Week 1 preview: Steelers take on Redskins at FedExField

http://sports.yahoo.com/

September 10, 2016

(redskins.com)

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Washington Redskins

FedExField, Landover, Maryland

Monday, September 12, 2016, 7:10 p.m. (ET)

Key Matchup

DeAngelo Williams vs. the Redskins run defense. It is true that the Steelers have a potent air-attack which includes quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and receiver Antonio Brown(maybe the best passing duo in the NFL right now). But Washington finished a putrid 26th against the run last year and allowed just under 123 yards per game. The Redskins do have some new personnel up front, namely former Steelers defensive lineman Ziggy Hood, but getting Williams going early (especially out of the no huddle) could open things up for Pittsburgh’s offense as the game progresses.

The Steelers Win If…

The consensus is the Steelers offense could be unstoppable this season. Yes,  running back Le’Veon Bell has been suspended for the first three games, and receiver Martavis Bryant has been suspended for the entire 2016 season. However, in 2015, Pittsburgh was without one or both players at various times and still managed to score nearly 27 points per game. For all the firepower the Steelers possess, the key to the offense is a stellar line that’s headed by center Maurkice Pouncey and right guard David DeCastro. As long as the offensive line protects Roethlisberger and opens holes for the running game, there’s no reason Pittsburgh can’t move the ball and score often against a Redskins defense that finished near the bottom in most key categories a year ago–including 28th overall, 26th against the run and 25th against the pass.

As for the Steelers defense. It’s not going to be a piece of cake. The Redskins are no slouches when it comes to offensive skill-position players. Quarterback Kirk Cousins had a great year in 2015, as he passed for over 4,100 yards, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Furthermore, he completed just under 70 percent of his passes (69.8) and was only sacked 26 times in 543 attempts. Therefore, the burden appears to be on Pittsburgh’s ultra-talented defensive line, led by Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and the rookie Javon Hargrave, to get penetration and be a disruptive force. With the Steelers uncertainty in the secondary, that might not be enough to shut Washington’s offense down. But dominance upfront could lead to a turnover or two, which might pave the way for a difference-making score.

The Steelers Lose If…

Receiver Markus Wheaton has missed practice time this week due to a shoulder injury that sidelined him most of the preseason. With Bryant obviously gone and free agent acquisition Ladarius Green missing at the tight end spot after being placed on the PUP list, an absent Wheaton may dwindle Roethlisberger’s potent targets significantly. Outside of Brown, who could spend the evening going against accomplished corner Josh Norman, the majority of targets would fall to receivers Darrius Heyward-Bey, Sammie Coates and Eli Rogers, along with second-year tight end Jesse James. Heyward-Bey is a veteran, but with suspect hands. As for Coates, Rogers and James, while they showed promise during the preseason–even flashes of brilliance in Rogers’ case–they’re virtual unknowns. For as refined as Roethlisberger has become in recent years, he struggled with interceptions down-the-stretch in 2015 (15 of his 16 interceptions occurred after he returned from a sprained MCL in Week 8). Throwing to receivers he may not be in perfect rhythm with (or who may not possess the talents of a Bryant, Wheaton and/or Green) might lead to one too many ill-timed interceptions against a Redskins defense that had 21 a year ago.

On defense, the Steelers finished 30th against the pass in 2015. While the Redskins were rather pedestrian on offense in terms of their overall rankings, they do have some fairly decent receiving targets. Wide-outs Pierre Garson and the ultra-speedy DeSean Jackson will present a handful to corners William Gay and Ross Cockrell. Throw in tight end Jordan Reed, who caught 87 passes for nearly 1,000 yards in 2015, and things could get ugly on the back-end. Rookie second round pick Sean Davis is slated to play the slot on Monday, and Robert Golden will start at strong safety, after spending his first four seasons primarily on special teams. Needless to say, that’s a lot of inexperience in a secondary that’s already questionable to begin with. If Washington can create match-up problems, that could lead to miscommunication, which could lead to big plays down-field. And, obviously, that could lead to a loss in Week 1.

