It'll take a lot of Cayones to make the Pirates good again.

Until these guys get to the States, it's hard to tell what the Pirates actually have.

Marte's got two years in toward Rule 5, and he's 20 already. How does it help the Pirates to start him at Bradenton next year?

-- MWE

Well, if Marte's really that good, he should be able to skip State College. Then he'll have two years to get through class A and will be an appropriate stage to be on the roster. If he's really that good.

I don't know whether anybody's ever compiled data on this, but I doubt the sort of guys who end up as above-average major leaguers typically spend four years getting through the R, short season and class A levels. If Marte spends 2011 at West Virginia, it'll probably just show he's basically Jamie Romak or whatever and he won't be selected in Rule 5 anyway.