Pittsburgh Post Gazette
:PIT: Pirates Winter Report :PIT:
PITTSBURGH, PA - 12/22/2011 - The Pirates fan base has suffered through 18 consecutive losing seasons from 1993 through 2010. New management, effective in 2009, has changed the culture around PNC Park. The team became very aggressive in both free agency and the trade market. Despite budgetary concerns remaining the same due to the ownership of Bob Nutting's group squatting on the franchise, the new GM decided to pursue big name players with expensive contracts.
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This meant that unfortunate demise of a young core involving McCutchen, Walker, Alvarez, and Tabata had to go. The return was proven veterans who could hit as well as plenty of cash to support their contracts. Despite big names like Verlander, Helton and Holliday spending time in Pittsburgh, they were eventually redealt to have a better fiscal situation through 2014. In came Youkilis, Ethier, Swisher, and Kotchman supporting the young pitching staff and supporting cast of journeymen MI and young OF.
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The current model appears to be one that brings in a few big bats, edges their contract with cash exchanges, and then trades them off in their final year of the contract. If the Pirates are competitive at the deadline then they will hold on to these players and let them go in free agency. In turn, they would receive compensation in the form of draft picks and use the cash flow to pursue new free agents. The franchise has an average farm that it uses to fuel its trades of veteran players. Rumor is that Swisher and prospects could be dealt mid-season to bring in a younger OF. The team has done this in the past by bringing in players like Gio Gonzalez and Matt Wieters. Both of those players were signed to affordable long-term deals.
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The Pirates cash flow is two-pronged. Word from the front office is that the team plans on giving at least $40m in contracts to mid-tier free agents at the winter meetings in January. Many of the big name players go off the books after 2013 opening an additional $30m in annual cash flow in 2014. Escalating or deferred contracts are not allowed due to the FGM CBA, so this allows the team to utilize a unique strategy focusing on two-year deals. This will give them plenty of bargaining chips headed into 2014 as well as plenty of cash.
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Ultimate goal here is to win a World Series. The Pirates changed the culture of losing in 2010 by winning over 90 games. They missed the playoffs due to a very competitive NL Central. How can the team improve upon last season and make the playoffs? A lot of luck will be needed as the Nutting ownership situation prevents them from spending too much. Meanwhile, the Brewers organization is stacked, the Cardinals have plenty of depth, the Reds will be at it again with a talented team, and the young Cubs plan on spending record money in 2011. The Astros shouldn't be a team to forget about either as they went to the playoffs in 2009 and return with a solid team. Whatever does happen, Pirates fans should be in for a treat with a much more competitive team then they have seen in the past. Pittsburgh, your Pirates are back and here to stay.