Fantasy Tip

If you have DeAngelo Williams on your team, Week 1, against a suspect Redskins run defense, might be the perfect time to start him. Williams is only slated to start the first three weeks while Bell serves his suspension, so why not utilize the veteran’s 33-year old legs while they’re at their freshest?

What’s At Stake 

If the Steelers can walk out of FedExField with a Week 1 victory in prime time, it could be a huge momentum-boost, given the enormous Super Bowl expectations surrounding the team.

Odds-makers 

Line: Steelers -3

O/U: 50 1/2

Money Line: Steelers -175/Redskins +155

The post Week 1 preview: Steelers take on Redskins at FedExField appeared first on Cover32.

Impressive numbers don't tell whole story for Steelers' Brown

BY MARK KABOLY

http://triblive.com/sports/

September 10, 2016

Nov 15, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) on the field for warm-ups before playing the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 30-9. (Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

Antonio Brown works hard. We get that.

It has been well documented that the Steelers' All-Pro receiver — once a lowly sixth-round pick out of little-known Central Michigan — has become the most dominant and consistent wide receiver in the NFL.

Scattered throughout the social media world are videos and pictures depicting Brown's multiple-per-day workouts. The stories from his teammates of the late-night “grind” sessions are prevalent throughout the locker room.

“What the secret to his success is that what he does on Snap 1 is what he does on Snap 101,” DeAngelo Williams said. “That's what makes him great.”

But there is much more than that to Brown, and it has him on the doorstep of what nobody has done in the league before.

Brown heads into Monday's season opener against the Washington Redskins on the verge of shattering records held by the league's elite and Hall of Fame receivers Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison.

With 95 receptions and 1,262 yards, Brown will become the most prolific receiver in the history of the game over a four-year span. Knowing that the last four years have resulted in an average 125 receptions and 1,677 yards for Brown, it should be an attainable mark.

“He's gotten better every year,” offensive coordinator Todd Haley said. “I haven't seen any signs of him not getting better. His goals are to be the best and maybe the best ever. It takes staying healthy and a little bit of luck here and there, but he wants to be the best and he prepares like that.”

But again, there's much more to Antonio Brown than his work ethic.

“Blessings,” cornerback William Gay said. “Blessings from above is what it is. Once in a while in this league you have a guy who comes around like that. Seriously, who's better?”

You name it, and Brown does it well.

Route running — one of the best.

Hands — one of the best.

Run after the catch — one of the best.

Getting open — maybe the best.

Competitive drive — the best.

“It is his route running, it's unbelievable,” receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey said. “For him to be 5-10, he can play outside, he can play inside, sharp routes. He understands how to get open, which a lot of guys do exactly what the coaches draw up. He does what the coaches draw up with a little sauce on it.”

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger agreed with the Brown ad-libbing being a key but added some context to it.

“Yeah, and sometimes they are bigger adjustments,” Roethlisberger said. “Trust me, a lot of AB's stuff is because I know where he is going to be, and a lot of it is because we improvise and make some crazy things happen. Sometimes, he is over there instead of over here, and we make it happen.”

Whatever it has been, it has worked.

Richard Mann, who has been coaching receivers in the NFL since 1982, said Brown is one of the best he's ever coached, and there is a number of reasons for that other than work ethic.

“I have had a lot of receivers, and it is hard to compare, but I venture to say from the run-and-catch aspect, routes and stuff like that, he is getting to the point where nobody else has been,” Mann said. “I've had guys who have had a lot of speed, but he is something special. Everything is special about him.”

Brown had a record-breaking year in 2015. He set single-season franchise records with 136 receptions for 1,834 yards. He eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark in nine games and became the first player in league history to have consecutive 125-catch seasons.

“You never expect something like this from a sixth-round pick,” Roethlisberger said. “We expect good things to happen but didn't know his work ethic or what he could bring to the table. What he does is pretty awesome.”

Brown finished first or second in the league in 13 statistical categories last year.

Still, as probably expected, that's not enough for Brown.

“You always have to get better,” Brown said. “You only get better or worse. I have to continue to get better. Last year or the past don't matter. It is what you do now moving forward, and Monday night presents the first opportunity.”

MR. 2000

Brown can become the most accomplished receiver ever in a span of four years. But he also has a real shot at doing something that nobody has ever accomplished in the history of the league — gain 2,000 yards in a season.

