Being on the Pirates finally brought Jason Bay down...

Former Pirates manager Jim Tracy described the 2006 season as year one of the organization’s rebuilding program. Team owner John Nutting must have been wondering just what they were trying to build, because by the end of year two, the 2007 season, Tracy was fired, along with most of the front office of the Pirates. Neal Huntington replaced general manager Dave Littlefield, and John Russell supplanted Tracy in the dugout, among the many changes in the organization’s structure heading into 2008. One thing that changed little though, was the team itself. After a dismal 2006, Littlefield made only one major change to the team, and 2007 became the team’s 15th consecutive losing season.

What Went Right

One feature of Littlefield’s rebuilding program is a completely revamped starting rotation. As a group, the starters did not have a very good season, compiling an overall 5.02 ERA. However, there were some bright spots among the starters worth noting.

While many consider Tom Gorzelanny to be the staff ace, Ian Snell certainly challenged him for the title in 2007. Snell only won nine games, but would have won several more with better run support. His 3.76 ERA led the team, as did his 177 strikeouts, 22 quality starts, and 208 innings pitched. Before the All Star break, Snell was dominant, going 7-5, with a 2.93 ERA, and .239 BAA. He wore down as the season went on, with his usual 96-97 MPH fastball topping out at 92. If he builds his endurance a bit, he could be a 15-20 game winner given adequate run support.

Similar to his teammate Ian Snell, lefty Gorzelanny put together a solid season, going 14-10, which could have been better with more run support from the team. In addition, like Snell, his first half was dominating, with a record of 9-4, and ERA of 3.10. He wore down in the second half also and showed signs of the strain in his shoulder, especially in September when his ERA soared to 5.77 and hitters batted .355 against him. If he can ever overcome his somewhat fragile shoulder issues, he has the potential to be a superstar.

Matt Capps took over as the team’s closer in June after Salomon Torres imploded, blowing three saves and losing two games in a six game span. Capps was brilliant in converting 18 of 20 save opportunities with an ERA of 2.28, 1.01 WHIP, and .220 BAA. He was the most consistent performer on a very inconsistent team. He will be the team’s closer heading into 2008 and should continue to build on his success.

The trade that brought slugging first baseman Adam LaRoche to Pittsburgh was Dave Littlefield's lone improvement over the winter after the 2006 season. LaRoche made his presence felt once he overcame some early season struggles. Overall, he hit .272 with 21 homers and 88 RBI. He surged in the second half, hitting his stride with an average of .312, while reducing his strikeouts significantly. LaRoche has the goods to anchor the Pirates lineup going forward. The only question will be whether there will be anyone on base for him to drive in.

Freddy Sanchez shifted over to second base once he returned from early season injuries and showed that his 2006 batting title season was not an aberration. While his average dropped some, to .304, he continued to get on base with an OBP of .343. He is never going to hit for much power, he had 11 homers in '07, but he continued to hit doubles in bunches with 42, and provide excellent defense up the middle. In fact, Sanchez led all NL second basemen with 121 double plays turned, helping the team lead the majors in twin killings with 190. The Pirates’ 83 errors as a team were bested only by the Rockies with 68, and the Bucs played 99 games without a single error, a new team record.

What Went Wrong

Inconsistency was the major problem with the Pirates. However, the real problem is that it is a small market team that has put a second rate squad on the field for more than a decade. The last time the Pirates mattered, the likes of Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, and Doug Drabek were on the field. The organization has steadfastly refused to increase payroll beyond austerity levels, and has neither the will nor the means to develop talent in their farm system. When they do go out and get players in trade, Adam LaRoche aside, they bring in players like Matt Morris or Cesar Izturis who are little more than complimentary role players, not the kind of players you build a team around.

The last player they acquired in trade who made any kind of impact was Jason Bay. Unfortunately, Bay had his worst season in professional baseball in 2007. The patience at the plate, and sweet swinging power he showed earlier in his career, seemed to disappear last year. When he was hitting, it seemed that nobody else in the lineup was. As a team, the Pirates only had one month during the season when they had everything clicking. During August, they won 17 of their 30 games, with the team's hitters leading the NL with a .287 average, 45 home runs, and 182 runs scored. It was the team's only month in the top ten of the NL in hitting.

The bullpen was a problem all season long for the Bucs. With the exception of the aforementioned Matt Capps, the team had nobody in the bullpen upon whom they could depend. Damaso Marte was serviceable from the left side, but there was not a single righthander in the bullpen who the Pirates could consistently count on to throw strikes. This had a trickle down effect on the starting staff, which as a group, showed the strain as the season wore on. The staff ERA climbed each successive month until September, when the team seemed to collapse. They went 9-19 for the month, with the team's ERA ballooning to a dismal 6.16.

