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Thursday, June 26, 2008

Reliever acquired; Barthmaier coming up

The Pirates did find outside pitching help, as expected, but it was not for the ailing rotation.

Instead, general manager Neal Huntington added another power arm to the bullpen by acquiring Denny Bautista from Detroit for Class A reliever Kyle Pearson. Bautista, a 27-year-old right-hander, was designated for assignment Friday after posting a 3.02 ERA, 10 strikeouts, 14 walks and 15 hits in 16 appearances for the Tigers.

Bautista will join the team today, at which point another reliever will be removed from the 25-man roster. If that choice is either Sean Burnett or Franquelis Osoria, the Pirates risk losing the pitcher. Burnett can declare free agency the next time the Pirates designate him, and Osoria is out of options, so he would have to clear waivers. T.J. Beam is a candidate to be optioned back.

As for who will start tomorrow and Saturday in place of Ian Snell and Phil Dumatrait: Jimmy Barthmaier will be summoned from Class AAA Indianapolis for the start tomorrow, according to one source, and John Van Benschoten is the favorite to pitch Saturday.

Lots of roster churning on the Pirates, as the search for free talent continues.

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: June 26, 2008 at 12:51 PM | 14 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
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1. MM1f Posted: June 26, 2008 at 01:55 PM (#2833199)

Wow, Jimmy Barthmaier making the bigs.

Good for him

2. Boots Day Posted: June 26, 2008 at 02:11 PM (#2833219)

Shawn Chacon would come cheap.

3. Karl from NY Posted: June 26, 2008 at 02:24 PM (#2833234)

The Pirates did find outside pitching help

Yes, but don't they need strike zone pitching help? <rimshot>

4. JJ1986 Posted: June 26, 2008 at 02:28 PM (#2833236)

It would really suck if Osoria didn't clear waivers. Not for the Pirates, though, for whichever team claimed him.

5. salvomania Posted: June 26, 2008 at 04:52 PM (#2833408)

Has primer seemed a little... sparse... the last day or two?

6. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: June 26, 2008 at 05:01 PM (#2833423)

I could see the Pirates adding Chacon, if the Astros outright cut him.

Barthmaier might be moving a little too quickly here, but it's not like the team has a bunch of quality alternatives ready.

Osoria really isn't that bad. He's probably not ever going to be more than a middle reliever, but he's pitched better than his results this year.

7. pyrite Posted: June 26, 2008 at 05:36 PM (#2833518)

The Dumatrait and Barthmaier acquisitions are exactly the sort of thing the previous administration never did. Neither may amount to anything, but we got them for free. If Littefield were still here, we'd be running Bullington and JVB out there 2 out of every 5 days.

I'm mildly excited to see what Barthmaier can do. He had a 5:1 K:BB ratio at AAA, was a decent prospect with the Astros and has put up good to great numbers every year but 2007. From what I've read, he throws in the low 90s and has a good curveball. If he's good enough to allow the Pirates to shelve/demote Gorzellany for a while when Snell and Dumatriat come back, all the better.

8. Tom Nawrocki Posted: June 26, 2008 at 05:39 PM (#2833526)

Has primer seemed a little... sparse... the last day or two?

Repoz hasn't posted anything since early yesterday morning... I'm sure it will be back to normal as soon as he returns from his day off/comes back from vacation/gets out of rehab.

9. zonk Posted: June 26, 2008 at 06:15 PM (#2833621)

I know everyone gets excited about Bautista's arm -- but he's 27 now and still hasn't shown the slightest inclination towards learning throw strikes.

Is it really wise to be giving up anyone younger for him? I'm sure Pearson is probably organizational fodder...but still.

I suppose if Bautista can find a way to throw strikes for a few weeks, perhaps he can be easily flipped after the all-star break.

10. zonk Posted: June 26, 2008 at 06:16 PM (#2833625)

Repoz hasn't posted anything since early yesterday morning... I'm sure it will be back to normal as soon as he returns from his day off/comes back from vacation/gets out of rehab.

I think everyone's busy piling on Joe Morgan and Omar Vizquel.

11. cardsfanboy

Posted: June 26, 2008 at 06:22 PM (#2833648)

I think everyone's busy piling on Joe Morgan and Omar Vizquel.

isn't it more about Wade and Chacon?

btw what is Barthmaiers projections? I've had him in my simulation league for a while now but I have no idea if he's ever going to pan out.

12. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: June 26, 2008 at 08:19 PM (#2833887)

"I'm sure Pearson is probably organizational fodder..."

He is. Hittable RHP who doesn't strike anybody out, has big problems with LHB, and took six years to get out of A-ball.

Given the generally shambolic state of the Pirates' pen, I think this is a nice upside play.

13. WTM Posted: June 26, 2008 at 08:31 PM (#2833901)

Osoria really isn't that bad. He's probably not ever going to be more than a middle reliever

The Sioux Falls Canaries think otherwise.

but he's pitched better than his results this year.

I suppose that's true, to the extent that when opponents are hitting .335 against you even in tee-ball there's probably some bad luck involved.

14. jwb Posted: June 26, 2008 at 08:34 PM (#2833906)

Has primer seemed a little... sparse... the last day or two?

The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is pleased to announce that its Annual Convention will come to Cleveland, Ohio, from Thursday, June 26 to Sunday, June 29, 2008.

My I recommend Yahoo.uk Sudoku as an alternate time waster?

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Thursday, June 26, 2008

Reliever acquired; Barthmaier coming up

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