Nate McLouth= cheap steals?

[Niffoc4]

It looks like Mclouth is winning the competition for CF in Pittsburgh, could 30 steals be possible (hopefully with better peripherals than Tike Redman)

[Mercer Boy]

No idea...if he keeps hitting as well as he has been, maybe (but doubtful).

He is doing pretty good in the 2 hole right now, and yes...it seems as though he has really supplanted Duffy in CF. Many people who post at the Pirates forums I look at said that McLouth was the better player going in anyway, so it doesn't surprise me. Once Jack Wilson comes back from his injury they'll probably have to move McLouth to leadoff again. He was HORRIBLE hitting leadoff.

Steals...well, he had a pretty good amount of them in the minors, so he doesn't mind taking off and has good speed. I suppose if you're in a deep league it wouldn't hurt, but I can't imagine him stealing 30 bases...

[westcoast1973]

In his last 7 games, he's 7 for 24 with 3SB, 2HR, 6R, 2RBI. It seems like he may be sitting against lefties, but he could still vulture an SB off the bench on those days. With Chris Duffy pulling a disappearing act rather than returning to AAA, it looks like McLouth's hold on the starting CF job is even more secure. His HRs are a bit fluky but he did homer in 3 straight games during the last week of the 2005 season. My prediction is that he ends up:

.265, 85Runs, 10HR, 35RBI, 30SB.

[Mercer Boy]

McLouth is on fire right now...I'm loving it! He's raised his BA about 85 points in two weeks time. He does have a few steals also. Still, he's not going to get many chances to run when Tracy has Jack bunting him over every time he comes up...especially when it's the FIRST INNING WITH NO OUTS!!!

I don't know how the order is going to shake out when Bautista comes back from the funeral...either McLouth is going to lose PT or they are finally going to bench Burnitz...I'd love the second option to happen, but I'm thinking the first is more probable.