Done deal: Morgan, Burnett to Nationals

Neal has a plan...

Just don't ask him what it is.

GREAT MOVE. BIG DAY

Good deal.

May this bring about winning.

NyjMo - you were a pleasure to cheer for. Godspeed and good luck.

Burney - So sorry to see you go. Enjoy your career, stay healthy and appreciate your life.

@Demery - "Neal has a plan...Just don't ask him what it is."

Right, Dem ... I mean, would you ask Clint Eastwood what his plan is ... or pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger?

Neither would you ask the best front office in baseball what their plan is ... :-)

So let's take the new personnel for a spin:

Hanrahan gets dropped into the bullpen for now, behind Meek, Chavez, Grabow, and Capps. I'm fine with that.  Karstens remains out there...though I really want to see him starting soon.

1. McCutchen, CF

2. Milledge, LF

3. Sanchez, 2B

4. Doumit, C

5. Ad. LaRoche, 1B

6. Moss, RF

7. An. LaRoche, 3B

8. Wilson, SS

9. Morton, P

I like it.

   LASTINGS WILL GO ON RITUALISTIC FASTINGS!

             JOEL WILL GIVE HITTERS A LUMP OF COAL!

Rocco Demaro reported this trade three days ago!!

Just ask him!

    NYJMO, WE'RE SORRY TO SEE YOU GO!

     BURNETT....screw it, I never liked Burnett. He doesn't get a rhyme.

Demery..."Neal has a plan"

To steal from Ghostbusters..."Great. Custer had a plan." :)

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Seriously, I like this deal.

I'll try again.Young and his play in RF near the bottom in all of MLB.

RF: Last year Xavier Nady rated 5.6 in 82 starts. The two players who started most of the remaining games, Michaels and Steve Pearce, were below average (-2.6) and terrible (-29.8), respectively. This year, Moss ranks first in MLB in right at 24.0. Of the others who’ve played there, Eric Hinske is almost exactly average (-0.5) and Craig Monroe was awful (-23.9). Neal Huntington’s recent comment that Delwyn Young is “average” may be true if you compare him to the general population, but among actual rightfielders his UZR/150 is -17.6.

Welcome to Pittsburgh Lastings Milledge & Joel Hanrahan……

Good Luck!!!

So long Bill Carson from The Good The Bad & The Ugly (Sean Burnett).

And Nyjer, you won me over. I hope you do well.

And as Jesus said, The Lastings will be Firstings in My Kingdom, so Milledge, help us get to first someday.

What is the point in getting rid of Sean Burnett? And why want anyone from the worst bullpen in the history of the world.

Wow - taking a look at Hanrahan's stats, he seems to be the victim of shoddy defense: .431 BABIP and a solid FIP of 3.46. Along with the potential (which can be a dangerous word) of Milledge, I agree with the sentiment that this is the type of trade Neal and Frank need to make.

By the way - long time listener, first time caller (poster?). I really enjoy the blog, and I'm happy to be a part.

Go Buccos!

Congratulations Neal.

Your first really good trade.

I wasn't sure you had it in you.

Good deal young man. Good job.

So what happens to the NyjMo Bus?....

Sad to see Nyjer go, as he was our best power hitting OF, but there's realistically no way we compete with 3 OF's and a 3b with no power.

There is no way Milledge bats second.  Freddy has to go there now.  

Burn your avatars!  Take back your right to be anonymous!

This does mean a bit of a short bench tonight. Reportedly...Jones will be at the park per Dejan. However...both Milledge and Hanrahan are supposedly in Florida (Milledge finishing up rehab in GCL, and the Nats are playing the Fish tonight).

Considering we are less than 4 hours from gametime...see no way that either of the Nats players...nor the Pirates players are going to be able to get their stuff together and join their new teams tonight. Tomorrow...maybe.

Although...the Nats players could just grab about 3 changes of clothing...and leave the rest of their stuff in Florida...since the Pirates will be there on Friday.

from a previous thread:

NuHo, I respectfully disagree. I do not have the love for "power arms" that you or your new BFF NH have. I see a value in pitching  ( i.e Greg Maddox) rather than throwing. If this was an absolute condition on the deal I am OK with it.  Neither pitcher has options left so we would have had to deal with either one no matter what. Does this mean Veal is sent packing? I don't know how many wild hard throwers a team can hide at a time

Overall, I am OK, just not the deal I would have made.

