--Francisco, That's fun to say- The Pirates agreed to terms with Francisco Liriano for two years. All in all, it is not exactly a thrilling deal. Liriano has had an up and down career. As a young guy in 2006, Liriano took the AL by storm with a 12-3 record. As recently as 2010, Liriano won 14 games. The past two seasons have not been as kind to Liriano as both seasons saw his ERA in the 5's. He can still be a productive pitcher provide it that he stays healthy and keeps his velocity up. The Pirates will have AJ Burnett, James McDonald, Wandy Rodriguez, and Liriano. There is one more spot to fill, and the Pirates will have prized prospect, Gerrit Cole, ready to go by mid summer. It is hard to project how this rotation will be for the upcoming season, but they have some promising pieces.
--The Hammer has left the building- It is all but certain that Joel Hanrahan will be pitching for the Boston Red Sox next season. The Pirates are supposed to get four players in return for the Hammer. Jerry Sands is a name that is looking likely. He is another corner outfielder/first basemen (something the Bucs don't particularly need). He would be battling Travis Snider, Gaby Sanchez, and Garrett Jones for playing time. So another move may be on the way. Stolmy Pimentel is a AA pitcher that does not have a high ceiling, and he is likely to be in the trade as well. After that is anyone's guess, and that is what is holding up the trade. I think everyone needs to see the trade before being critical. Joel Hanrahan is a pretty good pitcher, and his value is not at its highest at the moment. The Pirates need some middle infield depth, and some young relief pitchers in my opinion. Sands and Pimentel do not fill that void.
--Bowl Mania-We are already moving along in the bowl season, and we get to watch the exciting Sheraton Hawaii Bowl tonight. Hey SMU-Fresno State is not for everyone, but it is still football. I like watching the bowl games, even if they are called something ridiculous, involving two teams I could care less about. The system does need to change. A 6-6 season really should not be rewarded in my opinion. Even if it was cut from 35 to 25 games, I think it would help a little. But, if you forgot....college football is driven by money, more games=more money. It is simple logistics. I'll watch, but there are too many bowls. Idaho Potato Bowl? Belk Bowl? Beef O' Brady's Bowl? Yoi.
--Panther Basketball-Pitt Basketball escaped one of the worst non conference schedules in history with a 12-1 mark. The season will now shift to the Big East slate, and the difficulty goes way up. Pitt has a really nice team, that is ten deep easily. They have good guard play, solid wing players, and an ever improving group of big men. This team has it all, and I could really see being ranked fairly high. The voters have Pitt on the outside looking in, mostly because of the poor schedule. Pitt will find out right away if they are for real. They will play top ten, Cincinnati on New Year's Eve at the Pete.
--Woeful Steelers-The Steelers season is essentially over, and they will miss the playoffs. Injuries and inconsistency cost this team any chance at being a good football team. The Todd Haley experiment may not be lasting too much longer. Roethlisberger has won a lot of football games and has earned the respect to voice his opinions. If a coach isn't being effective, he is more than qualified to speak up. The Steelers will be drafting in the 14-18 range, and they need a game changer. They have some good young running backs and receivers. Cortez Allen and Keenan Lewis look to be the corners of the future, putting the corner debate away for another season. A young core of linemen with Pouncey, DeCastro,Adams, Gilbert, and Beachum could be a really nice crew down the line. I think a bigger receiver or a safety is the answer. This draft is key for the Steelers, they aren't all that far away from being a good team.
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