Nate McLouth and Brad Eldred

Prospect king Scott Rex had this to say about Nate McLouth yesterday. He's recapping the game of the 22nd:

Altoona (PIT) skunked Bowie (BAL), 12-0, as CF Nate McLouth went 2-for-5 with a double, 2 runs scored, and an RBI and 1B Brad Eldred was 3-for-5 with a double, a homer (11), and 6 RBIs. McLouth is one of the toughest outs in the EL. The 22-year-old outfielder leads the EL in hits (150) and is 4th in both batting (.318) and runs scored (80). Eldred has now knocked in an eye-gouging 38 runs in just 24 games with the Curve. He's hitting .278.

The right-handed Eldred is older than most at AA but we won't hold that against him this morning. We need more eye-gouging RBIs, for sure. After demolishing the ball for Florida International University, he didn't set the world on fire in the Sally League last year. But this year has been something else. As Jon Schaeffer, the Hillcats Assistant Broadcaster, wrote in this undated web analysis, "in just 91 games, Eldred had one of the most productive seasons any CL player has had over the last quarter-century."

One thing I don't understand about the "old for Double A" knock. All the time we hear that. Why does it matter so much? It seems like there's no amount of hitting a guy can do at 23 or 24 or 25 at Double A and still be considered, in some people's eyes, as a likely big-league regular. Eldred was 21 when he graduated from college and wasn't good enough to go straight to Double A. After a year and a half of pro ball, he's tearing it up, and since he didn't tear it up immediately as a pro, we write him off?

Since he's finishing his third professional season this year, I do believe the Pirates will have to add him to the 40-man roster or they will lose him in the Rule V draft. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Unless his defense is terrible, I don't see how we can throw this guy away. Call me crazy, but I'd rather lose Carlos Rivera than Brad Eldred. Rivera's two years older and the fact that he's left-handed hasn't helped him to do much at the big-league level. Why not remove Rivera from the 40-man for Eldred, when that time comes?