MVN: Most Valuable Network

In the second episode of Pirate Revolution's podcast, hosts Cory Humes and Nicolas Lewis scour the blogosphere in search of reactions to the Pittsburgh Pirates' free agent signing, trade and Rule 5 selections this week. The winter meetings wrap-up show is approximately 24 minutes in length.

Ramon Vazquez signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Pirates, and Raise the Jolly Roger wonders if Neal Huntington found himself another Chris Gomez. We discuss Vazquez's role on the team and compare him to the infield alternatives.

Ronny Paulino was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for catching prospect Jason Jaramillo. Baseball America believes Huntington sold low on Paulino, but Cory and Nick chime in with reasons why the deal was a non-event.

The Rule 5 draft saw the Pirates select Donnie Veal from the Cubs' organization but lose Kyle Bloom to the Tigers. Bucs Dugout likes Veal's upside but says losing Bloom "is a shame": Pirate Revolution agrees on one call, but raises an argument against the other.

The Pirates also selected three players out of the Caribbean in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft, and like WHYGAVS, we appreciate the new regime's efforts to unearth talent in unusual ways. On a similar note, we highlight Hyzdu Headquarters' evaluation of recent Pirate activity in Taiwan and praise Huntington's global focus -- including his signing of The Million Dollar Arm's Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel.

Thanks for your patience as we get acclimated to multimedia production, and feel free to contact the Pirate Revolution team with any suggestions you may have.