Jameson Taillon included in Pirates' first round of cuts

photo by Grant Jefferies

The Pirates announced their first round of cuts Wednesday morning as 11 players were assigned to minor league camp.
Included in the group was former Bradenton Marauder and 2010 first-round pick Jameson Taillon, who will begin the season in Double-A Altoona, said general manager Neal Huntington.
Taillon made one start this spring for the Pirates and allowed an unearned run in two innings.
His most recent action came during the World Baseball Classic. Pitching for Team Canada, Taillon allowed four hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out three in a 9-5 loss to Team USA in the final game of pool play.
His strikeout victims? Former National League MVPs Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Braun, and Boston Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino.
"It was fun (and) unnerving leading up to for a GM," Huntington said, "to watch a young pitcher with as high expectations and hopes as we have to go pitch a make-or-break game for Team Canada against Team USA. But he handled himself well, showed the maturity, the poise and the stuff that's got us so enthusiastic about his future."
Currently ranked as baseball's 15th-best prospect by MLB.com and Baseball America, Taillon began last season with high Single-A Bradenton, going 6-8 with a 3.82 ERA in 23 starts for the Marauders.
He was then promoted to Double-A Altoona, where Taillon went 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA in three starts, striking out 18 and walking one in 17 innings.
This was his first spring in a big-league camp.
"Get the taste of major-league spring training, be in and around it, take away a little bit of the awe factor, although I'm not sure much awes him, and get ready for the season," Huntington said. "Just out of innings for him. We want to get him down, get him on his routine and get him off to a good start."
Also getting reassigned Wednesday were pitchers Vic Black, Stomy Pimentel, Hunter Strickland, Duke Welker and Erik Cordier; outfielders Jerry Sands and Darren Ford; and infielders Matt Hague, Anderson Hernandez and Clint Robinson.
The Pirates now have 51 players in major-league camp.