The headline “Pirates Sign 5 Free Agents” is one of those things that always gives me a quick shock of excitement upon seeing it, which quickly fades when I realize they’re minor league free agents and it’s not going to be exciting at all. Indeed, the Pirates signed Daniel Haigwood, Maiko Loyola, and three players to play for the Pirates VSL team this year. Woo.
Of the two players signed for our minor league system, Daniel Haigwood is (brace yourself) a hard throwing left-handed reliever with control issues. At least, his strikeout rate of about a K an inning leads me to assume he’s hard throwing, I don’t actually know. He’ll get an invite to spring training. If you’re feeling incredibly speculative, you might think that this move portends a John Grabow trade, as Huntington would likely be on the prowl for left-handed bullpen arms should Grabow be dealt next week. Since Haigwood recently turned 25 and hasn’t pitched about AA, I’d say this is a bit ambitious.
The other player, Maiko Loyola, was in the Pirates’ system in 2004 and 2005. He’s a centerfielder that I guess has shown some decent plate discipline but not really a whole lot else. He’s slotted to go to Indy, which seems like a bit of a reach since he’s never really even sniffed AA before (he put up a .728 OPS in the Sally League last year).
Filler news until a Wilson trade happens? You betcha.
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