Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 00:48:02 -0500 
From: Amit Likhyani <al1x+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Bucs losses

For those who have not already heard, the Pirates lost Alex Cole, Ramon
Martinez, and Danny Jackson.

Alex Cole - I don't think this is any surprise.  When Simmons made this
list, he knew that the first pick would be Cole, Slaught, or Zane
Smith(in that order of probability).  I was worried most about Slaught,
Smith, and Cole in that order.  Simmons protected Albert Martin over
Cole, so I infer that he likes Martin more than Cole.  One of the 2 was
going to start in left field and hit leadoff.  I don't think he was
going to play both in the same outfield.  He made his choice: Martin. 
After starting off hitting .330, Cole dropped to .276 for the year.  I
saw a lot of hard inside fastballs right on his hands.  Alex either does
not have the bat speed or the upper body strength to turn on that pitch
and drive it, so the result was a lot of fly balls that died before the
warning track.  Alex *only* stole 10 bases despite ungodly speed and his
walk power was not as great as I would have hoped.  His arm is pretty
weak.  Cole really has to play center field to be valuable and with
VanSlyke entrenched there(rightly or wrongly), Cole is just not that
valuable as a right or left fielder.  He fit well with the Pirates last
year, but this team is going to start over.  Albert Martin jacked 20
balls out at Buffalo and led the league in triples.  You may think I
like martin.  I have my doubts.  He is 24 and will play next year at
25(I believe).  I really want to see his walking power before I make a
judgement.  The obvious solution to me was to protect Cole over Jeff
King, but that would never happen.  Simmons has made King his
reclamation project and he wants all the credit.  King will hit homeruns
and drive in some runs and eat a ton of outs.  The mediots will stay off
his back, but we won't.  Forced to choose between Martin and Cole,
I guess I would protect Cole, but that is only because I know Cole will
never hit for any kind of power and Martin has not yet proved that he
won't.

Ramon Martinez - With Garcia and Bell ahead of him at short, it would be
silly to protect him.  There really was nothing the Pirates could do
about this pick.  He is 23 years old and played last year at class A. 
You figure he won't be ready to play in the majors until 25.  You can't
protect everyone.  I kind of suspected this one.

Danny Jackson - Well, Simmons knew he would be taken.  After the first pick,
KDKA asked Simmons about a rumor that someone may take Jackson in the
second round and trade him to Philly.  Simmons responded: "It is
possible".  I guess they just wanted rid of Jackson.  He was 4-4 with a
3.36 with the Pirates last year.  I would not throw that away.  This was
probably a salary decision.  I suspect the guy they really wanted to get
rid of was Lind.  By leaving Jackson exposed, they asssured that Lind
would *NOT* be taken.  If Philly wanted Jackson so much, the Pirates
might as well made the Phillies trade with them.  I think this was a
mistake.  At the third round, Slaught, Z.  Smith and Jackson could have
been protected.  The Pirates just do not want Jackson.  They must feel
he is done(like the Cubs did) and had absolutely no interest in signing
him after this year.  I view Jackson as insurance in case one of the
young starters like Cooke, Backlund, Wagner and Neagle falter.  I guess
when you have so many of them, you figure a couple will pan out.  If
they are ready, you can trade him.  Pitching is too valuable to let it
go for nothing.

Speaking of the Filthies, are they not serious about signing Cone,
Drabek, Maddux or Swindell?  They have added $3 million in salary for
Jackson.  Another pitcher will add $5 million to that.  It makes me
wonder if Lee Thomas thinks that will be enough.