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General manager Neal Huntington and the Pittsburgh Pirates have been busy this offseason, making small moves for players they hope will play to their maximum potential in 2015.  

The smartest moves the Pirates have made occurred Monday when Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the Pirates acquired utility man Sean Rodriguez via trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and designated first baseman Gaby Sanchez for assignment.

The 29-year-old Rodriguez batted just .211 in 96 games for the Rays in 2014, which is nothing to write home about. However, his 12 home runs and 41 RBI were both career-highs.  

A seven-year veteran, Rodriguez owns a career batting average of .225 in 1,641 at-bats. His busiest season came in 2011, when he played in 131 games and batted .223 for the Rays.  

Primarily a middle infielder, Rodriguez gives the Pirates the opportunity to rest players such as Neil Walker and Jordy Mercer when they need a day off.

In reality, he can fill in at any position when a player needs a rest day for the Pirates in 2015, and manager Clint Hurdle can be confident with him in the lineup.  

What makes him so valuable as a backup or a utility man is the fact he can play any position in the field, as he has seen playing time at every position except catcher throughout his career.

If Rodriguez blasts 12 home runs as a utility man for them in 2015, they would gladly take that, but he is capable of achieving more given the right number of at-bats.  

Rodriguez collected 237 at-bats in 2014, and although he totaled just 50 hits, more than half of them went for extra bases (28 of them, to be exact).  

With the move for Rodriguez came another move to make room on the team’s roster: designating first baseman Gaby Sanchez for assignment.  

Sanchez was a promising player a few seasons ago when he was a member of the Miami Marlins, blasting 19 home runs in back-to-back seasons between 2010-2011.  

Sanchez has blasted just 21 home runs combined in the three seasons since, as his ineffectiveness against right-handed pitchers has led him to a role as a platoon player.  

This was a promising move for the Pirates because it now leaves just two first basemen on the roster: Pedro Alvarez and Andrew Lambo.  

Alvarez, who was the team’s everyday third baseman, will likely be the new everyday first baseman in 2015 while Josh Harrison takes over at the hot corner.  

Although he missed 40 games due to injuries in 2014, Alvarez possesses tremendous power in the heart of the Pirates’ lineup, which is what they need. Platooning him with Sanchez probably wouldn’t have been as effective as leaving Alvarez in the lineup on a consistent basis.  

Furthermore, Sanchez’s statistics even against left-handed pitchers were not impressive in 2014 like they were in 2013.  He batted .333 in 102 at-bats against southpaws in 2013 but just .256 in 133 at-bats against them in 2014.  

Sanchez’s numbers have consistently declined throughout his career, and as he is already 31 years old and set to become a free agent in 2016, the best option would be for the Pirates to trade him (the Pirates have 10 days to decide whether to trade or release him).  

The Pirates became a better team Monday, from an offensive standpoint. While Rodriguez is not a standout player, he has proven he can play at the big league level, while Sanchez’s declining numbers have to be considered a concern for the Pirates.  

*Statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference.

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There was a time when Gaby Sanchez was considered an offensive threat at the plate for opposing pitchers. 

That time was five seasons ago, as the young first baseman was coming off his second straight 19-home run season.  Between 2010-2011 as a member of the then-known-as Florida Marlins, Sanchez drove in 163 runs in 310 games.  

In the three seasons since, Sanchez’s power numbers and batting average have dropped off drastically.  

In 2014, Sanchez batted .229 with just seven home runs in 123 games.  Of course, he has not had nearly the number of at-bats he was given years ago, but that is due to the fact that he struggles mightily against right-handed pitchers.  

When the Pirates traded first baseman Ike Davis to the Oakland Athletics a little over a week ago, it still left three first basemen on the Pirates’ depth chart.  

It is possible that the Pirates could keep Sanchez on the roster and go into the season with two backup first basemen, but there really is no need to, especially considering the likelihood of Pedro Alvarez becoming the everyday first baseman for the Pirates.  

Furthermore, the Pirates have a young and talented prospect named Andrew Lambo, who has seen limited playing time throughout his first two seasons in the majors.

