Pirates Pitchers and Catchers Report Tomorrow

Well it's finally that time of year again! The Pirates pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Bradenton, FL tomorrow and the first workout will be on Monday, February 14th. The position players report Thursday, February 18th and their first workout is Friday, February 19th.

This spring is going to be an important one. We'll definitely be discovering who our closers are going to be for 2011 (mainly between Meek and Hanrahan). As for the hitting, we pretty much know who is going to be in the lineup, it's just a matter of the order. The starting rotation will also be an interesting battle, and we'll see if James McDonald really has what it takes.

Surely you can't put all stock into Spring Training, but it will definitely answer many questions come April.

Tracking Jameson Taillon

I'm going to be closely tracking Pirates' starting pitcher prospect Jameson Taillon as he works hi way up the farm system. Look out for weekly posts throughout spring training and the regular season as he starts in low-A Virginia and works his way up.

James Taillon MLB.com's No. 18 Prospect

MLB.com listed the Pirates' starting pitcher and first round draft pick (No. 2 overall) as their No. 18 prospect out of 50. This comes as no surprise as Taillon is just a mere 19 years old fresh out of high school and already looks like he could very well be a future ace.

His 6'6 frame matched with his fastball, curveball, slider, and change-up which he can all throw for strikes, makes him a very deadly prospect. The sky really is the limit and as cliche as that sounds, it's fully the truth.

He's got a fastball in the mid-upper 90s, plus a slider and curveball that have already developed very well and continue to develop. His numbers in his senior year of high school were very impressive, pitching 62 innings and going 8-1 with a 1.78 ERA and 114 strikeouts.

He's probably going to start things out at low-A in West Virginia, but in just a few years he could be pitching for the Pirates in the majors. I'm excited to see how this one pans out, we may have finally done the right thing in the first round of the draft this season.

Projected Lineup and Rotation for 2011

We are still a three months away from Opening Day, but how do you guys see the lineup and rotation for the Bucs shaping up in 2011? Here's how I see it...

Lineup

vs. RHP

1. Andrew McCutchen CF
2. Jose Tabata LF
3. Neil Walker 2B
4. Pedro Alvarez 3B
5. Garret Jones RF
6. Lyle Overbay 1B
7. Ronny Cedeno SS
8. Chris Snyder C
9. Pitcher

vs. LHP

1. Andrew McCutchen CF
2. Jose Tabata LF
3. Neil Walker 2B
4. Pedro Alvarez 3B
5. Lyle Overbay 1B
6. Matt Diaz RF
7. Ronny Cedeno SS
8. Chris Snyder C
9. Pitcher

Starting Rotation

1. Paul Maholm
2. Kevin Correia
3. Ross Ohlendorf
4. James McDonald
5. Charlie Morton

I'm excited to see how Walker, Tabata, and Alvarez all do in their first full MLB season. I'm also excited for Overbay, hopefully he can provide some hits for the middle of the lineup.

As for the rotation, Kevin Correia is a pretty big addition for us, and I'm hoping he isn't just another Zach Duke, I'm hoping to finally see a sub-4.00 ERA from one of these guys. James McDonald is another I'm pretty excited to see.

Pittsburgh Pirates 2011: Eighteen Seasons and Counting

Now what? The Pirates hit their 18th straight losing season in 2010. The 105 losses of the 2010 season are six more than 2009, which would lead most people to think they only got worse. That isn't exactly the case. Although they had one of their worst seasons in franchise history, they also showed off a few guys that could really make an impact down the road. Maybe these few guys could even get the Pirates back into the light of a winning season.

The 2011 season promises to bring a lot of questions, and a lot of potential as well. The pitching was a huge problem in 2011, and while there is some promising youth in the batting lineup, the pitching hasn't improved much. Let's take a look at some of the guys to watch in 2011 as potential up and coming stars.

#31 Jose Tabata, LF

2010 Stat line (102 games): .305 avg, 121 hits, 61 runs, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 19 steals

Jose Tabata showed some amazing things in 2010 as a rookie for the Pirates in only 102 games. He definitely isn't a power hitter, but more of a get-on-base and steal kind of guy. Tabata reminds me a lot of Andrew McCutchen, he has speed and gets hits. He isn't McCutchen quite yet, but give him a few years and he may get there. He is only 22 years old, he has a ton of time to do it.

