playing well below their pedigree, should have given the Pirates an opportunity to pounce on their first inter league series of the 2012 season.  Granted, they ran into the Verlander Express on Friday night - but a one-hitter?  Verlander came within two outs of being the first pitcher to no-hit the Pirates in over four decades. 

PNC Park Offers Fun for All Ages

Whether you're looking for somewhere to take the kids or a night on the town look no further than PNC Park. Widely considered the best stadium in baseball, PNC Park is a great place for people of all ages. Wheter your a fan of baseball or not, it's hard to leave the ballgame without a smile on your face. From concerts to fireworks, a night at the ballgame can be a joyous event.

Pittsburgh Power vs Kansas City Command : Prediction and Preview

Let's roll through the facts for a moment. The Pittsburgh Power (2-7) have placed themselves in an almost impossible situation because of their inability to hang onto the football. Pittsburgh is dead last in the AFL in turnover margin at -15 and continually find ways to lose games.

Pittsburgh Steelers Profile: Brandon Lindsey by Lisa Stover

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The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed Brandon Lindsey, from the Pittsburgh Panthers, and he couldn’t be more excited. Sure, it must of hurt that Lindsey finished this year’s draft…well, undrafted, but seriously what player could be mad about joining the Steelers? This is the team that makes NFL players.

McCutchen Homers Twice as Bucs roll 5-3

J Mac looked sharp picking up his 3rd Win

Andrew McCutchen homered twice and Rod Barajas added a two-run homer propelling the Bucs to a 5-3 win in Washington. James McDonald pitched 5 hitless innings before allowing 3 runs in the 6th but was able to pick up his 3rd victory of the season. Mcdonald struck out 11 batters including nine of the first twelve he faced.

Five Questions Steeler Fans Should Be Asking

1. How much longer will Big Ben play?
Big Ben turned 30 in March. It seems like it was just yesterday that he was selected as the 11th overall pick. Seriously, does it really seem that long ago? Yeah, well try 8 years.

Ed Reed might not play football in 2012

Baltimore Raven's All-Pro and future Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed told a Baltimore radio station that he is not committed to playing football this upcoming season. Wow that's big news.

Via Si.com

Pirates Facing Important Roster Decisions

Josh Harrison making his case for more playing time.

Through almost a fourth of the season, Clint Hurdle will be forced to earn his paycheck and make some important decisions for the Bucs. While I am not sure how much influence upper management has on his decisions ( I bet it's a whole lot ), Hurdle will still be faced with the tough task of setting the Pirate lineup night in and night out.

Zybnek Michalek willing to move his non-trade clause via Mark Madden

 Justin K. Aller/Getty Images North America

According to Mark Madden of 105.9 the X, Zybnek Michalek is willing to waive his nonmovement clause with the Pittsburgh Penguins. For the sake of the Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans, I hope Madden is wrong, which wouldn't be a big surprise.

Pirates Have no Answer for Laroche, fall 7-4 to Nats

Erik Bedard allowed four earned runs, three on solo homers, as the Pirates struck too late losing to the Nationals 7-4 on Wednesday night. Gio Gonzalez, a free agent pickup from Oakland whom the Pirates showed interest in, struck out 10 Buccos in 7 innings to improve to 5-1 on the season.

Moving Willie Colon to guard is the right call

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to impress me this off season. First they cut longtime veterans who were past their prime and set to make way too much money. Then they drafted two offensive linemen in the 2012 draft with their 1st and 2nd round picks. Now they have moved Willie Colon from tackle to guard.

Small Payroll Teams Making Big Splash

Bob Nutting, Pirates owner, vows to turn things around in Pittsburgh

Over the past few weeks I have read many stories and comments on how the Pirates will NEVER have a winning record with Bob Nutting as the owner. While the point has been validated so far, baseball's recent history has shown that teams with lower payrolls have been very successful. 

Baron Batch, another Pittsburgh Steelers player using Twitter for no good

Baron Batch, the beloved Pittsburgh Steelers 2nd year running back has been making quite a name for himself, twitter. Batch, who was a 7th round pick for the Steelers last year, was supposed to compete for the Steelers 3rd down back job as a rookie. Instead, Batch tore his ACL and was out for the season. Sucks.

Bucs Can't Reach .500, Fall 6-2 in Miami

Bucs Can't Reach .500, Fall 6-2 in Miami

Kevin Correia has pitched extremely well on the road during his short career with the Pirates. He started off strong again tonight, but allowed 6 earned runs in 3.2 inning with five of the runs coming in the 4th inning as the Bucs fell 6-2 to the Miami Marlins. 

Is Clint Hurdle the right manager for the Pirates?

Over the past few games the Pirates have shown poor baserunning skills and mental relapses at many different points in the ballgame. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle has also been widely criticized for his choice of pinch hitters in certain situations. 

Starling Marte key to future Pirate success

Starling Marte is a 23 year outfielder from the Domincan Republic. He has been in the Pirates system since age 18 and has batted over .300 in each of his stints in the minor leagues. He has started in the Futures game and dazzled in spring training this year for the Pirates. But spring training is spring training and not much was made of the young Marte's spring play. However, Marte is key to the Pirates future and his presence in the outfield may be needed sooner than most would have thought. 

