Mar 20, 2011 3 min read

Pedro Ciriaco has been one of the pleasant surprises of the Pirates’ spring training camp.

Who is Pedro Ciriaco, you ask?

He is a 25-year-old shortstop prospect who was acquired from Arizona along with catcher Chris Snyder in a deal for discards D.J. Carrasco, Bobby Crosby and Ryan Church at last July’s trading deadline. Ciriaco spent last September with the Pirates but you’re excused if you don’t remember him.

First off, there wasn’t much reason to watch the Pirates last September as they bumbled their way to a 105-loss finish. Secondly, Ciriaco played just two innings in the field.

However, Ciriaco has opened eyes of Pirates’ brass and scouts from other clubs this spring. He has not only shown off his trademark exceptional range and speed, but also improved hitting. He was 11-for-32 (.344) in Grapefruit League games heading into the weekend.

Ciriaco is all but a lock to win a utility infielder’s job. The Pirates’ decision makers would love to see him push the consistently inconsistent Ronny Cedeno for the starting shortstop job this season.

To do that, Ciriaco will have to hit at least a little bit. He has a .274 lifetime batting average in six minor-league seasons, but just a .302 on-base percentage and a .358 slugging percentage.

Ciriaco stepping up this spring is good news for an organization lacking in quality shortstop prospects. The Pirates’ top prospect at the position is Chase d’Arnaud and he had a miserable 2010 in which he was struck by pneumonia in spring training and hit just .247 with six home runs at Class AA Altoona. Beyond that, it’s thin soup.

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It is easy to second guess the Pirates’ decision to not tender a contract to outfielder Lastings Milledge and allow him to become a free agent last November in light of him tearing up the Cactus League this spring with the Chicago White Sox.

However, the move was first-guessed in this corner as being too soon to give up on a 25-year-old with enough talent to once be considered one of baseball’s top prospects.

Milledge went into the weekend hitting .419 with four home runs in 35 exhibition at-bats. He hit four home runs all of last season for the Pirates.

Milledge says the difference is playing for White Sox is manager Ozzie Guillen.

“He makes it fun and allows me to be the player I am,” Milledge said. “I became a first-round draft pick and got to the major leagues by swinging the bat. In Pittsburgh, they always wanted me to take pitches. Here, they let me go and do the things that made me a good hitter.”

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The Pirates are no longer answering reporters’ questions about injuries. Instead, they are issuing printed and e-mailed statements updating their players’ health.

Covering the Pirates might not be what it was like covering politics in the old Soviet Union, but it must be close.

John Perrotto is the national writer for BaseballProspectus.com.