Hermida musings and minor league miscellanea
Latest sign that things are slowly changing on Federal Street: when the Red Sox traded for Jeremy Hermida yesterday and only gave up two minor league arms, I didn't go apopletic about the Pirates not being involved. Hermida seems like an intriguing buy-low candidate, but if he came to Pittsburgh he'd half about a half season to prove himself before he started costing Garrett Jones, Lastings Milledge, or Jose Tabata at-bats. That's not to say that we couldn't use Hermida (I'd sure rather watch him than Brandon Moss until Tabata's ready), just that not trading for him is no longer feels like a missed opportunity. Some of that's on him, but more of that's because we just have players that w

Some day
And so, the 2009 season wraps up with the Yankees winning the World Series. The team with the biggest payroll, the brightest stars, and the prettiest girlfriends win again. I see people on my Facebook from Western Pennsylvania that I'm fairly certain have never even been to New York crowing about "finally" winning another World Series like it's something they've been waiting for their entire lives. All while I'm stuck trying to remember what that last winning season way back in 1992 was like. I won't sugarcoat it; it sucks to watch. Sometimes it doesn't seem fair that they get to celebrate six championships while we cling to a bad baseball team that won 79 games by accident in 199

More on Akinori Iwamura
The more I think (and read) about this trade, the more I like it for a few reasons. The first reason should be obvious; Iwamura makes the Pirates better at a position of need without giving much up. He's not blocking anyone from playing in the immediate future, so why is becoming better in 2010 a bad thing? The Pirates are mostly done tearing things down; at some point they have to begin building up. Iwamura gives the Pirates a lot of flexibility in an area they previously had none. If he plays well and is open to an extension, Andy LaRoche becomes expendable if he can't adjust to second bas

More on Akinori Iwamura
The more I think (and read) about this trade, the more I like it for a few reasons. The first reason should be obvious; Iwamura makes the Pirates better at a position of need without giving much up. He's not blocking anyone from playing in the immediate future, so why is becoming better in 2010 a bad thing? The Pirates are mostly done tearing things down; at some point they have to begin building up. Iwamura gives the Pirates a lot of flexibility in an area they previously had none. If he plays well and is open to an extension, Andy LaRoche becomes expendable if he can't adjust to second bas

Akinori Iwamura is coming to the Pirates
Developing. No word on who's going to Tampa. More later. UPDATE: The Post-Gazette reports that it's Jesse Chavez for Iwamura and an unknown player. (Update to the update: no other player) Analysis Update: I have mixed feelings about this trade. I did mention Iwamura as a player to target this off-season,