According to a report from Baseball America, Lambo was listed as the best power hitter in the Pirates farm system heading into the 2014 regular season.  Lambo proved that he deserved that ranking by blasting 44 home runs over the last two seasons in the minors.

Realistically, though, when will Lambo be given a chance to play every day if there are two first baseman in front of him on the Pirates depth chart?  Unless either Alvarez or Sanchez is traded during the offseason, Lambo would have to have a tremendous spring training to win the starting job.  

Now, the Pirates could also offer Alvarez in a trade instead of Sanchez, and that would have its pros and cons.  

On the bright side, the Pirates could probably acquire some talented prospects for Alvarez, as he has shown that he has tremendous power at the plate when healthy.  In 2013 for the Pirates, Alvarez hit 36 home runs and drove in 100 runs in 152 games.  

Alvarez missed 40 games in 2014 due to injuries, but he still was able to total 18 home runs and collect 56 RBI.  

To put it nicely, Alvarez has been shaky in the field, committing 52 errors at third base over the last two seasons.  To me, Alvarez would best be suited on an American League team, where he could see a considerable amount of playing time as a designated hitter.  So, perhaps an A.L. team would be willing to trade for him.  

The major con of trading away a guy like Alvarez is that it would leave a power void in the heart of Pittsburgh’s lineup, which they probably cannot afford unless they go out and acquire solid starting pitchers.

Second baseman Neil Walker and center fielder Andrew McCutchen were the only two players to hit at least 20 home runs for the Pirates in 2014, so trading away Alvarez would negatively impact the power numbers for the Pirates in 2015.  

Playing the role of general manager Neal Huntington, here is my verdict: listen to any offers on both players, but try to get a decent offer for Sanchez, as trading away Alvarez at this point would not make much sense.  

Then, in spring training, allow Alvarez to become accustomed to playing first base.  In the worst-case scenario, Lambo and Alvarez could split time until one of them takes off and gets hot.  

Although his batting average is nothing to be excited about, it is hard to come across the level of power Alvarez possesses at the plate, and although the Pirates could get more in return for Alvarez, the lineup they currently have is set up to win now.  

Without Alvarez’s power in the middle of the lineup, however, the Pirates should expect to win less games than they did last season.  

*Statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference

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When the Pittsburgh Pirates were bounced from the playoffs in the 2014 National League Wild Card Game by the eventual World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, general manager Neal Huntington knew there would be a lot of work to do in the offseason.

That work included potentially re-signing catcher Russell Martin and starting pitchers Edinson Volquez and Francisco Liriano. 

So far, Huntington is 0-1, as Martin left the Pirates for the Toronto Blue Jays. 

Of course Toronto’s signing of Martin was questionable in itself, as the organization agreed to sign a catcher in his thirties to a five-year deal worth $82 million. 

Still, before Martin even agreed to terms with the Blue Jays, the Pirates traded away lefty reliever Justin Wilson to the New York Yankees in exchange for Francisco Cervelli, New York’s backup catcher.  

While this move probably was made because it was evident to Huntington that Martin would be offered money that he was not willing to give, it is also evident to fans that Pittsburgh’s organization did not seriously pursue Martin.

Martin had a great stint with the Pirates, helping them to get to the playoffs in both seasons when he was a member of the team.  

Next, the Pirates went out and signed a familiar face in A.J. Burnett, who pitched considerably well in two seasons with Pittsburgh, going 26-21 with a 3.41 ERA. In 2014 with the Philadelphia Phillies, however, Burnett went a career-worst 8-18 with a 4.59 ERA.

Signing Burnett would be justifiable if he were coming off a solid 2014 season (and if the Pirates were in need of one more starting pitcher at the back end of their rotation). However, at 37 years of age, it is disappointing that Burnett has been Pittsburgh’s biggest acquisition so far this offseason.  

To make matters worse, Mike Axisa of CBS Sports reported that the Pirates signed Radhames Liz to a two-year contract worth $3 million. The 31-year-old pitcher has not appeared in a Major League game since 2009 when he was a member of the Baltimore Orioles.