The Pirates just need to continue to work with him throughout the many spring trainings to come, and he will develop into something special. In five years or less, look for Tabata to be a big factor for the Pirates.

#18 Neil Walker, 2B

2010 Stat line (110 games): .296 avg, 126 hits, 57 runs, 12 HR, 66 RBI

Walker is a lot like Tabata, coming on the scene at about the same time, and they both have tons of potential. Walker is a big older than Tabata at 25 years old, but he still has plenty of room to grow. I don't think he will reach the same height as Tabata, but he will have enough to make an impact on the dying Pirates.

I see Walker as being another get-on-base kind of player, although I think he will develop more power as his career moves along. Those 12 homers in 110 games look somewhat promising. I say by the age of 27 (the so called "power age") is when Walker will break out. With McCutchen already growing into a veteran, Walker brings a nice balance of youth to the Pirates. He shouldn't disappoint in 2011.

#17 Pedro Alvarez, 3B

2010 Stat line (95 games): .256 avg, 89 hits, 42 runs, 16 HR, 64 RBI

Pedro Alvarez, like Walker and Tabata, came up to the MLB with about 100 games left in the season. Alvarez, as you can see, has some pop, but also has some trouble getting contact with that .256 average. I expect him to bring that average up a good bit, and at the same time bring the home run total up. He only has room to grow, being only 23 years old. I expect at least 20 home runs and at least a .260-.270 average next year.

This season will be his first full season of his career in the MLB, along with Tabata and Walker, so look for them to work out the kinks and improve greatly off of this season.

#53 James McDonald, SP

2010 Stat line (with Pirates) (11 games started): 4-5, 3.52 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 61 K's, 24 walks, 64 innings pitched, 8.6 K/9

The Pirates pitching in 2010 was absolutely horrific. McDonald may be able to change that in 2011. He ended the season with six straight starts in which he did not let up more than three runs. He is more of a strikeout pitcher than any of the other Pirates on this staff. He will most likely be the Pirates ace for 2011, and look for him to make an impact.

At just 26 years old, McDonald has a couple more years to grow. He will have to work on limiting the hits, as he had a fairly high 1.30 WHIP. He seems to be able to limit the walks, but the 59 hits he gave up with the Pirates is a bit high. I can see McDonald being a very valuable pitcher in a pitching system that is completely depleted.

These four guys are all guys I could see making a big impact on the 2011 season. Spring training will be a crucial time for them, as will the next couple of seasons. If these guys stay with the team and improve and grow on yearly basis, the Pirates could very well put together a winning season in two to three years.

So, can the Pirates break the terrible streak before it hits 20? I guess we will have to wait and see.

Phillies rout the Bucs 12-2

Not a good start to the week, as the Bucs take a terrible 12-2 loss to the Phillies, although the Phillies are one of the top offenses in the league, if that's any comfort. Here's a quick look at some stats:

My Bucs' Player of the Game:
-Delwyn Young: 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, R

-Andy LaRoche: 0-4
-Andrew McCutchen: 0-4
-Garret Jones: 1-4, 2 SO
-Ryan Church: 0-4, 2 SO
-Ryan Doumit: 2-3, BB
-Jeff Clement: 0-3
-Ronny Cedeno: 1-3, R, SO

The offense just wasn't clicking at all after great offensive performances in Chicago over the weekend. Aki Iwamura did not start yesterday, but did have a pinch hit appearance in which he didn't get on base. The only guys to somewhat produce were Delwyn Young and Ryan Doumit. This game could be somewhat of a concern considering Kyle Kendrick has been doing terribly in his past few starts. Contact was being made for the most part, other than Church and Jones who each struck out twice. McCutchen didn't look like himself, and watch for a turnaround tonight, as he is their best contact hitter.

As of the pitching...it wasn't any better. Morton had another horrific start, putting him at 1-7 on the year. Here is his line:

4 IP, 6 Hits, 6 Earned Runs, 0 Walks, 3 Strikeouts (9.68 ERA)

My verdict on Charlie Morton: TRIPLE A. He has had more than enough chances to turn it around and doesn't deserve to be here in the MLB anymore. I also have an opinion on who they should bring up in replace of Morton, and that would be Brad Lincoln. He has a 3.83 ERA in 49.1 IP and 39 strikeouts with a 4-2 record. He also has a decent 1.14 WHIP. I don't see the harm in at least trying Lincoln out.

