Tabata, 1-2 with 2 walks, HBP and a stolen base. Friday went 0-4 2 RBI in the Scottsdale win.

Neil "Walks on Water" Walker is 6 for 15 with 3 doubles, a HR, and 2 walks for Los Bravos de Margarita .

Argenis Diaz is also 6 for 15 for the same team. Most Major Leaguers have not reported yet.

Bixler and Noris are playing for Venados de Mazatlan

Thanks GCF. Keep the Winter League updates coming.

Quick AFL update...

Donald Veal pitched great 2IP, with 3 K's, no walks, no hits, and no runs. 14 of his 18 pitches were strikes, he was hitting 95 on the gun and struke out uber-prospect Jason Heyward with some 94 mph heat.

If/when this guy hits the zone like this consistantly, he will be very good. I would not write him off for the 5th spot in the rotation.

Danny Moskos went an inning with a walk and a K. No hits and no runs.

Tony Watson gave up a hit in 1IP. No K's, no Walks, no Runs.

Chase D'arnaud: 1-5 with a K. Left 2 in scoring position.

I do not think it is televised, but Jose Tabata will be the first pro to take swings against Stephen Strausburg on Friday.

BA released the final top 20 list for prospects. The Pirates had at least one player from every team in the minors on a list. I am sure they would have had one on the VSL or DSL list if they existed, since Avila and Bishop were top players.

Total, the Pirates had 11 players listed, which is more than the last two years combined, and within the chats, quite a few guys were on the fringe.

2007 - 5 - Danny Moskos, Duke Welker, Shelby Ford, Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker multiple
2008 - 5 - Jarek Cunningham, Chase D'Arnaud, Jose Tabata, Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker multiple
2009 - 11 Brooks Pounders, Victor Black, Rudy Owens, Tony Sanchez, Pedro [twice], Chase D'Arnaud, Brad Lincoln, Jose Tabata [twice], Andrew McCutchen

A few oversights include Starling Marte, who surely would have been on the list for the Sally league if he was a hyped player from the DR, or a Yankee prospect (Melky Mesa made it and he was terrible). Looks like we could have had more, considering Ford and Walker slumped badly and were hurt, and Jarek Cunningham was hurt.

Keep in mind that guys like ZVR, Stevenson and Cain were not eligible, since they did not play much at all. In the chats, the BA folks said they were sure top 20, maybe top 10.

Do you have any inkling about which players refused their winter ball assignments?

I know they were minor-leaguers, but who exactly?

It seems everybody I expected is there. I can't figure out who would have refused.

Well Neal Huntington didn't think so...

I am working on getting a list together of players in the winter leagues, so we can at least see who IS there. I think someone like Jared Hughes should have gone, not sure if he did. So once I get that, maybe we will know. I doubt any major leaguers will go, we really do not have any canidates that would need to go or should go.

I bet we see some players released, or repeat levels. If they were injured or playing a new position, I would bet they are the guys that skipped.

I see 21's point, and agree. Someone that played all year, really has no need to go down. Some guys like Diaz want to play. Walker probably is playing because he thinks it will help him make the team. Would be nice if he was playing somewhere other than third IMO.

I do not think anyone will really help themselves, but you probably hurt yourself by not going. Pearce only went for a few weeks and came home, which probably contributed to him not making the team. He then played badly all year.

Interestingly or not, I noticed on the Bravos de Margirita that they have a minor league team, which includes some Bucco prospects. I did not know they had a lower league.

Depends on the who the players were. They might not have been playing all year.

Thanks, last time I looked there it was still 2008 stats. They are missing players though, such as Jonathan Ramos, so I figured I would still look at the teams.

David Pino, Junior Sosa, and Fransico Aponte are all on some second tier team in the VWL.

Any word if Jarek Cunningham will be healthy enough to play winter ball? Or is he shut down until next spring?

He was in Bradenton for Fall Instructional, which I think ends this week. He could join a team, but they might have him continue his rehab in Bradenton. I think they prefer to have injured players stick around.

Owens and Bret Lorin were picked by Jonathan Mayo as top ten pitchers of 2009.

<http://minors.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/10/pitchers_of_the_year.html>

A few Pirate draftees were mentioned with by BA when they listed the top 25 college recruiting classes. I would bet at least one of these guys were blocked from signing. Urban is one that is very likely.

RHP Michael Heller at #1 Florida.

RHPs Josh Urban and Keifer Nuncio at #6 Texas.

RHP Jordan Cooper at #15 Kentucky.

OF Blake Brown at #23 Missouri.

For the life of me, I don't know how ANYONE can bash the Cedeno/Wilson trade. Cedeno looked OK, Clement shows pop, and maybe he can develop. Both Pribanic and Lorin were EXCELLENT in the minors.

As for Snell and Wilson...Wilson was ok this year, and bad in Seattle, and Snell stank.

Lorin is actually a good prospect as well, with a decent shot at not only playing in the majors.

If anyone is interested Tim is doing a top 50 countdown for the Pirate prospects. He finished up 30-50 so far. Good read.