Pirates Winter Ball updates 10/26

Winter ball kicked off the second week of October, depending on the League. Here is a breakdown of how the Pirates players and prospects are playing so far this season.

Venezuelan League

Aguilas del Zulia

• Right-hander Diego Moreno has made five appearances from the bullpen for Zulia, where he’s posted a 6.23 ERA. Over 4.1 innings in relief, Moreno has allowed three runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

In 41 appearances combined with High-A Bradenton and Double-A Altoona, Moreno posted a 2-4 record with a  3.63 ERA (44.2 innings).

• Right-hander Julio Vivas is on the roster for Aguilas but has not yet made an appearance.

Vivas went 1-4 with a 5.55 ERA in 17 games (three starts) with the Venezuelan Summer League. In 35.2 innings, Vivas walked 11 and struck out 18.

Tigers de Aragua

• Shortstop Ronny Cedeno is on the roster for Aragua, but has not yet played in a game yet this season. In 128 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, Cedeno batted .249 with 25 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 32 RBI and two stolen bases. Cedeno has an option for the 2012 season for $3 million. The Pirates have not yet made the decision on if they will pick it up yet. The decision has to be made within three days of the conclusion of the World Series.

Caribes de Anzoátegui

• Right-hander Gabriel Alvarado has not yet made an appearance for Anzoátegui. In five games with High-A Bradenton this season, Alvarado allowed four runs on eight hits over 6.2 innings with seven walks and six strikeouts.
• Outfielder Gorkys Hernandez has gone 4-for-29 (.138 avg) with two doubles, RBI and a stolen base in 11 games with Caribes.

Hernandez finished the 2011 season with a .283 average, 25 doubles, nine triples, one home run, 40 RBI and 21 stolen bases in 126 games with Triple-A Indianapolis. Hernandez was ranked by Baseball America prior to the 2011 season as the Pirates No. 14 best prospect in the system.

• Outfielder Jose Tabata is on the roster for Anzoátegui but has not yet played in a game yet. In 91 games with Pittsburgh this season, Tabata finished with a .266 avg, 18 doubles, one triple, four home run, 21 RBI and 16 stolen bases.

Bravos de Margarita

• Right-hander Anthony Claggett has made three starts for Bravos where he’s posted a 0-1 record with a 6.43 ERA. Claggett has allowed 12 runs (10 earned) on 20 hits over 14.0 innings with three home runs allowed, seven walks and five strikeouts.

Claggett posted a 5-5 record with a 3.75 ERA, two saves in 42 games in relief with Double-A Altoona. Claggett allowed 26 runs on 46 hits over 62.1 innings with 32 walks and 36 strikeouts.

• Left-hander Jhonathan Ramos has appeared in three games with Bravos where he’s allowed one hit, no runs, over 1.1 innings with two walks and one strikeout.

Dominican League

Toros Del Este

• Right-hander Chris Leroux has made two starts for Toros where he’s allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits over 9.0 innings with two walks and 10 strikeouts.

Leroux posted a 2.78 ERA in 37 games in relief (68.0 innings) combined with Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indy. With Pittsburgh in 2011, Leroux went 1-1 with a 2.88 ERA over 23 games (25.0 innings) with seven walks and 27 strikeouts.

Leroux is in the starting rotation for the Toros, marking the first time in his professional career that he’s started since 2006 when he was with the Florida Marlins organization. Leroux credits his success this season to a new arm slot (more three quarters) and pitch (slurve) that he had in College at Winthrop University.

• Left-hander Aaron Thompson has made one start with the Toros. He will make his second start tonight at 7:35 PM. In his first start, Thompson allowed three runs on three hits over 2.2 innings. All three runs came via the long ball.

Thompson went 5-7 with a 4.73 ERA in 33 games (16 starts) combined with Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indy. Thompson also made four appearances (one start) with Pittsburgh this season. He allowed six runs on 13 hits over 7.2 innings with six walks and one strikeout. Thompson made his Major League debut with the Pirates on August 24^th where he held the American League Central Champion Milwaukee Brewers to four hits, no runs over 4.1 innings with two walks and one strikeout.