@ BAB.

I think Milledge is going to Indy for a while first

BAB,

McCutchen - CF

Sanchez - 2B

Milledge - LF

Doumit - C

Ad.LaRoche - 1B

Moss / Young - RF Platoon

An.LaRoche - 3B

Wilson - SS

HostageSage and BigMac in the Box,

This being nice to each other really is disappointing!

It was so-o-o entertaining for the rest of us  with you two snipping.

Big Mac,

I heard Hostage whispering something about yo momma!

Happy trails to Tony Plush and Mr. Burnett, but gotta agree with the general consensus here that this is the right deal to make for a team like the Bucs.  Now let's just hope we can harness Hanny's power tossing...

Just two more reasons the PBC will NEVER see my shadow cross their doorstep.

All the best to NyjMo and Sean....

A hearty welcome to an injured headcase rehabbing in AAA and another powerarm that can not hit the side of a barn at 60'6".

This is winning at its finest.

With Milledge's perceived power, I would expect that Freddy goes to the two spot, with Doumit in the 3 hole, followed by Adam LaRoche and then Milledge.  That way you don't have three straight righties coming up in a row perhaps late in a game.  You also put the right handed Milledge between two lefties - assuming Moss is your left fielder.  But who are we kidding, once Doumit returns, Adam LaRoche will be gone as well.

Something I caught that was interesting about milledge.  He was born in Bradenton.  Maybe he was born to be a pirate.

Just a thought.

I like the trade.  We lose two players who we could lose and not hurt the team and gain two who could come on and be big help.  Oh by the way Tampa needs a closer desperately could we work a trade with them.  HMMMM!!!!  Food for thought.

An earlier post said Veal went on the DL May 31, DK has said you can send someone down on rehab for 30 days, now does that clock start on the day of DL or the day you are sent to rehab?

Do you think maybe due to Hanrahan deal, one of our relievers will be sent to the cubbies for Veal?  Just asking....

Back under the bed before someone throws something

I like this deal.  Morgan's playing over his head.  He's no better than a poor man's Juan Pierre.  Burnett's ok, but let's not act like he's irreplaceable.  Milledge was nearly 20-20 last season.  Hanrahan was the closer to start the season, but has been inconsistent.  Overall, the Pirates get a guy whose younger with more upside.  This is the kind of deal the Pirates need to make.  They need to go get guys that need a change of scenery, a la Jorge Cantu or Carlos Pena, or even David Ortiz circa 2004.  

So does Milledge bat 2nd for his speed or 3rd for his bat?

So we wanted one guy and threw in Burnett to get a totally different guy? I love the Nyjer for Milledge part hate the Burnett for Hanrahan deal.....hey DK a package deal!!!!

I was surprised when I checked Burnett's ERA -3.06. I thought it would be much higher.  It seemed that out of every 3 appearances, he would be good for two, but then groove a pitch in the third appearance that would be blasted for a home run.   He and Nyjer are players I liked and I wish them well, but I think it could be a good deal for the Pirates.

I am not sold on Milledge quite yet, but it was good to hear DK's post that he spoke to someome in Washington that said he was a good kid.

When he was with the Mets he got criticized for high-fiving fans on his way out to RF.  This was after he had hit a home run.  I still don't see the major crime in it..as it was made out to be.  It actually sounds like something Nyjer would do and would be cheered for.

@ TheWhirlyBird............Welcome to The Asylum....

Does anybody think that Cam Bonifay looks like Cameron from Ferris Bueller's Day Off?

www.post-gazette.com/.../519557.stm

Anybody want to take a stab at the lineup tonite???

Whirly

Welcome! Kind of a busy day here, but check in with the nurse for room assignment, straight jacket, and meds.  Oh, also, please leave all candles with the people at the front. We have a temporary moratorium on candle usage.

