Pittsburgh Pirates: First Round Draft Preview

The Pittsburgh Pirates' new management gets its first real chance at molding the franchise in the image that they want this Thursday. The Major League Baseball entry draft takes place on June 5, and the Pittsburgh Pirates hold the rights to the No. 2 overall draft pick.

When a team is drafting from the No. 2 slot in any draft, they obviously have weaknesses throughout the franchise (unless you are the Tampa Bay Rays with the top overall pick and the best record in the American League).

Therefore, I see no real strength to the Pirates or any position that really does not need addressed with the No. 2 overall pick. Instead, I will look at the players that will be there at No. 2.

I am predicting here that the Rays will take Florida State catcher Buster Posey with the first overall pick. So, that leaves really two players that the Pirates will choose from: Vanderbilt 3B Pedro Alvarez or Georgia high school SS Tim Beckham.

The Pirates will need to decide if they want a player (Alvarez) who can probably play in the majors in two seasons or if they want to develop a high school player (Beckham) and have to wait possibly five years to see him roaming PNC Park.

Alvarez recently suffered a hand injury and really hasn’t been impressive since the injury. They also have local boy Neil Walker, their No. 1 pick in 2004, who can possibly play 3B. On the other hand, if you look at the Pirates SS situation, Jack Wilson is not long for the Pirates, and Brian Bixler is nothing more than a serviceable stop-gap between Wilson and whomever is the future Pirates SS.

I predict the Pirates will go with the more talented five-tool player in SS Tim Beckham. Remember, the Pirates passed on BJ Upton and took Brian Bullington, who feeble-minded then-GM Dave Littlefield called "a good No. 3 or No. 4 starter at the major-league level."

Bullington is struggling, and B.J. Upton is one of the best young players in the game. You don’t pass up on that kind of talent, even if you have to wait four seasons to see him in a Pirates uniform.

I also don’t think the Pirates can afford to take an injured player this high in the draft. No more mistakes, no more injuries.