The three R's (Roster, Rumor, Rotation)

The Bucs trimmed the roster by seven yesterday, sending Mike Johnston, Matt Peterson, Jonah Bayliss, Josh Sharpless, Javier Guzman, Craig Stansberry, and Andrew McCutchen back to minor league camp. The only mild surprise out of that group is Johnston, but as there's no indication that Marte or Grabow is going to be traded any time soon, there's not really room for four lefties in a Major League bullpen.

I've seen it said in a couple places (in the comments here at Charlie's site and in a post at Romo Phone Home) that during yesterday's radio broadcast Greg Brown spent some time wondering if Oliver Perez's poor limited performance with team Mexico wasn't an indication of something being physically wrong with him. If it's true and Perez can't start the season in Pittsburgh (which would not be at all surprising), it would almost certainly mean that Craig Wilson or maybe Damaso Marte (or both) will be traded before the season starts to bring in some more starting pitching. It would also open up the fourth outfield spot, most likely for Nate McLouth, though possibly for Ray Sadler, who's killed the ball this spring (but isn't on the 40-man roster at the moment).

Also yesterday, Ian Snell and Sean Burnett pitched well against a Yankee reject squad (I see Posada in that lineup there and not much else), though Scott Strickland got lit up later in the game by what I can only assume were the Yankees 9th stringers. Meanwhile, Paul Maholm managed to not suck something awful against the Tigers giving up two runs in four innings, though the 7 hits and 2 walks over that span aren't exactly impressive. Gorzelanny continued to be impressive in that game (maybe as a statement to Maholm that if he doesn't get his stuff together those two will be swapping spots sooner than anyone thinks) and Roberto Hernandez actually pitched, much to the disappointment to all of us who hoped that he'd get hurt and we could just void that contract. Today the Bucs have their only off day of the spring.