• Right-hander Tim Wood has made five appearances (5.1 innings) in relief for the Toros where he’s allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits (one home run) with one walk and three strikeouts.

Wood posted a 2.84 ERA in 40 games (23 saves) over 44.1 innings for Triple-A Indianapolis. Wood also appeared in 8.0 innings in relief for Pittsburgh where he had a 5.63 ERA.

• Shortstop Chase d’Arnaud has played in three games for the Toros where he went 0-for-10 with three strikeouts. d’Arnaud hasn’t played since October 17^th because of a hand injury.

d’Arnaud had a .264 average, 12 doubles, six triples, four home runs, 37 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 74 games with Triple-A Indianapolis. d’Arnaud also made his Major League debut with Pittsburgh against the Boston Red Sox in Interleague play where he picked up two hits and a RBI. He had a .217 average with 12 stolen bases with Pittsburgh in 2011. D’Arnaud was ranked by Baseball America prior to the 2011 season as the Pirates 10^th best prospect in the system.

• First baseman Matt Hague has been playing mostly at third base while in winter ball, a position he played just 17 times in Triple-A Indianapolis this season. The move by the Pirates organization is to make Hague more versatile. In nine games with the Toros, Hague has gone 9-for-36 (.250) with a double and three RBI.

In 141 games with Triple-A Indy, Hague finished the season ranked first in the International League in hits (165), third in total bases (244) and sixth in batting average (.309). Hague’s 165 hits were the most by a member of the Indy Indians since D.T. Cromer had 166 back in 1999. Hague was ranked by Baseball America prior to the 2011 season as the Pirates 25^th best prospect in the system.

• Third Baseman Andy Vasquez has played in four games with the Toros, just one at-bat where he struck out.

Vasquez had a .278 average in 113 games with Low-A West Virginia Power. Vasquez had 15 doubles, 13 triples, five home runs, 39 RBI and 24 stolen bases.

Leones del Escogido

• Infielder Andy Marte has played in seven games for Leones where he went 6-for-13 (.462 average) with two doubles and two RBI.

In 97 games with Triple-A Indy, Marte had a .202 average with 15 doubles, seven home runs, 37 RBI and two stolen bases.

• Outfielder Starling Marte has a .419 average in eight games with Escogido, going 13-for-31 with three doubles, home run, five RBI and four stolen bases.

Marte had his best year professionally in 2011 with Double-A Altoona where he was named the Eastern League Rookie of the Year, mid-season and post-season Eastern League All-Star, won the Eastern League batting title, was named the Eastern League Player of the Week from August 8-14^th, the Altoona Curve’s Most Valuable Player of the Year and was a participant in the 2011 XM Futures Game. Marte also set a new Altoona Curve single-season franchise record with a league-best 178 hits this season. He finished the season with a .332 average, with a career-high 12 home runs, 50 RBI and scored 91 runs. Marte was named by Baseball America as the Pirates No. 4 best prospect prior to the 2011 season.

• Left-hander Rudy Owens, who participated in the Fall Instructional League, was supposed to pitch in the Dominican league this winter. However, Owens will not pitch in winter ball this season.

Owens spent his time in Instructs in Bradenton Fla., getting his arm back healthy. He finished the season after being placed on the disabled list on August 5^th with arm fatigue. Owens said that his arm felt great and back in shape while pitching at Pirate City.

Owens posted a 9-7 with a 5.05 ERA in 21 starts (112.1 innings) with Triple-A Indianapolis in 2011. A down year for the Pirates No. 7 best prospect by Baseball America. He’s coming off a solid campaign with Double-A Altoona last season where he posted a 12-6 record with a 2.46 ERA.

Panama

• Outfielder Andrew Lambo is playing winter ball in Panama with the Diablicos de Azuero. Lambo has a .368 average (7-for-19) in four games with one double and two RBI.

Lambo had a .236 average with 28 doubles, 11 home runs and 58 RBI combined with Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indy.

Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rico League kicks off on November 4^th. The rosters have not yet been announced, but infielder Jeremy Farrell is one Pirates prospect that will be playing.

Photo credit: MILB