The Pittsburgh Pirates Shopping Spree Sucks This Year

The Pittsburgh Pirates 2013 Shopping Spree is off and running as the Bucs have added several players to their roster while sending a few players out the door.  To say it’s been lackluster is an overstatement.  Pirates fans have heard more about budgets than blockbusters.

The Bucco faithful has heard about not paying market rate for their best pitcher from their first winning season in twenty years.

Black Friday was not used to land a player out from under another team shopping to improve their roster.  No.  Black Friday was used to sell Pirates single game tickets.

But on a positive note, Pirates fans know what the bobble head schedule will be!  We know exactly when the Zambelli Fireworks nights will be!  So far, the Pirates have added necessary depth to their roster which is like bringing sparklers to Skyblast.

Surely, with the bump in revenues, the Pirates will provide us with some exciting news very soon.  Perhaps it feels late because this time last year the Russell Martin signing had already been announced.  Now that was a shopping spree!  Going to New York to get Martin, spending millions of dollars on a Yankee!  The team invested in a player that turned out to make a tremendous impact during the magical 2013 season.

Pirates fans deserve to be antsy, it’s been a badge of honor to remain a fan of this team.  Big money players from the Yankees the past couple of years, all of this winning, it’s a big transition!    Now with more top line revenue, everyone thought the Bucs would make some serious moves.

But the money has been kept in the wallet thus far.  Smart?  We hope so.

It would have been real hard for us to not put together a deal for Doug Fister.  The Nats got themselves one of the best.  But it didn’t happen.  So while everyone waits patiently until the door-bustin’ deals start rolling in, we are going to look at what the brass on Federal Street has been done thus far.

The biggest addition was getting Chris Stewart from the New York Yankees.  Yeh, it reminded us of buying Puppy Love Perfume.  (click the photoshop to embiggen and get rid of that annoying ad)   Then the Pirates were able to avoid arbitration and he signed  a one-year contract.

The Cyber Monday move was to designate C Michael McKenry for assignment.

The Bucs declined to offer 2014 contracts to 1B Garrett Jones, and RHP Kyle McPherson.

November was when Huntington grabbed some stocking stuffers.

**Agreed to terms with RHPs Jake Brigham, Josh Kinney, Collin Balester, Seth McClung and Jay Jackson to minor league deals.

**Selected contracts of RHP Casey Sadler and OF Gregory Polanco, infielder Alen Hanson and LHP Joely Rodriguez.

The biggest news from November was the Twins re-gifting right-handed reliever Duke Welker back to Pittsburgh.  The David Littlefield drafted flamethrower struggles with command, will be 28 in February, and has pitched 1.1 innings in the big leagues….but someone in the Pirates organization is hanging onto him for a reason.

Watching Welker pitch is fun.  A lot of heat.  Big guy, huge at 6’7″ and appears like he should be durable long term.   All Welker needs is control.  That’s pretty important and perhaps it will come this season.

The other news to come out of November was  Wandy Rodriguez, the broken toy that was picked up from Houston, is exercising his player option for 2014.  Rodriguez might be the biggest piece of the rotation puzzle, if he’s healthy.

Come on Bob Nutting, break out the good gifts.  Christmas is coming soon and this Pirates team needs a few things.