NuHo

I'm just not positive I want Milledge's speed behind Freddy.  I really went back and forth on 2-3 in the lineup. But I can see it either way.

Delwyn Young just takes way too much off the table defensively. And given Moss's positive statistical indicators, I want to see what he can do when given a chance.

Bizzyman,

Veal went on DL May 31, but didn't start his Rehab assignment until June 8.  Still have a week to decide what to do with him.

Kudos to Neil for trading Njyer at his peak value.  Let's just hope that Milledge gets healthy and on track.  

I wonder if Garrett Jones can show anything until Milledge gets healthy.

Daryl...

OK, I'll try

1) McCutchen 8

2) Young 9

3) Sanchez 4

4) Ad LaRoche 3

5) Moss 7

6) An LaRoche 5

7) Jaramillo 2

8) Wilson 6

9) Ohlendorf 1

Who will burn the candle for Burnett?

daryle from last thread:

Exactly!  YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

daryle from this thread:

1. Cutch, CF

2. Young, LF

3. Sanchez, 2B

4. LaRoche, 1B

5. LaRoche, 3B

6. Moss, RF

7. Diaz, C

8. Wilson, SS

9. Ohlendorf, P

Big Mac,

"I heard Hostage whispering something about yo momma!"

@ Groat 2 Maz she's a tough old bird, he doesnt want any part of that, think i have a bad temper???  :)

Thanks Groat2Maz2Strangeglove regarding Veal

If someone would have told me three Buccos were going to get moved today, I would have bet my Blanky Snell would have been one of them.

NH is in a trading mode, Philly just lost another starter to the DL, Bosox Mike Lowell is iffy, he plays third but Youkilis (sp as per usual) could move from first to third, I wonder who is next?

damikmikjeal wrote re: Done deal: Morgan, Burnett to Nationals

on Tue, Jun 30 2009 3:32 PM

Something I caught that was interesting about milledge.  He was born in Bradenton.  Maybe he was born to be a pirate.

Just a thought.

I like the trade.  We lose two players who we could lose and not hurt the team and gain two who could come on and be big help.  Oh by the way Tampa needs a closer desperately could we work a trade with them.  HMMMM!!!!  Food for thought.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wasn't Hanrahan the Nats' closer? My first thought when I saw the additions to this trade is that I wonder if something is going on with Capps soon?

correction to my lineup...put Pearce at 9. Of course, that screws up the lineup, cause he won't bat 2nd.

This is what I get for not thinking things through.

Lineup tonight

Clutch

freddy

moss lf

laroche

laroche

pierce rf  Maybe Young here

hammer

wilson

 left handed pitcher on mound

I think something else that is being missed here is that Garrett Jones is getting called up.  He was having an exceptional season in AAA and really deserved to make the team out of spring training.  I wouldn't be surprised to see him get a long look until Lastings is ready to play every day.  

Billy K,

Wow, I am surprised.

I'm usually the one with the pessimistic attitude and even I like this deal.

;-)

This team is awful.

Honestly, how bad must Milledge be that the Nats would seek Morgan.  You can call it 'sell high' on Morgan, but I'm not buying it.  I have a hard time believing any GM out there really thinks Morgan hasn't already peaked.

Not to mention, everyone is talking about Pirates "Outfield of the Future" like it looks very promising.  Saying things like now we have 2/3 of the outfield in place.  Well gee, had we just kept McLouth we'd have our "Outfield of the Future" today!

I want to cheer for the Pirates, but I can't get past the lateral movement.  Until someone in the front office holds true to his word about 'core players', I just can't get excited about the prospect of the team.

IH8Avatars

so what your problem with me?  Don''t like the morning links or something else?

Tonight's lineup: (My guess)

Cutch

Freddy

Adam

Jones

Andy

Moss/Young

Jamarillo

Jack

JAL

Are we closing in on a record for number of threads in a day?

Lineup for tonight....

Box o broken bats

bucket o BP balls

used athletic supporter

Pirate Parrot

glove used in first game at old Forbes Field

Ghost of Bob Prince

Ghost of Vince Lieshied (spelling and may they RIP)

Peg Leg Pirate from the Pirate Tales clips....