Brown came up 166 yards short last year but likely would have surpassed the mark if Roethlisberger didn't miss four-plus games with an injury.

“It is a possibility, but the key is — and we've talked a lot about this — part of his success is having other guys be an option,” Roethlisberger said. “If he is getting double-teamed every single play, it is going to be hard for him to get the snaps. We need other people to stand up and draw attention away from him at times.”

Even though Brown downplayed 2,000 yards, it is on his mind.

“Anything is possible,” Mann said. “What we are striving to do is to get better than last year. You can't stay the same.”

Brown owns three of the top eight spots when it comes to single-season receiving yards including 1,834 last year. Only Calvin Johnson (1,942), Julio Jones (1,871) and Jerry Rice (1,848) have had more.

Statistically speaking, Brown could reach 2,000 yards and beyond this year barring injury. In the games Roethlisberger started or played more than three quarters, Brown averaged 133.3 yards. That projects over a season to 2,132 yards.

However, Roethlisberger missed four games with a knee injury in which Brown was ultimately a non-factor, gaining 42, 45 an 24 yards with the combination of Mike Vick and Landry Jones at quarterback. It eliminated any chance of surpassing 2,000 yards.

“He cares about the stats, he wants them,” Roethlisberger said. “Show me a receiver who doesn't care about his stats, but that's what makes him great.”

Maybe the greatest of all time? Well, at least the greatest four-year stretch of all time.

Mark Kaboly is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mkaboly@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MarkKaboly_Trib.

MORE STEELERS/NFL

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For Steelers, these corners simply don't cut it

By Mark Madden

http://www.timesonline.com/sports

September 9, 2016

Ross Cockrell (USAToday.com)

Peter King of Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News and five of ESPN’s football experts pick the Steelers to win the Super Bowl.

Ten more of ESPN’s gridiron gurus pick the Steelers to lose in the Super Bowl, as does Sports Illustrated’s NFL preview edition.

Las Vegas isn’t quite as enthusiastic, but has the Steelers listed at 10-1 to win the Super Bowl, tied with Arizona and Carolina but behind Green Bay at 6-1, New England at 7-1 and Seattle at 9-1.

These are all very educated opinions.

But I just don’t see it.

King et al. are legitimate experts, more well-versed in NFL expertise than me. Their predictions give me pause.

But I still don’t see it.

The NFL is all about passing. The two most important positions are quarterback and cornerback.

The Steelers are all set at QB. Ben Roethlisberger is among the league’s best, and is aided and abetted by football’s top receiver, Antonio Brown. Seven of ESPN’s experts pick Roethlisberger to win NFL MVP.

But the Steelers’ cornerbacks don’t cut it. How can anyone say otherwise?

If they’re part of a good secondary unit, Willie Gay is a nickel and Ross Cockrell doesn’t get off the bench. There’s no semblance of a shutdown guy.

The safeties aren’t much better. Mike Mitchell did well in 2015 and brings physicality. But Robert Golden is a career special-teams player who has started just three games in his four-year NFL career (all last year).

Even if those players perform to the best of their capabilities, that’s not a Super Bowl secondary. That’s difficult to even remotely consider.

But my imagination is vivid, and works overtime. Let’s play the what-if game.

The Steelers drafted University of Miami cornerback Artie Burns in the first round for a reason. They got 2014 first-round pick Justin Gilbert from Cleveland for a reason.

If that reason is to coach ‘em up, play ‘em and trust first-round pedigree over whatever it is they see in Gay and Cockrell, that could burnish the Steelers’ chances. Fix Burns and Gilbert, and use them to fix the cornerback position.

Gay, by the way, should get snaps. He just shouldn’t be your best corner. As noted, Gay should play nickel.

Defensive backs coach Carnell Lake needs to elicit improvement from Burns and Gilbert. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler needs to have the guts to use them. Everybody concerned must understand that the Steelers’ secondary, as currently comprised, just won’t be good enough.

It wouldn’t hurt if second-round pick Sean Davis jumped up the depth chart at safety, either. He’s currently slotted as the nickel.

