40.2 F
Pittsburgh

Premium Article Drop

Pirates Prospects Daily

Pirates Win Opener in Extra Innings

The Pittsburgh Pirates won in extra innings on Opening Day, beating the Miami Marlins by a 6-5 score after a Jared Triolo RBI single...

Prospect Watch

ARCHIVES

How Can the Pirates Improve Internally?

Any time a move is made during the off-season, the same question gets brought up: how does this improve the team for the following...

Roster Updates And Playoff Games

An update on some recent roster moves by the Pirates:

Pitcher Jose Veras took a few days, but did sign a minor league contract with the Pirates.  Veras is a 30-year-old who was first signed by the Rays in 1998.  He began playing in the US in 2002, and split both the 2003 and 2004 at the AA and AAA levels.  He was granted free agency after 2004 and was signed by the Rangers for 2005, spending that season at the AAA level, where he made 57 relief appearances with a 3.80 ERA.  Veras signed with the Yankees after that, and pitched in their organization for the next 3+ seasons.  He split that time between the AAA level (2.56 ERA in 95 innings, with 115 strikeouts) and the major league club (4.50 ERA in 102 innings, with 94 strikeouts).  The 2008 season was his best of those, with 60 relief appearances for the Yankees and 3.59 ERA and a 5-3 record.  In 2009, the Yankees traded Veras to the Cleveland Indians, where he finished the last 3 months of the season.  The Dominican native made 22 relief appearances for Cleveland with a 1-2 record and a 4.38 ERA, with 22 strikeouts.  He signed with the Marlins for 2010 and began the season in AAA New Orleans.  He began the season slowly, but got better in May and was tough in June:  a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings (10 games) with 12 strikeouts.  That earned him a promotion to the Marlins, where he finished the season with 48 relief appearances.  In 48 innings, he earned a 3-3 record and a 3.75 ERA with 54 strikeouts.  Veras did not play winter ball this off-season.  The righty will be competing for a spot in the Pirates' bullpen

C Wyatt Toregas has also been inked to a minor league contract.  He was the Cleveland Indians' 24th pick in the 2004 draft, and began his pro career in 2005, reaching the AAA level in 3008 and the major leagues in 2009.  Toregas hit .284 for the Columbus Clippers (AAA) in 60 games in 2009, with 7 homers and 69 RBI.  In 19 appearances for the Indians in that season, he hit only.176 with 6 RBI.  The Virginia native was still on the Indians' 40-man roster at the beginning of 2010, but spent the entire season in the minor leagues, possibly battling injuries.  At AA Akron, he got into just 17 games, hitting .203 with one home run and 6 RBI.  At AAA Columbus, he was in just 14 games and hit .200 with 2 homers and 6 RBI.  He has a slim chance of sticking with the Pirates out of spring training, but will more likely be in Indianapolis to begin 2011.

In addition to Veras and Toregas, a few other minor leaguers have been invited to big league camp for spring training:  catchers Tony Sanchez and Eric Fryer, infielders Chase d'Arnaud and Brian Friday, and outfielder Andrew Lambo.  


The Pre-Sales Have Shipped

One final update on the status of the pre-sales.  Yesterday I received the books, and after pulling an all-nighter (thank you, The Walking Dead...

Pirates and Ohlendorf Exchange Figures

After signing Joel Hanrahan to a one year deal earlier today, the Pittsburgh Pirates are left with one arbitration eligible player who is without...

Tough Outing For Ramos; Latimore Back In Action

The winter league playoffs are winding down.  The Puerto Rican League championship series (best of 7) between Los Criollos de Caguas and Los Leones de Ponce will begin on Wednesday.  The Dominican League championship series will be played between Los Estrellas de Oriente and Los Toros del Este, and that series (best of 9) will also begin on Wednesday.  

VENEZUELAN LEAGUE 
Caribes de Anzoategui  4,  Bravos de Margarita  2  --  Jean Machi pitched a perfect top of the 9th inning for Margarita, but it was too late.  Los Bravos scored first, with a solo homer in the 4th.  Los Caribes tied the score in the 6th with a run on a single and a double.  They added 2 unearned runs in the 7th, started with a fielding error and a bunt.  With two outs, Jhonathan Ramos came on in relief for Margarita, but he gave up a double and a single, each of which drove in a run.  Another solo home run gave Los Caribes an insurance run in the top of the 8th.  Los Bravos rallied in the bottom of the 8th, scoring on three doubles, but the rally ended there, giving Los Caribes the win.

Tigres de Aragua  4,  Aguilas de Zulia  2  --  LF Lastings Milledge started Los Tigres' 3-run rally with a lead-off single in the 2nd inning.  A sacrifice bunt with a throwing error and a single with a fielding error brought in two runs, and a sacrifice fly added the third run.  CF Jorge Cortes also doubled for Aragua in that inning.  Milledge worked the second of two walks in the 5th inning, and an insurance run came in on an RBI single.  Milledge also walked in the 3rd inning.  Zulia scored one run in the 6th on a double, a single, and a sacrifice fly, and they also collected a solo homer in the 8th.  


