PITTSBURGH - Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Jose Mesa isn't ready to think about son Juan possibly closing out a game for him with an excellent running catch in left field.

In a year or two? Maybe.

Juan Mesa, the 20-year-old son of the Pirates closer, was drafted by the team on the 23rd round of the June amateur draft Wednesday. He is expected to be assigned to their Bradenton rookie team when he signs.

Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon saw the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Mesa working out at PNC Park last summer and was impressed.

"He had a little juice in the bat, and he's a strong kid," McClendon said. "It was pretty interesting. I liked his size, the agility and the bat speed. I think he's got a chance."

The Pirates were interested enough that they considered signing the younger Mesa as a free agent last year, only to learn he had enrolled in Miami Dade College. That meant they had to draft him, or risk losing him to another organization.

Jose Mesa, who went into Wednesday's games tied with the Cardinals' Jason Isringhausen for the NL lead with 17 saves, is proud his son also wants to become a ballplayer.

"He's got a lot of potential, and he's got to prove to them what he can do," Mesa said. "He's got to go to Bradenton and go from there."

Jose Mesa recently turned 39, an advanced age for a closer, so he probably can't wait for his son to take the normal four to five years required for a prospect to reach the majors. The elder Mesa is one of 19 relievers in major league history with 300 career saves.

"I'm proud, because my dream was for him to be a ballplayer and to see what he could do, to see if he can sign as a ballplayer," Mesa said. "He'd better make it quick, because I'm not going to stick around forever - he's got to make it in one or two years."

There's an even younger Mesa hanging around the Pirates this season - Jose Jr., who has accompanied his father to some games.

"What I really want to do is play with Jose Jr.," Mesa said.

Then, smiling, he said, "He's 11 right now."

Among their other picks Wednesday on the second day of the two-day draft was Vanderbilt University third baseman Tony Mansolino, a 26th round selection and the son of Astros third base coach Doug Mansolino. They also took Ryan Lollis, a star outfielder from Houston (Texas) Christian High School on the 20th round and high school shortstop Ellis Otero from Puerto Rico on the 21st round.

On the 34th round, they chose Pittsburgh-area high school third baseman Gary Bucuren from Ambridge Area High, even though he injured a knee playing football last season.