New faces being fast-tracked to playing time isn’t the Steelers’ way. That violates the sanctity of the defense’s complexity, which – they think – ranks somewhere between quantum physics and Zen philosophy. A donut with no holes is a Danish.

But it’s not just what you know. It’s what you can do. Talent should always be trusted most. The Steelers don’t necessarily feel that way.

I’m predicting the Steelers go 10-6. If that’s good enough to win the AFC North, the attendant advantages give them a shot at a decent playoff run.

But the Steelers won’t win the Super Bowl.

Roethlisberger and Brown would have to go beyond expectations that are already sky-high. Even then, I just can’t see Cockrell and Golden running out of the tunnel at Houston’s NRG Stadium as starters on Feb. 5. That’s incomprehensible.

Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).

Nova, Kang lead Pirates to 4-1 win over slumping Reds

By John Perrotto

http://www.espn.com/mlb/

September 8, 2016

Pittsburgh Pirates' Ivan Nova, left, is congratulated by manager Clint Hurdle after a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016. Nova pitched a complete game in the 4-1 victory and ran his record as a Pirate to 5-0. Hurdle picked up his 500th win as the Pirates' manager in the game. (Fred Vuich/AP Photo)

Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/news/business/article100783062.html#storylink=cpy

PITTSBURGH -- Ivan Nova is doing his part to improve baseball's pace of play.

The right-hander threw a six-hitter to stay unbeaten with Pittsburgh and Jung Ho Kang hit a two-run double to key a three-run first inning as the Pirates defeated Cincinnati 4-1 on Thursday night, extending the Reds' losing streak to five games.

Nova (12-6) pitched his second complete game in seven starts since being acquired from the New York Yankees in a trade on Aug. 1. He struck out four, walked none, got 15 of his outs on ground balls and retired the first 12 batters while throwing 94 pitches.

The game lasted 2 hours, 28 minutes during a season in which Commissioner Rob Manfred has fretted about the average time of major league games.

"I think my wife and everybody likes it when I get home early, so I try to make it as quick as possible," Nova said with a grin.

Nova improved to 5-0 with a 2.53 ERA in seven starts with the Pirates. He has issued just two walks in 46 2/3 innings.

"It's just more of what we've been seeing from him," said Clint Hurdle, who became the sixth manager in Pirates' history with 500 wins. "It was a really nice mix of pitches and pitching. No walks again. It's the manual there of how you want to get it done in a quick and efficient way."

Kang's double opened the scoring and he came home on a single by Francisco Cervelli as the Pirates took an early 3-0 lead against Dan Straily (11-8).

Kang is 7 for 13 with seven RBI in four games since being activated from the disabled list on Monday after missing 15 days with a sore left shoulder.

"He's in a good place," Hurdle said. "He's seeing the ball well, looking really good in the field."

The Pirates, still on the fringe of the National League wild card race, won their second straight following an eight-game losing streak. They began a stretch of 15 consecutive games against teams with losing records.

The Reds dropped to 57-82, clinching their third consecutive losing season and 14th in the last 17 years.

Josh Harrison hit two doubles for the Pirates. David Freese and Cervelli had two hits each.

Zack Cozart singled in the Reds' lone run in the sixth. Andrew McCutchen countered with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning.

Straily gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked three.

"I wasn't exactly where I wanted to be -- but they had three hits (in the first) inning that were probably a foot away from a glove. Total," Straily said. "So that's just kind of the way it happened."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Reds: CF Billy Hamilton (strained oblique) missed his fourth straight game with a strained oblique and stayed behind in Cincinnati to receive treatment. ... RHP Homer Bailey (biceps tendinitis) has not started since Aug. 28 but the Reds hold out hope he will be able to return this season.

Pirates: CF Starling Marte (back spasms) missed his third straight game. ... RHP A.J. Schugel (sore shoulder) hasn't pitched since Aug. 30 and there is no timetable for the reliever's return.

PIRATES SHUFFLE ROTATION

RHP Drew Hutchison will make his Pirates' debut Saturday night when he starts in place of RHP Chad Kuhl against the Reds. The Pirates acquired Hutchison from the Toronto Blue Jays in a trade on Aug. 1 and he was 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in seven games, including six starts, for Triple-A Indianapolis before being recalled Tuesday

From 2012-15, Hutchison had a 30-21 record with a 4.92 ERA in 76 games, 73 of which were starts, over four seasons with the Blue Jays.

