Pirates Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations on some of the latest Pittsburgh Pirates baseball news .

The Pirates and GM Dave Littlefield have recently significantly overpaid for both OF Jeromy Burnitz and 3B Joe Randa.

Burnitz was supposed to sign with the Orioles but it appears that the Orioles front office may have jerked him around on contract details which left the door open for the Pirates and Littlefield to call Burnitz's agent and say, "Hey we'd be interested in signing Jeromy at $6 million per year too." (The second year in Burnitz deal is a mutual option.) Burnitz then said to the Orioles, "Screw you guys - I'm going home".

Joe Randa was signed for one year and $4 million. Personally, I've never understood the fascination with Randa. I've always thought he was seriously over-rated. Put me into the same camp as the annonymous guy who sponsors Randa's Baseball-Reference.com page:

Joey Randa, proof that in the day of steroids, warning track power, a .280 avg. and .400 slugging % can still get you $2MM/yr. So toast the Joker who never saw a ball he couldn't pop up or a double play he couldn't hit into. The Colonel salutes you.

Right back at you Colonel. Randa has never hit 20 HR in a season and the most similar batter to him (according to Baseball-Reference.com) is Jeff Cirillo and yet this contract will be the third time he'll be paid $4 million or more in a year. I don't get it.

I'm not sure the Pirates really needed either Burnitz or Randa either. Its not like these guys are filling serious holes in the organization.

The Pirates already had the 29-year old Craig Wilson for left field who hit 29 HR in 2004. Is there some medical problem with Wilson that the Pirates aren't sharing? OK - if you weren't comfortable with Craig Wilson - how about Preston Wilson who just signed a deal that will pay him $4 million in 2006 ($2.7 million less than what Burnitz will get from the Pirates in 2006 - although Wilson also has a 3-year option that will cost another $6 million per year if picked up). Wilson is 31 compared to Burnitz's 37 (and yes I know Wilson has balky knees but he's also just a one-year risk at less money than Burnitz).

Tony Graffanino is a much better player than Joe Randa (I will not argue this point) and he could have been signed for 2-years $5 million. Heck - Freddy Sanchez is a better player than Randa and he's already on the Pirates roster.

Littlefield could have saved $4.2 million in 2006 and used that money to sign a starting pitcher. That's their real need.

If the Pirates are to contend then Zach Duke has to be an ace and Kip Wells has to be a solid number 2. The Pirates could have signed Jeff Weaver to a one year deal for between $4-6 million and been much better off.

Instead they got Burnitz and Randa.