In 28 career games, Liz owned a 6-8 record with an ERA of 7.50. In ten Minor League seasons, Liz was 71-76 with a 3.61 ERA. His best seasons have come in the last four years, but three of them have been spent in the Korean Baseball Organization (from 2011-2013).  

The Pirates continue to make small moves in free agency (while both Volquez and Liriano remain on the market).

Meanwhile, the Pirates’ biggest competition (the St. Louis Cardinals) has already gone out and traded for a huge bat in Jason Heyward.  

With a current starting rotation that consists of Gerrit Cole, Burnett, Vance Worley and Jeff Locke, the Pirates are not exactly set for a successful 2015 season. Though the Pirates should be just fine on offense, the pitching needs to improve before the start of the regular season.  

Of course it is still very early in the offseason, but the moves Huntington has made so far really are subtraction by addition. After all, he gave $3 million dollars to a man who hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2009. The three big starting pitchers on the market right now are Max Scherzer, James Shields and Jon Lester. However, the Pirates have not been mentioned as serious contenders for any of them.  

There are plenty of solid starting pitchers on the market—such as Brandon McCarthy and Jason Hammel—who the Pirates could make a run at, but as of now the organization has not done anything to improve the team from last season.

Then there are Edinson Volquez and Francisco Liriano, who both had successful 2014 seasons in Pittsburgh. Volquez pitched brilliantly all year, going 13-7 with a 3.04 ERA. Liriano finished strongly after struggling early on. He finished with a 7-10 record (but had a respectable 3.38 ERA).

It would not make any sense for the Pirates to let both of them walk, unless of course Huntington and the organization go out and sign two more quality starting pitchers in their place.

So far, that has not appeared to come even remotely close to happening, which leads us to question why Huntington and the Pirates have been so quiet once again this offseason.

*Statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates reunited with a familiar friend Friday. Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that they signed starting pitcher A.J. Burnett to a one-year deal.  

Burnett, who will turn 38 in January, is coming off a 2014 regular season in which he performed poorly, going 8-18 with a 4.59 ERA in 34 games started.  

That last statistic is key here, however: Thirty-four starts matched the most games he has ever started in a single season.  

In fact, Burnett has been one of the most durable pitchers in the league throughout the last seven seasons, making 30 or more starts in all seven of those years.  

Burnett spent two seasons with the Pirates from 2012-2013 before signing with the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the start of last season.  In 61 games with the Pirates, Burnett compiled a 26-21 record and a 3.41 ERA—the lowest ERA he has compiled among the five major league teams he has played for in his career.

As it remains uncertain whether the Pirates will reach deals on new contracts with either Edinson Volquez or Francisco Liriano, bringing Burnett back for a season makes total sense.  

Still, the signing of Burnett alone probably isn’t enough to propel the Pirates back into the playoffs for the third straight season in 2015.  

With the level of talent among starting pitchers the Pirates currently have, it would not be surprising to see Burnett penciled into the No. 2 slot in the rotation.

Barring any huge signing, Gerrit Cole will likely head into the 2015 season as the starting pitcher on Opening Day.  Aside from both him and Burnett, the Pirates have Jeff Locke and Vance Worley as two starters with considerable experience in the big leagues.  

While Cole has shown that he can dominate on the mound, Locke has been very inconsistent.  In the 2013 regular season, he owned a 2.15 ERA in the first half before pitching to an ERA north of 6.00 in the second half, but he still finished the season with a 3.52 ERA overall.

Then there is Worley, who has been up and down from the minors to the big leagues.  He pitched well during the time he spent with the club in 2014, going 8-4 with a 2.85 ERA in 18 games.

Still, it will not be easy to win with that rotation in a National League Central Division that is growing tougher and tougher, as teams such as the Chicago Cubs are stacked with rising stars.  Pirates general manager Neal Huntington must continue to work hard during the offseason and pursue a solid starter who can bolster that rotation.  

The signing of Burnett was a smart move by Huntington.  But in order for the Pirates to reach the postseason and be considered legitimate World Series contenders, more work needs to be done.

*Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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For the first time in more than two decades, the Pittsburgh Pirates have made headlines for seemingly all the right reasons, going from perennial losers to championship contenders after making the postseason in each of the last two seasons.  

