8/8: STL @ PIT

1) Charlie Morton: 93 pitches. 12 strikes swinging. 5 Fastballs (2 in 1st, 2 in 4th, 5th), 4 Curveballs (2nd, 3 in 4th), 3 Changeups (2nd, 2 in 3rd)

• Morton came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties with sink, a change that moves just like his fastball but slower that he will throw to righties, a 12-6 curve with above average depth and a 2-7 slider with solid bite.

1st: FB (88-96), CU (81)

2nd: FB (88-95), CU (81-82), CB (79)

3rd: FB (86-95), CU (81-83), CB (79-82)

4th: FB (89-96), CU (81-83), CB (78-82)

5th: FB (93-96), CU (80-81), CB (76-80), SL (86)

2) Adam Wainwright: 112 pitches. 16 strikes swinging. 3 Fastballs (3rd, 4th, 5th), 5 Cutters (1st, 2 in 4th, 5th, 6th), 6 Curveballs (1st, 3rd, 4th, 2 in 5th, 6th), 2 Changeups (both in 6th)

• Wainwright came from a high 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with sink, a 12-6 curve with above average depth, a change with some fade from lefties with sink and a cutter with good cut and sink. Very similar to Chris Carpenter now.

1st: FB (91-93), CB (75-77), Cut (84-87), CU (84)

2nd: FB (90-93), CB (76), CU (83-86)

3rd: FB (90-92), CB (73-74), Cut (85)

4th: FB (90-93), CB (74-75), Cut (85-88), CU (85)

5th: FB (91-93), CB (71-76), Cut (86)

6th: FB (90-93), CB (73-77), Cut (85-88), CU (82-84)

7th: FB (90-92), CB (74-76), CU (83-84)

3) Chris Bootcheck: 30 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Slider.

• Bootcheck is a 6-5, 210 pound righty. The 30 year old has a big frame that can add a lot more muscle everywhere, but likely won't at this stage of his career. He came from an over the top release with some cocking action. His fastball is a straight 4-seam while his slier is a 2-7 with good to above average bite. He had below average command and control of both offerings and did not have much of a clue where the ball would be going. Seems like an eternal 4-A guy.

6th: FB (93-95), SL (80-83)

4) Evan Meek: 16 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs, Curveball.

• Meek came from an over the top release with a 1-7 curve with good depth and a straight 4-seam fastball.

7th: FB (94-98), CB (81-86)

5) Kyle McClellan: 6 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• McClellan came from an over the top release and showed a cutter with good cut, a fastball with good run in on righties with some sink and a 12-6 curve with slightly above average depth.

7th: FB (90-91), Cut (86)

8th: FB (92), Cut (88), CB (76)

6) Trever Miller: 5 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Miller came from a sidearm release with a 9-4 slider with good bite.

8th: SL (74-78)

7) Joel Hanrahan: 29 pitches. 5 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (both in 9th), 3 Sliders (2 in 8th, 9th)

• Hanrahan came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties, a 2-7 slider with okay bite and a change with some fade from lefties with sink.

8th: FB (95-96), SL (84-86)

9th: FB (94-97), SL (84-87), CU (86)

8) Dennys Reyes: 4 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Reyes came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on lefties and a 9-4 slider with solid bite.

9th: FB (90-91), SL (84)

9) Jason Motte: 14 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Motte came from an over the top release and showed a straight 4-seam fastball, a split with some dive and a cutter with some cut and sink.

9th: FB (96-99), Cut (89-92), Split (78-80)

10) Ryan Franklin: 3 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Franklin came from an over the top release and showed a cutter with good cut and a sharp 12-6 curve with slightly above average depth.

9th: Cut (88), CB (76)

• More Updates coming later tonight featuring Yorman Bazardo's season debut on Saturday and J.D. Martin's pitching performance this afternoon.

Chart Observations (7/3 Game): PIT @ FLA

1) Chris Volstad: 47 pitches (left due to rain delay), 2 strikes swinging. 2 Changeups (3rd)

• Volstad came from an over the top release and showed a 2-seam fastball with sink and above average run in on righties. His offspeed stuff is a big breaking 12-6 curve with good depth that can be a K pitch and a changeup with good sink and fade from lefties that he will throw to righties. Has the potential to be a # 2 starter and is a solid # 3 right now.

1st: FB (91-93), CB (80-81)

2nd: FB (90-92), CB (78-80), CU (84)

3rd: FB (90-91), CB (75-80), CU (82-84)

2) Charlie Morton: 91 pitches. 7 strikes swinging. Fastball (4th), 3 Curveballs (2nd, 2 in 5th), 3 Changeups (2nd, 2 in 6th)

• Morton is a 6-4, 190 pound righty. The 25 year old has a big frame that can add a lot more muscle. He comes from a high 3/4 release with a 2-seam fastball with slightly above average sink and run in on righties. It flashes plus every once in awhile. His change has good fade from lefties with good sink and he will throw the pitch to righties. His curve is a big breaking 12-6 with good depth and serves as his out pitch. His slider is a 2-7 offering with solid bite that he threw just once in this game. Morton's velocity was up from when I saw him late at the year and he looks like he should be a solid middle of the rotation starter. Even though his frame isn't maxed, I believe his velocity is.

