I was about to start one, but I figured you would sooner or later
MrCincinnati.
Here is my breakdown of the Pirates.
Pitching Rotation1. Francisco Liriano
Very solid pitcher. One of the beneficiaries of Ray Searage and Jim Benedict's system that seems to resurrect careers of washed up pitchers left and right. Liriano will give you a solid season and is a likely 15-game winner.
2. Gerrit Cole
Our up and coming ace, Cole is once again expected to break out into an NL Cy Young candidate after being hit with the injury bug multiple times last season. He has a fastball that routinely hits the triple digits and has developed good supplemental pitches. He is a player to watch.
3. A.J. Burnett
After a one-year stint in Philly that saw one of the worst seasons of his career, A.J. is back in the 'Burgh where he should be one of the workhorses of this staff (he is known for logging plenty of innings, even this late in his career)
4. Jeff Locke
An inconsistent pitcher throughout his career, Locke is someone who will have streaks of good pitching at times, but will start to lose it as the season goes on. He is a decent 4th starter, but there are better options.
5. Vance Worley
The "Vanimal" as we like to call him. Once the NL rookie of the year with the Phillies, Worley has since resurrected his career as a starter with the Pirates. He should be decent enough to hold the fort until Charlie Morton gets off the DL.
BullpenMark Melancon (Closer)
One of the better closers in the NL, Mark "The Shark" has been a solid bullpen pitcher, making the All Star game each of the last two seasons. You know what you get with him.
Tony Watson
Made his first All Star game last season and was one of the best setup mans in all of baseball last season. I have no reason to expect nothing less than the same thing next season.
Antonio Bastardo
Another former Philly that has made the cross-state trip to Pittsburgh, Bastardo has been a decent enough bullpen guy in Philadelphia. The only thing I remember about him from his time there that jumps out is that he has mammoth hands that simply swallow up the ball.
Arquimedes Caminaro
Yes, his name is Arquimedes (like the greek mathematician). He was relatively unknown, but he has caught fire this Spring and solidified his spot in the bullpen. I am looking for big things.
Jared Hughes
Inconsistent, but he has good power and is good in emergency relief. He is known around here mostly for stomping and huffing and puffing up and down the mound like he is mad at it. He is good depth here.
Radhames Liz
Once a Top 100 prospect for Baltimore, Liz didn't really pan out in the Majors and left for the Korean League. At 31, he is hoping to be the next reclamation project for the Pirates and follow in the footsteps of Liriano, Burnett, Worley, and Edinson Volquez.
Position PlayersFirst Base - Pedro Alvarez
A slugger with elite power, Alvarez has been probably the most up and down player in all of baseball. He has shown Super Star potential and been sent down to the minors in the same season. After his struggles at Third Base last season forced the Pirates to move him fo First, they are hoping he will finally live up to his potential and be the all star he can be.
Second Base - Neil Walker
One of the best hitters at 2nd, Walker made his first all star game last season after having 23 Home Runs with 76 RBIs and a .271 BA. Neil Walker is a hometown favorite and has a contract issue that might force him out of Pittsburgh if he doesn't play like he is worth a big deal next offseason.
Short Stop - Jordy Mercer
Very solid at the position. Early on he had his struggles, but he has really stepped up his defense. He isn't the greatest hitter, but is definitely good enough to be a starter with the Pirates. He might get pushed by highly touted Korean SS Jung-ho Kang
Third Base - Josh Harrison
A legitimate MVP candidate last season, Harrison entrenched himself as our everyday Third Baseman after being a utility bench player most of his career. I expect him to have a relatively close year to what he did last year.
Left Field - Starling Marte
Already an elite Defender (nominated for a Gold Glove last year, but was beat out by Justin Upton), Marte has the potential to be a legitimate MVP candidate this year. He has the athleticism to play CF, and has looked like he will have much better power numbers than he did last year. Look out for him.
Center Field - Andrew McCutcheon
Not much to say about him. The face of the franchise. A perennial MVP candidate. A Top 5 player in all of baseball regardless of position. The only thing keeping him from being the best Outfielder in baseball is some guy named Mike Trout.
Right Field - Gregory Polanco
A nice little prospect, Polanco has enormous potential and should solidify the Pirates as having the best Outfield in all of baseball for years to come. He is still coming along, but has shown good power and average potential, with the athleticism to play Center Field.
Catcher - Francisco Cerveli
When healthy, he is one of the better catchers in baseball. However, his issue is that he hasn't stayed healthy for most of his career. So far in Spring Training though, he has certainly helped Pirates fans forget the blow that was Russell Martin leaving for the Blue Jays. I have been pleasantly surprised.
BenchSS Jung-ho Kang
The Pirates paid $5 Million for negotiation rights for this guy alone. He will have struggles early, translating from the Korean league, but he has elite power potential and has seen time at 3B, 2B, 1B, and SS this Spring.
OF/1B Corey Hart
Once an All Star for the rival Brewers, Hart will be worked into the outfield as well as at First Base if Pedro shows struggles there as well.
C Tony Sanchez
This would usually be Chris Stewart, but he is hurt right now. Sanchez has had a nice spring and could be a good backup Catcher.
IF/OF Sean Rodriguez
Our utility player. He should fill the role that Harrison had before he became our Third Baseman
OF/1B Andrew Lambo
He has drawn the ire of Pirates fans lately. He has shown power potential in the minor leagues, but he hasn't done much with it in his time in the majors. This is his last chance, IMO.