Can we properly say that the Pirates truly have been a legitimate contender for a World Series title though?  

While the team has taken the first step in a championship run by making the postseason in back-to-back seasons, their weaknesses have shown in short series. They have failed to make it past the Division Series each time, losing in the NLDS in 2013 before getting bounced in the National League Wild Card Game this postseason.  

One player offered his insight on what needs Pittsburgh general manager Neal Huntington will need to fulfill if the Pirates will have any real chance of making a deep run into October: four-time All-Star and 2013 National League Most Valuable Player Andrew McCutchen. 

Rob Biertempfel of TribLive sat down with McCutchen to ask him about his legacy and what he feels the Pirates must do to be a playoff team again in 2015:

Consistency throughout the lineup is something we need. We need an everyday first baseman. The big ballclubs, the good ballclubs have an everyday first baseman. The platooning is not going to work for us. We need somebody who can be confident over there, knowing he’s going to play every day, regardless of whether he’s struggling or not. We need a complete lineup. You can have a platoon in the outfield every now and then. Look at the Giants, who had (Travis) Ishikawa out there (in the playoffs). Outfield platoons, I understand. But when it comes to the infield, you need that group of guys who are always going to be there: first base, third base, shortstop, second base. Once we have that, I think it will complete our team from an offensive standpoint. We have defense and pitching. I think an everyday first baseman is something we really need to look into.

With a future that looks awfully bright for the Pirates, Huntington must do all that he can to bring in that needed offense that will round out the lineup in 2015.  

An Everyday First Baseman in Pittsburgh?

Regardless of McCutchen‘s views, which are hard to argue with after the performance the Pirates got out of their first basemen in 2014, the Pirates could continue to platoon a few players at first base.  

Pittsburgh already has Gaby Sanchez, Ike Davis and Andrew Lambo platooning at first, but there is one solution that would make a lot of sense in Pittsburgh: shifting third baseman Pedro Alvarez across the infield.  

After watching Josh Harrison have a breakout season in which he batted .315 in 143 games and ended the remainder of the regular season at third base, it would be tough for Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle to remove Harrison from that position.  

At the same time, Alvarez failed to stay healthy in 2014, missing a total of 40 regular-season games. We are not exactly talking about a Gold Glove-caliber third baseman here either, as Alvarez has committed 52 errors over the last two seasons.  

Still, the Pirates cannot afford to keep him out of their lineup, as his bat is too powerful of a force to have wasting on the bench.  Over a 162-game average throughout his career, Alvarez has averaged 28 home runs and 89 RBI.  

According to Michael Hurcomb of CBS Sports, Huntington confirmed on Tuesday that Harrison will be the Pirates’ everyday third baseman in 2015, a move that makes complete sense.  

With that move, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see the Pirates name Alvarez their everyday first baseman, which would leave Huntington and the organization with a decision to make on Sanchez, Davis or Lambo, as it would not make sense to carry three backup first basemen on a 25-man roster.  

Pitching?

It would be interesting to ask McCutchen if he truly believes that the Pirates currently have the pitching needed to win enough ballgames to reach the postseason again.  

After all, it is very possible that Pittsburgh loses two of its best starting pitchers in Edinson Volquez and Francisco Liriano during free agency.  Liriano rejected the Pirates’ qualifying offer while Volquez was not offered one, which means both men are set to become free agents.  

It would be somewhat of a surprise if the Pirates do not go after at least one of these guys in an effort to bring them back for another couple of seasons in Pittsburgh.  However, that possibility is seeming more and more real as free agency gets underway.  

As of now, the only legitimate top-of-the-rotation starter on the Pirates’ roster is Gerrit Cole, who at the age of 24 is blossoming into an ace.  

Other than Cole, the starting rotation consists of Jeff Locke (7-6 in 21 games in 2014) and Vance Worley (8-4 in 18 games in 2014), two men who would make solid pitchers at the back end of the rotation, as they did in 2014.  