1st: FB (89-95), CU (85), CB (80)

2nd: FB (90-95), CU (82-83), CB (82)

3rd: FB (88-91), CU (80-81)

4th: FB (88-94), CU (81-82), CB (78-80)

5th: FB (87-94), CU (82), CB (79-80)

6th: FB (87-93), CU (81-82), CB (78-79), SL (82)

3) Tim Wood: 36 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (5th, 6th), Slider (6th)

• Wood is a 6-1, 185 pound righty. The 26 year old has a medium frame that can get up to at least 200. He comes from a 3/4 release. His fastball has good run in on righties with solid sink. His change has excellent diving action and can look like a splitter. His slider is a 2-7 pitch with good late bite. Wood has the makings of a late inning reliever, but will likely be a middle reliever.

4th: FB (92-93), SL (85-87)

5th; FB (91-93), SL (87)

6th: FB (92-94), CU (87), SL (86)

4) Chris Leroux: 32 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Slider, Changeup.

• Leroux came from a high 3/4 release with a fastball with excellent run in on righties with solid sink that looks like it would be like hitting a brick. However, the pitch can flatten out and he can also struggle with his command of it. His change shows good fade from lefties with sink. His slider is a 2-7 pitch with solid bite. I think Leroux is a set-up man down the road.

7th: FB (92-95), CU (87), SL (84-86)

5) Joel Hanrahan: 29 pitches. 3 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs, Slider

• Hanrahan came from an over the top release with a fastball that has some sink and a 2-7 slider with good bite. Somehow, barrels keep finding his ball.

7th: FB (94-96), SL (84-86)

6) Brian Sanches: 17 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Slider.

• Sanches came from a high 3/4 release and showed a splitter with good dive, a 2-7 slider with good bite and a fastball with late run in on righties.

8th: FB (88-90), SL (83), Split (79-83)

7) John Grabow: 11 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Slider, Changeup

• Comes from a 3/4 release with a straight 4-seam fastball, a straight change with some late sink and a slurvy 10-4 slider with solid bite. He will throw the changeup to lefties. Solid setup guy, but better fit as a middle reliever in the 6th or 7th.

8th: FB (89-92), SL (84), CU (83)

8) Renyel Pinto: 14 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. Fastball, Slider

• Pinto came from a high 3/4 release with a fastball with good run in on righties, a straight change with some sink and a 10-4 slider with good bite.

9th: FB (88-91), SL (82), CU (80)

9) Jeff Karstens: 22 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Curveballs

• Karstens comes from an over the top release and shows a fastball with some run in on righties with sink, a 12-6 big breaking curve with good depth, a 2-7 slider with solid bite and a change with solid fade from lefties and sink that he will throw to righties.

9th: FB (88-91), SL (79), CU (78-79), CB (69-72)

Another Opinion on the McLouth Trade

Why not, I have a forum to utilize. Take my opinion as the same you would Peter Gammons, Buster Olney, etc., as I know as much as they do in regards to this trade and who won, nothing.

Braves Side:
So many Pirates fans are going to be up in arms over the loss of Nate McLouth, a "5-tool player" who was an All-Star last season. In looking at Nate's numbers from last season (,276-.356-.497, 26 HR's -94 RBI's, 23/26 SB's) he was an All-Star. You do have to remember that McLouth played half his games last season in a park designed for lefties (where he slugged 20 points better, I admittedly thought it would be higher). In the 2nd half last season, he hit .270-.355-.426. This season he is hitting .256-.349-.470 with 9 HR's and 34 RBI's and is 7-7 on steals. He was a gold glove defender last year, but I personally think Schafer is better defensively. McLouth gives the Braves a legitimate CF bat which they haven't had yet this year and they have him under control for awhile (I believe 3 years). If Schafer can figure things out, McLouth can move to an OF corner and maintain average production for the position.

Pirates Side:
Pittsburgh seems to value quantity over quality. In their big deal at the deadline last season, they seemed to focus on getting raw numbers back. In this deal, they picked up Charlie Morton, Jeff Locke and, the main guy, Gorkys Hernandez. The Pirates really could have used picking up a potential ace (especially since the ace they picked up in the Bay deal, Bryan Morris, is not expected to start pitching until late June due to significantly restricted range of motion in his right shoulder), but teams are shying away from dealing their young pitching. The Pirates have appeared to focus on getting close to major league ready arms, take a flier on a guy in the low minors and get toolsy outfielders.

Morton did not impress me in his brief major league debut last season. The right hander has pitched very well at Gwinnett (AAA) however, going 7-2, 2.51 with 55 strikeouts and 16 walks. He is 6-4, 190, so he still has room to grow and his upside is that of a middle of the rotation (# 3 starter).

Locke was one of the pitchers I saw when I worked for Columbus last season and I wasn't that impressed. The hitters in high A haven't been impressed either, as Locke went 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA at Myrtle Beach, though he does have 43 strikeouts (against 26 walks) in 45 and 2/3 innings. I personally thought Locke was a fringe major leaguer, but I admit seeing him before I really focused on scouting guys.

Hernandez is the prize of this deal. Another 5 tool outfielder, he was hitting .316-.361-.387 at the time of the trade in AA Mississippi. He is very raw, as he is 10/18 on steals and has 15 walks against 54 strikeouts in 212 at bats. His lack of power has to be a little disturbing due to the other players the Pirates have coming up (more on that below), but he should be a major leaguer and that is as far as I can go on him, as I have never seen him play and am going off what I read.

Pittsburgh now has the potential to run out an OF of Andrew McCutchen (.303-.361-.493 at AAA prior to his call-up with 10 stolen bases), Hernandez and Jose Tabata (.250-.324-.297 at AA Altoona) in the next year and a half if all goes according to plans. All are fast, but all have question marks in regards to power. With the game shifting towards a speed based, defense oriented team, this looks like an outfield designed to save a lot of runs.