Future Ace Autos: Big Arms, Big Sigs

The beauty of having two arms with future ace potential come up through the minors together is something Pirates fans have never had before.  The last time the Pirates got excited about a pitcher coming up through the minors was Brad Lincoln and that was more out of not wanting him to fail than truly being excited.  As much as I liked Lincoln professionally and personally, he was never a top 10 prospect in baseball.

The Pirates have 2 top 10 prospects pitching in the upper minors right now.  Both will likely be in the starting rotation by next year.  While many view Gerrit Cole as the better pitcher, I personally think that Jameson Taillon will be the stronger of the two aces.

I grabbed a 2009 Upper Deck USA Big Sig of each player to further get excited for the future right handers.

2009 Upper Deck USA 18U National Team Jameson Taillon BIG SIGS  GOLD AUTO 21/25  

I was stoked when the seller accepted my best offer for nearly 50% off this card, getting for $35.  The only problem was that it took forever to get to me.  The seller on ebay had provided tracking and everything, but the package got lost in a New Hampshire post office for about a month.  I was pretty much starting to freak out as it got closer to 45 days with no card.  Fortunately the seller kept hassling the post office and eventually it made it's way to me in lovely NJ.

2009 Upper Deck USA National Team Gerrit Cole BIG SIGS SILVER AUTO 31/75

The Gerrit Cole Big Sigs ran me $35 also with free shipping.  Cole Autos typically go for $40+ now that he's on the doorstep of becoming a big leaguer.  While I would have liked to pay less, I've actually seen this card sell for upwards of $75.  I've also recently seen one sell for only $20 shipped so who knows.  Either way, it's a nice silver ink auto that I'm happy to add to the Future Ace collection.

There's currently some trade rumors that Taillon might be sent away as part of a trade package to land someone like Giancarlo Stanton. No! Just no! I have no desire to send away elite (while unproven at major league level) pitching for a head case who's often injured.