Pirates winter ball updates 10/31

All the winter leagues have today off. 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 didn‘t make an appearance this week with Zulia. In his last outing on Sunday, the 23^rd, Moreno allowed three runs on one hit with two walk and one strikeout over 0.1 inning. 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. The Pirates today declined his 2012 club option.

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 played in six games this week for Caribes. He went 4-for-12 (.333 avg) with a double, RBI, walk and one stolen base. In 16 games overall, Hernandez is batting .200.

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 made two starts, picking up his second loss of the season. On Tuesday, Claggett allowed three runs on six hits over 5.1 innings with one walk and two strikeouts. All three runs came in the 6^th inning after allowing two singles and a three-run homer to give the Caribes a 3-1 lead in the eventual 4-3 loss. On Sunday, three of the four runs Claggett allowed came in the 1^st inning. Claggett allowed a two-run homer, his fourth long ball in four starts, and a RBI double. Zulia tacked on a fourth run with a sac fly in the 3^rd inning.

In four starts, Claggett is 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA (18.0 innings) with eight walks and six 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 made one appearance this week where he walked the only batter he faced. In four games with Bravos where he’s allowed one hit, no runs, over 1.1 innings with three walks and one strikeout.

Dominican League

Toros Del Este

• Right-hander Chris Leroux has made one start this week where he picked up the win in the Toros 3-1 victory. Leroux one run (unearned) on five hits over six innings with one walk and three strikeouts. The unearned run scored after Leroux allowed a leadoff walk to Juan Carlos Perez, who swiped second base and advanced to third on the throwing error by catcher Alberto Rosario. He then scored on a RBI single by Hector Luma.

In three starts, Leroux is 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA (15.0 innings) with three walks and 13 strikeouts. The long earned run Leroux has allowed so far this season came via the long ball.

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 this week where he allowed three runs (zero earned) on five hits over 4.1 innings with one walk and one strikeout. Two runs scored in the 3^rd inning off Thompson. Elian Herrera reached on an error by Toros third baseman Danny Richar. With two outs, Hector Luna hit a inside the park home run to left field to plate two runs. The third unearned run came in the 5^th after the Toros committed two errors to score a run from second base.

In two starts, Thompson is 0-1 with a 3.68 ERA (7.1 innings).

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 made two appearances from the ‘pen for the Toros this week. On Tuesday, Wood allowed a one two-run homer to Pirates prospect Starling Marte before striking out the next two batters to end the frame. On Sunday, Wood tossed a perfect inning with two strikeouts.

In six appearances this season, Wood has allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits over 6.1 innings with one walk and five 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 was removed from the Toros roster due to a hand injury. In three games, d’Arnaud went 0-for-10 with three strikeouts.

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 four games this week, Hague went 8-for-14 (.571 avg) with two home runs, five RBI, and two walks. In 12 games overall, Hague is batting .326.

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 did not appear in any games this week. 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 appeared in three games this week where he went 0-for-5. Marte has a .333 avg in nine games with Leones.

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 appeared in five games this week where he went 5-for-20 (.250 avg) with one home run, two RBI and one walk. In 12 games overall, Marte is batting .340.

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.

Panama

Outfielder Andrew Lambo is playing winter ball in Panama with the Diablicos de Azuero. Lambo has a .290 average in seven games with one double, RBI and three walks.

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