Joe Sheehan on the Pirates' chances next year:
Cris E (St Paul, MN): Arrange in order of success in 06: MIL, PIT, TAM, DET, TOR
Joe Sheehan: MIL, DET, TOR, TAM, PIT
Ouch. Of the five teams, the Pirates and Rays lost the most games - 95 each. However, the Rays' young hitting is further along than the Bucs' young pitching - the Rays finished 12th in baseball in runs scored last year, whereas the Pirates finished 19th in ERA. The Rays' pitching and, of course, the Pirates' hitting are dreadful. The two teams would make good trade partners - a young pitcher or two for Jonny Gomes would be a smart trade for both teams.