Mike Friend —
Last season, fans in Pittsburgh confirmed plans that were more than 20 years in the making as the Pirates played their way into the playoffs and made it to the divisional round before falling to the eventual NL champion St. Louis Cardinals. Although the season didn’t end with a World Series win, the season brought plenty of excitement to the city, culminating in the improbable run into Buc-tober. The team finished with a record of 94-68, finally breaking the .500 barrier for the first time since Sid Bream was able to slide in ahead of a Mike LaVallier to end the 1992 National League Championship series and for that matter, any chance the Buccos had of winning for the foreseeable future.
This year, experts have the over/under for the Buccos at 84.5 wins, most noticeably 10 less than last season’s total and only 3.5 over .500. Even though the farm system is full of prospects a lack of any big off season signing to address the continuing issues at right field, first base and the back end of the rotation have me believing that the team won’t make that mark. If the Bucs finish at 81-81 they can consider themselves lucky.
Last season, the rotation was fearsome as A.J. Burnett continued to dominate, Jeff Locke’s hot start earned him a bid to the All-Star game as a rookie and Francisco Liriano returned to his former self, notching a second Comeback Player of the Year award in the process. The surprising return of Charlie Morton and success of Gerrit Cole after being called up made the Pirates a team to be reckoned with.
The second half of the season and the off season brought a lot of change to the rotation, as Locke fell apart in the hot summer months and Burnett chose to make a home on the other side of the state, signing a one-year $16 million deal, in what could be as much as two years for $30 million. One bright spot was the signing of former Padres ace Edison Volquez to a one-year, $5 million deal while hoping for a Liriano-esque return to dominance.
Even though they are coached by the reigning NL Manager of the Year, Clint Hurdle, and field the reigning NL MVP and arguably the best player in baseball at this point, Andrew McCutchen, the Pirates have too many issues in the field as they head into the 2014 season. In an offseason where big deals for players like Robinson Cano dominated the headlines, the Pirates found themselves on the outside looking in. Long time starter and left-handed bat Garrett Jone found a home with the Marlins, and backup catcher Michael McKenry ended up in Colorado. The lone trade the front office made was bringing yet another catcher to the teams trading for a player to be named later to the Yankees for Chris Stewart. In 109 games last season, Stewart batted .211 with 4 homeruns and 49 strikeouts.
Heading into spring training the Pirates, still have issues at first base, reportedly opting to platoon Gaby Sanchez and Andrew Lambo, who at this time isn’t even on the official depth chart. While Starling Marte may have cemented his position in left field with a breakout year last season, Jose Tabata, who is listed as the starting right fielder, did little to help his case.
As it currently stands, the lineup for the Buccos isn’t conducive to power numbers with Pedro Alvarez as the only power hitter with little protection around him which will lead to lower power numbers and more walks. The Pirates may shock everyone this year, but in this current state they certainly do not look like a 84-game winner.
Jeff Snedden —
The Pittsburgh Pirates are under fire for their perceived lack of effort to compete for top-level free agents this winter. Pessimistic fans and the local media have deemed 2014 a failure before it begins, a sentiment that was only exacerbated by former Pirate hurler A.J. Burnett signing with the Philadelphia Phillies last week for a ridiculous $15 million.
The Pirates aren’t in a position to offer those types of deals for aging, mid-rotation pitchers, and they NEVER will be. Instead, the Pirates are continuing to follow the plan of GM Neil Huntington; developing a fantastic foundation of major league talent in Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, Pedro Alvarez and Gerrit Cole. They have reinforced those players with quality veteran such as SP Francisco Liriano and C Russell Martin. They continue to build a farm system ranked No. 1 in baseball, a system that will feed a solid stream of prospects into Pittsburgh for the next five years. The plan put into place seven years ago is working, and just like fellow small-market kings the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays, the Pirates are in a great position to compete for the postseason because of their plan and because of their ability to not give in to the pressure of signing overpriced free agents.
So why do people think the Pirates will falter in 2014? Is it the loss of Burnett? Is it the defection of .233 hitter Garrett Jones to the Marlins? Perhaps it is the fact that trade acquisitions OF Marlon Byrd, 1B Justin Morneau and C John Buck all took their talents away from the North Shore. There is always the chance that the Pirates take a step backwards, a common occurrence with teams who are perceived to have overachieved (see Nationals, Washington and Orioles, Baltimore in 2013). Baseball is a game in which the most important ingredient for winning doesn’t show up in any box score – chemistry. Teams can spend $200 million on salary and lose 84 games (Angels in 2013), or they can have an offseason deemed “the greatest single free agent haul ever” and lose 88 games (Blue Jays in 2013), all because they don’t have leadership and chemistry.
The Pirates have a great motivator and player’s manager at the helm in Clint Hurdle, who is universally respected by the entire clubhouse. They have one of the best pitching coaches in the game in Ray Searage, who is developing a reputation that will make him a managerial candidate next winter. More importantly, they have certified team leaders in McCutchen and Martin. They also have that farm system, which will infuse the roster with more young talent this summer with the call ups of Gregory Polanco and Jameson Taillon. Polanco has the talent to be the Opening Day rightfielder, according to the shared opinions of players in Bradenton. The 22-year-old phenom has the tools to rival the rookie season of Marte in 2013.
The rotation will be gaining veteran LHP Wandy Rodriguez, who only started 12 games in 2013 due to injury. Rodriguez has been a steady starter his entire career, most of it in an extreme hitters park in Houston. A healthy Charlie Morton will add another reliable starter from day one. Searage will be working his magic with new starter Edinson Volquez, who pitched well down the stretch for the Dodgers last season. Jeff Locke, an All-Star who burned out in the second half last summer, arrived to camp bigger and stronger after working on his durability over the winter. Brandon Cumpton could fill a spot as a fallback option.
First base is a sore subject for Pirates fans. Gaby Sanchez was an All-Star in 2011, and provides a great glove. Andrew Lambo will be spending time at first base this spring, and could easily match the .233/15/51 line posted by Garrett Jones in 2013. The Pirates could be BETTER than they were last summer with Sanchez/Lambo platooning at first and Polanco eventually in right field. With the exceptions of Burnett and Jones, this is the same team that went 76-55 before the trades for Morneau and Marlon Byrd. Second baseman Neil Walker should be able to get back to his .280/13/75 line after a rough first half in 2013, and if third baseman Alvarez carries over the renewed batting eye he showed in hitting .353 during the postseason – look out. Combine an improved Walker and El Toro with an eventual outfield of McCutchen/Marte/Polanco, and the sky is the limit.
If the Pirates feel that there is a move to improve the team in spring training, they have a deep pool of young talent to deal from, and Huntington told ESPN.com on Tuesday that a trade could still happen. Regardless, the Pirates and Pirates fans have a great deal to be excited about in 2014. Neither St. Louis or Cincinnati improved over the winter, and with one more season under their belt, the Pirates are in position to once again compete for the N.L. Central Division title
