I think it's finally got to the point in my fandom when I'm officially tired of hearing that the Pirates need to focus on prospects with upside. There was a time when Brandon Moss, Jeff Clement, Andy LaRoche and Lastings Milledge seemed like good ideas. The front office needed to blow shit up, and try and stockpile young players with upside, hoping to strike gold. But now that the famous 2008 All World lineup has been officially imploded with the final drops of Ryan Doumit and Paul Maholm, the Bucs are left with the prospects from those trades. The misses have been well documented (above), and the hits are well known as well: Charlie Morton, Jose Tabata, James McDonald and Joel Hanrahan being the best of the hauls. I'm not questioning those moves at all (there are always hits and misses), I'm just very concerned about this offseason.
As the Pirates prepare for 2012, the holes are pretty clear. First base without Derrek Lee is a gaping hole that Garrett Jones just can't fill anymore. Shortstop is looking dreadful without the almost average Ronny Cedeno's inconsistencies driving us crazy. Third base could get scary fast if Pedro Alvarez doesn't get over his nightmare season that gave every Pirate fan heartburn. The rotation is still a smoke and mirrors operation with no depth and little real help on the way above A-ball.
Sadly, Neil Walker, Jose Tabata, Andrew McCutchen and Rod Barajas are the only guys on the field that should be guaranteed 500+ at bats this year (I would add Pedro in there as well, but I think if he struggles early like he did last year, he should spend the summer mashing in AAA Indianapolis). We need to pray to get 30 starts from each of Morton, McDonald, Kevin Correia and Jeff Karstens. Think about how scary that could be. Potential black holes are at 1B, SS, 3B, RF, and SP. The front office has so many holes to fill, there simply is no way they can do it in free agency alone. But as I said earlier, I'm growing weary of trading for potential. It's time to package some prospects for a major leaguer or two. There's a glut of similar type outfielders (Alex Presley, Gorkys Hernandez, Starling Marte) who might be packaged with an "upside guy" like Stetson Allie that might net us a young shortstop. While Clint Barmes would be an OK pickup based on glove alone, I think they need to find some hitting first. It's also time to sign a real free agent, even if it means having to overpay. The Jose Reyes' and Prince Fielders of the world are obviously out of our range, so it's not really worth thinking about them. The guy I'd like to see added is Michael Cuddyer, because he could bring a decent bat and positional flexibility to some of our gaping holes, such as 1B, RF, and perhaps even 3B. It could be tough to bring him to Pittsburgh because there just aren't a lot of good free agents this year, but if the Bucs offer him an extra year of security, that might be enough to get the job done. I'd also like to see DLee brought back to solidify defense and keep some pop in the lineup. While it's a bit righty-heavy, this lineup might not be too awful ...
1. Tabata LF
2. Walker 2B
3. McCutchen CF
4. Lee 1B
5. Cuddyer RF
6. Alvarez 3B
7. Barajas C
8. Shortstop
9. Pitcher
As far as the rotation goes, it's time to spend for real. I doubt Mark Buehrle would sign here, but perhaps Erik Bedard could be brought in on a two year deal. There's not a lot to like out on the market, so signing one guy is all that's reasonable. This rotation could be respectable ...
1. Morton
2. Bedard
3. Correia
4. McDonald
5. Karstens
The front office is going to have to act boldly and overspend this year, if they want to avoid stepping back a season or two. The first four months gave Pirates fans some real hope for the future, but then August and September became a serious reality check, when the pitching crumbled, and the hitting was exposed as not even league average. Without making some real upgrades, the Pirates could find themselves regressing, losing 100 games in 2012. But with a few bold moves, they could tread water until the cavalry comes in 2013-2014, and show themselves to be an organization that other players WANT to play for, only helping them add pieces in future seasons. I have always tried to stay as positive as I can be, but honestly, that's where we are right now.
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