The 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates gave something to fans they had been waiting over 20 years for — hope. The long, painful streak of losing seasons finally came to end, and yes, there was even playoff baseball in October at PNC Park. Just a few years ago, this seemed next to impossible. During most, if not all of the 20 years of losing, there was a sense that things would never get better. One-hundred loss seasons, poor drafting (Brian Bullington over Zach Greinke?) and the perennial off-season signing of cheap, third rate veteran FA’s, all well past their prime, left many fans feeling as if all hope was lost.
All that changed after last season. With the masterful work of Neal Huntington building the organization from the ground up, there is a feeling the window of opportunity is not only open, but building on the success of last season is a real possibility. Home grown talent like Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, Starling Marte and Gerrit Cole have all made major contributions and one could easily make the case that each of those players have even better baseball ahead of them. Add important contributors brought in via trade or through free agency like Francisco Liriano, Charlie Morton, Russell Martin and Mark Melancon, and there seems to be a core of talent in place to continue to give fans reason to believe winning can be expected again in 2014. Indeed, there is a sense of hope.
In what can only be considered a quiet off-season for the Pirates, skeptics might say little has been done to make this team better. Losing FA’s like RF Marlon Byrd and 1B Justin Morneau left some miffed. AJ Burnett and his 200+ strikeouts look to be done in Pittsburgh. What’s more, minimal activity in the free agent market, coupled with the lack of spending, has many Pirates fans saying its more of the same under owner Bob Nutting. Promises of spending when the team was in position to win suddenly seem a bit hollow. When your “biggest” positional FA signing is light hitting back up catcher Chris Stewart, one can make the argument that the Pirates are not serious about taking the next step.
This is a fair reaction. That visceral response of, “here we go again.” I can go back to the adage that “you can never have enough quality starting pitching” when Burnett is discussed, and this viewpoint is only bolstered by remembering the Pirates used 12 different starting pitchers in 2013. Though the free-spending Phillies certainly overpaid for Byrd, bringing back his considerable production at a position of need made sense. The thought of depending on Jose Tabata over the course of a full season in RF gives many pause. Andrew Lambo and Travis Snider, both players who have shown plenty of promise in the minor leagues or in spot duty, have yet to convince they can displace Tabata as regulars. Super prospect Gregory Polanco is reportedly close to being ready to prove his MLB meddle, though he would seem to be a possible mid-summer call up once he gets regular at bats at AAA Indianapolis.
First base is another issue on the minds of many. The idea of Gaby Sanchez as the opening day starter is sobering. His lack of power, and inability to hit right-handed pitching might be a fit on a 70-win team, but for a team with visions of the pennant? With some potentially viable options on the free agent market, not to mention the option of re-signing Morneau, one might question what the front office is thinking as spring training is right around the bend.
There is talk of Lambo getting a chance to take Garrett Jones’ spot in a platoon role against righties, but reports are that he has struggled both offensively and defensively during winter ball. With extremely limited experience at first base since high school, it might be a tall task for Lambo to make the transition. Not to mention, he did not exactly prove to be a successful major league hitter in his limited time with the Pirates last summer, where hit hit one home run and struck out 11 times in thirty at bats.
All this being said, I believe it is time to see what Lambo can do from the get go. This promising young talent has reached a point where he needs a volume of at bats to see where he fits in the Pirates plans. Though the Pirates have not gone out and spent in the free agent market, Huntington has stock piled one of the top minor league systems in baseball, and they should have some cash available if the time comes that they need to upgrade the position during the season. Lets see if Lambo is capable of doing the job, and then if necessary, make a deal during the season.
The pitching staff seems to be one with real potential if they can stay relatively healthy. A staff led by Liriano, Cole, and Morton is certainly a not a bad starting point. If Wandy Rodriguez can return to his pre-injury form of 2013, he will be a viable 4th or 5th starter. The real question becomes who will fill in that final spot. Can Jeff Locke get back to being an All-Star caliber pitcher, or will he be the next James McDonald? Brandon Cumpton showed some promise in limited duty last year, and one would believe he will get a shot to prove he’s worthy of a spot in the rotation.
The recent signing of Edinson Volquez is an interesting one. Can pitching coach extraordinaire, Ray “the glass is half full” Searage, find a way to work more of his magic with Volquez? Searage seems confident that Volquez can find the stuff that made him one of the better young pitchers in the National League and an All-Star for the Reds in 2008. If this is the case, we might have the 2014 version of Liriano. This staff, bolstered by an outstanding bullpen, could be good enough to help the Pirates challenge for the NL Central.
Part of the reasoning behind feeling confident in the current crop of pitchers might have something to do with the embarrassment of riches within the minors to fall back on. Tyler Glasnow, Nick Kingham and Luis Heredia all look like potential high-end starters in the long term, but it’s prized prospect, Jameson Taillon, that has people talking. Fair or not, Taillon is considered a pitcher capable of having a Cole impact, maybe as early as next season.
With his high 90’s fastball, and a repertoire of outstanding secondary pitches that made significant progress last year, it seems that Taillon could be a part of the Pirates staff at some point next season. One only has to look at a team like the Cardinals last season, with the way they utilized young pitchers like Shelby Miller and Michael Wacha, to understand sometimes young players just need a shot. It goes without saying that a combination of Taillon and Cole is reason for Pirates fans to be excited. With a non-roster invite to spring training, Taillon will get a chance to prove he’s capable of taking on MLB hitters. Its not unreasonable to think Taillon is a star in the making, and Pirates fans might get a better look at his talent in 2014.
Though this team might a few question marks, the realities of being a small-market team mean the Pirates will simply have to make due building within. Much like last year, it will be this approach first, and then spend wisely on trades in season if needed. The hope is that young, talented players like Marte, along with shortstop Jordy Mercer, will produce for a full season as full-time starters, and that re-signing veterans like Clint Barmes will provide security and leadership off the bench. The bench will be interesting. Will Tony Sanchez provide reasoning that he can be the future at catcher? Can Josh Harrison continue to provide a spark as a do-it-all utility player? Will players like Snider and Lambo provide enough production to make them viable, trustworthy part time starters and pinch hitters?
The good news is though there may be some question marks, the Bucs have returning NL MVP Andrew McCutchen and NL home run leader Pedro Alvarez to build their lineup around. This is an advantage that should allow the team to once again contend for a playoff spot the NL, but also the division and maybe even the Pennant. There is indeed a real sense of hope going into spring training. Fans are rightfully cautious and a bit skeptical, as ownership did not go out and spend criminal amounts of money like the Yankee’s, Phillies, and Dodgers. However, Huntington seems to have a plan in place, and he is hedging his bets that young players will get better and the team he built, mainly with savvy drafting and frugal moves via free agency, will build on the momentum of last season.
