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| A strange and unnecessary artist depiction of the Pirates new manager |
CF Paul Miller- Paul has been the mainstay in centerfield for the Pirates when healthy and experienced an extremely important comeback season last year for the team. He had experienced major injuries in 2028 and 2029 and people around the league wondered if he still had it; and he responded by hitting a career high 14 homers and overall being an important spark plug for the offense.
2B Micah Izabel- Micah has continued to impress the league with his outstanding contact bat and put up a very nice .345 average last year to capture the leagues batting title. Izabel has been a rock solid option for the team at 2nd base and there is every reason to expect the same going forward.
1B Brandon Zimmerman- BZim had a catastrophic injury in 2030 after falling down the stairs after helping a phantom Pittsburgh woman carry her groceries to her apartment, later found out that the woman was a die hard Reds fan and wanted BZim quote "dead." The woman has since been charged although it couldnt prevent his broken back vertebra he experienced in the attack. The doctors say he can expect a full recovery and should have a normal offseason for workouts. Expect Brandon to be back to the same old machine on the field and in the batters box.
RF Dominic Fulgham- Dominic is entering the final year of his contract and had a solid comeback year in 2030 before also breaking his back. People have joked that he broke his back trying to carry the team on his shoulders. His recovery could creep into the 2031 season and hopefully that will not affect his performance going forward but Pirates fans will have high expectations because of past performances.
LF Bill Doucet- Bill has been Mr. Consistent after being acquired from the Twins in 2028 and Pirates fans expect nothing less than what they have seen over the last few years. He has the potential to be an all star in any given season but has yet to accomplish that in the steel city. Health is certainly the key for Bill going forward as he has a history of injuries but has been quite healthy since coming to Pittsburgh.
3B Aaron Wittman- The power bat from Tampa, Florida had a bit of a disappointing season in 2030 but still hit 28 homers. The other numbers such as his average and his overall production was underwhelming and Pirates fans are hoping for another 100 rbi season from the Pirates slugger.
C Ricardo Soto- His name has flown around in some trade rumors but no trade has appeared to have any legs and it appears that Soto will finish out his contract in a Pirates uniform. Soto has shown good power in a Buccos uniform but his overall production at times has been horrid. Soto is an extremely streaky hitter but a relatively solid defensive backstop; Pirates fans awe at his power but his play on the field has yet to really showcase it. Soto may come in extremely motivated in a contract year and put up big numbers but he cannot be relied upon to be a force in the lineup.
SS Carl Grant- After the trade of Joey Fowler to the Yankees, this apparently opens the door to the main trade piece in the deal that sent former SP Aaron Kearsey to the Seattle Mariners. Grant should be a defensive upgrade at the position and scouts say he has a solid contact bat with perhaps 10 home run per season potential. The bat may not be quite to the caliber of Joey Fowler, but Grant has had far less problems with injuries than Fowler and ttherefore will hopefully be more reliable.
Bench- Expect OF Pete Brinkley and 3B Blake Mcgilvernock to have locked up spots on the bench for next year after having great success last year, all other bench spots should be up for a battle from various FA's, internal options, and spring training invites.
Rotation
SP Adam Sadlier- This man got paid this offseason and will be making a rumored 16 million dollars per year; he had a huge year for the team last year and for years preceding and has every quality of the teams ace.
SP Moreno Hellesto- The quiet Venezuelan has gone about his business each and every year as a Pirate, expect another 200 innings and a solid start every time out and Pirates fans will be more than happy with him. He is in the last guaranteed year of his contract and holds a dual option for 2032 season and it could really determine the future with the team but there is no reason to not be confident going forward.
SP Brian Luck- Luck experienced a bit of a breakout year in 2030 and made his first all star game after a stellar first half. He will need to carry that momentum into the 2031 season and if the improvement is any sign, the expectation is that he could be a 1 or 2 starter for the team going forward.
SP Brent Ruediger- He has pitched with mixed results since coming over from the Mets in 2029 but yet the Pirates showed confidence in him after moving Greensite and extending the contract of Brent through the 2033 season. Hopefully the confidence that the organization has shown in Ruediger will improve his confidence as he has a lot of talent.
SP Scott Waters- Rumors have been flying out of Pittsburgh that the former 2nd overall pick will be taking the spot of Greensite in the rotation after showing rapid progression in the minor leagues. He got a bit of a cup of coffee in the majors in 2030 with solid success and hopefully that will help shake the jitters going into the new season. Rookie SP can go either way and the book is still out on Waters so keep the expectations tempered for the rookie pitcher that ties up the back of the rotation.
Bullpen- The core will be back in the same way with Rich Thompson and Cameron Pavilaitis after they both experiences stellar success in 2030. Coldiron has been extended and after a strong showing from youngster Etienne Pracatan, he has an excellent chance of cracking his first opening day lineup. Expect a Spring Training battle for the last RP spot and the 6th starter or long relief pitcher.
Overall Pirates fans should have every expectation of playoffs for the upcoming season as on paper the team looks like one of the best in the division and hopefully the team can avoid a similar collapse to that of what happened in 2030.
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