Burnitz a Buc???

[KCGHOST]

ESPN is reporting that the initial reports of Jeremy Burnitz signing with the Orioles are not true and that the 36 year-old OFer will sign with the Bucs as soon as he passes a physical.

[Ravenlord]

hmmm...Burnitz or Sosa...the Cubs asked this question, and relatively speaking, got the answer right.

[Ravenlord]

The Pirates today agreed to terms with free-agent outfielder Jeromy Burnitz on a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2007. Financial terms were not immediately available, but the salary for the coming season is believed to be in the range of $6 million.

Burnitz, who will turn 37 April 15, has 299 career home runs and will fill the Pirates' desire for a power-hitting cleanup hitter in right field. He batted .258 last season for the Chicago Cubs with 24 home runs, 31 doubles and 87 RBIs. He led the team with 160 games played and 40 two-out RBIs.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06003/631844.stm

[moebarguy]

I'd rather start Craig Wilson...

[Solair Wright]

Well, since Craig Wilson's season has been shortened by injuries, I hope this year is "his year." He'll most likely be playing CF since Tike Redman is a Met now. Speaking of Pirate lineups, I've got what it should look like on Opening Day:

C: Ryan Doumit/Humberto Cota
1B: Sean Casey
2B: José Castillo
SS: Jack Wilson
3B: Joe Randa
LF: Jason Bay
CF: Craig Wilson
RF: Jeromy Bernitz

That starting lineup sounds scary...especially since at least a couple batters ARE capable of a 30HR season.

[Ravenlord]

Craig Wilson barely has the range to play a corner outfield spot, let alone centerfield.

Burnitz will be in right with that God-awful contract. Bay will spend some time in left and center. center will be played Duffy. when Bay is center, expect to see Gerut in left. heh, you may even see Duffy and Gerut split time in center.

Littlefield's already seeking to trade Wilson, calling him and American League guy (it's logic like that the keeps the Pirates in the cellar).

and the lineup is better than last year, but will still be NL average at best.

[Buczilla]

Littlefield's already seeking to trade Wilson, calling him and American League guy (it's logic like that the keeps the Pirates in the cellar).

The funny thing about that quote is that in todays PPG David said the same thing about Shelton.

Pirates Notebook: Littlefield regrets being 'wrong' about Shelton
Wednesday, April 19, 2006

By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It has been hard to miss the Detroit Tigers' Chris Shelton so far this season, given that he has been Major League Baseball's headline act.

As a result, it has been equally hard to miss the many shots that have been taken, locally and nationally, at Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield, the man who allowed Shelton to slip away in the Rule 5 draft three years ago.

The critics apparently will get no rebuttal from Littlefield.

"Listen, first and foremost, we were wrong," he said in an interview last night at PNC Park. "If we could redo it, we certainly would. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it. And I'm completely accountable. I understand that. But the reality of how jobs go is that you make mistakes at times, and you try to learn from them and self-analyze and not make the same ones again."

Asked if he and the Pirates have used the Shelton lesson to prevent similar mistakes, he replied: "It happens every week here, every day. And it's happened for the last 15 years of my life, learning from everything I do. Believe me: It's one we wish we could redo."

The Pirates had three open spots on the 40-man roster on that Monday in New Orleans, Dec. 15, 2003, when five of the first six Rule 5 selections were plucked from their system, an extraordinary event unto itself. Any of those open spots could have been used to protect Shelton, the organization's minor-league player of the year that summer.

Littlefield explained management's decision as being based partly on Shelton's subpar defense to that point of his professional career -- the Pirates tried him at catcher, first base, third base and the outfield -- and partly on a concern he would not continue to hit for power.

Shelton, 23 at the time, hit 21 home runs in 95 games for Class A Lynchburg that summer but had none in 35 games after being promoted to Class AA Altoona.

"What we saw from Shelton was a good hitter who had some defensive challenges," Littlefield said. "We tried him around at some different places. And, as we made the move to bring him up to Class AA, we really were questioning the kind of power that he was going to show at upper levels. Combined with his defense, we just thought he was more American League-oriented."

None of which is to suggest, Littlefield added, that the Pirates were correct on any front.

"Obviously, in retrospect, that was wrong. From what I hear, he's improved his defense. And obviously, the power has been very impressive."

After going 1 for 4 at Oakland last night, Shelton is batting .455 with nine home runs, five doubles, three triples and 17 RBIs.

That is quite a nice way to treat our Minor League Player of the Year.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/S/chris-shelton.shtml

[Ravenlord]

The funny thing about that quote is that in todays PPG David said the same thing about Shelton.

Pirates Notebook: Littlefield regrets being 'wrong' about Shelton
Wednesday, April 19, 2006

By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It has been hard to miss the Detroit Tigers' Chris Shelton so far this season, given that he has been Major League Baseball's headline act.

As a result, it has been equally hard to miss the many shots that have been taken, locally and nationally, at Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield, the man who allowed Shelton to slip away in the Rule 5 draft three years ago.

The critics apparently will get no rebuttal from Littlefield.

"Listen, first and foremost, we were wrong," he said in an interview last night at PNC Park. "If we could redo it, we certainly would. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it. And I'm completely accountable. I understand that. But the reality of how jobs go is that you make mistakes at times, and you try to learn from them and self-analyze and not make the same ones again."

Asked if he and the Pirates have used the Shelton lesson to prevent similar mistakes, he replied: "It happens every week here, every day. And it's happened for the last 15 years of my life, learning from everything I do. Believe me: It's one we wish we could redo."

The Pirates had three open spots on the 40-man roster on that Monday in New Orleans, Dec. 15, 2003, when five of the first six Rule 5 selections were plucked from their system, an extraordinary event unto itself. Any of those open spots could have been used to protect Shelton, the organization's minor-league player of the year that summer.

Littlefield explained management's decision as being based partly on Shelton's subpar defense to that point of his professional career -- the Pirates tried him at catcher, first base, third base and the outfield -- and partly on a concern he would not continue to hit for power.

Shelton, 23 at the time, hit 21 home runs in 95 games for Class A Lynchburg that summer but had none in 35 games after being promoted to Class AA Altoona.

"What we saw from Shelton was a good hitter who had some defensive challenges," Littlefield said. "We tried him around at some different places. And, as we made the move to bring him up to Class AA, we really were questioning the kind of power that he was going to show at upper levels. Combined with his defense, we just thought he was more American League-oriented."

None of which is to suggest, Littlefield added, that the Pirates were correct on any front.

"Obviously, in retrospect, that was wrong. From what I hear, he's improved his defense. And obviously, the power has been very impressive."

After going 1 for 4 at Oakland last night, Shelton is batting .455 with nine home runs, five doubles, three triples and 17 RBIs.

That is quite a nice way to treat our Minor League Player of the Year.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/playe...-shelton.shtml

what isn't being mentioned there is Shelton came up as a catcher, and then was tried at 3B and LF by the Buccos...he only played 1 game as a firstbasemen in the Pirates organization.

in Baseball America, Hardball Times, and Baseball Prospectus had Shelton as the man to get in the Rule V draft. but what makes it perplexing is that that idiot Littlefield only had 37 players on his 40 man roster at the time of the draft. talk about stupid. with just a slightly compedent GM at the helm in 2003, the Pirates could have fairly easily entered this season in the same spot the Brewers entered last year in.