Kuhl and fellow rookie RHP Jameson Taillon are having their next turns in the starting rotation skipped as the Pirates attempt to manage their innings pitched. Taillon has worked 149 1/3 innings between the major and minor leagues and Kuhl's total is 134 1/3.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Tim Adleman (2-3, 4.02 ERA) will start Friday night and the rookie is 0-2 with a 5.63 ERA in his last three starts.

Pirates: LHP Steven Brault (0-2, 3.32), also a rookie, will look for his first win in his fifth career start.

Kang's HR ends Pirates' 8-game skid; Bucs beat Cards 4-3

By John Perrotto, Associated Press

http://www.espn.com/mlb/

September 7,2016

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang react after Kang hit a solo game winning home run during the eighth inning at PNC Park. The Pirates won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY(Photo: Charles LeClaire, Custom)

PITTSBURGH -- Just about everyone in the Pirates' clubhouse was in a reflective mood after Pittsburgh ended its longest skid in five years.

Jung Ho Kang led off the eighth inning with a home run, leading the Pirates to a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night to snap an eight-game losing streak.

Kang hit a drive deep into the bullpens in left-center off rookie Alex Reyes (1-1) for his 17th homer and third in two games. It helped snap the Pirates' longest skid since dropping 10 straight in 2011.

The third baseman returned from the disabled list Monday after missing 15 days with a sore left shoulder.

"I really, really reflected on myself and how much I really want to win and how much I really want to play baseball," Kang said of his time on the DL. "I really spent good time thinking about that."

The Cardinals are percentage points ahead of the New York Mets for the second NL wild card, and the Pirates pulled within 4 1/2 games of St. Louis.

Trevor Williams (1-0) allowed one unearned run in three innings for the win in his major league debut. He shared an emotional moment with his father after the game.

"We hugged and shed a few tears together," Williams said. "It's a moment I'm never going to forget. To be able to have my father here, the man who has been with me every step of the way on my baseball journey, meant the world to me."

Reyes gave up one run in 3 2/3 innings and also singled off Williams in the seventh for his first major league hit.

Tony Watson worked a perfect ninth inning for his 11th save after blowing his previous two opportunities, including Tuesday night when he allowed three home runs in the ninth inning of a 9-7 loss.

"I've been in this situation before where you give up some and then you sit around for a couple days," Watson said. "It's good to get back out there. It's good to get the win, most importantly, and end this losing streak.

The Cardinals ended a streak of 25 consecutive games with a home run, a club record.

Pirates starter Jameson Taillon pitched five innings. The rookie gave up two runs, six hits and a walk with five strikeouts.

Mike Leake went 4 1/3 innings in his first start for the Cardinals since Aug. 21 after being sidelined by the shingles virus. He gave up three runs, nine hits and a walk while striking out three.

"I wasn't locating as well as I know as I can," Leake said. "I'm sure being off a couple of weeks played a factor. Now I'm back on track and ready for the next one."

The Cardinals' Yadier Molina scored in the sixth to make it 3-3. Molina reached second base when right fielder Adam Frazier dropped his fly ball, then scored on a single by Randal Grichuk.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cardinals: LF Matt Holliday (broken left thumb) was cleared to resume baseball activities and is hopeful of returning before the end of the regular season. He has been on the disabled list since Aug. 12.

Pirates: LF Starling Marte sat out a second straight game because of back spasms. ... RHP Neftali Feliz, who was removed from Saturday's game with arm discomfort, is still unable to play catch and likely won't return until next week. ... C Elias Diaz, who was expected to be recalled Tuesday from Triple-A Indianapolis, has instead been shut down for the season after undergoing surgery for a bacterial infection in his left leg.

CLEMENTE DAY

A large contingent of Pirates' players, coaches, executives and their wives visited Pittsburgh King PreK-8 School on Wednesday along with Roberto Clemente's widow and three sons as part of Major League Baseball's annual Clemente Day celebration.

