Sammy Sosa back to NL Central (Pittsburgh)?

[Jpup]

This is from yesterday's Chicago Tribune.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune....ck=1&cset=true

Could Sammy Sosa be returning to play right field in Wrigley Field? No, not as a member of the Cubs, but as a member of the Pirates. An article from a Dominican news service said Pittsburgh is interested in signing Sosa.

According to the article, after signing Joe Randa as its third baseman, the Pirates want to sign one more free agent this winter and now that first choice Eric Byrnes has a tentative agreement with Arizona, Sosa is the primary target.

But a report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said there is no indication general manager Dave Littlefield wants the 37-year-old Sosa, who had a star-crossed 2005 season in which he batted .221 with 14 home runs for Baltimore and was tailed by controversy.

Stay tuned.

Another article states that Pittsburgh is interested in Preston Wilson. It looks like Pittsburgh is wasting a lot of money to me.

[buckeyenut]

I know I am in the majority when I say this, but if it was me, I'd be dealing another OF and then offering Sosa a 1 year 2M contract with incentives that could take him up to about 7M if he had a year like he had 2-3 years back.

If I did that, I would also be reconfiguring my OF as well. Dunn would go to LF, Kearns or Pena (whoever I held onto) would be in CF, Sosa would be in RF and Jr would be at 1B. Of course, Freel would also be my everyday 2B and I'd run a lineup of Freel, Lopez, Dunn, Jr, Pena/Kearns, Sosa, Encarnacion, LaRue out there every day.

If Sosa doesn't get the job done, I let Defornia or Stratton do it or move Freel out there and let Bergolla play 2B. But, I personally believe Sosa has one more good (not great) year left in him and the press of having him and Jr in the same lineup would be worth the risk, not to mention the talent, ideally pitching, that would come back in a Pena or Kearns deal.

[westofyou]

I know I am in the majority when I say this, but if it was me, I'd be dealing another OF and then offering Sosa a 1 year 2M contract with incentives that could take him up to about 7M if he had a year like he had 2-3 years back.

No thanks, the man runs and fields like the monster in Rocky Horror and his batting numbers have dropped like a stone the past 2 years. the man had a .295 OB% last year and made an out over 74% of the time he walked to the plate. He can't leg out doubles anymore(hasn't topped 20 since 2001) and has 3 steals in the past 4 seasons.

Derek Bell - Raul Mondesi - Sammy Sosa that's a loser taxi dance if there ever was one, kinda reminds me of the Reds loser run of old hitters in the mid 30's Chick Hafey - Babe Herman - Kiki Cuyler.

[RedRoser]

No thanks, the man runs and fields like the monster in Rocky Horror

OH, ROCKY!

Frankenfurter, it's all over. Your mission is a failure.

Nice allusion, woy! Brought back memories of many midnight trips to the Rocky Horror Picture Show at some theater in Lexington while I was an EKU student a world of moons ago!

---RedRoser

[M2]

Derek Bell - Raul Mondesi - Sammy Sosa that's a loser taxi dance if there ever was one, kinda reminds me of the Reds loser run of old hitters in the mid 30's Chick Hafey - Babe Herman - Kiki Cuyler.

A wee bit, but they've also come up with Reggie Sanders, Kenny Lofton, Matt Stairs and John Vander Wal using that system.

As long as they don't spend big or get tied down to a lengthy contract I don't see a problem with trying to eke some offense out of guys on their downside. It's not like the Pirates have young OFs that have been blocked by these guys.

Pittsburgh should spend a little money fishing for some offense. They need it. Though they might get as much offense by taking a rider on Eli Marrero as they would from Sosa.

[dougflynn23]

A wee bit, but they've also come up with Reggie Sanders, Kenny Lofton, Matt Stairs and John Vander Wal using that system.

As long as they don't spend big or get tied down to a lengthy contract I don't see a problem with trying to eke some offense out of guys on their downside. It's not like the Pirates have young OFs that have been blocked by these guys.

Pittsburgh should spend a little money fishing for some offense. They need it. Though they might get as much offense by taking a rider on Eli Marrero as they would from Sosa.

Unlike Sanders, Lofton, Stairs, and Vander Wal, Sosa would be taking the place of either Chris Duffy or Craig Wilson in the Pirates OF. Wilson is a .360+ OBP RH power hitter, and Duffy is a true CF and leadoff hitter. Both are better than Sammy Sosa at this point in their careers.

[captainmorgan07]

if they sign him the pirates will be replaying the derek bell saga again plus they already resigned jody gerut clreary and upgrade

[Team Clark]

It's like having 2 Adam Dunn's in the OF. Excpet one is younger and can still hit the ball out the park....

[jnwohio]

The Pirates took on the Casey contract then turned around and signed Randa for what 4 million, according to SI.com? If they bite on Sammy I think that is saying they believe their pitching is strong enough to make a run at the playoffs.

Otherwise it makes no sense taking on these vets at high price with questionable capacity remaining. Perhaps not a lot unlike the Reds last year, except I doubt Dano and Co. really thought the pitching was that good. I think they hoped it was just good enough that an offense that could (at times at least) score like a slow pitch team would see them through.

[alex trevino]

The Pirates took on the Casey contract then turned around and signed Randa for what 4 million, according to SI.com? If they bite on Sammy I think that is saying they believe their pitching is strong enough to make a run at the playoffs.

Otherwise it makes no sense taking on these vets at high price with questionable capacity remaining. Perhaps not a lot unlike the Reds last year, except I doubt Dano and Co. really thought the pitching was that good. I think they hoped it was just good enough that an offense that could (at times at least) score like a slow pitch team would see them through.

Sammy won't help them in a play off run. He is just a name at this point.

[BCubb2003]

The Pirates also signed Gookie Dawkins. After Pokey, I figure Noochie Varner is next.

[dman]

It's like having 2 Adam Dunn's in the OF. Excpet one is younger and can still hit the ball out the park....

I don't know, to me Adam Dunn is just a big Texas country boy, who, even though does whiff alot, tears the ball up, naturally.

Sosa, OTOH, is a juiced up, bat corking cheater that, since being exposed for what he is, hasn't done crap for himself.

[KronoRed]

Dear Pirates

It didn't work for us.

Love Reds.

[captainmorgan07]

trust me joe randa will not be a pirate after the trade deadline and if they do sign sosa and he has a good first half he'll be wearing a differnt uniform by trading deadline 2

[MartyFan]

If they sign Sosa my thought is that they are wanting too put "A Name" on the field...if they sign him at a low base contract plus incentives, there are for sure people in Pittsburgh who would buy a ticket too see Sammy play ball...with that in mind it could help them financially.