Comments on: Season in Review: Pittsburgh Pirates http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/season-in-review-pittsburgh-pirates/ Daily baseball statistical analysis and commentary Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:42:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tom Au http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/season-in-review-pittsburgh-pirates/#comment-55726 Tom Au Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:19:46 +0000 http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/?p=1620#comment-55726 My guess is that the Pirates' starting rotation will be ok in 2009, with Maholm in the lead, surprise second and/or third starters (probably Karstens and/or Dumatrait), and Snell, Duke and/or Gorzelanny rebounding more than adequately to fill the back of the rotation. Then they'll be sorry they traded Jason Bay and even Jose Bautista, who may well have a breakout year next year. What they could have done with Bay, McLouth, Nady, Doumit, Adam LaRoche, and even Bautista, with only the middle infield hitters being a drag. And if either one of the them (Sanchez or the shortstop) surprises on the upside, this would be the (winning) team that they could have had. My guess is that the Pirates’ starting rotation will be ok in 2009, with Maholm in the lead, surprise second and/or third starters (probably Karstens and/or Dumatrait), and Snell, Duke and/or Gorzelanny rebounding more than adequately to fill the back of the rotation.

Then they’ll be sorry they traded Jason Bay and even Jose Bautista, who may well have a breakout year next year. What they could have done with Bay, McLouth, Nady, Doumit, Adam LaRoche, and even Bautista, with only the middle infield hitters being a drag. And if either one of the them (Sanchez or the shortstop) surprises on the upside, this would be the (winning) team that they could have had.

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