First four cuts

[81omar]

   Only slight surprise to me is Valdez,you would think they would want to get more of a look at him but it's possible that he's only as good as the player you trade for him.....anyone notice Zach Duke leads all of baseball in hits allowed with 12 in just 4ip?

http://www.piratesprospects.com/2011/03/pirates-cut-four-players-including-tony-sanchez.html

[bobster]

So Duke's already in mid-season form! Impressive.   

[dave3BA]

I'm also surprised to see Valdez cut.  You have to think Huntington is figuring his bullpen is going to be completed by guys out of options to start the year, so I guess they figured he didn't have a shot to break with the club anyhow.  If past years are any indication, I'm sure he'll be up at some point anyhow.

I keep hoping Duke finds that lost velocity.  Until or unless he does that, his career is about over I'm afraid.  The separation he has right now in velocity is not enough to fool anyone.

I was hoping to see Tony Sanchez today, guess that won't happen.  Besides Maholm, the only interesting pitcher scheduled to go is Owens.  Hopefully some of the young position players get in late.

[81omar]

    Its unlikely you will see Sanchez today since he just got cut but he still may play another game as a minor league fill-in before spring is over.

   Tony Watson is scheduled to pitch today as well

[dave3BA]

Yeah, and I had my dates messed up, it's the game tomorrow that's on tv not today.  Boo!

[Rutang]

Tony tweeted this yesterday afternoon.

So happy my bffffff roomie fa lyfe is coming to Altoona with me. B. Holt. Praying for an A. Baker third wheel.
Twitter for iPhone • 3/4/11 7:45 PM

[Dale Berras Stash]

Tony tweeted this yesterday afternoon.

So happy my bffffff roomie fa lyfe is coming to Altoona with me. B. Holt. Praying for an A. Baker third wheel.
Twitter for iPhone • 3/4/11 7:45 PM

That would be nice if A. Baker was at AA, then Curry could be at High A.  That would put Calvin Anderson on the bench at AA, but so what.

[wat.da.buc.up]

Tony tweeted this yesterday afternoon.

So happy my bffffff roomie fa lyfe is coming to Altoona with me. B. Holt. Praying for an A. Baker third wheel.
Twitter for iPhone • 3/4/11 7:45 PM

That would be nice if A. Baker was at AA, then Curry could be at High A.  That would put Calvin Anderson on the bench at AA, but so what.

Neither of those guys is ready for the jump to AA. Unless you want Calvin to set a strikeout record.

[81omar]

    Judging by Hurdle's comments toward Valdez, it sounds like he's taken being traded for Duke too serious!

  We're encouraged to have him. We want to see the velocity get back, the sinking fastball."

[Dale Berras Stash]

Tony tweeted this yesterday afternoon.

So happy my bffffff roomie fa lyfe is coming to Altoona with me. B. Holt. Praying for an A. Baker third wheel.
Twitter for iPhone • 3/4/11 7:45 PM

That would be nice if A. Baker was at AA, then Curry could be at High A.  That would put Calvin Anderson on the bench at AA, but so what.

Neither of those guys is ready for the jump to AA. Unless you want Calvin to set a strikeout record.

My point about Anderson was that I don't consider him to be much of a prospect and don't want him to hold up someone like Curry, for example.

With Hague at AAA (hopefully) that puts Anderson at AA, Aaron Baker at High A, and Curry at Low A in the 1B chain.  I think that retards Curry's growth potential at age 22, because I would like to see if he can continue his nice debut from short-season.

Basically my whole comment was that I don't want Curry held back from seeing High A this year.

[Optimist]

he can't set the strikeout record from the bench.  think we might see fryer or colonel or durham or ford or some odd players at first in altoona if anderson's isn't?