Byslma Should be on the Hot Seat

Yeah the Pittsburgh Penguins played awful against the Philadelphia Flyers and thus got beat in six games.  To say the least, the Pens got their ass whooped. A lot of criticism was and has been thrown around. Pens fans have suggested trading Evgeni Malkin(dumb), Sidney Crosby(retarded), Marc-Andre Fleury(idiotic), and of course Jordan Staal, which I wouldn't be a fan of but it is the most logical.

Lincoln, Alvarez help Pirates win 3rd straight

The Pirates used a strong outing from Brad Lincoln and a clutch RBI double from Pedro Alvarez to defeat the Miami Marlins 3-2 in the new Marlins stadium. The win gives the Pirates a 3 game winning streak, their longest of the season so far.

McCutchen, Pirates benefit from Alvarez at Cleanup

Since moving to the cleanup spot on May 5th, Pedro Alvarez has done nothing but disappoint in the numbers category. Going 2-25 (.080 avg) with 0 homers and just 1 RBI, there isn't much to merit Alvarez as being productive in the 4 spot. But you must look around the Alvarez stats and see what it has done for Andrew McCutchen and the Pirates. 

Pirates Weekly Preview 5/14/12

Current Record: 16-18 (4.0 GB)

Upcoming Schedule
5/14 to 5/15 @ Miami
5/16 to 5/17 @ Washington
518 to 5/20 @ Detroit

Not a bad week for the Buccos.  Andrew McCutchen certainly made his presence felt with two four-hit games, (can you say, MVP status?),  Tabata is proving that he actually may be capable of playing consistent baseball, and overall the squad went 4-2.  Now, a road trip awaits.

Big Ben and James Harrsion both in the Top 5 Most Hated Players

Well Steeler Nation here's a list that you may or may not be surprised to see two of your star players on. Yahoo came out with a list today of the 5 most hated players in the NFL. Lisa Stewart, not sure who she is came up with list without saying what criteria she used to compile it. Doesn't say if fans or players voted, so maybe this list is just according to her. 

Will the Pirates Losing Streak Ever End?

All records eventually come to an end. At some point, the Pirates streak of losing seasons will have to end as well. For fans in Pittsburgh, a .500 or above record at the end of September would be as rewarding as winning a World Series. Consensus opinion around the city believes that the roster the Pirates have pieced together is not good enough to reach this mark. Call me crazy, but I believe this is the year we stop the streak. Before you stop reading this story and curse my name, remember that I am not saying we are going to the playoffs, I'm just saying we're going to be .500. 

AJ Burnett Signing Looking Really Good for the Bucs

When the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired AJ Burnett I was a fan of the move. Burnett, who is a former All Star pitcher, struggled the last few seasons with the New York Yankees. I still wasn't concerned though. Playing for the Yankees and playing for the Pirates is almost like comparing living on Earth to living in outer space. 

Not Re-Signing Rob Scuderi Will Haunt the Pittsburgh Penguins

As the band Cinderella once sang "You don't know what you got til it's gone". So damn true.In life you truly do not know what you got until it's gone. I know personally, I have regretted multiple decisions of letting people go out of my life for one reason or another.Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ray Shero should feel this way about failing to re-sign defenseman Rob Scuderi after the 2008-2009 season.

Strasburg K's 13 as Nats defeat Pirates 4-2

Pirate hitters fanned 15 times, 13 of them to Stephen Strasburg as the Nationals avoided the sweep with a 4-2 victory on Thursday night. Kevin Correia started strong for the Bucs but allowed 3 earned on runs on two homers in the 6th inning to fall to 1-3 on the campaign. 

Pirates Weighing Options with 8th Overall Pick

Major League baseball released the schedule of events for this years draft a few hours ago. Most teams are pretty aware of who they will select with the draft set for June 4-6. The Pirates are in unfamilar territory however, drafting at 8th overall as they have been in the top 5 for the previous 6 seasons. Consensus around the league is that this years crop of young talent is not very deep, but will still provide many talented major leaguers for years to come. With many of our former first round selections making an impact today, the Pirates will look to continue their early round success with this years class.

McCutchen Shines as Pirates Win Second Straight

In front of a dismal crowd on Wednesday night, the Pirates took advantage of a sloppy Nationals team to win their second straight ballgame 4-2. The Pirates used a handful of pitchers after an Erik Bedard injury to take the second of the three game set. Andrew McCutchen homered for the second time in as many nights and finished 4-4 on the night to bring the Bucs two games below .500.

Mike Wallace is a F*cking Moron

I guess the headline of this post says it all, Mike Wallace of the Pittsburgh Steelers is literally a moron. Of course as a Steelers fan I'm upset that he's threatening a hold-out and is holding the Steelers hostage. That is not the only reason he is a moron though. I literally think if he took a I.Q. test he would fail, and I'm not even sure you can fail those things.

Should the Pirates Trade Hanrahan?

Dealing The Hammer a Tricky Situation for Bucs

It is not a secret anymore that the Pirates All Star closer Joel Hanrahan may be on the trading block. With a rash of injuries and poor performances from closers throughout the league, a dependable ninth inning workhouse is what every winning team must have. With that said, are the Pirates willing to deal their franchise closer? The answer may not be what you want to hear.