Summer League Success: A Look at the 2009 VSL Pirates

The Pirates' successful season came to an end today, as the Bucs failed to muster enough offense, and came up one game short of a league championship.

No, it's not 1992—but unfortunately I'm not talking about the National League either.

The VSL Pirates lost to the VSL Rays 8-2, today, in the final game of the best-of-three Venezuelan Summer League championship series.

Success in the VSL means little for a team's immediate future—nearly all of the players in the league are teenagers who are years away from the majors—but the Pirates' affiliate contains several intriguing prospects.

I have briefly profiled those most likely to compete for a future roster spot below. Some of the prospects made my list due to their performance, others due to their pedigree, but all of the players below are worth keeping an eye on.

Exicardo Cayonez, OF. Cayonez heads this list on both performance and pedigree. His $400,000 bonus, signed in 2008, is the biggest international bonus in Pirate history...so the Bucs were certainly expecting a thing or two from him. He didn't disappoint this year, compiling a .396 OBP, and hitting 18 doubles in 62 games. Not bad for a 17-year-old.

Jonathan Barrios, SS. Barrios, who received a $250,000 bonus in 2008, did not live up to expectations this past year. His OPS was a low .655, and he did play well enough to start on a daily basis.

Barrios is also 17, though, and he will have another year or two in the VSL to work out the larger kinks in his game. At that age, pedigree still outweighs production.

Jorge Bishop, SS. Bishop was by far the more successful middle infielder in 2009, batting .308 with an OPS of .837. He also slugged .470 and hit nine home runs—second-most on the team—even though he only weighs 152 pounds.

If he fills out—and given that he's only 18, there's no reason to believe he won't—he could be a very interesting player to watch, given the Pirates' lack of middle infield prospects.

Michaelangel Trinidad, 1B. Trinidad was by far the best hitter on the VSL Pirates this year, hitting .318/.412/.604 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI to lead the team in every major offensive category.

His otherwise monstrous numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, as he will turn 21 next week, and thus is rather old for the VSL. But power is not a commodity the Pirates should ignore.

Roberto Espinoza, SP. The VSL Pirates' ace turned 17 in May, making him younger than both Cayonez and Barrios by nearly six months. He walked a few too many batters (approximately 3 BB/9), but did not show a consistent lack of control—especially given his age.

He also displayed an ability to pitch deep into games in a scoreless seven-inning outing against the Tigers.

Raul Ruiz, RP. The 18-year-old reliever doesn't have the same pedigree as some of the other names on this list, but he dominated the VSL in 2009, winning seven games in 20 appearances, and posting a 0.53 ERA and a WHIP of 0.77. If Ruiz keeps pitching like this, he will be noticed quickly.

There's a decent chance none of these players will ever play in Pittsburgh, but there's also a chance any one of them could contribute to the Major League club in a big way in five or six years. The Pirates haven't had Latin American prospects like this in a while.