The Moves They Made

When you consider how poorly the team performed in 2006, one would think that Dave Littlefield would have shopped until he dropped last winter to field a better team. The fact is, he added just six players to the mix, the most notable coming via trade with the Atlanta Braves in the form of Adam LaRoche. The Pirates got LaRoche and minor league prospect outfielder Jamie Romak and shipped closer Mike Gonzales and shortstop Brent Lilibridge to Atlanta. It was a fair deal for the Pirates, who truly needed LaRoche's production in the lineup, though they really could not afford to lose their closer. In retrospect, since Gonzales ended up with an injury shortened season and elbow surgery, the Pirates got a steal of a deal.

Littlefield tried to dabble in the Japanese market by luring once-great reliever Masumi Kuwata over to the U.S. What Littlefield did not know was that the 39-year-old Kuwata was washed up. He had an ERA just north of 9.00 with hitters bashing him for an average of .393. He was shipped to the minors, but returned to Japan rather than try to pitch his way back to Pittsburgh.

Other additions who had short-lived stays in Pittsburgh include Dan Kolb, Tony Armas, and John (Way back) Wasdin. Reclamation projects all, who made limited appearances in Pirate uniforms before being released, sent to the minors, or otherwise run out of town.

One pitcher they added who did contribute quite a bit was Shawn Chacon. Chacon did a yeoman's job for the Pirates, working out of the bullpen, and starting the occasional game when called upon. Still, he was a complimentary pitcher on a team that sorely needed real depth.

During the season, Littlefield made his most baffling moves of all. He traded outfielder Rajai Davis and a player to be named later for a washed up Matt Morris. What possible use did the Pirates have for a pitcher making $10 million dollars a season? That is something like one quarter of the entire Pirate payroll. Let us also not forget that Morris was horrid in San Francisco before they sent him to the Pirates.

The other head-scratcher was their acquisition of Cesar Izturis from the Chicago Cubs. This was another washed out player that the Pirates simply did not need. This point was proven when the team recently non-tendered him, making him a free agent. I believe they still owe Chicago a player to finish the trade.

Moves They Did Not Make (But Should Have)

The trade for LaRoche should have been just the first of several changes for the team. A smart move would have been to bring in a veteran pitcher to add to the rotation. They have a group of four young pitchers starting for the team who would benefit greatly from the presence of a veteran to pass on some of his acquired wisdom. There were several pitchers on the market last season who could have served this purpose.

Bullpen depth was also an area that Littlefield chose to ignore. Every year there are bullpen arms around to add for depth. Instead of signing washed up Japanese players or rejects like John Wasdin, the club would have been better served had they signed a few extra arms fro the bullpen. They could have pulled off a few trades to do this too. The team had one-time prospect Brad Eldred to deal away. Or, they could have moved Rajai Davis for that matter. Either of them could have brought a couple of arms in return. They also seem to have any number of outfield prospects that could have been traded. Some of them could have been shipped out for bullpen help.

Where Now?

Looking ahead to 2008, the crystal ball sees more of the same for the Pirates. Once again, the team has been largely inactive over the winter. Their four young pitchers – Ian Snell, Tom Gorzelanny, Paul Maholm, and Zach Duke – will once again anchor the rotation. Matt Morris will likely hold down the fifth spot in the rotation, if he can still throw, that is. Matt Capps is their closer, but the rest of the bullpen still needs help, especially now that they have dealt Salomon Torres to the Brewers.

A couple of September call-ups, namely Steve Pearce and Nyjer Morgan, are expected to compete for outfield positions. However, the team already has Jason Bay, Nate McClouth, and Xavier Nady there, so they may deal one or more players before the winter is over. Bay was rumored to be on the block during the owner's winter meetings, so at least the Pirates are talking about getting better. Perhaps they will move a player or two to bring in a third baseman who can hit for power to help support Bay and LaRoche. Short of that, the Pirates seem doomed to another mediocre season in the most mediocre division in baseball. All they need is 85 wins to take the NL Central, but that is a feat this organization has not achieved in 15 years.

Fantasy Corner

Three Keepers

Matt Capps – Top notch reliever. Will not get many opportunities, but will make the most of what he gets.

Adam LaRoche – Hit .312 after the All Star break. That should be closer to his baseline this coming season. 40 homers are a real possibility.

Jason Bay – Last season should be the aberration. He is a candidate for a bounce back this year.

Three Sleepers

Jack Wilson – Surged after the All Star break, hitting .356. Best overall year of his career to date.

Ryan Doumit – If he can avoid injuries, you could do a lot worse for a second catcher.

Steve Pearce - Hit .328 with 31 homers in the minors last year and .294 in September when called up. Could get a chance to play every day if he sticks this spring.