Mailbag: Can Snell emerge as an ace?

02/20/2006
Is Ian Snell going to start this year? Why does he not get as much attention as Paul Maholm and Zach Duke? Neither one of them has pitched a no-hitter.-- F. D., Jacksonville, Fla.
Snell will compete for the final starting rotation spot this spring against Victor Santos, Ryan Vogelsong and Sean Burnett.
Although Snell has posted an amazing 58-20 record in the Minor Leagues, including the May 5, 2005 no-hitter against Triple-A Norfolk, he has struggled at the Major League level. In 18 career appearances with the Bucs, Snell has gone 1-3 with a 5.67 ERA.
Maholm and Duke, by contrast, combined for 11 wins in 14 big-league decisions, and they posted a cumulative 1.93 ERA in their 20 starts with the Pirates in 2005. Both are considered virtual locks to earn spots in the Pittsburgh starting rotation.
What players on the 40-man roster, especially those who will be returning to the Major Leagues, will be eligible for the Rookie of the Year Award?-- Ben C., Virginia Beach, Va.
Let's take a look at another rule book.
According to Major League guidelines, "a player is considered a rookie unless, during a previous season, he had exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues; or accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club or clubs during the period of the 25-man limit (excluding time in military service and time on the disabled list)."
Among the players on the Bucs' 40-man roster who appeared in at least one big league game in 2005, catcher Ronny Paulino, southpaws Maholm and Tom Gorzelanny and right-handers Jonah Bayliss, Bryan Bullington and Matt Capps all will be considered rookies during the upcoming season.
One of the reasons for optimism this year is the new regime and new attitude that manager Jim Tracy seems to bring to the table. I really like the fact that he said this team will not hide behind excuses such as, "We're young, we're inexperienced." How much of a difference do you think the new manager and coaching staff will have on this team?-- Jeff B., Toronto
It is always difficult to gauge how much a manager can truly impact the performance of a team. One need look no further than the year-by-year records of likely future Hall of Fame skippers Joe Torre, Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa to see that even the best managers are only as good as the talent on their roster.
With that being said, the Pirates were able to address several of their roster needs this offseason, and I'd be surprised if they didn't improve upon their 67-95 record of a year ago. But, if the Pirates are going to make the leap over the .500 mark for the first time since 1992, it will certainly have more to do with the production of the players than Tracy's in-game strategies, renowned communication skills and his emphasis on the importance of fundamentals.
I am more hopeful with this 2006 Pirates team than I have been in years. One issue that concerns me, however, is the injury status of Jose Castillo and Chris Duffy. They are key to the Pirates' offense and defense, and I am not hearing much about their physical status. Are they 100 percent healthy? And, for that matter, is Jody Gerut 100 percent? It would be nice to be kept up to date on some of the Pirates battling back from injuries.-- Thomas, M., Greensburg, Pa.
I certainly keep this in mind as I compile my daily notebooks. You'll see injury updates on these players and others throughout the Grapefruit League schedule and beyond.
As for Duffy, Castillo and Gerut, all three of these players have told me recently that they have fully recovered from their respective injuries. Duffy and Gerut have been working out in camp since it opened last week. Castillo joined the team Sunday and began taking ground balls Monday.

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