Pirates and the WBC

Jason Bay's Canadians face off against Oliver Perez's Mexicans at 9 tonight (it's not actually viewable until 3 AM on tape delay on ESPN) in what amounts to an elimination game in the World Baseball Classic (I'll avoid the easy joke and say it's the most important game any Pirates have played since 1997... oops). Ex-Bucco Esteban Loaizia is slotted to start for Mexico, but given Canada's heavy emphasis on the left handed batters and the fact that Oliver Perez hasn't pitched yet, I'd expect Ollie to take the mound for a couple innings tonight. That raises a question, since I'm sure the Pirates would rather have both guys in camp, who do they want back more?

I'd expect the Pirates to be hoping Bay and his likeable group of Canucks (how can you not like a team featuring a guy named Stubby Clapp?) beat Mexico and send Ollie back to camp. Bay, being an established position player without much to prove can probably gain more from the experience of playing in something like the WBC (different from a position player that has something to prove like Yury DeCaster, who's probably costing himself a spot on the roster by playing for the Netherlands, not that I think he'd trade the experience for anything in the world) than a guy like Perez, who I'd assume that Tracy and Colborn want as much time with as possible before the season starts. Given the performance of Paul Maholm to this point in the spring, I think it's safe to say that we should probably get Ollie into camp as soon as possible. Go Canada!

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