Pirate that only occasionally Raises the Jolly Roger

ISNT HANRAHAN A CRAPPIER VERSION OF YATES???

WHAT HAPPENED TO CRAIG STAMMEN??? (sp?)

@jefft - re lineup

Scratch Moss, he played yesterday and there is a lefty going tonight, I think.  Well, maybe not, we did lose two outfielders today, and Jones will be up, but he's lefty too.

When will Millege start his rehab and be up with the big club, I am so excited, if we can beat the damm cubs , will be alright, not looking forward but BELTRAN wont be playing thursday morning, LETS GO BUCSSSSSSSSSS

a good trade with potential. that said, sad to see sean and nyjmo go-nyjmo worked his heart out to be good and was an enjoyable player. burnett was a stable force in the pen most of the season- not a showman but a real inning eater and stopper in a few games. he is now the most valuable pitcher in their pen. I wish them well. hinske we hardly knew ye!

welcome lastings and young hanrahan. as these younger folk grow up together it should be a good core. maybe I should choose a differing word than 'core'...

and who wouldn't want an outfield of delwyn, lastings and gorkys at some point. the all pnc park cool name outfield.

emoney

Hanrahan was the Nats closer, then he wasn't,  --didn't keep track of whether he moved in and out of that role several times

I didn't miss that

Polevaultking wrote re: Done deal: Morgan, Burnett to Nationals

on Tue, Jun 30 2009 8:42 PM

I wonder if Garrett Jones can show anything until Milledge gets healthy.

BAB,

IMO speed can be useful really in any spot in the lineup. - Remember Bonds use to steal 30 and 40 bases a year from the 5th spot when he played for the Pirates.

I like Milledge in the 3 hole because he has the potential to hit for both power and average. Freddy lacks the power I think you want in the 3 spot.

That's just how I see it....

This probably belongs in OS but in response to Ben State:

Ben State wrote re: Done deal: Morgan, Burnett to Nationals

on Tue, Jun 30 2009 3:43 PM

Who will burn the candle for Burnett?

Perhaps this is fitting:www.youtube.com/watch

@BuccosNYC,

Bonifay is Cameron Frye.  Never noticed it, actually never really look at pictures of Bonifay, but its unreal how much he looks like an older version of Cameron.  Nice catch.

My thoughts on the trade:

WOW!

I love it.  I, like almost all of you, am sad to Nyjer go, but when you can get a guy with the talen of McCutchen and with Power you got to do it.  We also got a pitcher that was pretty good last year but faced some rough times this year.  Could be because he lost his stuff, could be because of the team he plays for, or a combination of many things.  This is another example of buying low.  He could be our future closer if/when we trade the Mad Capper.  Again, our FO has made another "great" move (Xman/Marte).  Love it

I think it's a great deal.  I was never sold on Morgan or Burnett.  Why not take a shot at players with some major league experience.  What on Earth is there left to lose ?

big boy club is getting younger...average age may be youger than Indy's (which isnt hard to do I guess).

HATE this deal, Hanarahan is GARBAGE, and Miledge is the LAST guy I would ever want on my team. So we trade away arguably our best releiver and the heart and soul of the team for a terrbile reliever and the Ian Snell times 100 of outfielders. This team will be at least 10 games under by break, 15 by deadline, 20 by September, 30 by end of season.

I wonder what the salary ramifications are with this trade? Surely Milledge and Hanrahan will cost more than Nyjer and Sean. I tried to look up Milledge's salary on the Nat's site and they already had Nyjer in CF, so I gave up the search.

I think everyone is forgetting Jones in this whole scenario. He is a lefty, 1B/OF with some pop (at least at AAA). Perhaps DY will be the next to go, as it seems to me the OF should be Milledge/ AMac/Moss or Jones once Milledge gets here.

BTW, I hope Lastings will be to the Pgh fans "likings" (sorry, just had to do that one ;-)

I actually see Moss in left and Young in RF tonight.

Bizrow--well, I guess that's why I'm not a MLB mgr.

Maybe I'd better duck, too, before complaints start about our current MLB mgr.

