Draft update & FLA vs PIT preview
Lucky for us baseball fans, that excited feeling of Christmas Morning comes mulitple times a year. (Well, atleast it does for me!) The first day of Spring Training, Opening Day, the draft, the draft deadline (although, this could be a nightmare if your organization doesn’t sign the top picks) the playoffs (if your team is fortunate to go) and of course, actual Christmas morning. Now, I know all these days have a little bit of a different feeling but nonetheless you still get that, I can’t sleep, excitedness that you just want the day to get here.
Today, is one of those days for me. If you are a Pirates fan you know exactly what I mean. Or if your team finished in the bottom five, you know what I mean as well. The players selected in the draft must be signed by midnight tonight. For small market teams like the Pirates, this day is very important. We can’t afford to dish out $25 M a year for a player, so we have to draft and grow our own talent.
The Pirates selected Jameson Taillon second overall in the first round. The Right Hander is from Woodlands High School in Texas. Taillon has hit 99 mph with his fastball, and his curveball and slider are considered to be “plus” pitches. He also has a decent changeup. Not many high school pitchers have this kind of “stuff”. Jameson has been compared to Red Sox’s Josh Beckett. He is a true ACE, something the Pirates have not had in a very long time.
Stetson Allie, a Cleveland native was selected the second round from the draft, 52nd overall. This RHP has a fastball that has hit triple digits on numerous occasions. Allie also has a nasty slider that hits the high 80′s.
The Pirates have the oppurtunity to sign two ACE type pitchers. If they do so, they will be dishing out anywhere from $8-$10 M for them both alone. The Pirates have already signed 24 of their draft picks. For all the Ignorant fans out there saying they don’t spend money have no reason to complain if they ink these two. (The Buccos have spent more many in the draft in the past two years then any other team in baseball. They could easily make it three years in a row with signing these big arms)
So, Why am I so happy this morning? Well, before midnight tonight, the Pirates orgnanization could possibly have two ace like arms. From what I have heard and read, it’s looking like the Pirates will sign BOTH.
- The Houston Chronicle had this to say about the Pirates and signing Taillon:
The gem of the signing class, The Woodlands righthander Jameson Taillon, appears set to sign after being selected No. 2 overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Efforts to reach Taillon or his agents have been unsuccessful, but one person close to the Owls program said there’s virtually no chance he attends school. That should come as no surprise.
As the No. 2 pick, Taillon would have nothing to gain (in terms of draft position) by attending college. The only way he would come to Rice is if contract negotiations break down, but reports are leaking out of Pittsburgh that a deal may already be done and the sides are waiting until Monday to make a formal announcement.
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Asked if the deal should take that long to consummate, father Michael Taillon said tonight: “I hope not. There’s really no need to. To me, the hard work’s already been done.”
There also existed “optimism” — the description invoked by all parties — about completing a deal with second-round pick Stetson Allie.
If the Pirates could land both, it would be a win-win for power right-handed pitchers, with one more in the works: They remain favored to land Mexican 16-year-old Luis Heredia once his Veracruz club is allowed by the Mexican Baseball League to begin entertaining offers Thursday.
“He’s itching to get going here,” Michael Taillon said of Jameson. “I’m excited for him, and I’m also excited for the Pirates. They’re going to get someone who definitely will be an asset to the ballclub and the city. He’ll represent the city well.”
@Kevin_Goldstein Gut tells me Pirates fans will be happy in 24 hours.
@keithlaw From a front office exec not with the Pirates: “Also hearing PIT will ink both Taillon and Allie.”
Less than 17 hours and we will find out for sure.
Other News and Notes:
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Ronny Cedeno was out of the lineup for the fourth consecutive game on Sunday. He is continuing to battle a left shoulder impingement. :
“We’re still optimistic,” Huntington said. “But if we’re not seeing the progress we’re going to see, [the DL] could be an option.”
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Rudy Owens has allowed just 3ER over his last 29IP over 5 starts at AA Altoona.
The Pirates scored just 11 runs on their six game road trip in which they went 0-6. The Pirates are home for 10 games facing the Marlins, Mets and Cardinals.
Today’s Pitching Matchup:
Chris Volstad 6-8, 4.74 ERA
VS
James McDonald 1-1, 3.38 ERA
Voslstad will be pitching for the first time in his career at PNC Park. In his last three starts, Chris has one two of them. Last time out he pitched five innings giving up four runs on nine hits, striking out two, walking just one.
McDonald will be making his second start at PNC Park, his debut was a beauty. He pitched six scoreless innings, giving up just four hits and struck out eight. J-Mac struck out the first six of seven batters he faced. His last outing, however, wasn’t as pretty. McDonald lasted just 4.2 innings giving up seven hits and four runs, striking out six.
The Steel City has not been kind to the Florida Marlins. They have lost four straight at PNC Park and are 6-16 since 2003.
Kristy Robinson
