Pirates designate Beam for assignment

I thought it would have been Luis Cruz.

If we lose him no Johnny Cash singing I walk the Beam songs.

Hope he clears and we get to keep him.

UK

Others thought it would be Cruz too.

Holey Moley!  That is a bit of a shock.  They are pretty high on Beam, I though.

Mad

Now don't get me started on puns or I'll ask Scotty to Beam you up :)

JAL

I wonder if we're holding tight to the middle infielders in case of injury or trade.

I don't know, I don't think he will clear wavers. I hope they know better, but I think we just lost him.

Actually, I figured it to be a pitcher...I was thinking Romulo Sanchez or Jimmy Barthmeier.  :-)

JAL   LOL I don't want to get you started sir.

The roads should be fairly clear this weekend. 40,000 people flew to Florida yesterday (out of Pittsburgh).  Wonder how many left early and how many still getting ready to go?

Someday hopefully that will be the Pirates that get that type of following.  Trouble is I will be pushed to the side because of prices and such for the games.

DK << Cruz >>

My thing was that if we were going to start with a healthy JW, we have a better back up in Vasquez, and I think that Bix is a little better than Cruz. He seemed to be kind of low on the depth chart to me.

Dmac

I never thought Barthmeier because he has been mentioned several times as one of the 8 or 9 being looked at in ST for the starting rotation.

Good question DK, I was not one to think it was him.  But I would say because of the number of infielders that are on the team at the moment. We have quite a few do we not? I am counting any signed to a minor league contract with an invite to ST as well.

JAL...I probably got names mixed up somewhere...for some reason Barthmeier sticks.  Regardless, I didn't think it would be Beam, or Cruz.

DK

Probably was the atrocious shortstop play--how many atrocious shortstops does a team need?  Also, they got Vasquez who can play SS

I think a lot of people put Cruz in the good field no hit middle infield slot and in effect wrote him off. He came from relative nowhere last year to move up in the depth charts. I got the impression the FO has high hopes for our Luis

I did not think that it would be a pitcher. In general pitching was our greatest disappointment last year. However, if we are still trying to move JW then we better keep what infielders we have around, regardless of their ability. Just thinking/wondering.

pp

I put Cruz in the good glove, limited range, and week bat catagory.

It almost had to be a pitcher.  Although I'd keep Jaramillo/Diaz, Vasquez, Hinske, Monroe and Pearce as the bench, they are probably figuring to keep another middle IF.  That leaves Bixler or Cruz as the AAA SS and insurance against an injury or a Wilson trade.

I never thought it would be Beam though.  He has proven to be a capable middle reliever.  He doesn't seem to have the power arm that some of the others do that they are enamored with.  

I had no idea of who it would be, but they had a lot of candidates to choose from, especially pitchers.......

I didn't so much think as hope it'd be Cruz, probably because I have a pathological resistance to no-hit, good-field (or in Cruz' case, decent-field) infielders.  I thought it'd be Romulo Sanchez or Dave Davidson.

Beam had some interesting stats last season

Threw 25 innings at home with a 4.91 ERA and 20 innings on the road with 3.91 ERA

Held RH to a .214 avg (98 AB) and LH hit .301 (73 AB)

@DK

What was your reason or was it as you stated "Was it that everyone became so accustomed to atrocious shortstop play in Jack Wilson's absence that Cruz became the most recent memory of it?"

I would have much rathered have seen this been Romulo Sanchez or Luis Cruz, and like everyone else thought it would've been one of those two.

I was at near perfect game in Phoenix last year. After the game, Beam signed autographs for anyone who wanted them. I think he signed them for over 20 minutes and chatted with fans from both teams. He seemed like a real class act. I hope he clears waivers and is back with the team.

@WTM

speaking of Dave Davidson what is that guy doing taking up a spot on the 40-Man Roster anyway??

DK any answers??

In case it was missed and someone cares--the Red Sox reached agreement with Varitek --1 year $5 Million with club option for 2010 for $5 million.

I'm back, now that I don't have to look at such a depressing thread heading at the top of every single post.

I'm with DMac, my first thought was that it might be Sanchez. Wasn't he removed from the 40 man once already, this off-season? Of course, so was Beam. No strong opinion either way on Beam. His poorer outings last year, as with the rest of the bullpen, were probably due to being called upon again and again and again and again and again, during that stretch when we couldn't buy a good starting pitching effort, save for those started by our new $14 million dollar man.

I wouldn't have removed Cruz, myself. Unlike Bixler, he didn't freeze up when first thrown out to play under the bright lights on a major league field. He hit moderately well; nothing dazzling in the field, but competent. I can't see him playing more poorly with further experience; might have a bit of an upside. Unfortunately, this is certainly what Huntington is thinking, too. Jack Wilson isn't home free yet. I'm sure that if Huntington can find a partner during the season, he'd still love to ship out our shortstop for some double A player, never to be heard from again.