All,

For the first time in a long time I am finally encouraged.....

To know that within the next couple of years we could have guys like McCutchen, Milledge, Alvarez, and Tabata in the same lineup is exciting.

There is still work to be done......no solutions in site for 2B, SS, or 1B.....yet now a good foundation seems visible.

This is a good move, although Morgan's speed was a plus. It's an upgrade in power, although not a big upgrade, and adds a younger player with a bigger upside. Expect Milledge to spend a couple weeks at Indianapolis and expect to see much more of Steve Pearce or Young in the next couple of weeks. Gotta find out if he can play in the bigs or not. McCutchen's outfield job just got tougher because he's going to have to cover a lot more ground out there with Morgan gone. Hey, this team wasn't going anywhere with Morgan in the outfield.

Are Adam LaRoche and Snell -- if the Pirates can find a taker -- next?

@ Marty

our best reliever?  Sean Burnett?  The same guy we use in the 6th and 7th inning?  

Why is Lastings the last guy you'd ever want on your team?  

Teddy,

If Milledge grows up and produces as he is capable......he will earn my likings.

BAB

Probably but I haven't kept track that--can't remember another two trade day with multiple threads for each.

Bud

Morgan's speed is about the same as Milledge's.

Building the future one scrub at a time.  Good thing for free tickets.  I wouldn't spend a dime to see the new players.

Go Fireworks and Bobbleheads!!!

@emoneypitt - very nice vid. we should start a movement to show up at the stadium tonight with candles to burn for Burnett

@marty34156 - I don't see how this deal can make us worse.  I could see, worst case, it not making us better, but we're more talented today than yesterday.

Ok I am finally able to breathe again, HANRAHAN??? WTH IS WRONG WITH NH. So not surprised the NuHo likes it. HANRAHAN?????????

I think I am going to do a BK on this one I am just going to have ROOT FOR THE CUBS that is how bad I feel about this trade. Losing (not loosing) Nyjmo is bad enough, I really don't see the hangup about Lastings, but to deal one of your more reliable relievers to get some stiff from THE WORST BULLPEN IN THE LEAGUE, WELL IT JUST DEFIES LOGIC. i THINK I AM SLOWLY LOSING MY MIND.

avatar is fading,fading fading........gone

What I would like to see in the next issue of Sports Illustrated:

Sign of the Apocalypse: NuHo is being positive about the Pittsburgh Pirates.       :)

Ok, lineup

Cutch CF

Andy La - 3b

Freddie - 2B

Adam La - 1B

Young - RF

Jones - LF

Jammer - C

JW - SS

Ollie

They like to throw guys just up in right away

Who comes up till Milledge is ready to go?  No open spots on 40 man, right?

Thanks for the warm welcome - I picked a heckuva day to join the asylum!

Perhaps more than anything, this trade shows how fickle this game is! At the start of the season, this trade would've been wishful thinking. Now we seem to have a healthy amount of supporters/detractors.

Again, evaluating the current contributions of these players, the potential (both ways - up and down), and the track records of the players, I keep feeling better about it.

Here is another thing to keep in mind...  its no secret that the Pirates were talking to the Nats about Morgan...  If Nyjer was that valuable or impressive surely there would have been other teams that would have jumped into the mix.  They sold Nyjer when his stock was high.  I've actually been impressed with how the front office is selling high... such as in McClouth and now Morgan.  Shame they couldn't have done the same with Snell.  

Great trade. The outfield definitely needed somebody with some power. LM might take awhile to be productive...but the key to this deal now is to play him and give him a long chance. Don't be dumb like the Mets and Nats and yank after his first slump.

Next...how about Capps for Zobrist?

@jefft - re lineup,

Don't mind me, I was arguing with myself in that post ; }

"This team will be at least 10 games under by break, 15 by deadline, 20 by September, 30 by end of season."

===================================================

Nothing new here Marty.  They aren't winning anything next year or the year after or the year after.  2013 before we see a winning record or maybe playoffs.  It's been 17, whats another 3 or 4???

HEY INDY!

Go Cubs Go!

C'mon now, just bring it.

