Welcome to the “Start of the Season” charts!  If you haven’t seen these before, they are a cheat sheet for the casual fan.  The charts present a snapshot of the Pirates’ starters, next starters, and starters-after-next using only assets we have on hand.  It tries to show areas of strength (pitching) and weakness (1B and corner outfield).  It also reflects contract status and team control.  I expect to update them again around the trade deadline

     I’ve re-formatted the charts so they (hopefully) display better on Bucs Dugout; they are viewed best in “wide” view.  Information comes from http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com, http://www.baseball-reference.com, http://www.piratesprospects.com, and of course, the discussions here. The 2011 Pirates Prospects Prospect Guide was particularly helpful, and no, I am not a reimbursed spokesman for, or employee of, Pirates Prospects (or the Pirates front office, which I reflexively defend).  

     My guess as to when (or if) minor league players join the Pirates was gathered, using Stuxnet, from the top-secret computers of the Nutting family, Neal Huntington, and Clint Hurdle.  I’ll offer only brief comments as (hopefully) these are self-explanatory.      

 

     At catcher, the Doumit era is over unless Snyder spends a long time on the DL. 

     We have depth problems at 1B, 3B, and corner outfielders who hit for power. Given that Matt Diaz is here for two years and Garrett Jones is his platoon buddy, I think we will cover a gap year at 1B with some other option.  Steve Pearce would make a useful gap-filler until, as speculated here, Pedro Alvarez transitions to 1B or we sign Albert Pujols.  The 1B picture could change significantly if Matt Hague breaks out at Indy, as that would lessen the pressure to draft Anthony Rendon.  For now, given our overall lack of power, I’m still in the camp that believes we will draft Rendon, although we won’t sign him quickly enough to have him play this year. 

    

     The future middle infielder picture is difficult to project.  It does seem to me that D’Arnaud is consistently viewed as the former SS most likely to be transitioned to 2B. You’ll have to take my word for it, but I set these projections before hearing that the Pirates traded Negrych, so I’m either a little good at this or lucky.

     I am leaving the “Left Fielder-After-Next” blank because I didn’t see any names that could credibly fill that position.  As is oft-discussed here, a Pirates LF has to be more Al Oliver than Willie Stargell or Richie Zisk.  (Just the thought makes the heart shudder.)  Many of our CF prospects could end up being the next LF or the LF-After-Next. Hopefully, we’ll never have to find out because McClutch will be bought out of his first free-agency year and Tabata will remain healthy and productive.

Position	Player	Acquired	ST	OL	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
C	Chris Snyder	tr10	6.047	0	30	31
	Tony Sanchez	dr09	0.000	3	AA	23	24	25	26	27	28	29
	Ramon Cabrera	fa08	0.000	3	A	AA	AAA	24	25	26	27	28	29
1B	Lyle Overbay	fa11	8.026	0	34
	Steve Pearce	dr05	1.011	1	28	29	30	31	32	33
	Pedro Alvarez	dr08	0.110	1			26	27	28	29
2B	Neil Walker	dr04	0.166	3	25	26	27	28	29	30
	Chase D’Arnaud	dr08	0.000	3	AA	AAA	26	27	28	29	30	31
	Jarek Cunningham	dr08	0.000	3	A	AA	AAA	24	25	26	27	28	29
SS	Ronny Cedeno	tr09	5.029	0	28	29
	Josh Rodriguez	5dr11	0.000	3	26	27	28	29	30	31
	Jordy Mercer	dr08	0.000	3	AAA	25	26	27	28	29	30
3B	Pedro Alvarez	dr08	0.110	1	24	25
	Josh Harrison	tr09	0.000	3	AAA	24	25	26	27	28	29	30
	Anthony Rendon	dr11	0.000	3	---	A	22	23	24	25	26	27	28
LF	Jose Tabata	tr08	0.117	1	22	23	24	25	26	27
	Starling Marte	fa07	0.000	3	AA	AAA	24	25	26	27	28	29
CF	Andrew McCutchen	dr05	1.123	3	24	25	26	27	28
	Gorkys Hernandez	tr09	0.000	2	AAA	24	25	26	27	28	29
	Mel Rojas, Jr.	dr10	0.000	3	A	AA	AAA	23	24	25	26	27	28	29
RF	Garret Jones	fa08	1.158	0	29	30	31	32	33
	Matt Diaz	fa10	5.157	0	33	34
	Andrew Lambo	tr10	0.000	3	AAA	23	24	25	26	27	28	29
	Quincy Latimore	dr07	0.000	3	AA	AAA	24	25	26	27	28	29
	ST = Service Time			Player starts year in AAA but sees ML service; not eligible for arbitration.
	OL = Options Left			Player is not eligible for arbitration.
	Age  as of 1st month of season			Player is eligible for arbitration.
				Player is under contract.
				Player is under an option that the Pirates may exercise.
				Player is eligible for free agency and is presumed not to be with the Pirates.