Over the first two days of December, the Pirates agreed on one-year, $625,000 contracts with RHP Brian Meadows and IF-S Abraham Nunez. Both players were arbitration-eligible.

Meadows compiled a 38:11 K:BB with 91 H and 8 HR allowed in 76.1 IP for a 4.72 ERA over 34 appearances, including 7 starts in 2003. He isn't a dominant pitcher in any role, and that has hurt him as a starter. However, the 28-year-old pitched effectively in relief and is useful as a swingman out of the pen. The Pirates probably could have found someone of similar talent for minimum wage on the free agent market, but his AAA numbers were sufficiently intriguing that I don't overly object to them paying a little more to keep him in the system.

Nunez hit .248 with a .310 OBP and .357 SLG on 77 H, 8 2B, 7 3B, and 4 HR with a 26:53 BB:K and 9/12 SB% in 311 AB in 2003. The 27-year-old is very much a groundball hitter, so I don't anticipate any significant power growth. I'd like to see his walk rate rebound to the slightly better levels we've seen from him in the past, but his speed and position flexibility make him a fairly useful bench player. Nunez is taking a $50,000 pay cut from 2003 to 2004, but that only highlights how overpaid he was last season. In the current market, this salary is quite generous.

The Pirates also signed C-R Keith McDonald to a minor league deal. McDonald spent last season with the Cubs' AAA Iowa affiliate in the Pacific Coast League. The 30-year-old continues to display solid plate discipline and marginal power skills, but despite a decent contact rate, he hasn't hit for average. Given Pittsburgh's other catching options, I don't anticipate seeing McDonald in the majors in 2004, but he'll provide some insurance at AAA in case of a rash of injuries. Even if a C-R Jason Kendall trade goes through, McDonald likely wouldn't move any closer to the majors, as Pittsburgh will find a veteran catcher to take Kendall's spot as their starter.

When setting their 40-man roster, the Pirates lost RHP Matt Guerrier, RHP Duaner Sanchez, and 1B-L Walter Young on waivers. When they acquired Guerrier from the White Sox, Pittsburgh knew he wasn't a strikeout pitcher. However, he continues to display excellent control. While with Pittsburgh's AAA PCL affiliate at Nashville in 2003, the 25-year-old compiled a 78:18 K:BB with 108 H and 15 HR allowed in 105.1 IP for a 4.53 ERA over 20 appearances, including 19 starts. He would have received an opportunity to pitch in the rotations of several organizations, but the stockpile of pitchers Pittsburgh signed prior to 2003 blocked his path.

Minnesota grabbed Guerrier off waivers from the Pirates, and he should compete for a job as their fifth starter in Spring Training. However, he'll likely break camp back in the minors, where he'll give the Twins a nice option in case of injury to their rotation. I don't envision Minnesota using him out of the bullpen.

I felt Sanchez was going to be a dominant force in the Pittsburgh pen in 2003. However, the Pirates' off-season acquisitions pushed him back to AAA, where his performance was disappointing. In the brief opportunities Pittsburgh gave Sanchez, he bombed in the majors. L.A. claimed Sanchez off waivers from the Pirates, and he may compete for a relief position in Spring Training. Due to his 2003 struggles, I'm not eager to see him break camp in a major league pen. However, given the upside he's displayed in the past, the Dodgers should feel quite comfortable giving him a mid-season promotion if he's rebounded at AAA and injury or ineffectiveness have created an opening.

Pittsburgh drafted Young out of high school with a 31st round pick in the 1999 draft. He worked his way slowly through the system, only reaching the A+ Carolina League this year. At A+ Lynchburg, Young hit .278 with a .348 OBP and .462 SLG on 120 H, 15 2B, 2 3B, and 20 HR with a 35:88 BB:K and 2/6 SB% in 431 AB. He appears to possess moderate power potential, but his plate discipline needs improvement. The 23-year-old has also struggled defensively. Baltimore claimed him off waivers from the Pirates, and he should spend most of 2004 at AA Bowie. I don't object to his loss as much as that of the pitchers.

While I can see how Pittsburgh GM Dave Littlefield might view talent such as these young players as replaceable given his success in acquiring pitching last off-season, he also should have realized that his fellow General Managers are willing to trade for such players. He at least could have dealt each pitcher for a lower level prospect who didn't need to go on the roster. In that way, the organization would have retained some value from the players and grown stronger. As it stands, the Pirates will merely tread water, presuming Littlefield is again able find the treasures in the lower end of the free agent market.