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Pittsburgh Pirates
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On this page: Arrivals | Departures | Spring Cleaning | Team Breakdown | Prospects | Predictions

Manager Lloyd McClendon served as the Pirates' hitting coach the past four seasons. AP

By Rich Loup, CNNSI.com

New is the operative word in Pittsburgh, but the changes probably won't mean dramatically different results for the Pirates.

Lloyd McClendon gets his first managerial shot and leads the club into its first year in PNC Park after 31 seasons at Three Rivers Stadium. Pittsburgh also trots out sleeveless uniforms reminiscent of its 1960s duds to coincide with the move to the new venue.

But with the exception of adding marginal free agents Derek Bell and Terry Mulholland, the Pirates have done nothing substantial to improve on last year's disastrous 69-93 record. The inactivity doesn't provide much reason to believe Pittsburgh will end its streak of eight consecutive losing seasons.

Only three players are assured of starting jobs come Opening Day: catcher Jason Kendall, left fielder Brian Giles and Bell in right field. First baseman Kevin Young has to prove he is healthy; second baseman Warren Morris and shortstop Pat Meares will be pushed by veteran Mike Benjamin and switch-hitting Enrique Wilson; third baseman Aramis Ramirez and center fielder Adrian Brown are only penciled in the lineup.

Top Guns Pirates 2000 team leaders Avg.  Jason Kendall  .320  HR  Brian Giles  35  RBIs  Brian Giles  123  SB  Jason Kendall  22  Wins  Jose Silva  11  ERA  Kris Benson  3.85  Ks  Kris Benson  184  Saves  Mike Williams  24    Go Figure 94 Number of starts in which the starter worked at least six innings. The Pirates were 51-43 in those games.

Kris Benson is expected to be the ace of a rotation that struggled last year. The Bucs ranked 12th in NL with a 4.94 ERA and starters failed to last through the fifth inning 59 times. Todd Ritchie, who is better than his 2000 numbers indicate (9-8, 4.81 ERA), will follow Benson. The return of Jason Schmidt (shoulder surgery) and Francisco Cordova (elbow surgery) will be a big boost, but who knows how effective they will be? Left-hander Jimmy Anderson is the favorite to retain the No. 5 starter's spot but McClendon will also look at Bronson Arroyo.

The bullpen appears set, with Mike Williams as the closer, being set up by right-handers Rich Loiselle, Jose Silva and Josias Manzanillo and left-handers Scott Sauerbeck and Mulholland.

Former manager Gene Lamont was the scapegoat for the Pirates' 2000 disappointment, but at what point will general manager Cam Bonifay become responsible?

Bonifay has worked with a shoestring budget for a franchise that has put its eggs in the player-development basket since he took over in 1993. But Pittsburgh has yet to produce a Montreal Expos-like crop of talent that would even bring up the dilemma of finding the money to keep their best players. At some point, Bonifay deserves some of the blame for the Pirates' worst stretch since the 1950s.

If nothing else, Pittsburgh management is banking that the players will play harder. If you go by last year's public comments, the Pirates' clubhouse was full of finger-pointing with a laissez-faire manner. McClendon has vowed that the 2001 Pirates will adapt a can-do attitude and play hard every day.

Arrivals
Pos.	Player	From	Via
OF	Derek Bell	Mets	Free Agency
OF	Thomas Howard	Cardinals	Free Agency
LHP	Terry Mulholland	Braves	Free Agency

Departures
Pos.	Player	To	Via
OF	Alex Ramirez	Japan	Trade
RHP	Brad Clontz	TBA	Released
LHP	Chris Peters	Expos	Released
RHP	Marc Wilkins	Athletics	Free Agency

