Pittsburgh Pirates

In a classic case of why players love baseball's salary arbitration process and owners hate it, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jody Gerut has received a 245-percent raise after a season in which he did next to nothing because of injury.
The Pirates and Gerut, eligible for arbitration for the first time, have agreed on a one-year, $875,000 contract. Gerut made $356,200 last season when he hit a combined .253 with one homer and 14 RBIs in 59 games with Cleveland, the Chicago Cubs and Pirates while recovering from a knee operation the previous September.

Gerut, 28, can add an extra $75,000 in performance bonuses, $35,000 for 500 plate appearances and $40,000 for 550 plate appearances.

The Pirates have four other players in the arbitration process: left-hander Oliver Perez, right-handers Kip Wells and Ryan Vogelsong and outfielder Craig Wilson.

If deals aren't reached with those players, the sides will exchange salary figures Jan. 17 and then and potentially go to hearings in February

It is Christmas morning, and Kevin McClatchy isn't getting what he had hoped for under his tree.
The Pittsburgh Pirates' chief executive officer challenged General Manager Dave Littlefield in November to acquire two quality hitters to surround cornerstone Jason Bay in a popgun lineup.

Littlefield has been able to deliver only half the present so far, acquiring first baseman Sean Casey from the Cincinnati Reds for left-hander Dave Williams. The other half hasn't arrived yet, and chances grow slimmer as the free agent and trade markets are getting picked clean.

Littlefield failed to land third baseman Bill Mueller or outfielder Juan Encarnacion as free agents. The Pirates made an attempt to trade for Arizona third baseman Troy Glaus but couldn't match Toronto's offer.

Littlefield did get a stocking stuffer in reliever Roberto Hernandez, though he is a smaller item and a potentially costly one at $2.75 million for a 41-year-old, who had ERAs over 4.00 for four straight seasons from 2001-04.

Right-hander Victor Santos, the Pirates' other significant off-season addition, is the proverbial lump of coal, considering his 4-13 record and 4.57 ERA for Milwaukee last season. His only attribute is his price tag is smaller than Josh Fogg's.

The Pirates' off-season can't be totally written off as a failure at this point since several weeks remain until pitchers and catchers report to Pirate City. Yet, it's safe to say Pirates fans, who have suffered through 13 straight losing seasons, were hoping for more Christmas cheer than Littlefield has provided during a winter in which the payroll is going up $15 million.

Even the Pirates' biggest move has the potential to be a disappointment when examined closer.

Casey has three All-Star Game appearances, a .305 lifetime batting average and 1,225 hits on his resume.

Furthermore, he is one of the nicest human beings on Earth and a dream come true for the Pirates' public relations and marketing departments since he comes from Upper St. Clair and will be playing in the most provincial city in America.

While new manager Jim Tracy's emphasis on acquiring hitters who put the ball in play and have low strikeout totals is admirable, the Pirates desperately need a big-time power threat in the middle of their lineup. This is, after all, a franchise that hasn't had a 40-home run hitter since Willie Stargell popped 44 in 1973.

Casey has struck out only once every 9.6 plate appearances during his nine major-league seasons. He is also an outstanding breaking-ball hitter - a welcome addition to a lineup that can look silly against soft-tossing pitchers - and his .335 batting average against left-handed pitchers last season was extraordinary for a left-handed hitter.

However, Casey hit only nine home runs in 2005, and his career high is 25. He also has a propensity for hitting ground balls, not a good trait for an exceptionally slow runner as evidenced by his major league-high 27 grounded into double plays last season.

Casey led all major-league first baseman with a .998 fielding percent last season, when he made two errors in 134 games. However, fielding statistics can often be deceiving and most scouts seem to rate Casey's defense as below average because of a lack of range.

Most likely, Casey will be a one-year stopgap until slugging first base prospect Brad Eldred is ready to move into the lineup on a full-time bases. Eldred had 12 homers as a rookie last season, three more than Casey hit in 379 less plate appearances while playing his home games Great American Ball Park, a hitters' haven.

The Pirates believe Eldred needs to work on his strike-zone judgment and defense. However, at 25, Eldred is like most Pirates prospects in that he will seemingly be ready to collect Social Security benefits before he has the requisite six years of major-league service time to quality for free agency.

The hot pursuit of Mueller was rather odd as he is basically a switch-hitting version of Casey, a high-average guy with moderate power. Furthermore, Mueller's OPS (on base plus slugging) has decreased in each of the past two seasons and he is a 34-year-old with back problems in his past.

It would be hard-pressed to think the Pirates wouldn't be as well off with Freddy Sanchez at third base than Mueller. Statistics guru Bill James projects Mueller to hit .283 with 12 homers, 64 RBIs and a .786 OPS next season, and Sanchez to have similar numbers at .301-6-46-.762 at less than one-10th of the $4.75 million Mueller would have made with the Pirates.

The courting of Encarnacion didn't make a lot of sense either as he has had just one 20-homer season in seven full years in the majors.

