I have not said a lot about the Pirates off season maneuverings, but now that MLB's Winter Meetings have ended, it's time to take a look at things.
What has happened to the Pirates since the Cardinals closed them out in the NL Division Series?
- A.J. Burnett sits as a free agent who said he would take a "week or two" to consider retirement.
- Garrett Jones and Michael McKenry have been DFA'd.
- The Pirates acquired light - very light - hitting catcher Chris Stewart to serve as Russell Martin's back-up.
- Free agent short stop Clint Barmes has been re-signed to serve as Jordy Mercer's back-up.
- Free agent Pitcher Edinson Volquez has been signed to a one year $5 million contract.
- Charlie Morton has been given a three year contract extension.
- And in news just reported this morning, the Pirates have DFA'd minor league outfielder Jerry Sands.
Had some or all of these events taken place in the last two or three seasons, I would be railing mightily against the inaction of the NHR and their pitiful, but inexpensive, efforts to improve the club. However, the incredible season experienced by the team in 2013, brought about in large part by the moves (free agency, trades, and internal development) of the NHR has, in my mind, anyway, earned Neal Huntington and his Minions the benefit of the doubt. So, I am willing to keep an open mind, BUT there are some concerns:
Burnett. The team has made a one year, $10 million offer to Burnett (trust me on that), and AJ continues to stand in the kitchen while not cooking. His talk last season of it's-the-Pirates-or-retirement is looking more and more like so much boosh-wa. Burnett's strategy seems to be either get at least as much money in '14 from the Pirates as he got from the Pirates/Yankees last season, or sign with some team that will give him that much. I am skeptical, and have always been skeptical, of the retirement talk. By delaying, he has forced the Pirates' hand to look elsewhere (Volquez). I am betting that he will eventually sign elsewhere, and he and his agent will paint the Pirates as the bad guys for not showing him "proper respect". I hope that Pirates fans won't buy into that too heavily.
Volquez. One could certainly rail against this signing by saying pretty much everything that everyone said about the Francisco Liriano signing last year. That one certainly worked out well, and maybe this one will, too. Still, it's hard to catch lightning in a bottle two years in a row. Let's hope that Ray Searage really can work magic on projects like Volquez.
First base. The first base platoon of Garrett Jones and Gaby Sanchez never worked out as hoped last season, thus, Jones' release came as no surprise. The team made no secret that getting a first baseman to either platoon with Sanchez or take over full time was a goal for them, but nothing has happened in that area while guys that they had targeted were traded to or signed with other teams. The official word now is that Andrew Lambo will be given first shot in spring training at earning the spot. Oh, and in another trade not noted above, Neal did secure another outfielder/first baseman, Jaff "Jeff" Decker, who will be competing for that first base slot. People are saying much about Decker as was said about Jerry Sands last winter.
(Some folks have raised the possibility that the team could have taken the $10 million that they have offered Burnett, and the $5 million they gave to Volquez, and use that $15 to go after a first baseman of consequence. This is a fair criticism.)
Chris Stewart. On the face of it, swinging a minor deal for a back-up catcher who is strong defensively but can't hit an elephant in the ass with a handful of rice (this was a classic expression used by my late grandfather, Bill Madden), is no big deal. Hey, every team needs a guy like that. However, what does this say about the prospects and the future of Tony Sanchez, a former #1 draft pick who is now, what, 26 or 27 years old? It says to me that the team doesn't think a whole lot of his future.
Barmes. If the Pirates are bringing back Barmes to be a back-up and late inning defensive replacement, that's OK by me. However, it does suggest that the team is not 100% confident in Jordy Mercer as a full time short stop, which might be troubling. It also means that the Pirates bench, as of today, includes Barmes, Chris Stewart, and Josh Harrison. How does that make you feel when you need a big pinch hitter in the ninth inning against Aroldis Chapman or Trevor Rosenthal?
Charlie Morton. Amid the crepe hanging resulting form the Pirates inaction during the Winter Meetings, this was big news. Morton has proved to be a solid pitcher following his 2012 surgery, and the Pirates have shown a willingness to pony up the money to a guy that they feel will be a part of their future.
Jerry Sands. Sands has been DFA'd after a fairly awful season in the Pirates minor league system in 2013. Sands, and outfielder/first baseman with power potential, was said to be the key guy obtained from the Red Sox in the Joel Hanrahan trade last winter. Good thing that Mark Melancon worked out as well as he did in that deal, or this move with Sands might be causing people to storm Federal Street with pitchforks and torches today.
Rightfield. It appears that the team will stand pat in RF, with Jose Tabata, Andrew Lambo, Jaff Decker, and Travis Snider competing for the job. What surprised me most, however, was the effusive praise coming form the mouths of Neal Huntington and Clint Hurdle for Gregory Polonco. As we all know, Neal has been slow to praise and even slower to bring to Pittsburgh his prized minor league prospects, and Polonco has virtually no time put in at the Triple-A level. The fact that Neal has been fairly gushing over this kid this off-season has caused me to scratch my head a bit.
Are the Pirates a better team today, December 14, 2014, than the team that finished the season in 2013? Probably not, but I don't see them as an appreciably worse team either, but a team can't stand still, and a lot of things went right for the Pirates last year that they may not be able to count on next year. Spring training doesn't begin for another two months, and the season not for another three and a half months, so there is still time for things to happen. As I said, the NHR bought themselves some credibility with me last year, so I am willing to see how this will all play out between now and Opening Day.
