With the recent past and the questionable present state of the franchise i find solace in looking towards the ever bright future of the franchise. I've typed up my projected 2016 lineup with general projections (I realize this is very much a stretch). After writing it all out, i realized how good this franchise could be, should things continue to go well in the farm. Apologies ahead of time for having to put it in a picture but I couldn't format the chart correctly when in the regular fanpost. Here is my predicted 2016 lineup:

via i1355.photobucket.com

Predicting pitching stats of the future is exponentially more foolish and inaccurate than batting stats so therefore I didn't even try. Here's is my predicted 2016 rotation.

1. Gerrit Cole 25- His sensational stuff makes him a future ace and the command should be good enough to succeed. Hopefully we see him mature some more both in his pitching and his attitude as he should anchor the rotationa for years to come.

2. Jameson Taillon 24- his 7.35 K/9 seemed a bit low in 2012 for the quality of his stuff but he has all the makings of a future ace. Although one year younger, he has the talent to match Cole and even make a challenge to lead the rotation.

3. Luis Heredia 21- Has the frame and velocity to become a top pitcher but he is too young and raw to accurately project what he will become. With proper development he could debut around 2015 and give the pirates a scary young trio at the top of their rotation.

4. Kyle McPherson 28- The last two spots in the rotation could go to a number of people but i will give McPherson the advantage because by this time he should have a few good years of big league experience to go with his solid pitching talent.

5. Nick Kingham 24- If he continues to pitch well, he very well could take the number 3 spot in the rotation. Has meh stuff, but excellent control could turn him into a good mid-rotation starter.

One thing is for sure, we have an abundance of talent on the way. No matter how the season goes, i'll keep my hope in the farm. The future looks bright to me.