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2012 MLB Mock Draft: Pirates Grab Mike Zunino In New Mock; Could Lance McCullers Be A Possibility?

John Sickels' new 2012 MLB Mock Draft for SB Nation's MinorLeagueBall.com imagines a scenario many Pirates fans would be pleased to see. The Seattle Mariners, at No. 3, select Carlos Correa, causing a chain reaction that results in University of Florida catcher Mike Zunino falling to the Pirates at No. 8.

Mike Zunino, C, University of Florida: This one is hard to get a handle on. Rumors persist that the Pirates like Deven Marrero, but his bat just isn't good enough with the talent still left on the board. Zunino also plays a premium defensive position, and he's not Tony Sanchez. Lance McCullers also fits into recent Pittsburgh draft philosophy.

If Zunino falls to the Pirates, I would hope it would be an easy decision, unless of course it's a very strange scenario in which Zunino and another top player fall.

I've never heard the Pirates connected to Lance McCullers before. He's a high school pitcher from Florida who throws very hard. Like a lot of high-school pitchers, he's still working on a changeup. He also doesn't have great command yet, and he isn't particularly tall at 6-foot-1, so he might be a reliever in the long term. He also has what looks like a high-effort delivery. He's a good prospect, but I'd be disappointed if the Pirates took him.

For more on the Pirates, check out Bucs Dugout.

Photographs by dizfunk used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.