The stopgaps

I don't fret as much as some about the one-year proven veteran signings. This is because, one, I'm not one to fret about much of anything, let alone baseball, and two, most of the recent signings have made enough sense to me.

Yet I have to admit that the Joe Randa signing -- when Freddy Sanchez, at the least, was available to play third -- looks extravagant after three thousand words on what the Pirates can do with money in Latin America, the draft, and player development.

Here's the Kovacevic article with this stretch of paragraphs:

One argument against such spending is that this money, if funneled instead to the developmental level, would create an immense pool for signing amateurs.

"With a team like Pittsburgh, that's what I'd be doing," one National League executive said. "At the lower levels, they can compete financially with anyone. Not in the bigs. You're just throwing the money away instead of continuing to build."

Scouting director Ed Creech disagreed.

"There isn't an unlimited amount we can spend," he said. "We have what we need."

Pshaw, Creech, spoken like a company man. Hire another Rene Gayo, better research the Zach Duke types who will go to college because no team will give them the signing bonus they demand. Don't tell us you can't spend more money getting players.

I know the arguments in favor of stopgap signings - I've made them - but they aren't on the tip of my tongue.

... oh yes, here they are. It starts with, I WANT TO WIN NOW, and includes profanity.