By Bob Smizik, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Tiffany Tompkins-Condie / Bradenton (Fla.) Herald.
Pitching coach Jeff Andrews and manager John Russell observe players warming up on the field at Pirates City for the first morning of a mini-camp in Bradenton.--photo by Tiffany Tompkins-Condie/ttompkins@bradenton.com
Usually around this time of year this column cautions Pirates fans about getting too excited about the upcoming season. Last year, for example, we pointed out that not even the addition of Adam LaRoche, an authentic major-league power hitter, was likely to change the team's fortunes. It didn't. The year before we warned the excitement caused by the signings of Sean Casey, Jeromy Burnitz and Joe Randa was entirely improper. It was.
We had to kill that column idea this year.
No one is excited about the Pirates. There's no need to tone down anyone's enthusiasm.
Never in the 15 seasons of losing has there been such a negative feel about the Pirates. That might not be surprising to some considering the team's recent history, but Pirates fans have always had the ability to get excited for the flimsiest of reasons. This year there's not even a flimsy reason.
Not a new front-office team or a new manager and coaching staff can energize the loyalists. The team that will take the field to open the season March 31 in Atlanta looks like the same old Pirates. It will be pretty much identical to the team that lost 94 times last year.
The explanation from management for basically standing pat is that the team underachieved last season and is capable of doing better. There's a measure of truth to that. LaRoche, Jason Bay and Ronny Paulino are three Pirates who performed below expectations.
There's a good chance all will improve on their 2007 seasons. There's also a good chance that several other players will decline in their performance and at least partially negate any improvement by LaRoche, Bay and Paulino. What general manager Neal Huntington and president Frank Coonelly are hoping for is an optimum performance -- a career season -- from everyone. If that happens, the Pirates might approach .500. Chances of such a phenomenon occurring are slight.
The Pirates have not actually stood pat. They've made some personnel moves that give the team a slightly different look. Too bad all the moves subtracted players who had the ability to contribute.
As the Pirates stand now, the team's bullpen and bench are worse than they were last year. Those things happen in this era of free agency. What's troubling is the Pirates intentionally made these moves .
The bullpen has lost Shawn Chacon and Salomon Torres, right-handers who appeared in relief 60 and 56 times, respectively. No other right-handers approached those numbers. Chacon left as a free agent and the Pirates were wise not to re-sign him because his asking price, at the time, was too high. Torres was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, a move that remains inexplicable.
It's true Torres had his worst year since returning to baseball in 2002 after a four-year retirement. His earned run average was up, his appearances were down. But if the Pirates are expecting LaRoche, Bay and Paulino to rebound, why not Torres, who has every bit as good or better track record.
What's worse, Torres was traded to the Brewers, who were looking to solidify their bullpen, for two minor- leaguers who were not rated among the team's top 30 prospects.
A competent veteran who fulfilled a crying need is traded for two non-prospects. It makes no sense, except for this: Torres was due to make $3.2 million next season. Management already has denied finances were a factor in this deal. Considering the club's well-known stance on spending, we'll remain skeptical.
The bench was a vast wasteland for much of last season until two journeymen, Josh Phelps and Matt Kata, were added. Both became exceptional pinch-hitters. Phelps was 8 for 27 (.296) with two homers and seven RBIs. Kata was 10 for 25 (.400) with one homer and seven RBIs.
Combined they were 18 for 52 (.346). The rest of the Pirates bench was 30 for 156 (.192).
We are not suggesting Kata and Phelps are integral to the team's future success. They're not. Neither ever will be a major-league regular. But on a team with a weak bench they filled nice roles. Kata played six positions last season. Phelps is defensively deficient but could be a third-string catcher and back up LaRoche at first base. At least partially making up for his defensive deficiencies is this: Phelps' career runs batted in per at-bat is the best on the team.
Here's one more fact you should know about Phelps and Kata: Both were eligible for arbitration this year, meaning they would have been granted salaries in excess of $1 million. Why pay someone $1 million when you can pay someone else about $400,000, and that, beyond Chris Gomez, is what the Pirates bench players will be making.
The Pirates claim to have good reasons for cutting Phelps and Kata. They do. But the fact they were arbitration eligible was one of them.
So before you call them the same old Pirates, remember this: They're not. They're worse.
Bob Smizik can be reached at bsmizik@post-gazette.com.
First published on January 13, 2008 at 12:00 am
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