;-)

If the heart and soul of the team is a .260 singles hitter with speed who gets picked off twice in a game...then the team doesn't have much, does it ?  Time to move on folks, Nyjmo was Dougie M. with speed.

Try to remember a day when the Pirates had the top players in the game, not these sad excuses for major leaguers.  Take a shot on potential, Nyjmo had already hit his.

What on Earth is left to lose ?

TJK

Sean, with the exception of Grabow, was the only guy in the pen I have total faith in he always got the job done and got guys out lefty or righty. And because he is a cocky punk, a bad teamate, lazy at times, thinks he doesn't have to things the sameway as everyone else, many reasons.

Indy,

You need to peel back the onion and look at more than just the numbers.....

Milledge and Hanrahan possess three times the ability and potential Morgan and Burnett did.

I think Hanrahan throws with a downward plane.

why

IMO this team could've at least hung around the .500 mark this season, and given us something to get excited about in September.

Danger, Will Robinson!!!

Send Lastings Milledge directly to Pittsburgh!  Do NOT send him to Indy!  Do NOT allow Milledge and Ian Snell on same field or in same clubhouse!

That would be like having Superman and Bizarro Superman in same space!!

Either field will blow up or massive infection of looneyness will occur!!!

By the way, welcome Whirlybird Bob Walk!

Does Milledge go on the DL while he continues to rehab?  If so, who else gets called up?  Jeff Salazar?

I'm in the mood to punch somebody in the face.

Neal?

Frank?

Are you there?

Ants Marching=====================================

Demery,

Milledge hits them out on an upward plane.

;-)

awful....Awful.....brutally AWFul deal

I'm actually referring to the Hinske deal-I cannot put into words how bad the Morgan deal is.

Harnahan we already have in a guy named Craig Hansen-A guy who can reportedly throw a ball through a brick wall, however, has little idea where it is going once leaving the hand.

Secondly,

While the apologists will surely claim the whole 'age benefit' with getting rid of Morgan-I firmly believe & you can hold onto this & quote me on it that Milledge will NEVER EVER develop into the player that Morgan already is. Morgan is a catalyst & while everyone claims that 'dugout guys' mean nothing, he truly is the spark of this team. Also, this whole thing with 'age' makes little sense to me-maybe since I am younger than John Grabow, maybe I could take his spot in the bullpen-that is the kind of mentality that some of you possess. Everybody thinks 'younger' is the key & all 'younger' usually means is having someone under control salary wise for a longer period of time---

Thirdly,

We have taken away two other left hand hitters from this roster & added another right handed bat----somebody may want to explain to Neal Coonelly that PNC park FAVORS LEFT HANDED HITTERS-maybe Neal Coonelly should get a job with the Red Sox & sign a bunch of left handed hitters----

Finally,

Lastings Milledge is another fella that has a very troubled past-I can see the clubhouse fights now between Alvarez/McCutcheon/Milledge in a few years

As much as Dejan would hate to think of the package or three way deals (no soup for me) - I sincerely hope that Milledge & Harnahan will be moved shortly as well.

Btw, look for the Nationals to return Burnett to a starter & watch that kid win 15 games-only the Pirates would take a starter like Burnett & turn him into a reliever-why did Duke get countless shots & righting his ship, yet Burnett received virtually none? Godspeed to Morgan & Burnett, lucky for them, their new team will actually surpass the Pirates for wins this year-I guess we really want that first round pick next june.

lineup for tonight?

DOES IT REALLY MATTER

McCutchen CF

Sanchez 2B

An LaRoche 3B

Jones RF

Ad LaRoche 1B

Diaz C

Wislon SS

Ollie P

Bench tonight VasQuez, Young,  Jaramillo kinda spotty on PH's tonight,maybe we can squeeze Duke ala Zambrano please JR do not ever use D Young in the field again

Hopefully the Pirates can get thru to Milledge.  

Bottom line is the guy has effectively worn out his welcome on both teams he's played for in short order despite his raw talent.  

TJK33  << Shame they couldn't have done the same with Snell.  >>

Yes, hopefully this is learning from the mistakes of the past.

Salazar is not on the 40 man roster so I doubt it would be him.

