Are the Pirates REALLY Trying?

Pirate fans have been 'calling bullshit' on the organization for as long as I can remember. The Pirates have been notoriously near the bottom of the payroll barrel for many years. The fan base has been clamoring for the organization to spend money on quality free agents (usually their own) to return to relevance.

Flashes of success over the last two seasons have reinvigorated the faithful fan base. Ticket sales have increased and the momentum in Pittsburgh seems to be changing. To top it off, the Pirates payroll may tip $70 million dollars this year. Yes, $70 million.

However, is the organization spending an un-Pirate like sum of money to appease the fan base or are they truly trying to get better? The reason I ask this question is because most of their free agent acquisitions are guys that used to be household names amidst the prime of their careers, but are nowhere near the players they used to be.

AJ Burnett for example. Who didn't know AJ Burnett before he was traded to Pittsburgh? AJ was a former front of the rotation star before dropping off considerably. The Pirates traded a few mediocre minor leaguers for him - oh yeah, and made the Yankees pay the majority of his salary. This was a low risk, high reward move for the Pirates. A move that obviously worked out very well and they reaped the benefits of a fantastic season from AJ.

Wandy Rodriguez is another guy that was a front of the rotation guy in Houston for his entire career. Wandy was a high strikeout guy that often dominated opposing hitters. Well, as with some of the others, Wandy began to lose his dominance and started pitching to contact rather than striking batters out. The rebuilding Houston Astros unloaded him to restock their system and the Pirates took a chance. I have to give the Pirates credit here - They had playoff aspirations and wanted to strengthen the starting roation. After a slow start in a Bucco uniform, Wandy pitched well in his last few starts before the end of the season.

Franciso Liriano is still negotiating a contract with Pittsburgh after sustaining a broken arm in a "don't drop the soap" shower incident. Liriano is par for the course for the Pirates though. He was once one of MLB's hottest pitching prospects. He had 3 or 4 great years and seemed destined to assemble a terrific MLB career. However, injuries plagued him and he appears to have lost his effectiveness. I believe Francisco is a high risk, high reward guy with the amount of money his original contract was for. From what we hear, the Pirates are trying to convert him to a low risk, high reward guy in terms of contract. Regardless, Liriano has done nothing recently to make anyone believe he will ever be the guy he once was. BUT, we all know who he is.

Jonathan Sanchez is reportedly working on signing a minor league deal with the Pirates. Sanchez is famous for once throwing a no hitter - the only complete game of his career. Sanchez boasts a 39 - 55 career record and has assembled only one winning season in his career. There is very little risk in this deal for the Pirates (if it culminates), but I'm not hopeful that Sanchez will make the Pirates a better team. BUT, people konw his name.

Russel Martin. Once again, Martin was once one of the better catchers in baseball. He hit for average, had adequate power, and was a quality defensive catcher. In New York, Martin put up nice home run numbers in the hitter friendly park, but his average was awful. He is still a good defensive catcher, but his best playing days are certainly behind him. BUT, Sure - We've heard of Russel Martin!

So, my question is this. Are the Pirates trying to add enough veteran leadership to support the talented young core of the team? Are the vets holding the fort down until guys like Cole and Taillon are ready to take the torch? If so, they may have enough talent right now to compete in the NL Central and possibly make another run at the playoffs. If these moves are a fix, and not just butterfly stitches, then the fan base has been blinded by the amount of cash the Pirates are throwing out there. But, average fans remember former stars and will likely buy tickets to see these old timers play.

Time will tell - Either way, baseball can't get here soon enough. Less than a week until Pitchers and Catchers report!

Pirates Greatest Need - Leadoff Hitter

The last great base stealer in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization was Lloyd McClendon. Unfortunately, he was the manager and is well known for literally stealing a base after arguing a call with an umpire.

The organization is quietly building a nice team, but the lack of a true leadoff hitter may prevent the team from taking the next step. Starling Marte is an up and coming star in left field, but he doesn't project to be a true leadoff hitter. He is a pure hitter with speed and is capable of driving in runs. Andrew McCutchen and Travis Snider are better suited for similar roles as Marte.

The infield features power hitting Pedro Alvarez, non-hitting Clint Barmes, Neil Walker, and Garrett Jones - None of which are leadoff hitters. Russell Martin should be an upgrade at catcher, but he certainly has no leadoff hitting capabilities.

