BRADENTON, Fla. -- Ray Searage was sitting behind the catcher in the LECOM Park's bullpen last week, expecting a fastball to zip out of Felipe Rivero's left hand. As Searage ducked to protect himself from the seemingly off-target pitch, it quickly dropped into the strike zone.
It was a high-spin curveball, probably the fourth-best offering in a deep arsenal highlighted by Rivero's high-octane fastball and swing-and-miss changeup. Throw in a sharp slider -- opponents hit .130 against it last year -- and the occasional knee-buckling curveball, and it's not hard to see why the Pirates targeted Rivero last year.