Steroids report day

Happy performance-enhancing drugs day.

Here's a thread to talk about the needles in the ass.

Pirates' most glaring need thread

Here's a thread to keep the conversation going about the Pirates' most glaring need (must score more runs). Here we can also share whatever we got in terms of trade-type, FA-type, or waiver-wire-type brainstorms and gossip.

Bullpen smullpen

Dejan Kovacevic reports not a lot of worry about the 2008 bullpen.

I'm of the opinion that you line up five or seven guys who could start right away. Put four on the big-league club. The rest go to Indy, take turns, and wait. Then you get six to eight guys who may not have the repertoire or health to start. You put a few of these guys on the club as long relievers, and you put a few guys on the club as set-up men or late-inning people. The one-to-three out specialists become your closers. The manager more or less rides the hot hand until some performance-determined hierarchy emerges. Some schmucks have all the luck; some studs have all the pain. There's no predicting that the Pirates cannot get good late-inning performance from some one to three of Burnett, JVB, Bullington, Osoria, Bayliss, Romulo!, Perez, Taubenheim, Barthmaier, and Dumatrait.

So if I ran the circus, I'd trade Grabow and Marte for position-player prospects. The young starters might whine about there being "no one" to preserve their Ws. To that kind of whining, I would scowl. I would remind them that they could get more outs from their 110 pitches. They have to become more efficient if they want to get better anyway.

The distinguished closer and set-up ranks are full of one-pitch bulldogs and failed or fragile starters. The current roster of no-name pitchers may not inspire confident bullpen construction, but if you give these guys the opportunity, I would trust that a few of them will turn in solid work.

NFL week 14: Steelers at Patriots

The Steelers should take Brady out back and really jump him. That's what it's about. This guy needs to know what it is to play the game wrong and how important it is to get sacked a lot. It's not going to be a slack deal. It won't be tolerated. But it will be handled in a way to try to get the best possible results out of Najeh because he's a good player. (post inspired by John Russell via Dejan).

Torres considers retirement

Sully might rather retire than move his family to Milwaukee, reports Dejan Kovacevic.

Torres traded

Sully traded to the Brewers for right-handed relievers Marino Salas and Kevin Roberts, Dejan reports. No word yet on whether Salas and Roberts hit the weight room every day, or every other day.

Winter meeting notes

Dejan Kovacevic has a bunch of them.

It sounds like the Indians came to question Ronny Ballgame's health, which I find incredible. I wonder if the Pirates sufficiently emphasized his ability to call games.

My favorite part of today's Kovacevic is the correction issued by Salomon Torres. It's buried, scroll to the bottom to find it.

Paulino deal in the works

Dejan Kovacevic reports this morning that late last night, the Indians and the Pirates resumed talks, perhaps in response to the Cabrera trade, centering on Ronny Ballgame.

The Indians want him, it appears, and for outfielder Franklin Gutierrez, catcher Kelly Shoppach, and perhaps Cliff Lee, the Indians will get Ronny Paulino. The deal also hinges on the Pirates including Jason Bay.

Big-time trade news

Nate McLouth may or may not be the "it" boy of the offseason trade conversations.

I wouldn't want Jason Bay if I was the Cleveland Indians. His knees are all crickety and he has that nasty Canadian attitude. No, I'd leave him in the Burgh. Nothing to see here ...

BP interviews Neal Huntington

Not sure I learned much from this interview, so maybe you guys can translate the significant parts for me.

NFL week 13: Bengals at Steelers

The 4-7 Bengals come to town for another prime-time Steeler appearance.

Third base no problem

Dejan Kovacevic reports that Neal Huntington is high on Jose Bautista.

I'd have the same attitude. There are more urgent problems for sure.

The same report describes Ronny Paulino as insufficiently hungry. I'm not sure that's a good message to send. What is it--is he out of shape, physically and mentally, or does he need to be more hungry?

There are better metaphors to improve a work ethic. I wouldn't tell the slow-moving, apathetic catcher to work on his "hunger."

Cards sign Izturis

The St. Louis Dispatch reports that it is Izturis who will bat ninth for La Russa. This makes it more doubtful that the Pirates will trade Jack Wilson.

The Kuwata signing must have forced St. Louis's hand. With the Japanese master coming to Altoona or Indy, Izturis was the only Dandy House veteran on the market.

Kuwata returns

Dejan Kovacevic reports:

Reliever Masumi Kuwata, who made 19 appearances for the Pirates last year and considered retirement after posting a 9.43 ERA, has informed general manager Neal Huntington he would like to return to the team next season. Kuwata is flying from Japan to the United States for a medical exam early next week. He is willing to take a one-year, minor-league contract, as he did last season.

Is there a Dandy House in Indy?

Cardinals interested in Jack Wilson

Joe Strauss reports for the St. Louis Dispatch.

Would La Russa bat him ninth?

Kendall to Brewers

Well, there goes our chance to contend in the NL Central.

I wonder if Jason still practices that play. You know, the one that Ronny Paulino did not practice in all of 2007. Does Kendall have to practice that play?

Is that why he gets the big bucks?

NFL week 12

The 0-10 Miami Dolphins are in town.

Fridge is full of Lagunitas IPA. I am ready for kickoff.

Starting from scratch

Dejan Kovacevic is back and he writes about potentially "outrageous" prices for Bay or Wilson in trade.

He also remarks that a Bay or a Wilson trade would not be popular with the fans. He knows better than me. Still, I doubt it. There aren't too many fans left, so I guess he could ask for a show of hands. That would answer the question pretty decisively--assuming he can get the attention of all five fans.

Whatever happens, too, cannot be called a "rebuilding." When is the last time the team was "built"? I would say they are not rebuilding but starting from scratch.

Kovacevic also notes that the Pirates might send Castillo after Phelps.

Pitcher, catcher wanted in trade

Ken Davidoff writes that the Mets would trade youth for a catcher and pitcher. He must have written this before he had his morning cup of coffee, for Ronny Paulino is nowhere mentioned as someone the Mets surely covet.

It had me wondering, though, if the new bosses might trade one of Snell or Gorzelanny. Either player should fetch a great deal in minor-league talent. The wisdom of such a decision depends on whether or not one thinks the Pirates will contend soon. It also depends on one's opinion of young starting pitchers as building blocks. The example of Oakland's once-famed trio still comes to mind. Are they the best thing to collect, or is their inherent volatility - the greater risk of performance-impairing injury - something that would make you eager, as a GM, to trade them high?

We all know how Littlefield would answer this question, but what will Huntington do? Any idea how he'd define a "solid core" about which to build?

The Pirates have to improve their offense to get anywhere. I don't know how that happens quickly if they will not sign expensive free agents. If they intend to grow the talent, that could take many years. Who on this roster would still be here when they finally harvest enough home-grown hitting talent?

Coaches

The Post-Gazette indicates that the next wave of Pirate excitement will be all about some coaches getting hired.