Earlier today Vlad noticed that the Pirates just signed first baseman and former Nationals prospect Larry Broadway (who, just in case you saw the name and got a little confused, isn't the same person as White Sox pitcher Lance Broadway). Obviously, this move isn't any kind of a big deal and Broadway is highly unlikely to play for the Bucs, but it clouds the situation at Indianapolis. Here are all the players the Pirates have who are likely to play first or outfield (I've included centerfielders too, because they're tough to separate from corner guys) for the Bucs at Pittsburgh or Indianapolis this year:
| PLAYER | POSITION(S) | LIKELY ROLE | NOTES |
| Brandon Moss | OF | Pirates starting corner OF | Job relatively secure |
| Nate McLouth | CF/OF | Pirates starting CF | Obviously will start somewhere, but could move to corner if McCutchen emerges |
| Nyjer Morgan | OF/CF | Pirates starting corner OF? | Job may not be secure |
| Adam LaRoche | 1B | Pirates starting 1B | FA after 2009 |
| Eric Hinske | OF/1B/3B | Pirates bench | Insurance against struggles by Andy LaRoche, Morgan or Moss |
| Andy Phillips | OF/1B/3B | Pirates bench? | Minor league slugger may wind up in majors or AAA |
| Jeff Salazar | OF/CF | Pirates bench? | Good hitting relative to Morgan and fielding relative to Hinske would make Salazar a great option as the Pirates' fifth outfielder. Indianapolis also a possible destination |
| Andrew McCutchen | CF | Indianapolis starting CF | Could probably use another month or two at AAA but should join Pirates soon |
| Steve Pearce | OF/1B | Indianapolis starting OF | The Pirates have said they want Pearce to play every day at Indianapolis |
| Craig Monroe | OF | Indianapolis OF | Markedly worse than Salazar, but will probably get look as Pirates bench OF |
| Jose Tabata | OF | Indianapolis OF? | If Bucs send him to Indianapolis rather than Altoona, he obviously needs to play every day |
| Brad Corley | OF | Indianapolis OF? | Former 2nd round pick's strike zone judgment is so bad he probably struggles to avoid swinging at pickoff throws to first. Altoona also possible |
| Jason Delaney | 1B/OF | Indianapolis 1B? | Only played 1B last year and is probably just a hair too interesting to give up on completely |
| Garrett Jones | 1B/OF | Indianapolis 1B? | Interesting lefty option at Indy |
| Larry Broadway | 1B/OF? | Indianapolis 1B? | Eight career minor league games in OF. Older and probably a lesser hitter than Jones |
| Adam Boeve | OF/1B | Indianapolis OF? | Not a prospect, but reliably decent hitter in AAA |
| Ryan Mulhern | 1B | Indianapolis bench? | Former Cleveland prospect now an organizational player |
As you can see, this is a ton of players for a limited amount of playing time, particularly at Indianapolis. Jamie Romak could also cloud the picture further with a strong start at Altoona. These players will therefore be interesting to keep track of in Spring Training. A few of them, like Monroe, could have out clauses in their contracts that allow them to become free agents if they don't make the team. Some, like Broadway or Boeve, could be sent to Altoona. It will be interesting to see where Tabata is assigned, also.
The proliferation of minor league options may mean the Pirates want to hedge their bets against potentially weak starting options like Morgan, Moss or (to a lesser extent) Andy LaRoche. Also, note that Adam LaRoche becomes a free agent after 2009, and I don't think the Pirates will try to sign him to a long-term deal, so he could depart in a trade at midseason. In that case, the Pirates might promote Hinske or Pearce to a starting role.