2009 Depth Chart

Catcher Ryan Doumit
1st Base Adam LaRoche
2nd Base Freddy Sanchez/Luis Cruz/Brian Bixler
3rd Base Andy LaRoche
SS Jack Wilson/Brian Bixler/Luis Cruz
LF Nyjer Morgan/Steve Pearce/Brandon Moss
CF Nate McLouth/Steve Pearce
RF Brandon Moss/Steve Pearce
Starting Rotation Paul Maholm (L) Zach Duke (L) Ian Snell ® Jeff Karstens ® Tom Gorzelanny (L)
Relief Pitcher John Grabow (L) Tyler Yates ® Craig Hansen ® Sean Burnett (L) Phil Dumatrait (L)
Closer Matt Capps ®


Discuss

The offense has some nice pieces.

The pitching makes me want to vomit profusely.


73-89

I hope

God help them. Baseball was my sport growing up but it's just so screwed up now. Anytime you have a player (Arod - 28 mil) making more than a team (Marlins 21 mil) there's something wrong.

But when you heading into you 17th straight year of losing you can't blame it on the $$$. The entire pirates organization has made some terrible terrible moves over more than half my life and I wonder how old I'll be when they win again.

Tampa who?

See you all in October!

GL!

I'm going out on a limb. 78-84! : D

94-67.

or 67-94.

Ugh. I'm trying to forget this team actually exists. I've never heard of any of the RF's or LF's, btw.

I've never heard of the players in bold, and that's not saying that I know the others, I just have heard of their names at some point at least.

They certainly have a lotta southpaws.

Brandon Moss is the player for the Red Sox last year that hit a HR against the A's in Japan. I remember that about him.

No talk about Eric Hinske on here. 1 year for 1-2 mill plus incentives is pretty good.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors/post/Pi...?urn=mlb,137538

Maybe Luis Gonzalez also?

I hear they're talking to Ken Caminiti's corpse, too.

I'm one of the 2 or 3 biggest Pirates fans here, and I think they're gonna make a run at 110 losses. They have 2 guys that'll hit 20 HRs, 1 guy that'll hit over .300, and a bunch of guys that would be riding the bench for half of baseball's AAA team.

I agree. I dont know why we cant win like Minnesota every year. We basically have the same payroll as them (maybe lower) but they still seem to be in contention every year. We need to start developing players through our farm system.

pitching.

They won't be THAT bad..the offense should be somewhat respectable...some potential in there.

Pirates unveil 09 jerseys !!

http://www.post-gazette.com/multimedia/?videoID=101446

http://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/blog/roto_...=fantasy,138058

Pittsburgh Pirates

Enjoy the Super Bowl afterglow, Pittsburgh. The Pirates will slouch into spring training very soon, ending the official period of celebration.

There are few reasons for optimism if you're a Bucs fan. Fantasy owners are interested in OF Nate McLouth (ADP 59.7), C Ryan Doumit (120.9), RP Matt Capps (149.4) and a pair of 22-year-old prospects, OF Andrew McCutchen and 3B Pedro Alvarez. But that's it, really. The rest of Pittsburgh's roster is just a sad collection of LaRoches, low-ceiling veterans and sketchy left-handers.

None of the team's offseason acquisitions -- OF/1B Eric Hinske, 2B/SS/3B Ramon Vazquez, OF Craig Monroe, RHP Virgil Vasquez, LHP Donald Veal, C Jason Jaramillo -- will deserve serious consideration in mixed leagues. If things break just right for Hinske and Vazquez, maybe they'll play their way onto NL-only rosters. Let's not pretend that they're worth detailed discussion in a fantasy feature, though. You like the multi-position eligibility, but you can't possibly like the career rates.

The 67-win Pirates seem to have spent the offseason treading water. They might be interested in Pedro Martinez, but not at his asking price, whatever it is.

