#PIRATES GM HUNTINGTON PREYS ON PREDECESSOR LITTLEFIELD, WORKS ON TRADE WITH #CUBS

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
June 09, 2010- Milwaukee, WI. Miller Park..Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano pitched for 5 innings giving up 3 runs off of 2 hits to the Milwaukee Brewers..Milwaukee Brewers lost to the Chicago Cubs 4-9..Mike McGinnis / CSM.

Verified reports have former Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield scouting Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate, the Indianapolis Indians, today. Sources who once visited the state of Indiana believe that the only logical conclusion involves the Pirates and Littlefield’s current club, the Chicago Cubs, consummating a deadline deal.

Littlefield was sent by Cubs GM Jim Hendry to Indianapolis to scout players he’d formerly acquired, namely outfielder Alex Presley and left-handed reliever Daniel Moskos. Presley, drafted in the eighth round in 2006, had proven to be an organizational role player prior to 2010. Now, the diminutive prospect is experiencing a career year, hitting .350/.397/.546 in 91 games across two levels. Moskos, famously selected by Littlefield one pick ahead of supposed franchise savior Matt Wieters, had a similarly rocky start to his professional career before logging a 1.74 ERA and 17 saves this season.

Littlefield, known for buying high and selling low, has reportedly advised the Cubs to acquire Presley and Moskos at any cost. Neal Huntington, who stepped into his first general manager’s gig in Pittsburgh and was left to clean up Littlefield’s mess, was not immediately interested in trading prospects in order to boost his major league roster, but eventually gave in to Hendry’s advances.

In exchange for Presley and Moskos, the Pirates will receive infield prospect Ryan Flaherty, right-handed pitcher Carlos Zambrano, and $30 million in cash.

Flaherty, soon to be 24, was a teammate of Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez at Vanderbilt University. Flaherty has struggled in 2010, hitting a combined .258/.323/.379 across two levels. He has played primarily second base and shortstop, and has also spent time at the hot corner. It is expected the Pirates will leave Flaherty in the middle infield, and hope that reuniting the left-handed pull hitter with Alvarez will turn the youngster’s career around.

Zambrano, a veteran of 10 major league seasons, signed a five-year, $91.5 million extension with Chicago in August of 2007. He had never logged an ERA over 3.95 in a year prior to 2010, when reported behavioral issues caused the Cubs to place their ace on the restricted list. With the amount of money remaining on his contract, Hendry agreed to pay the freight in shipping Big Z out. Despite concerns over how Zambrano will fit into the Pirates’ clubhouse, Huntington agreed to move forward with the swap given how awful the team’s rotation has been.

#PIRATES RUMORED TO BE PURSUING THREE-WAY DEAL WITH #YANKEES, #TIGERS

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
April 5th, 2010: Delwyn Young in action during the Pittsburgh Pirates vs Los Angeles Dodgers game at PNC field in Pittsburgh. Photographer Jason Pohuski / Cal Sport Media.

Sources say what began as minor dealings between the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates over bench depth has turned into a larger, three-team trade totaling seven players. The Detroit Tigers became involved when the Yankees made starting pitcher Sergio Mitre available, which may be a signal that New York is working on a more significant trade for rotation help.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman started the action by inquiring as to the availability of Pirates utilityman Delwyn Young, a switch-hitting outfielder also capable of playing third base and second base. Multiple reports had Cashman actively searching for a bench player capable of spelling Alex Rodriguez occasionally at the hot corner. Young has compiled lines of .293/.353/.386 in 155 career plate appearances as a pinch hitter and .273/.318/.476 in high leverage situations, but a strong bench presence isn’t a necessity for the also-ran Pirates, who agreed to part ways with the 28-year-old.

Cashman had dealt with Neal Huntington of the Pirates previously, notably in a 2008 deadline deal that sent four young players to Pittsburgh in exchange for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte. An early iteration of that transaction had included minor league right-handed pitcher George Kontos, but later the teams settled on a different package. Huntington coveted the hard-throwing righty at the time, and still wanted to add Kontos, even after he underwent Tommy John surgery.

Cashman and Huntington disagreed over balancing the deal, and that’s when negotiations turned to the Tigers.

The Pirates have agreed to send Delwyn Young to the Yankees and third baseman Andy LaRoche to the Tigers. The Yankees will send Mitre to the Tigers and Kontos to the Pirates. The Tigers will send prospects Daniel Fields and Brayan Villareal to the Pirates and reliever Billy Buckner to the Yankees.

News reports out of New York originally had Mitre set to fill a void in the Yankees’ rotation left by an injury to Andy Pettitte. However, the latest rumblings have Cashman working feverishly to add an ace-caliber arm, likely Dan Haren of the Diamondbacks or Roy Oswalt of the Astros.

The Tigers took aim at Mitre and LaRoche, two players who have shown flashes of star talent, but whose professional results have been disappointing. LaRoche will start at third for the injured Brandon Inge. Mitre will join the Tigers’ rotation as the team tries to catch the Central-division leading Chicago White Sox, currently 3.5 games ahead in the standings.

Huntington continues to stock his farm system, adding Fields and Villareal, both of whom had been playing for the High-A Lakeland Flying Tigers.

Fields was a 2009 draftee, and the 19-year-old shortstop’s assignment to Lakeland could be considered aggressive. Baseball America rated Fields as the Tigers’ No. 9 prospect entering 2010, and had expected his pro career to begin in low Class A.

