Sportsfrog.com

Ah, spring. The time of year when baseball fans start waxing nostalgic about seasons past and building optimism for the future. Not Pirates fans. We have to look all the way back to 1992 for the last winning season. Come October, the Pirates will have played 17 consecutive losing seasons, and they will singlehandedly hold the North American record for futility. Take that, Phillies!

And they’ll be taking the field with pretty much the same line-up that lost 95 games last year, minus the first-half contributions of Jason Bay and Xavier Nady. Ian Snell and Tom Gorzellany, two starting pitchers who were expected to have breakout years in 2008, regressed terribly. Adam LaRoche may or may not hit before June. His brother Andy, who looked completely overmatched both offensively and defensively last season, is now dealing with a bulging disc in his back. Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez are still shoring up the middle infield, such as it is. (I like both of these guys, but in my weaker moments I’ve referred to them as “Out Machines.”) The bullpen is still a question mark. So, there’s certainly no reason for optimism, right?

Wrong. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I’m excited about the direction this team is taking. I am blindly devoted to President Frank Coonelly and GM Neal Huntington until they prove me wrong. Former GM David Littlefield left the minor-league system barren. Through trades and radical new concepts like drafting the best available players, Huntington has stocked the system with a handful of potential high-end players.

The biggest name, of course, is Pedro Alvarez, the second pick in last year’s entry draft. After a protracted song-and-dance in which he refused to sign his contract, while Superagent/douche Scott Boras and Coonelly traded barbs through the media, Alvarez did not exactly endear himself to Pirates fans. And then, several months later, he showed up at minicamp overweight and unwilling to talk to reporters. All of this will (hopefully) be forgiven and forgotten once he starts to hit. He’s already drawing Willie Stargell comparisons in spring training.

Andrew McCutchen, a toolsy centerfielder and first-round pick in 2005, will probably open the season in Indianapolis so that the Pirates can keep his arbitration clock from ticking, but it’s a safe bet that the highlight of the Pirates’ season will be the day in May when McCutchen is called up.

Jose Tabata, an outfielder/head case who came over in the Nady/Marte trade last year, is another intriguing, young prospect. Players and coaches are talking about the way the ball sounds when it hits his bat. That’s the kind of stuff that brings a tear to Dusty Baker’s eye.

There are a handful of guys in the low minors who are worth noting: Bryan Morris, a 21-year-old pitcher acquired from the Dodgers in the Jason Bay trade, might be the top pitching prospect in the Pirates’ system. OF Robbie Grossman and P Quentin Miller were taken later in last year’s draft and paid well above slot to sign here.

So, what about the big club? Nobody seems to be expecting much this season, so at least we won’t be disappointed. If a handful of players can continue to improve, I’ll consider the season a success. Over the winter, Huntington locked up Ryan Doumit, Nate McLouth, and Paul Maholm through their arbitration years, with club options for an additional year. There’s no guarantee that these guys are going to be better than they were in 2008, but these were all smart, responsible signings.

Going into last season, the biggest question mark about Doumit was his health. He could hit, but he could never stay healthy through a full season. And, well, there was a question about his defense. When he beat out Ronny Paulino for the starting catching job, I truly felt that this was a different Pirates team, willing to take a chance on a player with more upside. He stayed healthy and produced (.318/.357/.501 with 15 HR in 116 games). McLouth had a monster first half before cooling off, finishing .276/.356/.497 with 26 HR.

Maholm became the Pirates’ ace in 2008. Yes, that was partly due to Snell and Gorzellany’s regression, but Maholm’s numbers, while not spectacular, were certainly solid: 206.3 IP, 201 H, 63 BB, 139 K, 1.279 WHIP. In a year when the other starters had trouble making it through 2 or 3 innings, that saved a lot of wear and tear on the bullpen. He’s not a strikeout pitcher (only one game with 10 K last year), but he keeps his walks down, and he cut down on his home runs in the second half of the season.

Gorzellany was abused by Jim Tracy in 2007. In one stretch, he threw 110, 118, 120, 97, 117, 95, 123, 103, 107, 100, 109, 112 pitches. He finished September with a similar string of games. It was no surprise when he struggled last season. I would watch him get pulled in the 3rd inning and curse Jim Tracy’s ghost. Of course, arriving at spring training overweight didn’t help Gorzellany, either. Hopefully, the newer, healthier, something-approaching-svelter Gorzellany will bounce back in 2009.

I have no idea what to make of Ian Snell. Big talent, big arm, but so frustrating to watch. He was sometimes dominant and usually reliable in 2006-07, but last year finished with a 1.765 WHIP and was chased before the 6th inning in 14 of his 31 starts.

Ross Ohlendorf, another hard thrower acquired in the trades last year, has a chance to crack the rotation this spring. He could be very good if he learns to throw a third pitch effectively. Maholm and Snell are penciled in. The other three spots will go to some combination of Gorzellany, Ohlendorf, Zach Duke, and Jeff Kartens. Phil Dumatrait, when he’s healthy, is also an option.

No, this team is not going to be a contender. But for the first time in years, it’s not hard to imagine the day when it could be.