However, neither pitcher strikes one as a No. 2 or 3 starter, as Locke has been very inconsistent over the last two seasons, and Worley hasn’t pitched in more than 17 games since 2012.  

Now, there is no question about it that the Pirates have arguably one of the best bullpens in all of Major League Baseball.  Led by setup man Tony Watson and closer Mark Melancon, the Pirates finished fifth in the National League among all bullpens with a 3.28 ERA.  

Still, it is hard to see the Pirates succeeding with the group of starting pitchers that they currently have on their roster.  

Whether it is working out a new deal with either Liriano or Volquez or going out and signing a decent starting pitcher such as Brandon McCarthy or Jason Hammel, Huntington will have a lot of work to do with this Pirates team if he wishes to watch them make a run at the team’s first World Series title since 1979.  

*Statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference.

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It is often said that in Major League Baseball, playoff spots cannot be won early on in the season, but they can certainly be lost.  

For the Pittsburgh Pirates, it looked as if that may have been the case early on.  

The date was May 5, and the Pirates had lost 11-10 to the San Francisco Giants, putting them at a season-low eight games below .500 and 9.5 games out of first place.  

Now, almost six months later, the Pirates have punched their ticket back to the postseason for the second straight year.  

The Pirates defeated the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday evening by a score of 3-2. To make matters even better, the Cincinnati Reds took down the Milwaukee Brewers, who were chasing the Pirates in the standings.  

The victory marked the team’s 15th win in its last 18 games, as Pittsburgh has suddenly become the hottest team in baseball.  

Pittsburgh has received key contributions from a number of players, but no one has been more valuable to them than reigning National League Most Valuable Player Andrew McCutchen.  

After batting just .286 in the first month of play, McCutchen has remained hot throughout the season, raising his batting average to .313.  

Then there is second baseman Neil Walker, whose value to his team is immeasurable. In his sixth major league season, Walker has blasted a single-season career-high 21 home runs. He also increased his batting average from .251 in 2013 to .270 this season.  

Still, the Pirates probably wouldn’t have been where they currently are without catcher Russell Martin, whose contract is set to retire after this season.  

Statistically speaking, Martin is having the best season of his career, batting .294 with 11 home runs and 67 RBI in 107 games.  

Martin’s presence both at the plate batting and behind the plate catching has been one of the main reasons the Pirates have clinched playoff spots the last two seasons.  

When star third baseman Pedro Alvarez was hampered by injuries all season long, it looked as if the Pirates would have a tough time scoring runs. After all, Alvarez was coming off a 2013 season in which he blasted 36 home runs and drove in 100 runs.  

Even though Alvarez has driven in just 56 runs in 2014, the Pirates are still ranked third among all teams in the NL in runs scored.

Another major question mark about the 2014 Pirates at the beginning of the season was their pitching rotation.  

After losing starting pitcher A.J. Burnett to the Philadelphia Phillies in free agency prior to the start of the 2014 season, the Pirates had a hole to fill in the middle of their rotation.  

Enter Edinson Volquez.  

Who would have ever thought Volquez could do what he did all season long for the Pirates? After going 9-12 with a 5.71 ERA in 2013, Volquez has bounced back drastically, going 12-7 with a 3.15 ERA in 30 starts for the Pirates in 2014. 

Even Francisco Liriano, who was undoubtedly the ace of Pittsburgh’s staff in 2013, has bounced back after a slow start to 2014.  

After starting the season 1-7 with a 4.72 ERA, Liriano has returned to form over the last few months, bringing his season totals to a record of 7-10 and an ERA of 3.32.  

Liriano has allowed just three earned runs combined in his last six starts, as he has proven that he is ready to pitch in the NL Wild Card Game if manager Clint Hurdle elects to go with him.  

At the All-Star break, the Pirates were just three games over .500. After the break, the Pirates have gone 37-25. They are even currently knocking on the door in the NL Central Division race, trailing the St. Louis Cardinals by just 1.5 games.  

The Pirates couldn’t have picked a better time to get hot. It will be interesting to see if they can carry this momentum into October.  

If so, the Pirates will have a legitimate shot at making it back to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1979.