Man the Pirates are getting killed in the comment sections of the story on MLB.com.  I guess no one there realizes it's pointless to have two center fielders in your outfield with no power.  

Ladies and Gentleman:

================================================

Anyone else think by trading Capps we can get the coveted SS?This sounds like a chess game.There HAS  to be a bigger picture.Bullpen by committee? There HAS to be a team willing to give up a major league-ready SS for the Capper!Stay tuned folks.Same Bat time..same Bat channel.

Bob Robertson

"If the heart and soul of the team is a .260 singles hitter with speed who gets picked off twice in a game...then the team doesn't have much, does it ?"

His attitude, and character, and what he meant in the clubhouse is what made him the heart and soul of the team. But my biggest complaint is getting Miledge. I would rather see him never play in a Pirate uniform and this trade fail, because he will not succeed hes got all the talent in the world but doesn't have the attitude never has never will, and hes had his chances to.

It wasn't there when I posted it JAL! I swear, honest!     :)

I'm wondering who will end up on the 25-man roster. Could Hanrahan end up in the minors with Snell returning - but to the bullpen? Finally room for Chris Bootcheck?

And if Milledge isn't ready to be on the 25-man (injury rehab), who takes that spot? The cupboard is really bare at AAA from a position player perspective.  

Me thinks with G. Jones on the 25-Man and Young and Moss swinging the bat well that Adam LaRoche will soon be in San Francisco.

.500 is not the goal.

Tor

"Hopefully the Pirates can get thru to Milledge.  "

I really really doubt that, Minaya, Randolph, and clan couldn't in New York. There is no way in the world NH, JR, and clan will here. Despite all that accountability they preach.

I'll miss Nyjmo and the bus and all, but I like the trade.  

Incidentally, we now have nine (Jackson, Morton, Vazquez, Diaz, Young, Pearce, Jones, Millidge, and Hanrahan) guys on the big league roster that were not there on opening day -- and the trade deadline is still a month away.

I remember saying at the end of spring training that I expected the Bucs to be active through the early season, but this has been amazing.  Trader Joe has been replaced by Neal the wheeler dealer.  (You rhymsters can have some fun with Neal amd wheel and deal and steal for real.)

I'm with NH that even if this doesn't pan out, it shows a willingness to take the chances to make the club better.  More raw talent here, but focus on the raw for a minute -- Kerrigan and Long and Hill have their work cut out.  Now let's work on the middle infield.  Can we make it better without giving up the defense?

Also, since soo many of you seem to be consumed with 'youth above all else', I know of a few high school teams that would love to call PNC park home.

Billy

Anyone that puts the parrot in the lineup ahead of Young is a man that knows baseball.

I cringe every time I see Youngs name in the lineup. Yep I'll take the parrot.

Also has the shore patrol been alerted?

NuHo glad to see you respond thought i was gonna have to do virtual CPR on ya

I am so sick of "potential" if I hear it one more time to day I am gonna go and puke on your puce house. Potential is not there when the Stud of your bullpen cannot hold a fraakin lead.

excuse my french

You may not like Morgans numbers or the fact that he is almost 30, i got 2 kids older than him, but you cannot dispute that he was definitely better fielder than JBay, his offense while not exactly what you look for in a Corner OF, they were improving

Lastins for Nyjmo is a wash in my eyes but talent alone does not translate into success. THIS YEAR HANRAHAN BITES. potential be darned he is not going to take us to the promised land ever. but now it is done and I can honestly say that IHATE THE CUBS ABD I WILL NEVER ROOT FOR THEM AND YOU CANNOT MAKE ME NH NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO

*BOINK* avatar back  

Mighty_Swashbucklers

Welcome to the Asylum

everyone (Ants Marching) has moved on to the Gameday thread.

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" Fuzzy Dunlop  wrote re: Done deal: Morgan, Burnett to Nationals

on Tue, Jun 30 2009 9:13 PM

.500 is not the goal."

You are soo right, Fuzzy, .419 IS THE GOAL

Do we just want .500 Marty.  Is that the PBC goal ?  Let's try to compete for something.  If they don't do it soon, the Steelers & Pens will need to expand their buildings, because they already are winners.