So, it was a bad night for the Bucs, but look for them to turn it around tonight in Philadelphia for Game 2 of this 2 game series.

NEXT GAME: Tonight, May 18th 7:05pm est. @ Phillies
Zach Duke (PIT) vs. Roy Halladay (PHI)

Series Recap: Dodgers @ Pirates (April 5-8)

Here it goes again, the opening series for the Pirates and that marks the start to another 100 loss season, right? Not so fast. The Pirates took the first two games of the three game series and then lost earlier today, to take the series two games to one against the Dodgers.

The Pirates looked pretty good until the last game of the series (today) where they looked like the same old Pirates, losing 10-2. Although I don't think that's how it will be all season long. I'm going to break down the series, so let's start with the offense.

Offense

The offense was the main source of the first two wins, with Garret Jones really stepping up. I've said many times before that Garret Jones has what it takes and he is the real deal and has 30 homerun potential. He picked up where he left off last season (21 homers in 82 games) hitting three homers in this series. Jones is my offensive player of the series. Anther guy to step up was Ronny Cedeno who hit the walk off single in the bottom of the tenth in the second game of the series to take the win 4-3.

As for the offense as a whole, they have four guys in the starting lineup over the .300 average mark and five guys in the starting lineup with a .400 on base percentage or better. After only three games though, things will definitely change as more games are played. Also, with so many new players, team chemistry is a huge factor for the Pirates. John Russell needs to get everyone on the same page, and I think they have done well with that so far.

One guy who has struggled offensively a bit in this series is Akinori Iwamura, going 0-7 but with three walks and two runs. Andy LaRoche hasn't done much better, going 0-5 who also had three walks and two runs. Watch for these guys to get out of their mini-slumps and start hitting against the bottom half of the D-Backs rotation.

Starting Rotation

Pitching...not the strong point of this series to say the least, but still nothing terrible until today. Nobody is expecting too much from this rotation and there is no reason to. If these guys can stay around a 3.80-4.10 ERA fans will be pleased. We just can't afford getting into the 5.00+ ERA mark. Pitching is very important in baseball, but if you had to choose between Pirates hitting or Pirates pitching - the hitting is considerably better.

Zach Duke: 5 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs, 7 Hits, 1 Walk, 1 Strikeout

The strikeout total is a bit scary for our ace, but he manages to get outs. One thing I'm concerned with is the amount of innings our ace pitcher is going. It's not good at all to be putting that much pressure on your bullpen and making them pitch another four innings. Although only two earned runs against a good Dodgers lineup isn't bad at all.

Ross Ohlendorf: 5 Innings Pitched, 4 Hits, 2 Earned Runs, 2 Walks, 1 Strikeout

Again...low strikeout total from Ohlendorf and only five innings of work. Although I like the low hit total and fairly low earned runs total. Getting ground ball and pop up outs are so important and Ohlendorf showed us he can get those kinds of outs.

Paul Maholm: 6 Innings Pitched, 6 Hits, 4 Earned Runs, 0 Walks, 3 Strikeouts

Not a good showing from Maholm, yet he was kept in for an extra inning more than the last two pitchers. He did have some misfortunate defensive errors, but still that didn't let up four runs. Although I did like the fact that even though he had four earned runs, he only let up six hits which isn't all that bad.

Bullpen

In the first two games of the series, the bullpen was solid in nine innings of work, having a nice 3.00 ERA and holding their opponents to a .239 batting average. They did very nicely in Game 2 of the series, keeping the score tied at 3-3 and getting it into extras. Octavio Dotel pitched in two innings and only let up 1 hit in all of them with two strikeouts. Don't sleep on Dotel, he is going to carry this bullpen.

The pen wasn't so great earlier today to end the series. They only added to the pain after Maholm let up four runs, the pen went and let up six more. This bullpen is almost completely different from last year’s pen, and it will be interesting to see how much it has improved from last year’s pen.

NEXT SERIES: @ Arizona Diamondbacks (April 9-11)

Keys to this series: The offense needs to get in Dan Haren's head early on Sunday and the bottom of the rotation needs to be solid an keep the bullpen off the field as long as possible to keep their arms rested.Here it goes again, the opening series for the Pirates and that marks the start to another 100 loss season, right? Not so fast. The Pirates took the first two games of the three game series and then lost earlier today, to take the series two games to one against the Dodgers.