Out of necessity, Starling Marte may be the Pirates leadoff hitter in 2013. This is not ideal, but the Pirates have no choice.

The club still has time to make a move over the off-season and they should seriously consider it. If you glance at the 2012 playoff teams, one commonality is a quality leadoff hitter. A great leadoff hitter can help generate an extra run or two in a game. An extra run or two every so often is the difference between a chronic below-.500 team and a team contending for the playoffs.

Trade Big Ben While You Still Can

The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be a team that could be mediocre for several years. The current roster has a plethora of holes and very few splash players. The team has very little starter-capable depth and the only cure will be several years of strong drafting - the sole reason they are in this situation to begin with. The organization will feature question marks in the 2013 season at RB, WR, OL, DL, LB, CB, and S. Can you remember the last time the Steelers had so many question marks on their roster?

You could argue that the only player helping the team sustain mediocrity is Ben Roethlisberger. Without Ben, this Steelers squad could realistically be a 4-12 or 5-11 team. And for that reason, the Steelers should unload him now and begin restocking the system. Ben will be 31 at the start of the 2013 season and his trade value will only decline from this point forward. However, at 31, the team could receive great value for him and the draft picks acquired with Ben's departure would help the organization re-tool for the future.

A move of this magnitude is isn't likely to happen. It would be highly ridiculed by the fan base and the organization would be admitting that their problems are more than a quick fix. However, such a bold move could help the organization return to relevance sooner than doing nothing at all. The Steelers are butting against the salary cap and have very little to show for it. It's been a fun ride, but it's time to gut the system and start over.

Best James Harrison Moment Ever

With the realization that James Harrison may have played his last game for the Pittsburgh Steelers, I was thinking about some of his greatest moments as a Steeler. You could talk about one of his countless sacks, his game changing interception in the Super Bowl, or simply the ability he had to physically punish offensive linemen, tight ends, and running backs.

But, at the end of the day, I will never forget the day that James Harrison body slammed a Browns fan that was running across the field.

Thank you James for the great memories...Just in case you are playing for somebody else next year.

2013 Pirates - Year of the What If's

The 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates could be successful this year...or not. That's my prediction and I'm sticking to it.

Kidding aside, the Pirates have a realistic shot at making the playoff's if more of their "What if's" are successful than not. Regardless, the team will be beginning the season with the most polished starting pitching staff they've had in a very long time.

Let's take a look at some of the "What if's" in the starting rotation.

What if AJ Burnett can repeat last year's success?

What if Wandy Rodriguez can pitch like the Wandy we grew to hate over the course of his career in Houston?

What if Francisco Liriano can stay healthy and the switch to the NL has the AJ Burnett effect for him?

What if James McDonald returns to form and regains confidence???

You get the idea. The starting rotation could has the potential to be above average this year. There is less certainty, however, for the position players. The position players, for the most part, are young players with a wealth of upside.

Pedro Alvarez - What if Pedro can reduce his number of strikeouts, become less streaky, and improve his batting average a little bit? He would quickly become on of the best 3rd basemen in the NL.

Clint Barmes - What if Clint woke up and was 27 and in his prime again? Nevermind...Forget I brought up Barmes.

Neil Walker - What if Neil returns at full strength from his nagging back injury and picks up where he left off? Neil is already a top 10 MLB 2B and is said to be in terrific shape.

Garrett Jones - What if Garrett Jones can repeat the career year he had last season?

Starling Marte - What if Marte plays to his potential and becomes one of the most exciting and dynamic young players in baseball?

Andrew McCutchen - What if Cutch can build on last year's success and post even better numbers?

Travis Snider - What if Snider can play to his first round draft pick potentiail and be a staple in right field?

Russell Martin - Russell Martin began his career in the NL and played 5 seasons for the Dodgers. Martin's 5 year batting average in the NL was .272. In 2 seasons in the AL with the Yankees, Martin's batting average dipped to .224. What if the switch back to the NL makes Martin more productive at the plate?

When you look through the list of Pirates starters, there are certainly more questions than answers. However, the club is just a few answers away from shocking the baseball community with a broken 20 year losing streak...and maybe even a shot at the playoffs.