Identity of the 2013 Pirates

Last night's shutout victory over the Cincinnati Reds may have been a defining moment of the season. It also may be an indication that the Pittsburgh Pirates now feel like they belong in the NL Central division race.

The Pirates have played second fiddle to the Cardinals and Reds for several years. We've watched the Reds bully the lowly Pirates and we've watched the Pirates roll over and take it. Those days, however, seem to be behind us. The Pirates aren't going to take it anymore.

In consecutive seasons, the Reds have been throwing at Pirates star Andrew McCutchen. McCutchen was drilled in the back by Cincinnati pitcher Mike Leake again Monday night. After Aroldis Chapman almost decapitated Neil Walker with a 99 MPH fastball, the Pirates were just waiting for their opportunity to send a message back to the schoolyard bully.

Last night, Charlie Morton drilled Shin-Soo Choo in his Choo-Soo Shin on the first pitch of the ballgame. Reds starting pitcher Mat Latos was obviously displeased as he yelled at Morton from the dugout.

Yelling from the dugout was all the Reds did to "stand up for themselves" as the Pirates put an exclamation point on the victory by shutting out the Reds.

The Pirates appear to have an identity for the first time in a long time. Veteran leaders like AJ Burnett and Russell Martin have a lot to do with the tough guy mentality this team possesses. That same leadership will be a significant reason this club will continue to win ballgames and refuse to be bullied.

Expect this team to still be in contention in September. Regardless, the final 2 games of this series will be fun to watch.

Tony Sanchez deserves a callup

Tony Sanchez has always been adequate defensively to play in the big leagues. However, his hitting needed some refinement before taking the next step. He appears to have turned the corner this year and he could be an immediate upgrade for the big league club.

In only 138 AB’s this season, Sanchez is batting an impressive .297, 7 HR, 15 doubles, and 27 RBI. He also adds a .393 OBP and a .951 OPS to solidify his numbers.

Sanchez’s defense is not quite Russell Martin good, but he’d be a significant upgrade over Michael McKenry. In 2012 and 2013, Sanchez has thrown out 27.5% of base stealers. In comparison, Russell Martin has thrown out an astonishing 43% this year, up from 24% last season with the Yankees….And Michael McKenry has only thrown out only 7% this season, down from 18% last season.

Sanchez is 25 years old and seems ready to make his big league debut. The Pirates need to focus on improving the big league club with home grown players as quickly as possible. I believe it’s just a matter of time before we see Tony Sanchez in black and gold.

Should the Pirates give Ricky Nolasco a look-see?

They say in baseball you can never have enough starting pitching. To validate that statement, take a look at the Pittsburgh Pirates current situation. Just a week ago, the starting rotation was among the best in baseball. As of today, they've lost Jeanmar Gomez for an unknown period of time and yesterday Wandy Rodriguez left the game with forearm tightness after throwing only 14 pitches.

It appears the Pirates top 3 choices to fill the 2 open spots are Charlie Morton, Garrit Cole, and James McDonald. Unfortunately, all 3 are unproven commodities as they've never completed an entire successful season at the major league level.

So that brings up my next question. The Marlins are rumored to be shopping Ricky Nolasco. Nolasco would be a 4th or 5th guy in the rotation, but that's what the Pirates need right now. Despite Nolasco's 3-6 record with the Marlins this year, he's posting fairly impressive numbers: 3.61 ERA, 1.130 WHIP, 7.4 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, and he's averaged 6.31 innings per start. Over the last 5 seasons, Nolasco has been an innings eater averaging 190 innings per season.

Nolasco is due to make 11.5 mil this year, the final year of his contract in Miami. I'm assuming the Pirates could eat a large chunk of his remaining salary without parting with prospects. Or if they choose, maybe a few mid level prospects could get the deal done with the Marlins picking up a larger chunk of the remaining salary.

Nolasco is not a great starting pitcher, but he's above average, proven, and capable of staying healthy for the rest of the season. As the Pirates continue to strive to stay in contention for the remainder of the season, does it make sense to make a run right now at a proven commodity in Ricky Nolasco?

Jay Bell brings nothing to the table

After the 2012 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates hired Jay Bell to be their new hitting coach. The Pirates hoped Jay Bell could turn the putrid hitting Pirates around. The 2012 Pirates finished near the bottom of every offensive statistical category.

So, let’s take a look at Jay Bell’s body of work through the first couple months of the 2013 season.