The Hall of Fame right fielder spent his entire 18-year career with the Pirates from 1955-72. Clemente died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve in 1972 off the coast of his native Puerto Rico while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: LHP Jaime Garcia (10-11, 4.41 ERA), who has lost his last three starts, faces Milwaukee RHP Junior Guerra (7-3, 2.85) on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game home series.

Pirates: RHP Ivan Nova (11-6, 4.34) is 4-0 with a 2.89 ERA in six starts since being acquired from the New York Yankees in a trade Aug. 1. He starts against Cincinnati RHP Dan Straily (11-7, 3.83) to open a four-game home series Thursday.

Pirates are right where they should be — on the outside looking in

By Mark Madden

http://www.timesonline.com/sports

September 6, 2016

Andrew McCutchen watches as Chris Carter's three-run homer lands in the bushes in the ninth inning of the Brewers' 10-0 win on Sunday. (Gene Puskar/AP)

Since mid-August, the Pirates have had two four-game winning streaks, a seven-game losing streak and a four-game losing streak.

That’s what mediocre teams do. They don’t win one, then lose one in perpetuity. They ride a roller coaster to .500. Ups and downs.

Right now, the Pirates finishing with a losing record is more likely than capturing a fourth straight postseason berth. Only the grace of a system that bestows two wild cards keeps the Pirates alive on the periphery.

That is exactly where the Pirates should be.

Those in partnership with the team and/or spewing fanboy gibberish stumped for overachieving. A certain sage radio host, meantime, predicted 86 or 87 wins and narrowly missing a wild card.

The Pirates are on pace to do a bit worse than that. My bad.

So, where has it all gone wrong?

Really, it hasn’t. This was always going to happen.

But, by way of humoring you:

*Too many of the Pirates’ key players fizzled: Andrew McCutchen, Gerrit Cole, Jung Ho Kang and the since-departed Francisco Liriano. McCutchen and Liriano entered the season as the team’s highest-paid players.

*The cockamamie notion that a subpar starting rotation would give way to Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow joining the team in June and contributing significantly didn’t pan out. Taillon has been solid, but has just three wins. Glasnow has been hurt. Jeff Locke and Juan Nicasio, each dropped from the rotation, are tied for the team lead in wins with nine. Not good.

*If the Pirates had kept J.A. Happ and Neil Walker and paid them what they make with their respective teams, they would be locked into a wild-card spot and still rank just 19th among big-league payrolls. You get what you pay for. (Walker is out now. But his 23 home runs would be a team high for the Pirates.)

*The Pirates are a meager 14-13 against Milwaukee and Cincinnati, the two worst teams in the NL Central. That won’t get a wild card. By contrast, the St. Louis Cardinals are 19-11 against the Brewers and Reds. That’s the Cardinals’ lead over the Pirates right there.

*Josh Bell has cooled, but him being summoned from Triple-A in June and replacing John Jaso at first base couldn’t have done anything but help.

*The Pirates don’t really have a leadoff hitter, or a cleanup hitter. No one fits those profiles analytically, especially no-walking Josh Harrison batting first. Starling Marte spent much of the season batting fourth, and he has nine home runs.

*The Pirates run the bases poorly. Marte and Gregory Polanco often seem half-asleep in the field. Sloppiness is an unfortunate trend in MLB, but that’s no excuse.

It’s not rocket science, or a fluke. What could have happened, did.

GM Neal Huntington said 2016 would be a “bridge year.” A bridge to what?

Future financial flexibility, perhaps.

McCutchen’s rotten season may well combine with his expensive contract (which has just one year plus a team option left) to get him traded in the off-season.

Bell could move back to the outfield. David Freese and Jaso platoon at first base. When Austin Meadows is ready, he slots into the outfield and Bell plays first. Marte goes to center field, where he should be right now.

You can disguise it as a baseball trade given McCutchen’s failure. Return would likely be strong. But ditching McCutchen saves the Pirates $14 million next year.

That’s what Pirates ownership and management has always been about.

But there is still plenty of baseball left. For the Pirates to match last year’s victory total of 98, they merely have to win 31 of their last 27.

I think it’s doable.

Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).