Mailbag: What's in Eldred's future?

12/12/2005
How much does the acquisition of Sean Casey affect Brad Eldred's playing time this season and in future seasons?-- Brian D., Bethel Park, Pa.
Eldred will play first base regularly next season. He just won't be doing it in the big leagues -- at least not early on in the year -- unless Casey gets hurt.
Eldred has tremendous power, and he could potentially be a guy who will hit 35 to 40 home runs annually. In order to do that, however, Eldred must improve his pitch recognition so that he can make more consistent contact. The fact that Eldred strikes out a lot doesn't concern the team as much as his inability to consistently put the ball in play with runners in scoring position.
Considering that Eldred has jumped from Class A to the big leagues in under two seasons, the time he spends at Triple-A in 2006 could certainly help him in the long term. Casey is signed only through next season, so the job could be Eldred's for the taking in 2007 if he can make the adjustments that the Pirates want to see from him.
Now that Rob Mackowiak is gone, do you think that the Pirates might try to deal for Hank Blalock of the Rangers to fill their need of a third baseman? Do you think Jose Bautista has a shot at the job?-- David P., Spring Lake, N.C.
The Pirates are certainly thin at third base now that Mackowiak and Ty Wigginton are no longer with the team. While Blalock would certainly fill that vacancy quite nicely, I am no longer inclined to believe that the Pirates will make a move for him. The Rangers would almost certainly want Oliver Perez included in any deal for Blalock, and Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield is extremely reluctant to part with the hard-throwing southpaw.
Free agent Bill Mueller is another third baseman the Pirates have been pursuing this winter, but the former Giant seems to be leaning toward accepting a contract with a West Coast team.
It is possible that the Bucs' best bet at acquiring a third baseman now would be to deal with Mueller's former team, the Red Sox. Boston has added Mike Lowell and Andy Marte to its roster in recent weeks, and it already had Kevin Youkilis waiting in the wings. Lefty relievers Damaso Marte and John Grabow could perhaps be used as trade bait in such a deal.
As for Bautista, Littlefield has said on numerous occasions this offseason that Bautista probably needs more seasoning at Triple-A.
Why not sign Joe Randa to a two-year contract? This move would give Bautista valuable time to develop. This would also allow the Pirates to keep their young pitchers for other deals.-- Bob, California, Pa.
Randa was a popular player during his one season in Pittsburgh in 1997, and many Bucs fans have been pushing for the Pirates to try to get him back since the day he was lost to Arizona in the Expansion Draft. But I'm not convinced that Randa would be a significant upgrade over Freddy Sanchez at this point in their careers.
Randa, who will turn 36 on Dec. 18, had a career-high 17 home runs last season, but nine of them came at Great American Ballpark while he was playing for the Reds. He had just four home runs, 17 RBIs and a .303 OBP in 58 games after being traded to the Padres, who play their home games at spacious PETCO Park. His power numbers wouldn't likely be much better with PNC Park's deep left-field dimensions.
Sanchez, who will celebrate his 28th birthday on Dec. 21, batted .306 with four home runs and 20 RBIs after the All-Star break, and he won't even be arbitration eligible until after next season. Would it be worth spending an extra $3 million or so next season for Randa when Sanchez could provide similar production? It seems to me that the Pirates would prefer to use that extra money elsewhere at this point.
What's the latest on Jose Castillo? Will he be healthy enough to start the season or does that seem unlikely? -- Mike T., Pittsburgh
According to Littlefield, Castillo is progressing nicely from the MCL tear he suffered in August. Castillo is rehabbing the knee in his native Venezuela, and he returns to Pittsburgh for a monthly checkup. The team expects him to be at full strength for the start of Spring Training.
As a correction to what I mistakenly wrote earlier in this space, Castillo's knee injury did not require surgery.
Where do you think Sean Burnett, John Van Benschoten and Ian Snell will fit in next season with the Pirates? Coming off of surgery in 2004, will Burnett have an opportunity to compete for a spot in the starting rotation?-- Patrick, L., Mt. Lebanon, Pa.
Burnett has actually had two surgeries in the past 15 months. He had reconstructive elbow surgery near the end of the 2004 season and a shoulder surgery last summer, just as it seemed he was close to making a full recovery from the elbow surgery.
Burnett was progressing well from both injuries at the end of last season. He concluded his rehab program by throwing off the mound during the Instructional League in September, although he did not pitch in any games while at Pirates City.
By all accounts, Burnett should be healthy enough to compete for a rotation spot during Spring Training. However, because he has not pitched in a game since Aug. 21, 2004, the former top prospect will likely be handled with caution by the Pirates. Burnett will likely start next season at Triple-A so that he can work off the rust and regain his command.
Van Benschoten, like Burnett, spent all of last season on the 60-day disabled list. He, too, should be ready to pitch again next spring, but the Pirates do not believe that he is as advanced as Burnett. Van Benschoten must show that he can dominate Triple-A hitters, something he did not do very often in 2004, before he'll be back in the big leagues.
Snell, assuming he is not included in any offseason deals, will be given a chance to compete for a spot in the starting rotation. Many scouts project Snell as a reliever, perhaps pigeonholing him because of his small size (5-foot-11, 187 pounds), and the odds are that he'll begin next season working out of the bullpen.

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/