ryan - Quick Hits: Red Sox, Pirates, A's

Quick Hits: Red Sox, Pirates, A's
The Red Sox will pay a small MLB-mandated fine after the team fielded a lineup of mi**r leaguers for a game against the Marlins earlier this week,*Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports, citing Major League sources. As we **ted earlier tonight, the incident appears to have fostered some amount of bad blood between the two clubs. Under MLB rules, teams must feature*four players who either served as regulars during the preceding season or who have a legitimate chance at doing so during the upcoming season. More Saturday night MLB links:

Red Sox*outfielder*Shane Victori**, tradtionally a switch-hitter, may abandon swinging from the left side altogether after finding success in the second half last season as a predominantly right-handed batter (via*Maureen Mullen of MLB.com).
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Travis Sawchik examined the Pirates' strategy in recent drafts, **ting the team's heavy focus on prep arms. From*2009-11, 17 of the club's first 30 selections were high school pitchers.*Assistant GM Greg Smith, who headed the Pirates' drafts in those seasons, said the club aims to find pitchers in the*Stephen Strasburg mold before they blossom into top draft picks.
Billy Beane's latest strategy for building a winner involves targeting players with flexible skillsets, Peter Gammons writes for his Gammons Daily website. Gammons **tes that the Athletics' targeting of players such as outfielder Billy Burns, who has one homer in three mi**r league seasons, appears perplexing. However, Burns' speed, ability to switch-hit and career .420 mi**r league OBP make him a fit for the A's.

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