Huntington deserves credit for acting swiftly

Three thoughts on the Pirates:
1. No time wasted
General Manager Neal Huntington deserves a ton of credit for acting swiftly when the Pirates’ lineup sprung a leak this past week.
Shortstop Jordy Mercer went on the disabled list on Monday with a sprained left knee, joining third baseman Josh Harrison on the shelf. Harrison had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left hand earlier in the month.
Knowing the Pirates were going to be without the starting left side of their infield through at least the end of the August and that even rookie sensation Jung Ho Kang can’t play both positions at once, Huntington acquired veteran third baseman Aramis Ramirez from the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade Thursday.
Ramirez is 37 and in his last season, but he has always had a knack for driving in big runs and is motivated to finally get to the World Series in his 18th year. It’s easy to imagine him playing a pivotal role in getting the Pirates back to the postseason for a third consecutive season.
2. The patient skipper
Manager Clint Hurdle can come across as sarcastic and condescending at times during his pregame and post-game meetings with the media.
While it can make for uncomfortable moments if you happen to be part of the sessions, it is hard to blame Hurdle.
It seems unlikely that any of the other 29 major league managers receive odder or more ill-informed questions over the course of a season than Hurdle.
As former Pirates pitcher John Tudor once infamously said while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1985 World Series, “What do you need to get a press credential? A driver’s license?”
3. Draft pick welfare
The competitive balance phase of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft is supposed to aid the sport’s less-fortunate franchises by awarding them compensation picks following the first round.
The Pirates will have the sixth pick in competitive balance Round A next June, which will likely fall within the first 50 picks and give them an opportunity to add a high-caliber amateur player.
While that’s nice for the Pirates, it seems someone incongruous that a franchise is position to both reach the postseason for a third straight season and set a single-season attendance record for a second year in a row needs what amounts to draft pick welfare.