2012 – AVG .243 (25th in MLB)
2013 – AVG .235 (27th in MLB)

2012 – OBP .304 (27th in MLB)
2013 – OBP .300 (26th in MLB)

2012 – SLG .395 (19th in MLB)
2013 – SLG .377 (24th in MLB)

2012 – OPS .699 (25th in MLB)
2013 – OPS .677 (25th in MLB)

It may not be fair to judge just yet as we still have 4 months of baseball to play. However, at first glance, it’s safe to say Jay Bell has done nothing to improve the club offensively. In fact, they're worse than last year’s team.

The 2013 Pirates are 25th in runs scored, 26th in hits, 24th in walks, and 6th in strikeouts. The team is proving to be undisciplined and several players are regressing (McCutchen, Jones, Martin, Walker, and Marte lately).

You can’t help to wonder if Jay Bell could be on the hot seat in the near future. Despite the complete lack of offense, pitching has enabled the club to still have a great record. At some point, the offense is going to have to come around for this team to have any chance of sustaining their winning ways.

Until then, how patient will Pittsburgh be with Jay Bell?

The 2013 Pirates have what it takes

It's May 30th and the Pittsburgh Pirates (33-20) have the second best record in baseball. The Pirates are off to their best start in 20 years after surviving a brutal April schedule and then winning 18 games so far in May. Pirates fans or cautiously optimistic, and rightfully so, after watching consecutive late season collapses. However, this year feels incredibly different than the last two seasons. There are several players / factors that make this team for real.

Starting Pitching - The starting pitching staff is the best rotation the Pirates have had in a very long time. AJ Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez are savvy veterans that will keep the Pirates in the game nearly every time they take the hill. Francisco Liriano is proving to be healthy and looks unhittable at times. Newcomers Jeff Locke and Jeanmar Gomez have added stability to the back end of the rotation. The starting rotation's 3.53 ERA is the 6th best in the major leagues.

Bullpen - The Bucco bullpen is the best in the business. They lead the MLB in wins (13), saves (24), and batting average (.212) and are 2 strikeouts shy of the major league lead. The bullpen, dubbed the #SharkTank, has been absolutely incredible and I don't see any weaknesses at this point. Unfortunately, their 185.1 innings pitched leads the National League and they have a 20 inning lead on 2nd place San Francisco. The starting pitching has to go deeper into games, but the bullpen has been potent and will continue to aid in the success of the team.

Russell Martin - Russell Martin brought something very special to this club when he arrived this spring. Martin's swagger, tenacity, confidence, and leadership has helped shape the identity of the team. He's among the best defensive catchers in the league and he's willing to do anything to help the team win. He calls a great game, frames pitches well, and solved the "swipe as many bags as you can" epidemic we've become accustomed to. Whether Martin is climbing the dugout fence trying to catch a foul ball or coming through with a big hit at the plate, he brings leadership the club has lacked in prior years. In my opinion, Russell Martin is one of the key contributors to the Pirates success thus far.

Andrew McCutchen - The Pirates have been successful so far this season without Andrew McCutchen playing like Andrew McCutchen. Don't get me wrong, Cutch hasn't been terrible, but he's nowhere close to playing the way he did for most of last season. Lately, McCutchen has been centering the ball well and he appears to be on the cusp of becoming a terror again at the plate. Look out NL Central when McCutchen puts it all together.

Pedro Alvarez - Despite hitting only .200 so far, Alvarez is on track to hit 35+ home runs and 100+ RBI. The Pirates offense has been punchless at times and Alvarez hasn't had one of his famous prolonged hot streaks. His production is still necessary for the offense to have success and he's quietly been doing just that. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up hitting over 40 homers this year. Alvarez's increased production will help the club continue to win.

Jason Grilli - It's hard to believe Jason Grilli is having the best season of his career at the age of 36. He leads the majors in saves (22) and has converted every opportunity. In 24.2 innings pitched, Grilli has 38 strikeouts, an opposing batting average of .141, and a 1.09 ERA. Successful teams often have a great closer and the Pirates have the best in baseball.

We Are Family - This Bucco team has been building a family atmosphere for the last 3 or 4 years. They have fun together and they appear to play for each other. Veterans like Brandon Inge and AJ Burnett not only provide leadership, but they help provide a loose atmosphere and a sense of directions for the younger core. Most championship caliber teams in any sport have the "It Factor" in the clubhouse and this team seems to have "It".

I'm not ready to say this club has what it takes to make a World Series run, but I never imagined they'd have the second best record in baseball at the end of May either. The Pirates play all 9 innings and have reminded opposing teams of that numerous times this season. One thing is for certain though - I don't see a second half collapse on deck this year. This team is just different.