How To Ruin a Franchise

As we watch this year's playoffs, note that the heart of the Phillies came via a strong run of first-round picks from 1998 through 2002 (Gavin Floyd was their #1 pick in 2001):

2002: Cole Hamels
2000: Chase Utley
1999: Brett Myers
1998: Pat Burrell

Compare that list to the Bucs, who had higher selections in 2002 and 1999 and took pitchers ahead of pitchers the Phillies took:

2002: Bryan Bullington #1 overall
2001: John VanBenschoten #8
2000: Sean Burnett #19
1999: Bobby Bradley #8
1998: Clinton Johnston #15

What a horrible list of picks. Only one player with really any chance of still contributing to the franchise and he's a long reliever at that.

Even worse is their list of their #1 picks since 1993. Really, no other explanation is needed for why the Bucs stink than this:

1997 J.J. Davis
1996 Kris Benson
1995 Chad Hermansen
1994 Mark Farris
1993 Charles Peterson
1992 Jason Kendall
1991 Jonathan Farrell
1990 Kurt Miller
1989 Willie Greene
1988 Austin Manahan
1987 Mark Merchant

When you have to argue about whether Kris Benson or Jason Kendall was your best #1 pick over the course of 16 years, you're in trouble. Just when the #1 picks from '87 and '88 should have been coming up to replace Bonilla and Bonds, we were stuck with Merchant and Manahan, who never made the majors.

But also know that this list spans more than one GM or front office administration. It's not just Dave Littlefield who has ruined the Pirates.

Bucs Signings Getting Noticed

The plaudits are beginning to come in for the job the new Bucco regime has done so far. First, the tide has begun to turn on the trades they pulled off, and now, people are taking notice of their draft signings and how it sure looks like things are being done differently in the Bucs front office:

• Jayson Stark of ESPN retracts his criticism of the trades:

Out of the Pitts: In the hours after the trading deadline, we were critical of the Pirates for dealing three high-profile players without getting back a single can't-miss, centerpiece prospect back. But in the days since, we've been convinced by executives of several teams that the Pirates actually did better in their two big deals than we originally gave them credit for.

"There are no stars in there, but they need that depth of talent," an official of one club said. "They need numbers. And they accomplished that."

"I think they're on the right track," one NL scout said. "At least they decided they couldn't keep doing the same thing they've been doing and took some chances."

One NL executive even defended them on the widely hammered Xavier Nady-Damaso Marte deal, saying: "If they got three major league pitchers in that deal, and I think they did, then great for them. And all three guys (Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf and Daniel McCutchen) are either ready or close. So that's a good deal, not a bad deal."

Nevertheless, when asked to name the best player of the eight this team received in those trades, the baseball men we spoke with had a tough time finding a clear-cut Pirates acquisition they'd buy stock in. The name we heard most: 21-year-old right-hander Bryan Morris (3.15 ERA in low Class A). "If he stays healthy, he's definitely the best talent in that group," one GM said.

• Perrotto at the Beaver County Times notes that thing look to be on the right track.
• Wilbur Miller at onlybucs.org details the changes going on
• Baseball America counts two Bucs picks as coups:
  

Biggest Coups, First 10 Rounds

1. Tim Melville, rhp, Royals (fourth round, $1.25 million, No. 15 on BA Top 200)

2. Brett Hunter, rhp, Athletics (seventh round, $1.1 million, No. 51 on BA Top 200)

3. Ross Seaton, rhp, Astros (supp. third round, $700,000, No. 28 on BA Top 200)

4. Robbie Grossman, of, Pirates (sixth round, $1 million, No. 49 on BA Top 200)

Athletic switch-hitter adds to Pittsburgh's burgeoning outfield talent.

5. Ryan Westmoreland, of, Red Sox (fifth round, $2 million, No. 113 on BA Top 20)

Biggest Coups, Rounds 11-50

1. T.J. House, lhp, Indians (16th round, $750,000, No. 100 on BA Top 200)

2. J.P. Ramirez, of, Nationals (15th round, $1 million, No. 155 on BA Top 200)

3. Quinton Miller, rhp, Pirates (20th round, $900,000, No. 158 on BA Top 200)

He shows flashes of a low-90s fastball, plus slider and average changeup.

4. Dusty Coleman, ss, Athletics (28th round, $675,000, No. 185th on BA Top 200)

5. Bryce Stowell, rhp, Indians (22nd round, $725,000, unranked on BA Top 200)

Pirates sign Alvarez for $6M

It became official at 11:59pm last night, immediately making Alvarez the Bucs top prospect. Give credit to Huntington, who has gone down a very different path than Littlefield, with help from Nutting, and has signed 30 of the picks this year. Combine that with the 8 players brought in by trade and he has done a very good job of restocking a depleted farm system with talent including some very high level talent.

Here are the links:
Perrotto at the Beaver County Times
DK on the PBC Blog
The Trib

In case you don't know what all the excitement is about, Wilbur Miller has already updated his page on Alvarez.

And let's not forget to give credit where it's due: Rocco was calling the signing all night and despite a little hedging, stuck with his guns, though his source was wrong on Scheppers.

But the first place to call the signing was TIOPS, who despite some who think it isn't reliable, has proven that it has high level sources. They called it and got the money almost exactly right at 12:26:

12:26 a.m. $6.35 signing bonus for Alvarez? stay tuned.

__________________________________________
Theinsideronpittsburgh.com is repoirting that the signing is a done deal:

10:30 p.m. Done deal - MLB contract. working for confirmation on the numbers

If so, and if Scheppers signs or not, that would cap a very impressive draft and signings for the Bucs.

11:03 - DK says definitely NO deal yet.

Rocco Demaio on 104.7 on the Bucs post game is saying that the deal is done and will be announced shortly before midnight.

Steeler Draft Options

Many early NFL mock drafts predict the Steelers will take Oregon St. RB Steven Jackson with their first pick, #11 overall. I don't buy it at all. First off, the Steelers don't like to draft RBs that high and are probably thinking they can get a quality back in a later round. Plus, if there is a shut down corner, or even more likely, a big offensive tackle, available, that's where they'll go. And it looks like Ohio St's Chris Gamble or Arkansas' Shawn Andrews might be there at the 11th pick. If they are, forget Jackson.

My solution is for the Steelers to deal a mid round pick to the Bengals for Corey Dillon (which is all it seems it will take to get him), then use the first round to grab a player who fills another need of theirs. That way, they could fill more holes in their lineup than they would be able to if they stayed where they are in the draft.

There are still over 2 months to the draft and there are a lot of factors still to consider and events to go down, we'll see how it plays out, but no matter what (and no matter how much I'd like to see a stud back in the Steeler backfield) I'd be VERY surprised if they use a first rounder on a RB.