So I know that you are all waiting with bated breath to hear what The Grandstander thinks will happen to the Pirates in 2012. Oh, you haven't been? Well, I'm gonna tell you anyway.
Let's go position by position.
Catcher The team is pinning it's hopes on 36 year old free agent signee Rod Barajas. Barajas has shown that he can hit for power, and not for average, over the course of his career, which would be OK but for the fact that his OBP and slugging percentage have never been all that great. Reports are that he is very good in handling a pitching staff. Overall, he should be an improvement over 2011 when seven different players donned the tools of ignorance for the Bucs. The one thing that I fear above everything in this regard is the fact that he is 36 years old, which is very old for such a demanding position. His back up is Mike McKenry, one of the Not-So-Magnificent Seven from last season.
First Base The Bucs are going with a platoon of Garrett Jones and Casey McGehee. This combo could work out well for the team. Nothing on the level of Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols, or even Freddie Freeman, but it could, possibly, work well for this team.
Second Base Neil Walker, the Pittsburgh Kid (with apologies to Billy Conn). Lots and lots to like about Walker, but his decline in power over the last half of last season has been well documented. Also, he wasn't exactly hitting lights out in the Grapefruit League this Spring. Many have asked why the team hasn't stepped forward to extend Walker's contract as that did for Andrew McCutchen, but I think that the Pirates are, justifiably, waiting to see how Neil performs this year. Walker also will start the season batting clean-up, a role that he should not be in, but that speaks volumes about some of the other problems facing the team, more than it does about Walker.
Short Stop Clint Barmes takes over from Ronny Cedeno so there is really nowhere to go but up for the Bucs at short.
Third Base Pedro Alvarez. Probably the most talked about player in camp this spring and for all the wrong reasons. Do I have to go into them yet again? No doubt he will continue to be the most watched and talked about player as the season begins. I do think the Pirates made the right choice in having him in Pittsburgh and playing everyday. No doubt this is the fish-or-cut-bait season for Pedro. If he gets untracked and begins to hit like he showed he could do in his 2010 rookie campaign, great. If he doesn't, then it is going to be excruciating to watch as he marches toward becoming a $6 million bust. It's a lot of pressure to put on a 25 year old kid, but that's the way it is. All Pirates fans are keeping their fingers crossed.
Outfield The strong point of the team. Andrew McCutchen could be poised to really bust out and become a breakout star in the National League. Jose Tabata needs to stay healthy, and Alex Presley needs to show that he is not a Chris Duffy-like one hit wonder. These three at the top of the order will get on base and will provide plenty of speed on both the base paths and in the outfield. The question is will the batters that follow them get them home? Nate McLouth returns to the Bucs and should fill the role of fourth outfielder very well. And if a long term injury occurs, we all know that Starling Marte is getting his experience in Indianapolis.
Pitching It always comes down to this, doesn't it? Lots of questions. Can A.J. Burnett return from his eye injury quickly and return to his pre-Yankee form? Can Eric Bedard stay of off the DL? Can Jeff Karstens, Charlie Morton, and James McDonald continue to improve as they did in 2011, or will they flatten out? Can Kevin Correia avoid disappearing as he did after the All-Star break last year? In the bullpen, can Joel Hanrahan dominate as he did last year, and if he does, will the team be playing well enough at mid-season so that the front office doesn't elect to move him to dump salary come July 31?
Bench The flavor of the month is currently first baseman Matt Hague, who due to his Roy Hobbs impersonation in spring training has certainly earned the right to travel north with the big club, and I am hoping he does well. I am not, however, pinning high hopes on Hague being the guy to lead the team to the promised land. When guys who are still in the minors at age 26, and do not even get a September call up despite gaudy Triple-A numbers, well, there are usually reasons for that. Don't get me wrong, I'm pulling for the guy, and hope he becomes a valuable pinch hitter and fiil-in-on-day-games-after-night-games for the regulars. However, if the guys like Alvarez, Jones, and McGehee under perform to the point where Hague needs to be an every day player, then we shall be raising red flags more than jolly rogers at PNC Park this season.
So, where does this leave us? Despite the gloom and doom above, I would like to think that this team will be better than last year's squad for the following reasons: 1) the starting pitching will improve and not implode as it did last year in August and September, 2) McCutchen will break out big time in leading a strong outfield unit, 3) Alvarez will somehow, some way find his hitting stroke and give the offense a needed lift over last year's punchless line-up, and 4) Clint Hurdle is definitely the right guy in the dugout to lead this team out of the desert of 19-and-counting losing seasons.
Will they better last year's 72 win team? Sure, why not. Will the 19 year losing streak end? I really, really hope I'm wrong, but I'm afraid not. A slight improvement, and 77 wins in 2012.
Even so, my affection for the Pirates continues. I am looking forward to attending the Opener tomorrow, and following the Beloved Buccos for other 161 games that will follow. See you at the ball park!
Beat 'em Bucs!
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