Villareal, 23, was considered a sleeper by prospect analyst John Sickels this offseason, and has put together a 7-4 record in 16 starts in his first taste of the Florida State League. In 85.2 innings, he has struck out 90 batters and walked 23. Scouting reports have his velocity peaking at 97 miles per hour. The Tigers’ No. 18 prospect was signed out of Venezuela in 2005.

Buckner was sent to the Yankees in an effort to clear a spot 40-man roster.

#METS, NOT #DODGERS INVOLVED IN DEAL FOR #PIRATES’ PAUL MAHOLM

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
July 18, 2010 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America - 18 July 2010: Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Maholm (28) delivers a pitch to the plate during the National League game between the Houston Astros and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates Paul Maholm.

Earlier this afternoon, reports surfaced that the Los Angeles Dodgers have interest in acquiring Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed pitcher Paul Maholm. Other sources refute these unsubstantiated trade rumors, instead citing knowledge of team meetings that suggest Neal Huntington is actively negotiating with the New York Mets on a trade involving Maholm.

The Mets currently sit 5.5 games back in the National League East, and are chasing the Cincinnati Reds in the wild card race. Their 49-44 records matches that of the Dodgers, who are six back in the NL West. Omar Minaya, general manager of the Mets, reportedly refused to comment on the team’s starting rotation, but it is known that he is searching for an upgrade over the likes of R.A. Dickey and Hisanori Takahasi, who have experienced modest success in 2010 but aren’t as battle-tested in Major League Baseball as Maholm is.

Maholm, 28, is a six-year big league veteran. In 19 starts for the Pirates this season, he is 6-7 with a 4.03 ERA. He is the definition of an innings eater, as for his career, he averages 34 starts, 212 innings and a 99 ERA+ per 162-game season. Maholm is signed through 2011 with a club option for 2012.

Sources say in return for Maholm, the Mets will ship second base prospect Reese Havens, troubled starting pitcher Oliver Perez and cash to Pittsburgh.

Havens, 23, was the 22nd overall pick in the 2008 June amateur draft. Originally selected as a shortstop, Havens has been shifted to second base in New York. After beginning the 2010 season in St. Lucie, he was promoted to Binghamton of the Eastern League. In 18 games for the Binghamton Mets, Havens has hit .338/.400/.662 with six home runs and 12 RBI. Finally healthy, Havens has outperformed his preseason ranking as the Mets’ No. 7 prospect. Sources were unable to determine if Huntington prefers to use Havens at short, or at second.

In order to convince Minaya to part with Havens, Huntington agreed to reacquire Perez. The former Pirate’s stock has plummeted from its peak in 2004, a year that saw the southpaw go 12-10 with a 2.98 ERA in 196 innings. He pitched capably for the Metropolitans in 2007 and 2008, but has been a disaster since, going 3-7 with a 6.62 ERA in 25 games split over 2009 and 2010. Perez, 28, is owed approximately $18 million through 2011, and it is believed that the Mets will include a significant amount of cash in the deal. Perez will assume Maholm’s spot in Pittsburgh’s rotation. According to a fake team source, pitching coach Joe Kerrigan said no starter Huntington gives him can possibly be any worse than Charlie Morton.

Members of the Posse de Perez did not immediately return messages left at group headquarters.

#PIRATES AGREE TO DEAL DOTEL TO #MARLINS FOR PROSPECTS

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
July 17, 2010 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America - 17 July 2010: Pittsburgh Pirates closer Octavio Dotel.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are close to a deal that would send closer Octavio Dotel to the Florida Marlins, sources say.

Dotel, 36, has saved 19 games for the Pirates in 2010 after being signed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract in the offseason. The deal contains a $4.5 million club option for 2011 that becomes a mutual option if Dotel is traded. There is a $500,000 buyout in the event the option would not be exercised.

Despite a sparkling strikeout ratio and improved control over last year, Dotel has seen his earned run average rise as a Pirate. His year-to-year ERA has jumped nearly a run and a half from 3.32 in 2009 to 4.75. Still, the veteran of 12 major league seasons will be a valuable commodity as the trade deadline approaches, as he is one of a handful of experienced relievers available on the open market.

The Marlins, currently nine games back in the National League East and six back in the wild card race, could use another elite arm at the back end of their bullpen. The team can’t afford to lose any winnable games, and president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest is willing to deal from the farm in order to make a playoff push.

In exchange for Dotel and $2 million in cash, the Marlins have agreed to send left-handed pitcher Jose Alvarez and minor league infielder Jake Smolinski to the Pirates.

Alvarez, 21, was recognized by Baseball America as a sleeper within the Marlins organization entering 2010. Acquired from the Boston Red Sox in a November deal for Jeremy Hermida, Alvarez has shown good potential while pitching in the South Atlantic League. He is 7-3 this season with a 3.22 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 92.1 innings. Alvarez led the New York-Penn League in earned run average while pitching for the Lowell Spinners last season.

Smolinski, 21, is playing in his first season with the High-A Jupiter Hammerheads. He was acquired by the Marlins in a trade that sent Scott Olsen to the Washington Nationals in 2008. The Nationals’ No. 2 pick in the 2007 draft has been hampered by injuries in his career, and is suffering through a down year offensively. The right-handed hitter has logged the bulk of his professional innings at third base, second base and left field, and is starting at the hot corner for the Hammerheads. Baseball America considered Smolinski to be the Marlins’ 16th best prospect prior to Opening Day.

The deal is expected to be announced publicly never.