Saturday, February 17, 2007

Neil Walker moves to third base

Dave Littlefield announced yesterday that top Pirates prospect Neil Walker will be playing third base exclusively in the upcoming season. There has been much talk of this move the past few seasons, and it seems many people were waiting for it. The move, apparently, is because Paulino is seen as the catcher of the future, and the belief is that by moving him to third, his bat will get to Pittsburgh sooner.

This move says a lot to Pirates fans. First, Ronny Paulino is seen by management as the long-term catcher. Secondly, it seems management believes that Walker can possibly make his debut in September of this season. Many have been waiting for this move for a couple seasons, and it comes as no surprise, as the Pirates are in desperate need of added offense. I am hopeful Walker can get on track and progress a bit faster than he has been.