Pittsburgh Pirates

The last time this team had a .500 record was when Bonds was in town and they have a lot of work to do if they are going to hit that mark this year after a 67-95 year that saw them rock bottom of the Central.

Pitching

Lets say this right of the bat so there’s no confusion or misunderstanding, Zach Duke will not be as good this year as he was last, its just not possible that he can keep his ERA under 2.00. The real question is what sort of standard can he maintain over a full year? The first month of the season will probably give us an idea if the league has figured him out over the off-season and if he really will be an ace for years to come.

There is so much promise in the Pirates rotation with Duke being accompanied by Paul Maholm, who looked very good in a late season cameo and John Van Benschoten who was slated to be the impact rookie in the rotation last year before three arthroscopic shoulder surgeries ruled him out for the year. Perhaps the biggest question Pirates fans will be asking is which Oliver Perez will show up this season? The one who dominated hitters in ‘04 or the one who showed up out of shape for ‘05? Word has it the Pirates had him on a strict regimen over the winter in order to ensure the former turns up.

Much was expected of Kip Wells last year and while he showed spells of being the pitcher we know he can be, there were longer stints of ordinariness and 182 innings isn’t a good return for someone you were looking to build a staff around, especially when you walk 99 guys during those 182 innings.

Jose Mesa has jumped ship which will mean there will be a quick rethink of the bullpen. Roberto Hernandez and Damaso Marte have both been brought in and have experience closing games and either could be the stopgap until the club feels Matt Capps is ready. The rest of the pen is relatively young and inexperienced with lefties Mike Gonzalez and John Grabow coming off solid seasons but its all a matter of wait and see.

Defence

Jose Castillo and Jack Wilson give the infield a strong anchor and Joe Randa at third is a plus defender but may have to share time with Jose Bautista if the offence is struggling. Brad Eldred is solid first baseman and gives a big target for his team mates to hit.

The likes of Jason Bay, Jeromy Burnitz, Nate McLouth and Jody Gerut are all solid outfielders but none is really a true centre fielder. The likely result will be that the team will select the best three bats for the line-up and then plug them into defensive positions which means Craig Wilson will be plugged in somewhere and he’s really a first baseman/DH.

The likes of Humberto Cota and Ryan Doumit are solid and passable at catcher. They really are just holding down the fort till Neil Walker is ready.

Offence

Jason Bay is an excellent hitter combining discipline (95 BB) and good power (32 HR) but he’s not really the power bat that can strike fear into a pitcher when you look at an order and for much of last season Bay was it. However this year he has monster masher Brad Eldred behind him and he can send the ball a long, long way. Jeromy Burnitz has been brought in to give even more added muscle, and Craig Wilson gets very hot from time to time but this is still a lightweight line-up. They will be hoping that Jose Bautista develops quickly and can contribute.

If this team is to score enough runs to move on in this league they will need consistency at the top but who will do that? Nate McLouth and Rajaj Davis maybe are the best options and maybe Jose Castillo but its all a bit uncertain.

Rookie Watch

Brad Eldred has a lot of Jim Thome about him in that he’s big, swings hard and when he makes contact he can send them into orbit. He’s also a solid defender and the club will be hoping he can be an impact player this year in a side desperate for power bats.

Paul Maholm posted a 2.18 ERA in six starts last year which might be a tad crappy considering what Duke was able to do but I’m sure the Pirates feel confident he can produce for the team this year. He’s not the hardest thrower around but he does have a good assortment of pitches and excellent control.

He may be a long shot to crack the roster to start the year but Jose Bautista is the clubs third baseman of the future. He needs to work on his D but his bat is what will carry him where he wants to go.

Management

GM David Littlefield inherited a mess when he took over but Pittsburgh are working hard to build a strong foundation and this commitment to youth is well illustrated by a very young big league unit built primarily around guys who have played less than three years. The thing that has impressed me over the off-season is the way Littlefield has brought in a handful of savvy veterans with strong leadership skills with the likes of Roberto Hernandez who has done it all in his day and ‘The Mayor’ Sean Casey who will be a tremendous influence on the youngsters.

Casey is one of baseballs great characters who has built a career on doing the things people said he couldn’t do and will be a tremendous asset for Jim Tracy whose small ball tendencies will be invaluable for this team. Tracy preaches fundamentals and did well in LA with a team built on pitching and defence and not a lot of fire power.

Outlook

The NL Central will be tough this year and if the Pirates are going to stick around they need their pitching staff to carry the load and that’s a lot of pressure to put on a young group. Their offence needs a lot of things to click.