MLB Insiders - Pittsburgh Pirates

New Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said he when he was hired Sept. 25 that he wanted to get to know the organization from top to bottom before making any major decisions. He wasn't kidding.

Huntington continued his fact finding with three days of meetings with the organization's top scouts from Oct. 16-18. That came on the heels of a quick two-day stop in Bradenton, Fla., to watch the end of the Pirates' Florida Instructional League camp and get a quick tour of the club's training facilities.

Next on Huntington's agenda is hiring an assistant GM.

"It's not going to be a rushed process," Huntington said. "I think it was important to gather as much information about the organization as possible before beginning the hiring process."

Huntington wants an assistant GM in place before going about finding a manager to replace Jim Tracy, who was fired Oct. 5 after going 133-189 in two seasons.

While Huntington continues to whittle down the list of people he wants to interview, among the names being floated in the rumor mill as possible managerial candidates include Boston pitching coach John Farrell, Cleveland third base coach Joel Skinner, Los Angeles Angels bench coach Ron Roenicke and two Class AAA managers, Torey Lovullo of the Indians' Buffalo farm club and Trent Jewett of the Pirates' Indianapolis affiliate.

"I would really like to have an assistant GM in place first," Huntington said. "I think it would important to have that voice in the decision-making process of a new manager.

"I'm not married to a timetable of when we need to have a manager in place. The most important thing is to get the right person for the job."

--OF Kevin Thompson was claimed off waivers from Oakland in the first player move made since Neal Huntington was hired as general manager Sept. 25. The right-handed hitting Thompson, 27, batted a combined .143 with three RBIs in 22 games with the New York Yankees and Athletics this season and .281 with five homers, 37 RBIs and 24 steals in 77 games with Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

--INF Matt Kata was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for OF Kevin Thompson, though the Pirates have interest in bringing him back on a minor league contract. Kata, 29, hit .250 with one homer and 10 RBIs in 47 games with the Pirates in 2007.

--1B/OF Steven Pearce's impressive minor league season has been earning him some offseason honors. Pearce hit a combined .333 with 31 homers, 113 RBIs and 14 steals in 134 games with high Class A Lynchburg, Class AA Altoona and Class AAA Indianapolis. He also played in 23 games with the Pirates during a September call-up and batted .294 with six RBIs.

--LHP Sean Burnett pitched three perfect innings in his first outing for Aguilas in the Venezuelan Winter League. Burnett, the Pirates' first-round draft pick in 2000, has not pitched in the major leagues since 2004 following reconstructive elbow and shoulder surgeries.

--RHP Blair Johnson, whose career has been hampered by injuries since being the Pirates' second-round pick in the 2002 draft, was off to a good start for North Shore in Hawaii Winter Baseball. He was 1-1 with a 3.31 ERA in four games, two starts.

BY THE NUMBERS: 9-19 -- The Pirates' record in September, which helped lead to the firing of manager Jim Tracy.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "The most important thing is get the right person for the job." -- General manager Neal Huntington on why he is in no rush to find a new manager.

MEDICAL WATCH:
CF Chris Duffy (left shoulder surgery) is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.

LHP John Grabow (bone chips in left elbow) is considering having arthroscopic surgery.