Led by Martin and McCutchen, these Pirates are fighters, and they will not go down without swinging. So buckle up and get ready for “Buctober,” as the Pirates are set to make another run in 2014.   

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com.

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The 2014 regular season is far from over for the Pittsburgh Pirates, as they are on the cusp of another playoff spot.    

Still, it may not be too early to start thinking about what this team could look like next season.  

Following the end of this season, starting pitchers Francisco Liriano and Edinson Volquez will become free agents, and it is unclear whether the organization has any intention to re-sign either player.  

After having a career year in which he finished 16-8 with a 3.02 ERA last season with Pittsburgh, Liriano has not fared well in 2014, going 3-10 with a 3.91 ERA.  

Meanwhile, Volquez has revitalized his career in 2014, going 10-7 with a 3.31 ERA in 27 starts with the team.  

The Pirates are a young team, and they have been since 2007 when Neal Huntington became the 12th general manager in the organization’s history.  

Unfortunately for these two men, that may not bode well, as Liriano will turn 31 this October while Volquez will turn 32 next July.  

Both players are at the point in their careers where they will likely be seeking multi-year deals. However, the Pirates organization isn’t likely to give that to both of them.  

Pittsburgh currently has a nice arsenal of young, quality starting pitchers who have shown the ability to pitch deep into games.  

Let’s take a look at this projected starting rotation for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015.  

1.  Gerrit Cole

There was a lot of buzz around the league last June when starting pitcher Gerrit Cole was called up to pitch for the Pirates.  

That season, he did not disappoint, going 10-7 with a 3.22 ERA and helping the Pirates get back to the playoffs for the first time since 1992.  

This season, Cole has been hampered by injuries, but he has still managed to go 7-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 17 starts.  

Cole has all the makings of a future ace, and it is likely that he will be named the ace of the staff in 2015.  

2.  Edinson Volquez

After watching Volquez bounce back so far in 2014 and become arguably the best starting pitcher for the Pirates this year, it would only make sense for Pittsburgh to try to bring him back for another year.  

Through 27 starts this season, Volquez owns an 11-7 record with a 3.31 ERA.  He has been a driving force in a rotation full of pitchers who have struggled at times.  

Volquez will turn 32 next July, which means he will probably be looking for a multi-year deal as he moves forward in his career.  

Huntington should offer Volquez a two-year contract and see where they can go in talks from there.  If Volquez is anywhere near as stellar in 2015 as he has been in 2014, the Pirates will have a reliable No. 2 starter in their rotation.  

3.  Brandon McCarthy

The Pirates are going to need to go out and sign a reliable starting pitcher during the offseason, and Brandon McCarthy could be a perfect fit for Pittsburgh.  

After a rocky start to the 2014 season while pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks, McCarthy has really found his groove with the New York Yankees, going 5-4 with a 2.80 ERA in 10 starts with the team.  

He has also shown the ability to pitch deep into games, throwing at least 6.0 innings pitched in nine of his first ten starts with New York.  

McCarthy’s best season came in 2012, when he posted an 8-6 record with a 3.24 ERA while pitching for the Oakland Athletics.  

At 31 years of age, McCarthy is probably as hungry as anyone to get back to the postseason, and he could possibly help the Pirates make it back to October in 2015.  

4.  Vance Worley

Since being called up from the minors, Vance Worley has been stellar for the Pirates, going 6-4 with a 3.05 ERA in 14 starts.  

He has never made more than 23 starts in a single season at this level, but the 26-year-old veteran is making his case for a permanent rotation spot in 2015.  

The Pirates need pitchers who can last late into games, and Worley is one of them.

Pittsburgh has one of the best set-up man/closer combinations in the league with Tony Watson and Mark Melancon. Having starting pitchers who can pitch deep into games will make it that much harder for opponents to beat Pittsburgh when the bullpen is called on to do its job.  

5. Charlie Morton/Jeff Locke

Charlie Morton pitched well in 2013 for the Pirates, starting 20 games and going 7-4 with a 3.26 ERA.  

However, Morton is another example of a starting pitcher who has not fared as well for Pittsburgh in 2014, going 5-12 but posting a respectable ERA of 3.84.  