Craig Wilson is one injury-plagued season away from hitting 29 homers for the Pirates. Yet, it has become quite clear Littlefield would rather pull Derek Bell off his yacht in Tampa to play right field in 2006 than go with Wilson after watching him strike out 169 times in 2004.

It's too bad the Pirates couldn't have swung a deal for Glaus, who has averaged 35 home runs in his five healthy major-league seasons. However, the Pirates came up short in what has become a way of life for this franchise for more than a decade.

Thus, the chance for a big off-season likely went by the boards for the impatient McClatchy; for Littlefield, whose winning percentage is .436 in 4 ½ seasons; and, sadly, for Pirates fans, who could use some Christmas cheer.

The Seattle Mariners signed suspended outfielder Matt Lawton to a one-year contract on Thursday, though the 34-year-old will miss the start of the 2006 season due to a 10-day drug ban.

Lawton spent last season with the three clubs, the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees, batting a combined .254 with 13 home runs and 53 RBI.

He tested positive for the banned steroid boldenone and was suspended on November 2 for 10 days, effective from the opening day of the 2006 season.

Lawton admitted taking the steroid in media interviews.

"I wasn't playing well enough to be on a Little League roster, let alone be on the roster of the New York Yankees," he told Sports Weekly.

"I just wasn't physically able to do the job. I had never been in the playoff hunt before. So I did something that will always haunt me."

According to reports Lawton's contract includes a base salary of $400,000 with incentives that could push it to $1.25 million.

"Matt is a solid left-handed hitter and base stealer who will provide us with depth and flexibility," Seattle general manager Bill Bavasi told MLB.com. "He can help us in a variety of roles, including the ability to play all three outfield positions."

Now that Bill Mueller is out of the picture, what options are the Pirates considering for third base? Are they still trying to trade for a power player or are they going to use current players?

Pirates GM Dave Littlefield aggressively pursued Mueller because he believed that the former AL batting champ would be an upgrade over what he already had at third base, namely Freddy Sanchez. Littlefield will certainly continue to pursue other options through trade and free agency in the coming months.

Former Pirate Joe Randa is probably the best remaining third baseman on the free agent market after it appeared that Nomar Garciaparra was leaning toward a deal with the Dodgers on Sunday. Randa has received interest from several teams, and as I stated here a few weeks back, at this point in his career he might not be much of an upgrade over Sanchez, particularly when you consider the additional money that the Pirates would have to invest to get him.

Although third base is a relatively weak position industry-wide, the Pirates do have trade options available. It all comes down to how much Littlefield is willing to give up and/or how much salary he can take on to acquire a player who could be considered a upgrade over Sanchez.

Let me also add that the Pirates wouldn't view it as being the end of the world if they can't find a third baseman from outside the organization. Littlefield has been quick to compliment Sanchez's abilities, particularly Sanchez's defense. The Bucs GM would simply prefer to go into the 2006 season with a third baseman who has more of a proven track record than Sanchez, who has just one full big league season under his belt.

Troy Glaus would be a perfect fit at third base for the Bucs. He's a tad expensive, but Arizona really wants to deal him. Two Minor League pitchers and Freddie Sanchez should be enough. What do you think?

Glaus would certainly fill the Pirates' need for a power-hitting third baseman. He's a three-time All-Star who has averaged more than 30 home runs per season since 1999.

However, Glaus still has three years and $36 million remaining on a four-year deal he signed with the Diamondbacks prior to last season. Even with the Bucs' bump in payroll in 2006, that's probably too big of a pill for the team to swallow. The fact the Diamondbacks reportedly want to attach Luis Gonzalez and his $11.5 million contract for next year to any deal involving Glaus doesn't help the Pirates' cause either.

Because Sean Casey will be the fulltime first baseman, what will be done with Craig Wilson if the Pirates acquire a fulltime right fielder? Has Wilson ever spent time at third base?

As the roster currently stands, the Pirates see Wilson as a player who could platoon in right field with Jody Gerut and give Casey an occasional day off at first base.

Although Wilson led the Bucs with 29 home runs in 2004 before missing most of last season due to hand injuries, the Pirates are not sold on him as a reliable, middle-of-the-lineup run producer because of his high strikeout totals. They see his strikeouts with runners on base as the kind unproductive outs that consistently kill rallies. And because Wilson will be eligible for free agency next winter, I believe the Pirates would like to move him at some point this offseason.

As for Wilson moving to third base, I just don't see that being a viable option at this point. Jim Tracy puts a high priority on infield defense and Wilson would be a liability, at best, while trying to adjust to a new position.

Since the Pirates have Oliver Perez, Zach Duke and Paul Maholm anchoring their young staff, what does this mean for the futures of Kip Wells and Josh Fogg? Is there any chance of trading either of these pitchers instead of John Grabow to get a quality third baseman?

