Pittsburgh Pirates
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| Projected Lineup |
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| C |
Jason Kendall |
| SS |
Jack Wilson |
| LF |
Brian Giles |
| 3B |
Aramis Ramirez |
| 1B |
Randall Simon |
| RF |
Matt Stairs |
| CF |
Rob Mackowiak |
| 2B |
Pokey Reese |
| Projected Rotation |
|---|
| RHP |
Kris Benson |
| RHP |
Kip Wells |
| RHP |
Josh Fogg |
| RHP |
Jeff Suppan |
| RHP |
Brian Meadows |
| CL |
Mike Williams |
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By John Donovan, SI.com
It's not as if the once proud Pirates, losers for a decade now, are devoid of talent. There is some talent in Pittsburgh. The real, quantifiable stuff.
There's not enough of it. Not yet. But the low-revenue Pirates have some good young pitchers, with more on the way, a solid offensive threat in left fielder Brian Giles (with, the Pirates hope, more offensive help on the way), and they're feeling better about themselves than they have in years.
It all starts, as these things do, with the pitching. The Bucs were 10th in ERA last season in the National League (at 4.23), but they figure to climb into the upper half of the league in 2003. Kris Benson is the ace after going 9-6 with a 4.70 ERA, but his numbers don't tell the whole story. He was coming off elbow surgery last season and got off to a slow start, going 0-3 in May. But in the second half, the 28-year-old right-hander was 7-2 with a 4.15 ERA. In September, he was 3-0 with a 3.15 ERA.
Kip Wells (12-14, 3.58) backs him up, and the Pirates have some help from youngster Josh Fogg (12-12, 4.35) and righty free-agent signee Jeff Suppan, the Opening Day starter in Kansas City in each of the past three seasons. They have a good-enough bullpen, too.
The problem in Pittsburgh has been hitting. The Bucs' .244 average last season was the worst in baseball. They were last in on-base percentage (.319), 15th in the 16-team NL in runs scored and way last in extra-base hits.
If they don't find some pop in the bat rack, this team will struggle to win 75 games this season. But the talent is there to at least get close to .500. And a .500 season might be enough to start to regain some of that lost Pirate pride.
The first bit of business that manager Lloyd McClendon has to address in Bradenton, Fla., is the bottom of the rotation. Benson and Wells will be fine, and even Fogg and, probably, Suppan. But who goes No. 5? Take your pick from among righty Brian Meadows, lefty Denny Reyes and righties Rolando Arrojo and Jeff D'Amico.
The Bucs also may have spring training fights for spots at first base and in right field, where the bigger bat is liable to win the day.
At first, newly signed Randall Simon (19 homers, 82 RBIs in Detroit last season), a left-handed hitter who could take advantage of the 320-foot right-field line in PNC Park, will take on Kevin Young, who had 16 homers and 51 RBIs in 146 games with the Pirates last season. In right, newly signed Matt Stairs (16 homers, 41 RBIs in 107 games in Milwaukee) will try to unseat Craig Wilson (16 and 57, though in 24 more games).
Third baseman Aramis Ramirez was a disappointment last year. The Bucs were expecting big things from him after he smacked 34 homers and drove in 112 runs in 2001. But he got off to a bad start in '02, hurting his ankle in a brawl with Milwaukee pitcher Ben Sheets, and finished with only 18 homers and 71 RBIs. He hit a miserable .234. Ramirez bouncing back and producing from the clean-up slot would pay dividends.
Tony Alvarez could be breathing down Rob Mackowiak's neck in center field. In a late-season callup last September, Alvarez hit .308 in 14 games, proving that the .318 he hit in Class AA Altoona (with 15 homers and 59 RBIs) was no fluke. Mackowiak has some proven power -- he had 16 homers and 48 RBIs for the Bucs last season, in 136 games -- so McClendon may be shy to pull him. But a hot spring from Alvarez or a slip early in the season by Mackowiak could turn the tables.
Arrivals: RHP Rolando Arroyo (free agent signed from Boston), RHP Jeff D'Amico (free agent signed from New York Mets), RHP Matt Herges (from Montreal in trade), RHP Pat Mahomes (free agent signed from Chicago Cubs), LHP Dennys Reyes (free agent signed from Texas), OF Reggie Sanders (free agent signed from San Francisco), 1B Randall Simon (from Detroit in trade), OF Matt Stairs (free agent signed from Milwaukee), RHP Jeff Suppan (free agent signed from Kansas City), RHP Julian Tavarez (free agent signed from Florida).
Departures: LHP Jimmy Anderson (free agent signed with Reds), SS Mike Benjamin (free agent), catcher Keith Osik (free agent signed by Milwaukee), OF Armando Rios (free agent signed by Chicago White Sox), LHP Ron Villone (free agent signed with Arizona), OF Darren Lewis (free agent), RHP Bronson Arroyo (waivers), RHP Francisco Cordova (free agent), OF Adrian Brown (released).
The Pirates improved by 10 games last season after a terrible 2001 and are aiming for more. Still, there are a lot of holes in the lineup. Catcher Jason Kendall, the likely leadoff man, has to bounce back from an off 2002. Ramirez has to rebound, too. Newcomers Simon and Stairs have to come through or at least push the others at their positions. But a little more offense from any or all of those, coupled with Giles' likely contributions (he hit .298, with 38 homers and 103 RBIs in '02) would do a lot for this team. And if that pitching starts to blossom, like many think it can, the Bucs may yet show their real talents.
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