Pirates Season Preview
New Plan Starting To Take Hold
By Joe Giardina

Where do they go from here?

The 2009 season will usher in a new era for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Sure, the Pirates will break camp in Bradenton, Florida, coming off a losing season for the 16th straight year.

And yes, for the second year in a row they are doing so without much change to the 25-man roster that ended the prior campaign.

But for the first time in five plus years, they will be without Jason Bay, the face of the franchise, manning left field. How about Damaso Marte, Xavier Nady, Doug Mientkiewicz, Chris Gomez, Matt Morris, Ronny Paulino and Jason Michaels? Surely you remember they are all gone, too.

In fact, while the faces are the same as those that walked off the field after the final out in 2008, they are quite different than those that walked onto the field on Opening Day that same year. And there are sure to be even more changes this season once the dog days of summer hit.

Pirates' fans should know the drill by now.

Bay was shipped to the Boston Red Sox and Marte and Nady were sent off to the New York Yankees. Morris was released early in the season and Mientkiewicz, Gomez and Michaels all failed to re-sign. Paulino, the only one traded during the off-season, was moved to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Andy LaRoche was brought in to play third base and Brandon Moss to play the outfield. A group of new pitchers were brought in to add depth to the rotation and solidify the bullpen, and prospects were acquired to protect the future.

It may be easier to break 2008 into two halves - before and after the All-Star Break. During the first half of the year, the Pirates went 44-50, scoring an average of about five runs per game. After the All-Star break they went 23-45 (17-37 after Nady and Bay were traded), scoring an average of about four runs per game.

Not exactly the ideal direction to build from.

But again, appearances can be deceiving.

Just like last season, this year's team figures to see a significant amount of changes during the summer. While Pedro Alvarez might have to wait at least another year as he has yet to take a major league at-bat, the time has finally come for Neil Walker and Andrew McCutchen to make a splash at the big league level. It just might not be in April or May (although that isn't being ruled out).

And despite losing 95 games last season, seeing some familiar faces might not be that bad after all.

Pirates' management set out to sign the key young players in the off-season, in hopes of locking up the cornerstones needed to turn the franchise around (and at the very least avoid arbitration). Ryan Doumit was first, coming off his most productive year of his career in which he had 69 RBI, 15 home runs and hit .318. He was rewarded with a three-year deal worth $11.5 million.

Next on the list was Paul Maholm, who finally stepped into the vacant hole as the staff ace in 2008, besting his career highs in innings, strikeouts and ERA. He was rewarded with a three-year deal worth $14.5 million.

Finally, and arguable the most surprising, was centerfielder Nate McLouth, who came out of nowhere in 2008 to earn an All-Star appearance, a Gold Glove and lead the team in nearly every offensive category. The Pirates avoided arbitration by signing him to a three-year, $15.75 million contract hours before his hearing.

That translates to $41.75 million on three players. And that doesn't even include the three-year, $8.6 million deal Ian Snell signed prior to last season, or the two-year, $3.05 million deal that Matt Capps signed less than a month after.

Those numbers don't quite approach the $423.5 million the Yankees spent on three players this off-season, but it should be comforting to fans nonetheless. The new regime preached about building around young, home-grown talent, and for the most part, they've been true to their word.

But that doesn't mean they didn't have to dive into the free agent pool - or at least take a dip in the kiddy pond.

With the departures of Gomez and the fan-friendly Mientkiewicz, in addition to the other mid-season trade that sent Jose Bautista to Toronto, the Pirates were in need of infield depth. That was addressed with the signing of Ramon Vazquez, a 32-year-old veteran who hit a career-high .290 last season while playing for the Texas Rangers. While Mientkiewicz's attitude and leadership will be missed in the clubhouse, it was an economically-smart move, as Vazquez essentially is a two-for-one deal, offering the same kind of versatility and production that last season took both Gomez and Mientkiewicz to fill.

Another hole was plugged by the signing of free agent Eric Hinske. Hinske, the 2002 American League Rookie of the Year, is coming off a 20-home run season for the AL champion Tampa Bay Rays. Outfielders Craig Monroe and Jeff Salazar will have a shot to make the club out of spring, but the 30-year-old Hinske can play either corner outfield position and will compete with Moss and Steve Pearce for at-bats. He will also push Nyjer Morgan for the starting spot in left field.

A lot will have to happen for this team to succeed. Adam LaRoche will have to hit like it's September every month. Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson have to stay healthy and Andy LaRoche will have to prove that he is at least an adequate everyday major leaguer. Doumit and McLouth have to be even better than they were last season. And most importantly, the starting pitching, which had a 5.64 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP in the first half last year, will need to consistently throw strikes and pitch deep into games.

So at the very least, 2009 will have the pieces in place. The picture management painted has begun to take form, even if they are just applying the base coating. Young, talented and established players are locked in for a few years at the major league level (Doumit, Maholm, McLouth), the budding stars are getting ready to taste their first cup of coffee (McCutchen, Walker, Alvarez), and there are projects in the making who, in a few years, could return big dividends (Jose Tabata, Bryan Morris).

The 2009 Pirates probably won't win a pennant or compete for a wild card, because they simply don't have the talent. But they have taken a step in the right direction towards building a winning franchise. And at the end of the day, that's what Pittsburghers have been waiting for.

It's one small step for the team, but one major step for the organization.