An eagle-eyed reader sent along this nugget, courtesy of the Cincinnati Enquirer (it's buried at the bottom of the link). According to the story, OF Cliff Floyd is near agreement on a one-year deal with the Cubs, but has not made up his mind. Several AL West teams, as well as your Buccos, have an interest. The Pirates are most likely inquiring because Jim Tracy managed Floyd in Double-A ball.
.244, 11 homers, 44 RBI, and foot surgery to finish the year. Just what the Pirates need. Sorta takes the buzz off of all that "Littlefield for President" euphoria we've heard over the past week.
And on that note, I know the Adam LaRoche trade is great for morale in the clubhouse and among the fans, but what does the addition really mean to the lineup? This was a 67-95 team in 2006. In order to reach the magical 81-win plateau, that will mean a 14-game swing in 2007. Will the addition of LaRoche and the maturation of other key players add up to a 14-game difference? Let's say I have some serious doubts.
It will be interesting to see what LaRoche's presence means for Jason Bay's protection in the lineup. Say what you want about LaRoche, but he's an upgrade over their 2005 opening-day 3-hole hitter: the computer generated Tike Redman.
Related: Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke gives us another reason why Littlefield pursued LaRoche with such passion.
1 comment:
Dammit, I was hoping the Pirates would take him. If Floyd takes Matt Murton's job I'm going to be pissed.
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