My biggest problem with this is that it appears that the Pirates want (translate NEED) to revamp a weak farm system,yet feel the pressure to atte
mpt to avoid the record for consecutive losing seasons that they would break with a sub .500 record.They could not add pieces to improve the major league team without peddling one of their few prospects,yet were unable to add to the system with the value of Jason Bay being at an all-time low.
Which kind of puts us back where we started and delays the first date of learning whether Coonelly/Huntington really is a new start or the next link in a horrendous management legacy.
It appears that will be in June when the Bucs pick 2nd in the amateur draft,followed by the trade deadline in July,so until then,we just do not know.
In any event,here is a quick synopsis of your 2008 Pirates.
The Infield is pretty much intact and only one of the starters appears to have any hope of improving their stats from 2007.
Adam LaRoche had a start that gave ice cold new meaning in 2007 and despite his late rally,his numbers were average at best.
If LaRoche can get off to an average start,30 homers is possible.
I would expect some improvement,but not to the level of his 2006 in Atlanta,which looks to be his career season.
Freddy Sanchez looks to be solid at second,but shoulder concerns do have me worried.
But assuming he is healthy,you can pretty much write down an above .300 average and single digit homers,although he did hit a career high 11 last season.
I see no reason to expect any more from Sanchez than he has already shown.
Jack Wilson,like LaRoche,finished strongly after trade rumors to have deceivingly good numbers for the 2007 campaign.
As long as Wilson can keep up his defensive numbers,I can live with any offensive deficiencies and anything he adds is a bonus.
Wilson is one of the possible trade chips at the deadline,if some team would have SS injuries.
Jose Bautista has the job at third,but basically has this season to prove that he is deserving of keeping as Neil Walker should arrive in 2009.
Bautista would be a utility player on a good team,but on this one-he is a starter.
The outfield is pretty similar to last season,expect for finally giving Nate McLouth a chance in Center over Chris Duffy,which I had been screaming for over the last two years.
I have never understood the Pirate love affair with weak hitting center fielders.
I would make a list,but the list is long and the time is short.
Jason Bay returns in Left after his worst season as a pro last year.
If Bay had even come close to repeating his average numbers last season,he would have traded and the rebuilding started already.
Huntington decided to gamble on Bay returning to form and being able to get more in return at the deadline and I can see that,as selling at rock bottom value is exactly would Littlefield always seemed to do.
I like Bay,but here is hoping for a fast start and being able to get a nice package of prospects for him.
Nate McLouth gets his chance to take hold of Center before Andrew McCutchen arrives after fighting off yet another one of those Pirate slap hitters in Nyjer Morgan for the starting job.
McLouth is not the defender that Morgan is,but his power could help on this team and with some luck,could have a 20/20 season.
Then again with the Pirates track record in CF,he could be on the bench by mid-season.
I am willing to take that risk..
Xavier Nady is back in Right and unlike Bay,I would have traded him over the winter.
I know the Pirates said they could not get equal value for Nady,but he really is not an everyday corner outfielder and more of a "super sub" type.
Therefore his value to the Pirates is not what it is to other teams.
In any event,he is blocking one of the Pirates few prospects in Steven Pearce,so look for the Pirates to settle for something at the break.
The catching job appears to be a platoon for now between Ryan Doumit and Ronny Paulino.
Doumit is the better hitter,but is not as solid defensively as Paulino.
That is when Paulino cares anyway.
Doumit brings the higher upside and the lefty bat,but look for things to shake out as the year progresses.
The bench includes Morgan as the only outfielder,Doug Mientkiewicz as the backup at first,Luis Rivas as the backup to Freddy Sanchez at 2nd,Chris Gomez as the obligatory light hitting utility guy and whoever is not playing between Doumit and Paulino.
If the Pirates surprise,it will be the starting pitching that allows that to happen.
Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny provide stability to the front of the rotation,although Gorzelanny brings some concern from his overuse by Jim Tracy in the last month of 2007 in meaningless games.
If he is solid,Pittsburgh looks to be at least solid in two spots.
Lefthanders Paul Maholm and Zach Duke need to step their game up for the winning scenario to occur.
Malholm actually pitched ok last season before missing time with a bad back and returning with two horrible outings that made sense to use him only to Jim Tracy,who was in job saving mode,and inflated his numbers.
Duke has finally run out of excuses as Jim Colborn is gone as pitching coach after revamping (unnecessarily) his mechanics.
Duke likely is not as good as his 2005 indicated,but not as his numbers under Colborn,which could only have been worse if the ball was placed on a tee for batters facing him.
Matt Morris finishes up as the final legacy of the Captain as the Pirates highest paid player of all time as a 5th starter.
Morris was shopped in the off season,but no takers for the high priced veteran.
Like with so many others on this team,a fast start would help Pittsburgh in moving him to a contender,but we shall see.
Morris could be another test for Neal Huntington,as Littlefield would likely not only keep Morris after a hot start,he could have offered him an extension-remember Mark Redman?
The Bullpen looks solid at the back end with Matt Capps and Damaso Marte.
Capps put together a strong first season as a closer and Marte had an excellent year,yet was not moved.
I thought with a reasonable contract coming off a great year,he would have been traded.
Look for that to happen this season.
After that,it looks like a real mess with John "Matches" Grabow and Phil Dumatrait from the southpaw stance and new acquisition Tyler Yates joining Franquelis Osoria and Rule 5 draftee Evan Meek from the right.
This looks very weak to me and look for a lot of blown leads from this bunch.
Predictions for the road.
Final record 74-88.
Central Division 6th
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