Marty

Could be that he was 4-1 with a 3.88 ERA in AA andf AAA last year and held batters to a .206 BA

Whoops,

Cruz finished hitting only .224. I had it in my head he was batting about .250. He must have tailed off quite a bit as the season waned. Oh well. He's another I don't have a strong opinion about. Still wouldn't be surprised if the Front Office announced he was our starting shortstop, in light of Jack Wilson being given away to someone else.

So what are the odds Beam can't hook up with another team, this close to ST, and we can get him back?

@JAL

Hes been on the 40 man roster for like 3 years and i only remember him pitching ifor Pittsburgh like once or twice.

And thats AA and AAA good numbers there don't mean a thing.

Just checked. As low as Cruz's BA was, he still hit about 70(SEVENTY!!) points higher than Bixler. (.224 to .157). Yeah, he's the lessor of two... ...well, I don't want to label either lad with THAT word. But yinz know what I mean.

Marety

Right-he has been in the minors--he will be 25 in April.  Last year he was at Altoona and had a 3.34 ERA --struck out 51 in 64 innings and walked 38--had a 1.45 WHIP

marty

They certainly do mean something--you would keep someone who bad numbers.  Certainly a pitcher with good stats in the minors may not do well in the majors but someone with bad stats in the minors would rarely do well in the majors.  

We are talking the 40 man here, not the 25 man.  All you have on some of the players are minor league stats.  You could just as easily ask why Jeff Sues--he is year older than Davidson and has never been in majors.

@JAL

Sues is another guy i have no idea why hes on the 40 man roster Davidson i know has a good breaking ball from seeing him pitch in Altoona but Sues and Romulo Sanchez i think should be off it and Brian Bixler if hes still on it

Marty

Bixler is still on it

With that I out for the night

Have a good one everyone

Bixler should be gone too he is the worst hitter i have ever seen

@ Marty

Re: Jeff Sues

A lot of scouts (including BA) are actually really high on Sues.  Drafted in 2005, fought some injuries, but was finally healthy this year.  Hits 98 on the gun and a real good curveball.  Here is the writeup BA did on him in their Pirates top 10 prospect report (he came in at #7)

BTW:  If there is some interest, I can post the top 10 scouting reports that they did.  I happen to have a subscription and nothing to do tonight.

Drafted: Vanderbilt, 2005 (5th round). Signed by: Jack Powell.

Background: Just before he was scheduled to make his first pro start in 2005, Sues injured his shoulder. Following surgery and a long rehab, he finally made his debut in mid-2007. The Pirates made him a reliever last season and were enthused by the results.

Strengths: Sues throws extremely hard, as his fastball sits at 93-95 mph and tops out at 98. He has added velocity now that he no longer has to pace himself coming out of the bullpen. He also has a power curveball and has the competitive nature to thrive in the late innings.

Weaknesses: Sues tends to throw first-pitch fastballs a little too often and Pittsburgh would like him to go with his curveball more often early in counts to keep hitters more off balance. While he's hard to hit, he's too generous with walks. His changeup is mediocre but rarely comes into play in his new role.

The Future: Pretty much a finished product, Sues will get the opportunity to win a middle-relief job with Pittsburgh this spring. If he doesn't make the team, he'll go to Triple-A and be groomed as a potential closer. He's more overpowering if not as polished as Pirates incumbent Matt Capps.

Usually the team puts a guy on Waviers in cases like this because they feel he is the least likely to be picked up by another team, doesn't mean they are not going to lose him.

If I had to pick between Cruz and Bixler for SS as a fill in or replacement from July to the end of the season I would go with Bixler.

Once he got over the deer in the headlights look he played defense pretty good.  Nice arm and very good range.  Cruz hit a bit better overall but had more at bats I believe.  Arm is okay but range is very limited at short.  Bixler I believe hit well enough in the minors as well.  So maybe a little more at bats and confidence he would be okay.

Based on last year alone neither has lit it up or made any of us comfortable with them.

I am out for the night.  Later guys and gals

mad << Cruz and Bixler  >>

I agree with you (Bixler a little better than Cruz), but I also think that they are both relatively weak overall.

"speaking of Dave Davidson what is that guy doing taking up a spot on the 40-Man Roster anyway??"

He's left-handed and throws about 90-91.  That's all I've got.

Sues missed a lot of time due to injury, which is why he hasn't gotten further.  BA actually rates him as the Pirates' 7th best prospect.  There are lots of guys on the roster I'd dump before him.

Hopefully Beam makes it thru waivers.  He was actually not too bad.

I mean, compared to Van Benschoten.