Fogg, like just about everyone else, assumed he had played his last game season with the Pirates last fall when he was bumped from the starting rotation. The recent trades of Dave Williams and Mark Redman might have extended Fogg's Pirates career because the team no longer has a lot of depth at the end of the rotation, but I certainly wouldn't be surprised if the Pirates unloaded him before the start of the next season.

Wells is a virtual lock, barring injury, to be in the starting rotation again next season. One of Tracy's top priorities will be to get Wells back on track to being the kind of pitcher he was in 2002 and 2003.

Fogg alone would not likely be enough of a bargaining chip to acquire a third baseman who would be an upgrade over Sanchez. Wells' stock has fallen in the last year, too. And considering the fact that Phillies traded former All-Star Vicente Padilla -- a player who compares quite favorably to Wells -- for nothing more than a player to be named later, I can't see Wells alone fetching a solid run producer.

The Pittsburgh Pirates reportedly signed free-agent relief pitcher Roberto Hernandez to a contract.

According to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the deal is for one season, although financial terms were not released.

Hernandez, 41, spent the 2005 season with the New York Mets where the veteran reliever acted as a setup man and ended 8-6 with a 2.58 ERA and four saves.

In his 15-year career, which also includes stints with the Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies, Hernandez has compiled a 64-65 record with a 3.33 ERA and 324 saves.

 

 

For a player who doesn't show much emotion on the field, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jason Bay almost displayed a rarely seen side of himself after signing a contract that sets him up for life.

The native of Trail, B.C., nearly cried - an understandable sentiment for a 22nd-round draft choice who went through four organizations before becoming a major league regular.

Coming off two of the best career-starting seasons in Pirates history, Bay agreed Thursday to an $18.25-million US, four-year contract that covers his arbitration-eligible seasons.

"I just came from a wedding for one my best friends and I started to cry and get all emotional like you do at weddings," Bay said. "As I got up here, I thought, 'Geez, I hope I don't do that right here."'

The contract represents a huge pay boost for the 27-year-old Bay, who indeed became teary-eyed at one point during his news conference. He made $355,000 last season after having his contract renewed by the team, and was not eligible for arbitration until after next season. He won't become eligible for free agency until after 2009.

His agreement calls for a $1 million signing bonus and salaries of $750,000 next year, $3.25 million in 2007, $5.75 million in 2008 and $7.5 million in 2009. His salary in the final year could also escalate by up to $750,000.

"This is one of the best days of my life," said the left-fielder, his team's only all-star last season. "But I'm glad this is over. This is an experience I will never forget."

The Pirates preferred a five-year deal that would have included his first year of free agency. Bay wanted four years so he could become a free agent on schedule - partly because he will be 31 before he can negotiate his next contract.

Bay followed his 2004 NL Rookie of the Year season by hitting .306 with 32 homers, 101 RBIs, 110 runs scored, 21 stolen bases and a .402 on-base percentage in 2005 despite playing on a team that lost 95 games. He finished 12th in the NL MVP voting after playing in all 162 games.

"It's spectacular what he's done so far in the big leagues," general manager Dave Littlefield said. "I don't have any doubts he will continue to improve throughout his career."

In 2004, Bay hit .282 with 26 homers and 82 RBIs in 120 games while becoming the first Rookie of the Year in club history. He won the award despite missing the first five weeks of the season after shoulder surgery.

Bay, acquired from San Diego in August 2003, isn't worried about the pressure to perform that's associated with any big contract.

"I've been dealing with the pressure since I got drafted - a 22nd round draft pick," Bay said. "I felt pressure coming here in a big trade - Brian Giles, how are you can follow that up? I handled that and won Rookie of the Year. Boom, then it's the sophomore slump, what's going to happen there?

The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced they have acquired right-handed pitcher Jonah Bayliss and a player to be named from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for left-handed pitcher Mark Redman. The announcement was made by Pirates Senior Vice President and General Manager, Dave Littlefield.

Bayliss, 25, went 1-2 with eight saves and a 2.84 ERA in 30 relief appearances with Double-A Wichita last year and 0-0 with a 4.63 ERA in 11 appearances with the Royals. He also went 3-0 with a 4.98 ERA in 11 relief appearances with the Surprise Scorpions during the Arizona Fall League. Jonah spent the entire 2004 season as a starting pitcher with Wilmington (A) and went 6-6 with a 4.93 ERA in 24 starts.

Originally selected by Kansas City in the 7th round of the 2002 June draft, Bayliss made his professional debut as a starter with Spokane in 2002. He made 26 starts with Burlington in 2003 and was named to the Midwest League All-Star team, while ranking third in the league in strikeouts. On August 5, 2003, Jonah pitched the 12th no-hitter in franchise history in a 1-0 win over the Peoria Chiefs.

The 31-year-old Redman went 5-15 with two complete games and a 4.90 ERA in 30 starts for the Pirates last year, his first season with the club. He had a 4-4 record and a 2.80 ERA following his 14th start on 6/15, but went 1-11 with a 7.20 ERA in his final 16 starts.