Bye Bye BFF: Welcome Tim Alderson. Strikes Out Side in Video

Freddy Sanchez traded to the Giants today. Operation shock and awe or the Pirates ‘plan’ as GM Neil Huntington has named it  is officially in full swing. Lord thank you for answering my prayers today.

Check out this Pirate 6’6″ right hander Tim Alderson strike out Engel Beltre swinging; Matthew Lawson swinging; and Mitchell Moreland, you guessed it, strikes out swinging.  Look close at that strange left leg kick at the end of his motion…    [if you like reading Rumbunter, get it in your email here]

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  Tim Alderson minor league stats page.  Alderson’s fastball is in the low 90’s and he has an excellent curve, which will probably be his best pitch. He clearly won’t be a dominant strikeout pitcher on any level, but his command and ability to keep the ball down will allow him to be very consistently effective.

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Could the Pirates actually have to worry about Rule V draft next year?   Good Lord what a turnaround in talent.

Please bring Lastings Milledge to Pittsburgh NH.  We promise to tell our friends and buy tickets…

More videos of Alderson here

Fan Graphs writer loves the Pirates work by NH and his team on this trade.  Read it here.  My favorite part below….

"Alderson is just 20 years old and he’s holding his own in double-A. The 6′6′ right-hander also has above-average command and control for his age. He can throw in the low-90s and has a plus curveball and a developing changeup. In 13 double-A starts, Alderson allowed 76 hits in 72.2 innings of work, while posting a walk rate of just 1.73 BB/9 and a strikeout rate of 5.70 K/9 (which will no doubt rise as he gains experience). The 22nd pick of the 2007 draft had hit a rough patch lately with three straight “meh” starts, but, again, he’s 20 years old and pitching in double-A with exceptional command and control for his age.Sanchez is currently hitting .296/.334/.442 with six homers and five RBI in 355 at-bats. The 31-year-old could slot into the No. 2 hole in the lineup for San Francisco. Defensively, he plays a solid but unspectacular second base, which will help fill a season-long hole for the Giants. Sanchez definitely has an edge on defense, but is his offense really that much better than current second baseman Juan Uribe’s triple-slash line of .284/.314/.431? Is the slight offensive edge plus Sanchez’ glove really worth Alderson?Sanchez is a nice complementary player, but he definitely should not have cost an A-level pitching prospect. In five years, this (panic?) trade is going to hurt.P.S. The Pirates just got more value for Sanchez than Ricciardi could drum up for Halladay. That has to burn."

Some Giants fans are not thrilled about Freddy.  Uh oh.  Golden Gate Jumpers?  Remember Matt Morris? 

Alderson that is one nasty curveball.  Freddy be careful in San Francisco.