http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco a Pittsburgh Pirates blog Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:37:42 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Just in case anyone was still wondering if the Pirates should/could have signed Jason Bay to a long-term deal, as opposed to trading him. Via SI.com: Star free agent outfielder Jason Bay has declined Boston's initial contract offer and will head to full free agency, SI.com has learned. Boston's offer to ... http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco/2009/11/19/more-former-pirate-news.html The Cubs are expected to sign John Grabow to a two-year deal worth about $7.5 million today. If you want to learn why this is a poor move by the Cubs, check out Dave Cameron’s article over at FanGraphs. Personally, I thought this might be a good time ... http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco/2009/11/19/the-value-of-a-reliever.html I only have a few minutes on my lunch break, but I wanted to briefly touch on the Ryan Doumit trade rumor. I advocated trading Doumit last offseason (archived post cut off during MVN transitioin), as I was not convinced that he would be able to duplicate his 2008 performance. ... http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco/2009/11/13/what-can-the-pirates-expect-in-exchange-for-ryan-doumit.html I am home from work due to an illness today, so clearly there has been just one thought running through my mind.  "I should have used tRA* instead of tRA in that post I wrote a few weeks ago."  tRA* is a regressed version of tRA, making it a better ... http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco/2009/11/06/quick-update-using-tra.html Yesterday’s trade of Jesse Chavez for Akinori Iwamura was hardly a blockbuster. The Pirates traded a replacement level reliever for an average second baseman, filling a hole for the time being and allowing Delwyn Young to return to pinch-hitting duties. Iwamura will not turn the Pirates into a contender or ... http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco/2009/11/04/could-pirates-surprise-in-2010.html It has been seventeen years since the Pirates finished .500. Everyone knows that. Let's have a look at the top 10 things that contributed to the streak, starting the clock at December 8, 1992. That's the day that Barry Bonds signed with the San Francisco Giants. 10. Not signing Reggie Sanders ... http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco/2009/11/03/top-10-worst-happenings-of-the-pirates-futility-streak.html The Pirates have reportedly acquired second baseman Akinori Iwamura from the Tampa Rays for reliever Jesse Chavez. Dejan Kovacevic is reporting that the Pirates may also receive a second player in the deal. Iwamura is an average player that had his 2009 season shortened by injury. He should be ... http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco/2009/11/03/pirates-trade-jesse-chavez-to-rays-for-akinori-iwamura.html The Pirates removed relievers Craig Hansen, Denny Bautista and Chris Bootcheck from the 40-man roster today. It is not surprising that any of these players were removed, although it is nice to see Neal Huntington's willingness to part ways with Hansen. He was acquired in the Jason Bay ... http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco/2009/10/20/hansen-bautista-bootcheck-removed-from-40-man.html It is often said that the Pirates lack a “true ace” starting pitcher, someone that can be counted on to shut down an opponent every time out. This is true; they do not have a true number one. However, a team can do pretty well if it employs ... http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco/2009/10/19/the-starting-rotation.html We found in Part One that the Pirates would have won about 71 games this past season if management stood pat with the roster that began the 2008 season.   Today, let’s see how the team would have done if management threw caution to the wind and tossed a mountain of ... http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco/2009/10/19/an-alternate-2009-part-two.html Perry Hill will not be returning to the Pirates’ coaching staff in 2010. Hill was under contract for the upcoming season, so he cannot join another team’s staff. This is disappointing news, as he clearly lived up to his reputation as a legendary infield instructor last season. ... http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco/2009/10/17/perry-hill-not-returning-searage-promoted.html First of all, my apologies for the recent lack of posting. I have been working on some upcoming posts, and have not had much time to write anything else in the meantime. Regular posting will resume shortly. You probably noticed that the site has a much different look, compared ... http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco/2009/10/17/quick-site-update.html In December, I tried to show that keeping Jason Bay would not have made the Pirates a competitive team in 2009. Looking back, I don't like the process I used in that analysis. For starters, I used each player's 2008 production instead of a 2009 projection. I also didn't project ... http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco/2009/10/06/an-alternate-2009-part-one.html Dejan Kovacevic capped off the 2009 season with ten steps he feels will improve the team in 2010. I figured I would go through the list and add my two cents. Dejan's steps are in bold, with my thoughts following each heading. 10. Focus on Pittsburgh. I agree with this ... http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco/2009/10/06/improving-in-2010.html I was on hand to watch the 2009 season come to a close for my hometown club and my favorite club. Jeff Karstens vs. Homer Bailey at Great American on a mostly sunny mid-60s October afternoon. It was a great day for baseball. But I was perturbed almost from the ... http://mvn.com/pittsburghlumberco/2009/10/05/reds-shutout-bucs-to-end-2009-season.html