Pittsburgh Pirates: They're Finally Going In The Right Direction

The Pittsburgh Pirates will not win, nor will they compete in the National League Central in 2009. That said, they've done a pretty good job in locking up some of their young and talented players.  

Here's a brief look at what to expect from the 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates.  

6)Pittsburgh Pirates 75-87

Key Additions

Eric Hinske and Ramon Vazquez

Key Departures

Jason Michaels

Pitching

The Pirates starting rotation will look very similar to their 2008 starting rotation.  Pat Maholm who recently agreed to a three-year deal will anchor the staff. 

The Pirates are hoping that Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny bounce back after a tough 2008.  Snell was just 7-12 with a 5.42 ERA in 2008.   The Evergreen Park, Illinois native Tom Gorzelanny struggled in 2008 going 6-9 with a 6.66 ERA.   

The number four and five spot will likey got to Zach Duke, and the former Yankees farm hand Jeff Karstens.  

One guy to keep an eye on is Donald Veal.  The Pirates acquired Veal from the Chicago Cubs in this years rule five draft.  It's possible that Veal could win a spot in the Pirates rotation. 

If the Pirates have the lead going into the eighth inning, they will be in pretty good shape.  John Grabow, Tyler Yates, and closer Matt Capps make a pretty good back half of the pen for the Pirates. 

Offense

The Pirates are pretty solid up the middle.  Fresh off signing a three-year deals, Ryan Doumit will be the everyday catcher and Nate McLouth will play center.  Doumit and McLouth combined for 41 home runs in 2008. 

Jack Wilson is back at shortstop, and Freddy Sanchez is back at second. The corners also look pretty solid with Adam LaRoche and Eric Hinskie. Laroche and Hinskie combined for 45 home runs in 2008. 

Outlook

The Pirates won't win to many games in 2009. Scoring runs won't be much of a problem, but their pitching is among the worst in baseball.

The Good news for the Pirates is they've locked up Nate McLouth, Ryan Doumit, and Pat Maholm to long term deals.  If the Pirates continue to lock up their young talent, they may find themselves contending in three-years