You’ve Sunk My Battleship - Pirates Preview
Mar 5th, 2007 by shooterb
With all of the “rebuilding†talk in Pittsburgh over the past 2 decades, you would think the Pirates were erecting the Tower of Babel.
Unfortunately, 14 years of rebuilding has left the Pirates with the MLB equivalent of a flimsy tiki hut. The troubled franchise hasn’t seen a winning season since 1992. Coincidentally, that was the last year that Barry Bonds wore a Pirates uniform.
And it was all downhill from there.
In the years that followed, everything went wrong in Pittsburgh. Prospects fizzled out. The few star players they had were traded for next-to-nothing. A few bad decisions and a bad case of “Small Market Syndrome†left the once proud franchise in a terrible mess.
Bad luck has also played a major role in the franchise’s struggles, especially when it comes to the pitching staff. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “In the past decade, five of the six pitchers they drafted in the first round…have needed major arm surgeries.†Add one more pitcher to that list, as first round pick Brad Lincoln will miss the start of the season due to elbow surgery.
Estranged fans may be sick of hearing it, but this team is going to need a few years and lot of luck to become a winner.
2007 Pirates
They probably won’t figure into the playoff race, but at least the Pirates will be an improved squad this year. It may not be the kind of improvement fans would have hoped for, but it’s a start.
First off, the Pirates finally pulled the trigger on a deal that makes sense by trading for Adam LaRoche. There hasn’t been an impact left-handed bat in Pittsburgh since Brian Giles left town, and LaRoche should provide a boost to an offense that ranked 29th in home runs last year.
And 2007 may be the first year that Pittsburgh hasn’t wasted money on washed-out free agents. Instead of hiring stop-gaps such as Reggie Sanders or Jeromy Burnitz, the Pirates are using youngsters to take another step in the rebuilding process.
Position Battles
Another good sign is that there are fewer up-for-grab positions than in recent years.
3rd base - Manager Jim Tracy is using Spring Training as an opportunity to shake things up a bit. For the moment, Freddy Sanchez has been moved to 2nd base in order to give Jose Bautista an audition at the hot corner. Bautista is a 26 year-old outfielder with very little experience at the major league level. However, he did display flashes of power last year by hitting 16 HR’s in 400 at-bats.
Jose Castillo may be the odd man out after a disappointing season in 2006. More importantly, his poor fielding and plate discipline has apparently put him in Jim Tracy’s doghouse. Even though he reportedly arrived at camp in good shape (20 lbs lighter), he may need an impressive spring to earn an everyday spot in the lineup.
Outfield - The outfield is pretty much set, barring some serious surprises this spring. Jason Bay anchors the group in left field, and Chris Duffy is penciled in to play center and bat leadoff. Xavier Nady has battled some health issues, but should get most of the playing time in right field.
Luis Matos is off to a quick start this spring, and hopes to earn a back-up spot on the Pirates’ roster.
Catcher - Ronny Paulino was one of the few bright-spots for Pittsburgh last year, impressing with the bat and behind the plate. Switch-hitting Ryan Doumit split time between 1st base and catcher last season, but didn’t perform very well at the plate. He should continue to develop as a hitter, but unless he does something spectacular this spring…he will probably see a lot of bench this season.
Throwing It All Away
The pitching staff is almost complete, with Tony Armas, Jr. and Shawn Chacon battling to become the 5th starter. The rest of the rotation is filled with inexperienced hurlers, led by Zach Duke and Ian Snell - both of whom struggled quite a bit last year.
The bullpen has some depth with guys like Damaso Marte and Salomon Torres. The bad news is that they could be overworked this year playing behind a less-than-stellar starting rotation.
The Not-So-Distant Future
Andrew McCutchen is easily the best prospect in the Pirates’ farm system, as a five-tool outfielder that has it all. McCutchen has already developed quicker than expected, displaying excellent plate discipline rarely seen from a 20 year-old. He is supposed to start the season playing for Altoona (AA), but will likely be promoted to class AAA Indianapolis by mid-season. If he continues to learn at an astounding pace, he could be a serious impact player in 2008.
275 pound Brad Eldred has the kind of power you would expect from a big first baseman, and is already displaying it this spring…by hitting 3 homeruns in just 3 games. Eldred has nothing left to prove at the minor league level, but with the addition of LaRoche…he won’t be able to play everyday for the Pirates. If he continues to impress, Jim Tracy may decide to try him out in right field.
The biggest problem for the Pirates is their underwhelming stockpile of potential starting pitchers. As mentioned earlier, most of the 1st round prospects have already had major arm surgeries…with the exception of Paul Maholm, who is projected as a major league starter. If the Pirates are going to turn things around in the next couple of years, they will need a couple of these prospects to emerge as top-tier starters. John Van Benschoten and Bryan Bullington are two pitchers that could make it happen, but they still have a lot to prove. Expect them both to start out in AAA, but may be promoted if some of the other starters begin to falter.
Another concern high on the priority list is the lack of depth at 3rd base within the organization. To address this need, the Pirates have converted switch-hitting catcher Neil Walker to 3rd base. Walker is an athletic player capable of making the transition, but needs a lot more time in the minors to improve his hitting. If the transition works, having a switch-hitter in the lineup could be a boost to the Pirates’ offense in a couple of years.
A Painful Process
Fortunately, there is a cure for Small Market Syndrome. However, it will take a few years…because the Pirates have a bad case of it. New principal owner Bob Nutting seems determined to build a winner, and the Pirates could be on the road to recovery. But for now…fans can do nothing more than wait, and hope…
Original post by ShooterB’s Blog
