Pittsburgh Pirates' Quiet Offseason Brings Questions

As another quiet offseason slips into the rearview mirror for the much maligned Pittsburgh Pirates, questions abound as to whether or not the 2009 version of the team will be a competitive team. 

With only two major-league signings this winter, there are questions all over the diamond and from the top to the bottom of the batting order.

As the Pirates head into Spring Training at the end of next week, here are the five most pressing questions and issues facing GM Neil Huntington.

Power Outage?

If the current projections hold, the Pirates could set a mark for home run futility.  The eight position players expected to take the field on Opening Day hit a combined 93 home runs during the 2008 season. 

To that paltry total, you can add 26 from Eric Hinske (20) and Ramon Vasquez (6), the Pirates only two acquisitions this offseason.

The question is where the power numbers will come from. The best Pittsburgh can hope for is a full season of production from Adam LaRoche and Ryan Doumit and continued growth by the Pirates three young outfielders, particularly Steve Pearce. If that trio gets on track, you can expect an at least passable season of home runs.

For Starters?

The Pirates had an historically bad starting rotation in 2008.  Perhaps the most obvious question facing the team as pitchers and catchers report is who will man the five starting spots in 2009 and also what new pitching guru Joe Kerrigan will bring to the table.

The best guess here is that, after Paul Maholm, the spots will go to Ian Snell, Zach Duke, Ross Ohlendorf, and Tom Gorzelanny. Jeff Karstens will be the first option out of the rest due to his health concerns.

There’s a slim chance that the Pirates will acquire someone to help out, perhaps Pedro Martinez or Braden Looper, but anyone they sign at this point for the money they are offering would be a marginal-at-best option brought in to bridge the developmental gap.

Who’s on Third?

In a bad season, some players stick out for all the wrong reasons. Outside of the pitching staff, Andy LaRoche, the key piece of a blockbuster Jason Bay trade in July, was the biggest black mark in a season of them. LaRoche hit only .166 last season.  That won’t do this year if they Pirates have any hope of being successful. 

The problem is there is nothing finite between LaRoche and super prospect Pedro Alvarez, who is at least a year from a big league debut. 

The only prayer the Pirates have is that LaRoche regains the form he once showed in the Dodgers system. If he can do that (or hit somewhere close to .270) with some decent pop, the Pirates will be content to not go hunting at the trade deadline.

Benchwarmers?

If there is anywhere that Neil Huntington can be said to have excelled both last and this offseason, it is finding productive players to sit the bench and provide some depth.  Last year, Doug Mientiewicz and Chris Gomez provided surprisingly productive seasons.

Both, naturally, are gone. But Pittsburgh plucked two could-be gems off the market in Hinske and Vasquez. Both players are coming off great seasons and could bring a similarly successful season to the team.  

The question is not who will come off the bench first (Hinske and Vasquez), the question is who will be waiting behind them.  Speedy Nyjer Morgan is a virtual lock if he doesn’t beat out Pearce in left field.

After him, the Pirates are hoping for a turnaround by Craig Monroe, who was once a rising star of sorts with the Tigers.  Also helpful would be for the backup catcher (Robinson Diaz is likely that man) to provide quality at-bats as well as good defense when spelling Doumit.

How Will it All End?

Of course, the biggest question surrounding the Pirates this season is where they will finish.  As fans, however many are left after sixteen consecutive losing years, clamor for even a .500 season, the Pirates continue to act as though they are in stasis. Can this current crop of players rise up and be the team that everyone expects they won’t be? 

Can they be the next Tampa Bay Rays?

Time will tell of course, but for them to even have a shot at .500 a ton of things have to happen at the same time.  First, the pitchers in the rotation have to prove that last year was an aberration and not the rule.  The starters I’m predicting only garnered 28 victories last season. 

To win 81 games, the starters will have to at least double that number. The batters have to get on base and score runs too if the pitcher performances are even going to matter. To top it all off, if the Pirates want to contend, they better start beating their NL Central opponents and avoiding the long losing streaks that seem to define every season.

As one of the still-hopeful Pirates fans out there, here’s hoping things finally start falling into place. At this point, any improvement will be welcome. I’d say 75 wins is not out of reach, but it all depends on the 25 men who take the field come April.