Pirates Talk Ankiel

The Pittsburgh Pirates look to be players, minor ones, but players nonetheless during this years free agency period. Team president Frank Coonelly answered fan questions on MLB.com about the teams intentions this off season. He talks about the possibilities of bringing in Rick Ankiel and some pitching help.

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banny76: Happy Holidays, Mr. Coonelly! I really hope that you may spend a dollar or two on Rick Ankiel, the outfielder, of course, presently of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Coonelly: banny76, I appreciate your support of the Pirates and your keen scouting report. As has been noted in several newspaper reports, Rick Ankiel is a free agent who we have some interest in. Rick certainly had an off-year at the plate for the Cardinals in 2009, but we believe that the Pirates could provide Rick with an opportunity to re-establish himself. We have let Rick’s representative know of our interest.

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Coonelly couldn’t be more right about the Pirates being a place where a player can re-establish himself. The Pirates aren’t a team with star players and they have plenty of positions where the youngsters are just not ready to step in. Outfield is definitely one of them.

At the moment the Pirates have Andrew McCutchen and Lastings Milledge. Yea, they’ve also got Garrett Jones but you can expect him to also platoon at first next season, which leaves a spot in the outfield open. They’ve got Jose Tabata waiting in the wings but he’s at least a few more minor league games from being ready.

So wouldn’t that make the Pirates a perfect situation for a struggling outfielder to re-establish himself? Of course it does and if the Pirates are willing to spend a little money then a player like Ankiel would be foolish not too take the opportunity. Ankiel only batted .231 with 11 homers and 38 rbis, so he’s got to take what he can get.

In addition to playing time, the ballpark could help him as well. The Pirates hitters performed remarkably better at home in PNC Park then they did on the road. If that trend continues with Ankiel then PNC Park could help the perception that he’s turned it around, pending of course that he does well.

Some would wonder why the Pirates want to re-establish players instead of signing them to improve their club. If you think about it, both go hand in hand.

If the Pirates are doing well, they can hold on to Ankiel and keep the fans coming in.

If the Pirates aren’t doing well, which we all expect to happen, they can dangle Ankiel at the trade deadline for more youngsters. And in the end that’s what the Pirates usually prefer, cheap young talent.

For a Pirates fan it may suck to think of that possibility, but you have to like the thought of adding a player like Ankiel. If he reverts back to his 2008 form (25 homers and 71 rbis) then things could get pretty exciting in the Steel City, especially with all that young talent that would be in front of and behind him in the lineup.

So yea to me, its nice to see the Pirates being players this year.