For Pirates, no bounty of hope
Despite 2011 run, Bucs held back by lack of talent


AP Photo/Kathy Willens
New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, left, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talk with Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle before their spring training baseball game at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., Saturday, March, 26, 2011.

Written by
Tom Groeschen

The 2011 Pittsburgh Pirates were flirting with first place when the Reds visited for a series around mid-July, and the town was buzzing about its long-suffering Buccos.

Shortly before the series opener that week, reporters interviewed Reds manager Dusty Baker in the visiting manager’s office at PNC Park. Discussion centered on the surprising Pirates.

“It looks like they’re finally out of the woods,” a Pittsburgh reporter said to Baker.

“They may be at the front of the woods,” Baker politely replied. “They’re not out of them.”

Baker was right. The Pirates stood first in the National League Central as late as July 25, but their Pirate-ness gradually took hold. They slumped to a final record of 72-90 and extended their string of losing seasons to 19 – the longest such skid in major North American professional sports.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle provided a shot of enthusiasm when he took over in 2011. At midseason, Hurdle was a Manager of the Year candidate. But the Pirates’ problem was and is a lack of good players. Despite Pittsburgh’s customarily high draft slot, the farm system has not produced much in recent years.

Where the Pirates stand entering spring training:

PACKING FOR SPRING: The Pirates added left-hander Erik Bedard (5-9, 3.62 ERA with Seattle and Boston); catcher Rod Barajas (.230, 16 homers, 47 RBI with the Dodgers); shortstop Clint Barmes (.244, 12 homers, 39 RBI with Houston); outfielder Nate McLouth (.228, 4 homers, 16 RBI with Atlanta); third baseman Casey McGehee (.223, 13 homers, 67 RBI with Milwaukee).

SPRING CLEANING: Pittsburgh lost first baseman Derrek Lee (.267, 19 homers, 59 RBI with Baltimore and Pittsburgh); outfielder Ryan Ludwick (.237, 13 homers, 75 RBI with San Diego and Pittsburgh); left-hander Paul Maholm (6-14, 3.66 ERA); shortstop Ronny Cedeno (.249, 32 RBI); catcher Ryan Doumit (.303, 8 homers, 30 RBI); catcher Chris Snyder (.271); right-hander Jose Veras (2-4, 3.80 ERA).

FOR STARTERS: 1. Jeff Karstens, 29 (9-9, 3.38 ERA); 2. Kevin Correia, 31 (12-11, 4.79); 3. Charlie Morton, 28 (10-10, 3.83); 4. James McDonald, 27 (9-9, 4.21); 5. Bedard, 33.

There is talk that Yankees bust A.J. Burnett may be headed to Pittsburgh via trade. That would put a new face on the Pirates rotation but would not exactly shake baseball to its core. Burnett, 35, had ERAs of 5.26 and 5.15 in 2010 and ’11, respectively. Karstens, listed No. 1 on the Pirates’ depth chart, does not throw hard but has pinpoint control. The Reds killer in this group is Morton, who last year was 3-0 with an 0.93 ERA against Cincinnati. There are some decent arms but nothing faintly resembling a Cy Young candidate.

CLOSING TIME: Right-hander Joel Hanrahan (1.83 ERA, 40 saves) can dominate at times with a heavy, moving fastball of 97-98 mph. Hanrahan, 30, also throws a sharp slider. Chris Resop averaged 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings while working as Hanrahan’s setup man last year.

EVERYDAY EIGHT:
C-Barajas, 36; 1B-Garrett Jones, 30 (.243, 16 homers, 58 RBI); 2B-Neil Walker, 26 (.273, 12, 83); 3B-Pedro Alvarez, 25 (.191, 4, 19); SS-Barmes, 33; LF-Alex Presley, 26 (.298, 4, 20); CF-Andrew McCutchen, 25 (.259, 23, 89); RF-Jose Tabata (.266, 4, 21).

McCutchen is the marquee name, always a threat to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases. However, his batting average slipped from .286 in 2010 to .259 last year as opponents increasingly pitched around him. McCutchen will need help from Walker and Presley, decent hitters who are still young enough to have some upside. The Pirates are hoping for the best from players whose baseball cards say they are average at best. Barajas at catcher has some power but does not hit for average. Same for Jones at first base. A bounceback year is needed from Alvarez. At short, Barmes is a stopgap as the Pirates assess players such as 2011 rookie Chase d’Arnaud. Josh Harrison, the Princeton High and University of Cincinnati product, provides depth at second and third base.

SPRING’S BURNING QUESTION: Can someone besides McCutchen step up and become an impact player? The hope is that 2008 first-round draftee Alvarez, who hit 16 homers as a rookie in 2010 but slumped badly last year, can be that guy. The Pirates have plenty of serviceable players, but not many stars.

