Pirates pass on four-including Maholm and Doumit

The Pittsburgh Pirates began what looks to be a step back at the major league level after a year that saw a Dr.Jekyll/Mr Hyde season as the team passed on four veterans 2012 options and allowed them to surf the free agency wave.

Paul Maholm is the biggest of the four names as Maholm's nine million plus dollar option was allowed to go by the boards.
The Pirates had the option to keep the lefty in the rotations for the aforementioned amount,but chose pass at that price.
Maholm's numbers were solid last year with the exception of the win-loss record,which is the worst stat to evaluate pitchers on and considering the cost of the option,Maholm did not seem to carry a price which is too ridiculous for this time in the game.
Most of the salaries are ridiculous,but the Pirates are doubtful to replace Maholm with a close to equal player for a similar or cheaper price.
Looking behind the numbers,Maholm had his best year ever last season and one could say that he is more likely to slack off than bounce back,but if the object is to save money and it usually is,the fact is that Pittsburgh is not going to replace Paul Maholm with a similar level of pitcher AND save money at the same time.
That simply is not going to happen.

I was not surprised that the option on Ryan Doumit was not picked up,but I was mildly surprised that Chris Snyder did not have his.
Not that I think Snyder should have for just under seven million,but I thought that there was a possibility when you figured that Doumit was history and the only other option appears to be Michael McKenry.
The injury history,defensive liabilities and the fact that the Pirates had to accept the 2013 option at the same time as the 2012 option all added up as reasons to skip on what would have been a fifteen and a half million dollar commitment to Doumit.
Considering Doumit can play first and the outfield,there should be no shortage of suitors for him on the market,although he might have to take a paycut of some type.

Snyder played just seventy one games over two seasons in Pittsburgh and with back problems that will likely never completely go away for a catcher and contact issues,he was too high risk at six million.
I am not comfortable with Michael McKenry or Jason Jaramillo as the full time catcher next season and I see no one at AAA ready to even platoon,so I think the Bucs will look for a cheap veteran mitt to add to the roster,but no one that is going set the roof on fire.

Ronny Cedeno was never a favorite of mine.
His non-chalant play and Cedeno was prone to pull the brain dead "What the hell was he thinking?" card far too often for my tastes,but I don't see Chase D'Arnaud as a full time option for at least half of a season and no one else in the system is that close.
Neal Huntington's track record in signing free agent infielders is checkered at best with money thrown at busts Ramon Vasquez and Bobby Crosby among them.
I cannot say Cedeno will be missed by me,but I would not be betting that his replacement will be an improvement when you consider what the Pirates are likely to be offering as far as a contract goes.

SO for those of you keeping score at home-the Pirates will be shopping for a cheap starting pitcher (think more of another Kevin Correia type..Yea),a journeyman catcher,someone to hold down shortstop for a year or less,if we are lucky and do all of that on a discount budget.
In other words,no one to get excited about for sure.

This looks like a season that sees a step back,before hopefully a step forward in 2013.
There is always hope if you send it down the road far enough....

I hope to have more later with the Indians acquiring Derek Lowe,the Browns releasing Brian Robiskie and some other tidbits,if time permits

Photo Credit-Jared Wickerham-Getty Images