Honestly, it's tough to even identify a current player whose image might lure readers to this particular Hot Stove Helper. Perhaps you can be enticed by the Cobra. If you're at all enthusiastic about the 2009 Bucs, please comment …

Ouch.....I will still draft some Buccos

I'm glad they went back to sleeves. the sleeveless was and still is horrible. It's a good thing that they will only be worn on Sundays.

don't look now but guess who's leading the grapefruit league. [/sw]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/standings;_ylt...H9PFMmCAjAl0bYF

cactus league > *

Opening day roster (depth chart)

Rotation

1. P. Maholm (I predict 16 wins)
2. I. Snell
3. Z. Duke
4. R. Ohlendorf
5. J. Karstens

Bullpen

Bullpen
M. Capps (CL) (I predict 29 saves)
J. Grabow
T. Yates
S. Burnett
C. Hansen
D. Veal
J. Chavez

1st base ~ Adam La Roche
2nd base ~ Freddy Sanchez
Shortstop ~ Jack Wilson
3rd base ~ Andy La Roche
Left field ~ Nyjer Morgan
Center field ~ Nate Mc Clouth
Right field ~ Brandon Moss
Catcher ~ Ryan Doumit

Monroe looks like the sleeper outfielder. He is having an awesome spring and could replace Morgan or Moss if they start slumping.

McCutchen has to be better than Moss and Morgan.

Yay for opening day!

Lets go SUCKS!

it's the third inning of the first game and you guys are already giving up? poor pirates fans. it looks like the Giants wasn't the only team Bonds fucked over.

Shit, I gave up like 8 years ago. They may have had 16 consecutive losing seasons but most of those teams including players that were semi-interesting to watch. Where are those players this year? Nate McClouth?...gimme a break.

I check the boxscores and try to keep up with the headlines but somehow it's just too depressing to really think about. Once the Pens are finished it's basically a countdown to Steelers training camp in Pittsburgh.

How did Bonds **** over the Giants? He would play for them for the league min right now and probably be their best player.

I'm surprised you don't know.

With Bonds juicing and chasing the home run record, Sebean signed a bunch of shitty veterans to surround him while he went after the record. Since he left we have had a black cloud over us surrounding the Balco incident and all the Roid bullshit

You cant blame Bonds for Sabean signing a bunch of retards and I don't think anyone has anymore hard feelings towards the Giants then they do over any other baseball team because of Bonds.

McClouth is a damn good player, and has the potential to become a stud.

Boy, gotta love a "Pirates fan" posting in a Pirates thread not knowing who Nate McClouth is.

Who was that?

BTW...nice comeback today. Looks like all Motte has is a 95 MPH fastball that doesnt move.

dEv~

Um, I definitely know who he is, I was just posting how sad it is that he's the only player worth watching on their roster.

can we please just cut our losses no matter how much that is and cut an. la'roche....?

http://www.spudart.org/blogs/randomthought...s/3881_0_3_0_C/


Andy Laroche is on pace for 243

This team definitely has some exciting players to watch. Jack Wilson is always fun, because he cares about the game more than almost anybody else in baseball. Maholm is fun, because he's so damn consistent. Doumit is exciting. Duke and Ohlendorf are gonna be fun to watch this year. And above everyone else, even McLouth, is Nyjer Morgan. Incredible speed, great range, and he can hit.

Two great starts by Maholm ! Morgan, Sanchez, Wilson and McClouth looking good .

Shutout by Duke ! 2-0 !

Maholm pitched a gem tonight !

Sweep of the Marlins..next the Padres.

Believe dat !


St. Louis Cardinals 13 6 .684 --
Pittsburgh Pirates 11 7 .611 1.5
Cincinnati Reds 10 8 .556 2.5
Chicago Cubs 9 8 .529 3.0
Milwaukee Brewers 8 10 .444 4.5
Houston Astros 7 12 .368 6.0

If they're still in the hunt in July I'll think about starting to believe in them. It's nice to see them go through a good run but 17 years of losing is tough to break.

by quoting this I cursed them for the rest of the year. i did the same thing to the marlins thread.

Great...thanks.

Brewers have our number...we cant beat them.

I'd love to a see a winning pirates club in my lifetime (I'm 25) but it's hard to see any light at the end of the dark tunnel they're in.