BOTTOM LINE: The team remains a couple of bats and a couple of starting pitchers away from legitimate contention. Last year’s 72 wins were the Pirates’ most since 2004 and, if nothing else, the needle points upward. Pirates fans would settle for a .500 finish.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120...126&Ref=AR

Whirlwind followed Cardinals' run to title
Busy offseason reveals a new-look ballclub

Written by
Enquirer news services

The World Series confetti had barely been swept up in St. Louis when the bad news started raining down.

Three days after the Game 7 victory, Tony La Russa, the third-winningest manager in history behind Connie Mack and John McGraw, retired.

A week before Thanksgiving, Allen Craig, one of the Cards’ biggest producers in their stretch run, underwent ankle surgery that is expected to keep him sidelined until May.

A couple weeks later, Albert Pujols, the best player of his generation, unexpectedly bolted for the riches of Southern California, signing a 10-year deal with the Angels that ultimately could pay him as much at $268.75 million.

That sounds like a real challenge for new manager Mike Matheny, but there’s reason for optimism, too.

Carlos Beltran will fill some of the offensive void left by Pujols, World Series MVP David Freese is healthy and could play his first full season for the Cardinals, and Adam Wainwright, who missed all of 2011 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, will be back to anchor a solid rotation.

Where the Cardinals stand heading into spring training:

PACKING FOR SPRING: The Cardinals added free-agent outfielder Beltran (.300, 22 homers, 84 RBI with the N.Y. Mets and San Francisco) and left-handed reliever J.C. Romero (1-0, 4.91 ERA with Philadelphia), re-signed two of their own free agents – shortstop Rafael Furcal (.231, 8 homers, 28 RBI with the L.A. Dodgers and Cardinals) and second baseman-outfielder Skip Schumacher (.283, 2 homers, 38 RBI) – and signed reliever Scott Linebrink (4-4, 3.64 ERA with Atlanta), catcher Koyie Hill (.194 with the Chicago Cubs) and infielder Alex Cora (.224 with Washington) to minor-league contracts.

SPRING CLEANING: The key departure, was Pujols (.299, 37, 99 RBI), but starter Edwin Jackson (12-9, 3.79 ERA with the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis), relievers Octavio Dotel (5-4, 3.50 with Toronto and St. Louis) and Arthur Rhodes (3-4, 4.64 with Texas and St. Louis), catcher Gerald Laird (.232), outfielder Corey Patterson (.239, 6 homers, 36 RBI with Toronto and St. Louis) and infielders Ryan Theriot (.271, 47 RBI) and Nick Punto (.278) also did not return. The biggest losses, though, might be La Russa and his long-time pitching coach, Dave Duncan.

FOR STARTERS:
1. RH Wainwright (20-11, 2.42 in 2010), 30; 2. RH Chris Carpenter, 36 (11-9, 3.45 ERA); 3. LH Jaime Garcia, 25 (13-7, 3.56); 4. RH Kyle Lohse, 33 (14-8, 3.39); 5. RH Jake Westbrook, 34 (12-9, 4.66).

If Wainwright returns – and he’s almost at full speed now in Jupiter, Fla. – the rotation should be better than in 2011. One cautionary note: Carpenter pitched a lot of innings, especially down the stretch and in the postseason, and Garcia threw more than he ever had before, so it remains to be seen whether that will take a toll.

CLOSING TIME: La Russa was reluctant to call Jason Motte (2.25 ERA, 9 saves down the stretch, 5 in postseason) his closer, but the hard-throwing right-hander will start the season in that role. There are more pitchers than spots with right-handers Fernando Salas, Lance Lynn, Kyle McClellan, Mitchell Boggs and Eduardo Sanchez and lefties Marc Rzepczynski and Romero in the hunt.

EVERYDAY EIGHT:
C-Yadier Molina, 29 (.305, 14, 65); 1B-Lance Berkman, 36 (.301, 17, 93); 2B-Daniel Descalso, 25 (.264, 1, 28); SS-Furcal, 34; 3B-David Freese, 28 (.297, 10, 55); LF-Matt Holliday, 32 (.296, 22, 75); CF-Jon Jay, 26 (.297, 10, 37); RF-Beltran, 34.

There’s no way to replace Pujols, but the Cardinals could be better overall. Getting Beltran for two years at $26 million might have been one of the off-season’s biggest steals. They also should get more at-bats from two of their October heroes, Craig and Freese.

SPRING’S BURNING QUESTION: How quickly can Wainwright return to form? And, will the rest of the rotation, which was running on fumes by the end of October, bounce back after a short rest?

BOTTOM LINE: Despite the loss of Pujols, the Cardinals should be in the hunt in the Central.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120...t|Sports|s