Great Scot: Reflection and look ahead for the Pittsburgh Pirates
By Eric Scot
Oct 9, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez (24) hits an RBI single during the seventh inning against the St. Louis Cardinals in game five of the National League divisional series playoff baseball game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
After the heartbreaking way the Pittsburgh Pirates lost in the National League Division Series to the St. Louis Cardinals, it took a little bit to get past it and reflect on what a great season we witnessed.
We also had a first-hand look to the future of the organization and how much better this team could get moving forward. Let’s take a look at the team as it was, who could be back next season and who could fit in the Pirates’ future:
Catcher – Russell Martin played a huge role in the Pirates’ turning their organization around. With his stellar defense and capability to help the pitching staff, Martin will return for one more season with the Bucs in search of a World Series victory.
First Base – Garrett Jones and Gaby Sanchez went into the season with a full platoon situation already known and understood. While Sanchez lived up to his ability to hit lefties, Jones was bad to downright dreadful for most of the season. All of his numbers were down and will probably lead to him not being tendered by the team this offseason.
The Pirates did make a trade for Justin Morneau and while he was very steady with the defense, his offensive numbers (at least in terms of power) were not there. Morneau hit for a decent average since coming to the Pirates but he did little else and I would suspect that with the money he will want, the Buccos will look in another direction, which could also mean the end of Gaby in Pittsburgh too.
Second Base – While this is/was an area the Pirates were less concerned with, it has to start making everyone think that maybe Neil Walker isn’t the future at second base. What I believe it will come down to is whether or not Walker wants to try hitting lefty permanently or if he is hell-bent on being a switch hitter for the rest of his career.
Oct 7, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer (10) at the batting cage before playing the St. Louis Cardinals in game four of the National League divisional series at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Walker’s numbers from the left side just make his right side numbers look silly and I would guess that the team will encourage him to try hitting pure lefty to see if he can hit left-handed pitching from that side. If he doesn’t want to make the switch or can’t hit lefties, Walker may see his playing time go further and further downward.
Shortstop – Jordy Mercer stepped up in the middle of the season and stole the job away from Clint Barmes, who was terrible again with the bat. However, as the playoff race got more intense, Barmes started to earn some more playing time by actually hitting a bit better. Also, manager Clint Hurdle often moved Mercer to second when a lefty pitched.
It has to be somewhat concerning that Barmes played the majority of the playoffs while Mercer was generally a late-inning substitute in the games they needed an offensive spark. He did get one start, however, and wasn’t very effective. Is Mercer the shortstop of the future or is he merely a stopgap until the hopeful arrival of Alan Hanson in a couple of years? Could Mercer be a platoon partner for Walker or eventually take his spot? Could the Pirates go out and try and sign another veteran for this spot, including Barmes?
Third Base – Pedro Alvarez provided the power for the Pirates all season long, bringing 36 homers on the year and another three in the playoffs. Maybe Pedro will be the big-time bat in the big-time games the Pirates will desperately need. What Pedro really needs to do here is start to get a little more consistent and spend less time being cold. Otherwise, the Pirates will need to make a decision after next season about the long-term future for the slugger.
Outfield – The Pirates have their two stars in the outfield and seeking to find another to join Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte. The team tried several different options for right field: Travis Snider, Jose Tabata, Garrett Jones and even Russell Martin for a game. When no one really stepped up to deliver what the team needed, the Pirates traded for Marlon Byrd and he was a welcomed addition to the trio.
The problem with Byrd is that he is again a free agent and the New York Mets would love to have him back. Neal Huntington has said he would like to bring Byrd back and they certainly have the money to do so but with some other potential areas of need being a bigger focus plus the return of Snider, Tabata and rookie Andrew Lambo, the Pirates may want to see what these three can do or hope that minor-leaguer Gregory Polanco could be ready by midseason.
Starting Pitching – The Pirates will go into next season with three absolute spots taken up with Francisco Liriano, Charlie Morton and Gerrit Cole. However, the Pirates will try to lure AJ Burnett back to the team and while everyone assumes that Wandy Rodriguez will accept his player option, he’s no guarantee to return to the team. Neither is all-star Jeff Locke, as it’s possible he could have worn down after pitching so much in the first half of the season or it could be that he stopped getting some calls which made him successful to begin with.
Sep 17, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jeff Locke (49) delivers a pitch against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Either way, Locke will be battling once again for a spot in the rotation and if he could be more like the first-half version of himself, the Pirates’ starting pitching will be a force to be reckoned with. If Burnett returns – I think he will – that will lock down four starting spots in the rotation and Wandy could return to nail down spot No. 5. The Pirates do have Jameson Taillon in Triple-A and should be ready to come in June if someone falters or goes down to injury. I would expect to see Taillon before the all-star break with someone else being moved out of the rotation and possibly into a long relief role.
Relief Pitching – Jason Grilli, Mark Melancon, Vin Mazzaro, Bryan Morris, Tony Watson, Justin Wilson and Jeanmar Gomez will all return for the Bucs next season. Kyle Farnsworth could return and Jared Hughes may have to fight for a spot. This should be an area of least concern for the Pirates for next season which is interesting because this has been an area of overturn for several seasons now. Will they be as effective? They shouldn’t regress too much but it’s doubtful they will be as successful as they were this season.
Bench – The Pirates will have a strong bench if they can keep Snider, Tabata, Tony Sanchez, Gaby Sanchez (maybe) and Josh Harrison on it for the season. You can give these guys spot starts and fill-in duty for when someone gets injured but if they are all on the bench, it really creates a nice mixture to allow for situational hitting opportunities. If any of these guys are starting, the bench will be hurting quite a bit because there isn’t a lot in the minors to help the bench out. This could be Huntington’s area of concern instead of the relief pitching.
Overall – The Bucs will look to improve on a 94-win season and go deeper into the playoffs. There are questions all over the diamond and on the bench; however, with another year of experience and some playoff experience under their belts, this team seems to be poised to have another 90-win season coming and another return trip to the playoffs. Who knows after that because it’s all about who is healthy and who is hot at the right time.