PIRATES PLACE WELL IN ANOTHER PROSPECT RANKING

A day after Baseball America ranked six Pirates in the Top 100 of minor league baseball prospects, another website, Baseball Prospectus, placed five Bucs in the Top 101, including four in the top 40.  Shortstop Oneil Cruz is ranked 12^th, catcher Henry Davis 18^th, second baseman Nick Gonzalez 29^th, and shortstop Liover Peguero 38^th.  Pitcher Roansy Contreras is 89^th.  Quinn Priester, another pitcher who made the top 100 of Baseball America, did not make the top 101 of Prospectus.

If you were wondering, pitcher Shane Baz ranks 8^th.  He’s the former Pirates number-one draft pick who they traded along with All-Star Austin Meadows and fire-baller Tyler Glasnow to Tampa Bay in the disastrous Chris Archer deal.

Major League Baseball and the players association are setting up another meeting amid the league’s current lockout.  ESPN reports the sides are set to meet on Monday in an effort to come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement.  This follows the MLB and MLBPA meeting on January 13th, but failing to come to a resolution.  The union reportedly will present a counter proposal to the league’s first offer.  The MLB has been shut down since owners locked out players on December 2nd.