Spring Cleaning

Vander Wal After a year of whining and indifference, the first order of business for McClendon is changing the players' way of thinking. "Change of attitude ... it has to be a winning attitude based on hard work, dedication and just a fierce desire to win." Will he succeed? After the Pirates rewarded John Vander Wal for his career year (.299, 24 homers, 94 RBIs in 384 at-bats) by signing Bell to play right field, Vander Wal asked to be traded. McClendon wants to keep Vander Wal, but he doesn't want an unhappy player who could disrupt the team chemistry the manager has promised to improve. Brown enters camp as the primary center fielder, but Chad Hermansen could change that with a strong spring. Hermansen, 24, had laser surgery in the offseason to improve his vision and also spent time working on the subtle changes in his swing. For the third year in a row, Ramirez had trouble nailing down the third base job. A .167 average in April earned him a quick trip back to the minors. However, he's only 22, and has the potential to be an offensive force. This could be the year he finally breaks out. The Pirates ranked 12th in the NL in staff ERA last year but added only Mulholland. That means improvement must come from within, with the health of Schmidt (2-5, 5.40) and Cordova (6-8, 5.21) a priority. Team Breakdown Projected Lineup  Projected Rotation  CF  Adrian Brown  RHP  Kris Benson  C  Jason Kendall  RHP  Todd Ritchie  1B  Kevin Young  RHP  Jason Schmidt  LF  Brian Giles  RHP  Francisco Cordova  RF  Derek Bell  LHP  Jimmy Anderson  3B  Aramis Ramirez  Bullpen   2B  Warren Morris  RHP  Mike Williams (closer)  SS  Pat Meares  RHP  Rich Loiselle  Key Reserves   LHP  Josias Manzanillo  INF  Enrique Wilson  LHP  Terry Mulholland  OF  John Vander Wal  LHP  Scott Sauerbeck  OF  Mike Benjamin  RHP  Jose Silva  OF  Emil Brown  RHP  Bronson Arroyoñez  OF  Chad Hermansen  LHP  Dan Serafini  Prospects to Watch RHP Bobby Bradley -- Bradley, 20, struck out 118 and walked just 21 while going 8-2 with a 2.29 ERA in 14 starts at Class A Hickory. At least another year away from pitching in Pittsburgh. OF J.J. Davis -- Davis, 22, a first-round pick in 1997, will finally move up to Class AA this season after posting strong power numbers in 2000 (20 HR, 80 RBI) despite a weak batting average. He still has to work on cutting down his strikeout total (171 in 485 ABs). C J.R. House -- House, 21, tore up Class A ball in Hickory, hitting .348 with 23 HR and 90 RBIs. It will be intriguing to see how House's future is resolved with Kendall signed to a long-term contract. For now, House will start the season at Class AA Altoona. SS Jack Wilson -- Wilson, 23, was acquired from St. Louis last July for lefty Jason Christiansen. Wilson is major league-ready with the glove and is a decent contact hitter. Best-Case Scenario Bell rebounds from two injury-plagued seasons and becomes another offensive force for the Pirates. Hermansen finally blossoms into a consistent, productive every-day player. Ramirez nails down the third base spot with reliable offense and defense. Cordova and Schmidt rebound from injury and live up to their potential. Benson develops into an ace, winning 15-plus games, while Ritchie and Anderson become dependable starters. The Pirates' youngest players mature as a whole and McClendon's enthusiam rubs off on the clubhouse. Pittsburgh wins 85-88 games and contends for the NL wild card and Central Division title. Worst-Case Scenario Bell flops, Hermansen and Ramirez shuffle between the majors and minors and Giles or Kendall gets hurt. The offense subsequently sputters and puts more pressure on an inconsistent pitching staff. Cordova and Schmidt are ineffective, Benson continues to pitch in hard luck and Ritchie and Anderson don't solidify the back of the rotation. The Pirates' bullpen gets overworked, resulting in a lot of 10-6 losses. McClendon is overmatched handling the pitching staff and finding alternative options as the Pirates' young players flop. Pittsburgh finishes 69-93 again and owner Kevin McClatchy decides to sell to a group that focuses on cutting more costs. Thus, Bonifay keeps his job as another youth movement fails again. Bottom Line It's unrealistic to think McClendon can turn the Pirates into contenders in his first season at the helm. Giles and Kendall will have to carry the team on their backs just to reach .500. Copyright © 2001 CNN/Sports Illustrated An AOL Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines.