Pirates begin process of rebuilding bullpen; Actively shopping Delwyn Young

3:52pm - Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 by John Perrotto

By John Perrotto

General manager Neal Huntington has a lot of restocking to do in the Pirates’ bullpen.

Closer Matt Capps was jettisoned in December when the Pirates decided to release him rather than go to a potential salary arbitration hearing. Right-hander Jesse Chavez was traded to Tampa Bay for second baseman Akinori Iwamura in November. Last July, primary left-handed set-up man John Grabow was traded to the Chicago Cubs.

The Pirates began the process of rebuilding their bullpen this week with a quiet move as they signed right-hander Brian Bass to a minor-league contract as a free agent. They are also pursuing a number of other free agent right-handers, including Octavio Dotel, D.J. Carrasco, Santiago Casilla, Julian Tavarez, Jose Veras and Tyler Walker.

Dotel, 36, would become the closer if he signs. The 36-year-old was 3-3 with a 3.32 ERA in 62 relief appearances with the Chicago White Sox last season. He has 83 saves in his 11-year career.

Carrasco, 32, also pitched for the White Sox last season and was 5-1 with a 3.76 ERA in 49 games, one start. He spent three seasons in the Pirates’ farm system but was lost to Kansas City in the Rule 5 Draft following the 2002 season. Carrasco has since pitched in 181 major-league games, including 23 starts.

Castilla, 29, was 1-2 with a 5.96 ERA in 46 games with Oakland last season but had a 3.93 ERA in 51 games for the Athletics in 2008.

Tavarez, 36, spent 2003 with the Pirates and finished that season as their closer, accumulating 11 of his 23 saves. He was 3-7 with one save and a 3.89 ERA in 42 games with Washington last season.

Veras, 29, was a combined 4-3 with a 5.19 ERA in 47 games with the New York Yankees and Cleveland last year. He had a 3.89 ERA in 60 games for the Yankees in 2008.

Walker, 33, was quietly a key contributor last season for Philadelphia as he went 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA in 32 games.

***Major-league sources indicated that the Pirates are actively shopping reserve outfielder Delwyn Young, who became expendable Wednesday when Pittsburgh officially signed outfielder Ryan Church as a free agent. Young was the Pirates’ starting second baseman for the final two months of last season but lost that job following the Iwamura trade.***

Perrotto on Twitter

Recent Pirates Posts

Comments

Trey

I've been okay with every move but would be incredibly against losing Delwyn. I'd rather lose the Rule 5 pick and Moss than lose Delwyn. Do they forget how valuable he was as a pinch hitter?

01/13/2010 3:58pm

mwalluk

Love how all the relief pitchers have an era over 5

01/13/2010 4:01pm

jaluco

The Pirates can't decide whether they like a player or not - it changes week to week - mostly because its not based on anything.

01/13/2010 4:02pm

The additions of Crosby, Iwamura and Church spelled the end for Delwyn. All 3 are better all around players. I'm for trading him.

01/13/2010 4:02pm

Jeff2266

can this guy run/hit leadoff?

01/13/2010 4:10pm

j_s15226

Only 2 had an ERA over 5 and in both cases the year before had an ERA in the 3's

01/13/2010 4:11pm

Jeff, if you're referring to Delwyn Young, then no he can't leadoff. That's McCutchen's job.

01/13/2010 4:47pm

Trey

They may be better overall, buddy, but you have to think of the role they are going to be playing. At this point, I see Church starting in right and Jones at first, despite the chance being there for Clement to take the first base job. If it does play out like that, I would MUCH rather have Delwyn Young coming off the bench than Brandon Moss or John Raynor... Also, mwalluk, go away. It's annoying at this point - we get it, the PIrates lose games - I'm sure you were leading the Pens doghouse before Sid, too. If you dont think adding Dotel, Carrasco, Tavares, or Walker would be an upgrade....I don't know why you're pretending to know anything.

01/13/2010 4:49pm

mwalluk

Trey - nice try with personal attacks, here's an idea, come back at me with an educated rebuttal. For your info, I"ve been a Pens fan since 92 - when I moved to the Burgh. Secondly, I have much right to post as you do. 3rd - Yes those players would be significant upgrades, but KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS! Did they sign any of them yet?!?!?! NO! Just cause the article mentions they are interested in them, doesn't mean that they will sign them. Over the last few months how many names has this site given us that the Pirates were interested in and how many did they actually attempt to sign. You do the Math. I'm a realist buddy. DO I want the BUccos to do good, yes I do, but I'm not going to swallow all the Bullsh!t that they are spoonfeeding you and your taking it by the mouthful and washing it down with the Koiolaid.

01/13/2010 4:57pm

j_s15226

No one on here can prove how 'hard' the Bucs went after any of these guys they've supposedly been interested in....

01/13/2010 4:59pm

jaluco

You're right but there I can sure make a pretty educated guess....

01/13/2010 5:14pm

SV84

His fielding is nothing without Perry Hill.

01/13/2010 5:14pm

Monrovian12

OF course adding one or a few of these guys is an upgrade, they're replacing nothing.

01/13/2010 5:50pm

SeaneeRo66

Remember how the Buccos were going to sign Sano and compete for the NL in 2012?

01/13/2010 9:26pm

Trey

Carrasco signed to a minor league deal, according to Kovacevic. I can't BELIEVE Huntington would sign a guy that had a 3.76 ERA to a deal that can pay him a little over a million with incentives! What an IDIOT!

01/13/2010 11:33pm

roncomanjason

Why do we care? We will not see an above .500 season in our lifetime.

01/14/2010 8:12am

↑ previous comments ↑

SeaneeRo66 - Sano is not likely to help anyone in MLB for at least 4 years, so I don't know how you ever got that impression. Carrasco's signed, now let's get Dotel. Kiko Calero should be on this list. Hopefully they are pursuing him as well.

01/14/2010 10:00am

mwalluk

Wow NH signed a decent player for decently cheap! This man is a genius! Give him a raise! Make him the pres of the USA!

01/14/2010 10:56am

well MarkinDallas, that maybe true, but why build that Dominican facility if your not going to sign anyone there in the first place..This organization is a Mickey Mouse operation...Come Hungry !

01/14/2010 11:49am

mwalluk

Tigers could release Dontrelle Willis? Dontrelle Willis is facing a make-or-break spring. Either he steps up and becomes the pitcher the Tigers hoped he would be, and have paid him to be, or they almost certainly cut bait. â

01/14/2010 2:46pm

khalifa - who said they haven't signed anyone? They sign guys all the time that are using that facility. They just haven't signed a big ticket item. Anyway, Sano might not have gone there. He might have gone directly to the GCL. Starling Marte is our top Dominican prospect now - #6 in our system according to BA. He was signed for $85K.

01/14/2010 11:02pm