Let's get this .500 goal out of our heads...it means nothing.

Maz, in re shortstop, I don't think Tampa would trade Capps fro Brignac straight up.

Hanrahan is out of options, which is why the Nats almost cut him

I figure that the Pirate Parrot batting cleanup would not watch a beach ball (as Bob Walk called it on the radio last night )"RIGHT DOWN MAIN STREET" go by and not swing at it like AdLa did last night. I would have sat his butt right then and inserted Pearce at least that guy goes up there and hacks away....

Nyjer,

Good luck to you, young man. In your short time in a Pirates uni you've become one of our favorites at my house. My wife is majorly bummed at the news of your trade.

You clearly loved being a Pirate and your enthusiasm is infectious.

I'm gonna miss seeing you helping to raise the jolly roger. I don't believe you've peaked yet and I wish you a long, happy career. And in the hopes that what goes around, comes around - come finish your career as a bucco :)

Photoby

I think the Coonington is starting to make the moves it has to make.  We all know they are working with one hand tied behind their back with the worst owner in professional sports behind the scenes.

However, the Morgan side of the trade seems to make a lot of sense.  The Burnett side of it does not seem to make much sense at all.  I am guessing we will soon learn that Washington would not let the deal fly without Burnett.  His numbers are far superior to Hanrahan's.  Still, the deal could have significant upside.

Let's hope the Coonington team lasts longer than the Nutting ownership debacle.

Next up...Sanchez is getting dealt.  That is the one they have to be careful with because the perception and reality will be that it is a salary dump, because he is staying healthy and will likely be an AllStar, pushing him closer to that option.

My only worry is lefty bullpen options.  As many have stated we keep trading lefty bats.  But with Burnett gone & Grabow sure to go the Bucs will have no lefty options in the pen as Veal won't sniff the field with a lead.  Also, there are little LHP relief options in the minors & we know FAs are questionable due to $ & of course the actual desire to done the uni.  Hanrahan is an absolute train wreck, so he'll fit right in with Yates & Hansen in the most appearances along with the highest ERA competition.

I understand being reluctant about Millage, but his potential is something this team sorely needs.  If he works out, it's a huge plus.  If not, truthfully, it's not that big a loss.  Morgan had hit his peak, talent-wise.  All the gung-ho stuff in the world can't replace talent...and that's what the PBC needs.  Why do we continue to long for .260 hitters (not only Nyjmo, but Nate too) who have hit their peak.  They both may have been wonderful people, but this team needs talent on the field to win.

What on Earth is left to lose ?

I wish I could look back a few years and find prospect rankings...  Wonder where McCutcheon, Lastings, Tabata and Gorkys all were on that list 2 or 3 years ago.  Granted it does not mean much right now but if they can get a spark out of them look out.  

I agreed with every trade, from Bay to Nady to McCouth to Hinske - but this one is atrocious. Nyjer is the heart and sould of this team, the type of guy this club has needed (in the clubhouse and on the field) for years. I think the new front office is just too focused on matrixes and models, etc., and simply ignored the human factor. An absolutely terrible trade that will, undoubtedly, end any chance of success, at least for this year.

This is a trade that we won't know if it is good or not a quite while, but it has a lot of upside.  It does give D-Young more at-bats, which is needed.  What I really worry about is the loss of Nyjer's swagger on a team that is seriously lacking in just that.  I think there are too many stoic, moody players on the team that get "down" easily; thus the many losing streaks.  Nyjer helped keep the team "up".  Will that have an impact ?

Living in DC and following both teams, I can see how this makes sense.  The Nats tried to make a centerfielder and leadoff hitter out of Milledge which he is not and it turned out to be a disaster.  His natural position is corner outfielder.  He's not a great on base guy but has power.  Since we already have Cutch, we can move him into a slot where he'll have a better chance to succeed.  This whole character thing is also blown out of proportion.  He was with the big league club all last year and there were no bad incidents.  A year ago there was no way the Bucs could have traded Nyjer for someone with this high a ceiling.  They did a great job of selling high.  I applaud the move.