MEXICAN PACIFIC LEAGUE
Algodoneros de Guasave  8,  Tomateros de Culiacan  2  --  
Guasave had two big innings in their win.  The 5th began with a solo homer, then a hit batter, two singles, and a ground out added 2 more runs.  They scored 4 more in the 7th, after two outs had been recorded.  A hit batter and two singles brought in one run.  Another hit batter loaded the bases, and an RBI single plated a run.  1B Yurendell de Caster drove in 2 more runs with a double.  SS Luis Cruz went 0-for-4 for Culiacan.  The win gives Guasave the series win (4 games to 2) and advances them to the championship round, where they will face Los Yaquis de Obregon, beginning on Friday.


AUSTRALIAN LEAGUE
Adelaide Bite  6,  Brisbane Bandits  1  --  
DH Quincy Latimore was back in action in Australia early on Wednesday morning with the Bite.  He walked in his first at-bat, then in his second trip to the plate, he drove in the Bite's first two runs with an RBI double.  Two walks and a wild pitch had given the Bite two runners in scoring position in the top of the 3rd, ready for Latimore to bring them in.  The Bandits got one run back in the bottom of the 4th.  Adelaide came back with another run on a hit batter, a walk, and a double in the 6th.  The Bite added 3 more runs in the top of the 9th, beginning with a solo homer.  A double, two singles, and a sacrifice fly plated two more runs.  Latimore reached base on an error in the 8th, and was replaced by a pinch-runner.  





The Pre-Sales Ship Tomorrow

I received the first shipment of books tonight, a day earlier than expected, and will be working the rest of the evening to get...

Pirates Sign Wyatt Toregas to Minor League Deal

The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed Wyatt Toregas to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com....

Pirates Invite Five to Spring Training

According to Rob Biertempfel, the Pittsburgh Pirates have invited five more players to Spring Training.  The new non-roster invitees are catchers Tony Sanchez and...

Pirates, Joel Hanrahan Agree to One Year Deal

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Joel Hanrahan have agreed to a one year deal, avoiding arbitration, according to Rocco DeMaro on Twitter.  No word yet...

2011 Prospect Guide Shipping Update

Following up on the update from Sunday, the 2011 Prospect Guide was shipped out to me yesterday, and the estimated delivery is Wednesday.  That...

Ascanio Earns Win Despite Big Hits By Milledge And Gimenez

Checking in on Pirates' players and friends in the winter league playoffs on Monday...

PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE
 Criollos de Caguas  2,  Senadores de San Juan  1 --
Los Criollos broke a 1-1 tie with a run in the bottom of the 9th.  SS Luis Figueroa walked, and moved to second base on a balk.  After an intentional walk, an RBI single let the speedy Figueroa score from second base for the walk-off win.  The win moves Caguas into second place in the round robin tournament, with Los Leones de Ponce in first place, San Juan in third, and Carolina fourth.

 
VENEZUELAN LEAGUE
Leones de Caracas  8,  Tigres de Aragua  5  --  
Los Tigres de Aragua posted 15 hits, but their 4 errors came back to hurt them.  Caracas scored first, with 2 runs in the top of the 1st, on 3 singles and an error.  Los Tigres responded with 2 runs in the bottom of the inning, on a walk, and 3 singles, including liners up the middle by 1B Hector Gimenez and LF Lastings Milledge.  C Carlos Maldonado gave Los Leones the lead again in the top of the 4th with a solo home run.  Milledge tied the score again in the bottom of the frame with a lead-off single, scoring on a double and a sacrifice fly.  Then Aragua forged ahead to score 2 runs in the 5th, on a lead-off double, an RBI double by Gimenez, and an RBI single by Milledge.  Two singles and an error gave them another run in the 6th, for a 6-3 lead.  Caracas came closer in the 7th inning, when Maldonado led off with a walk.  Another walk and two RBI singles brought in 2 runs, cutting Los Tigres' lead to 6-5.  The top of the 9th began with a single, a sacrifice bunt, and an RBI double for Los Leones.  A walk and a single added another run, but a fielding error by Milledge in left field allowed the go-ahead
run to score.  Los Tigres could not answer in the bottom of the inning.  1B Raul Chavez singled for Los Tigres, but did not score.  LF Mike Ryan was hitless for Los Leones.  Jose Ascanio pitched the bottom of the 8th for Caracas.  He gave up 2 singles, but left both runners on base.  He was the pitcher of record when the winning runs scored in the top of the 9th, so was credited with the win.  

Los Caribes de Anzoategui beat Los Aguilas de Zulia 5-2 in the other Venezuelan game.  There is still another week to go in this round robin tournament.  Tonight's results mean that Los Caribes, Los Leones, and Los Tigres are all tied in first place with identical 8-5 records.  


The Dominican League
round robin playoffs ended with Los Toros del Este on top.  Los Estrellas de Oriente and Los Gigantes del Cibao tied for second place, and Los Leones del Escogido finished in fourth place.  Los Estrellas will face Los Toros del Este in the championship series.

The Mexican Pacific League was off on Monday.  Los Algodoneros de Guasave are leading Los Tomateros de Culiacan 3 games to 2 in the semifinal round of the playoffs.  The winner of this 7-game series will face Los Yaquis de Obregon in the finals.  

Pirates Exchange Figures With Hanrahan and Ohlendorf Tomorrow

The Pittsburgh Pirates will exchange arbitration figures with Joel Hanrahan and Ross Ohlendorf tomorrow, moving them one step closer to getting all of their...
Pirates Prospects Daily

Pirates Prospects delivered to your inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.