25-year old righty starting pitcher James McDonald came over from the Dodgers in the Octavio Dotel trade and he’s looking good. McDonald has started 3 games for the Pirates this year and he is 2-1 with a 2.55 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. He has whiffed 20 batters while only walking 4 in 17 2/3 innings for the Pirates. McDonald’s not only aggressive in the strike zone but he’s missing a lot of bats as he has only given up 14 hits so far. McDonald was once one of the brighest prospects the Dodgers had so a clean slate and a chance to start might be all he needs to excel in the majors. 29-year old righty swinging catcher Chris Snyder has not been off to a stellar start like McDonald has. He has played in 12 games for the Pirates since coming over from the D-Backs and he is 8 of 41 (.195 avg, .545 OPS) with 2 runs scored, 1 homer and 7 RBIs. He has been whiffing a lot (14 times) for the Pirates but they still plan on using him as the starting catcher over Ryan Doumit.