Morton does not allow too many hits, but his 55 walks in 2014 is something that he will have to bring down in 2015.  

He will likely finish somewhere around his career-high in innings pitched, which was 171.2 back in 2010 (Morton is currently at 152.1 this season).  

Morton will likely compete with teammate Jeff Locke for the fifth and final rotation spot entering the 2015 regular season.  

Locke finished 10-7 with a 3.52 ERA in 2013 for the Pirates. Still, at times he has looked just as shaky as Morton has.  

Locke was 8-2 with a 2.15 ERA at the All-Star break in 2013. After that, he went 2-5 with a 6.12 ERA.  

In 17 games pitched in 2014, he has gone 6-4 with a 3.75 ERA. After allowing just three earned runs combined in his previous three starts, Locke was pounded for four earned runs in just three innings pitched in his last start.  

Both of these guys have shown potential to pitch well every five days, but neither has made a definite case for a rotation spot in 2015.  

Expect Morton and Locke to battle for the final rotation spot during spring training in 2015.  

While the Pirates are looking to reach the postseason for the second straight year, the organization must also keep in mind what this team will look like next season.  

As they plan for the future, the Pirates will have a lot of decisions to make following this season.  

If they can shape their rotation in this manner, however, Pittsburgh should be set up for at least a few more years of success.  

*Statistics Courtesy of Baseball-Reference

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With less than a month left to play in the 2014 Major League Baseball regular season, the Pittsburgh Pirates are on the outside of a playoff race looking in.  

While it is still manageable for Pittsburgh to reach the playoffs for the second straight year, it is not too soon to start thinking about what this team will look like in 2015.  

Let’s take a look at 10 free agents the Pirates organization should target during this offseason.

First, we will take a look at a few starting pitchers (one of whom is already in the organization) the Pirates should go after when the season ends.  

Starting pitchers Francisco Liriano and Edinson Volquez will become free agents when the season ends, which means the Pirates may have to fill two major holes in the rotation.   

Brandon McCarthy, SP

Brandon McCarthy is one example of a starting pitcher the Pirates may look to sign during the offseason.

Over nine Major League seasons, McCarthy has gone 50-64 with a 4.12 ERA.  He started the 2014 season with a record of 3-10 and an ERA of 5.01 while pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks.  

Since being traded to the New York Yankees, however, he has been lights-out, going 5-4 with a 2.80 ERA and helping a depleted Yankees team stay in the playoff mix.  

Considering he will turn 32 next July, McCarthy probably wouldn’t get a lengthy contract offer from Pittsburgh, but dishing out a little extra money for him could pay huge dividends for a team whose rotation will not have many proven veterans in it.  

Wei-Yin Chen, SP

One thing lacking in the Pirates’ starting rotation is a solid left-hander, and Baltimore Orioles‘ Wei-Yin Chen may be the answer to that.  

Over three Major League seasons, the 29-year-old has 33 wins and 22 losses while pitching to an ERA of 3.97.  

Each year, however, his numbers have improved, and in 2014, he has gone 14-4 with a 3.83 ERA.  

Chen is a nasty left-hander who could help potential ace Gerrit Cole lead Pittsburgh’s rotation in 2015. Signing him would be huge for the advancement of the franchise.  

Jason Hammel, SP

When the Oakland Athletics acquired both Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel in a trade with the Chicago Cubs during this season, it looked as if they were getting two potential aces.  

Samardzija has pitched well for Oakland, but Hammel has not, going 2-5 with a 4.98 ERA in nine starts.  

Still, that shouldn’t keep Pittsburgh from offering him a contract this offseason, as he has shown the ability to pitch tremendously in the National League.  

In 17 starts with Chicago prior to being traded, Hammel was 8-5 with a 2.98 ERA.  He also walked only 23 batters in 108.2 innings pitched.  

The Pirates will likely need a few starting pitchers prior to the start of the 2015 regular season, and Hammel (now 32 years old) may be a good fit for them.  

Edinson Volquez, SP

Edinson Volquez has been arguably the biggest surprise for the Pirates in 2014.  

After finishing the previous five seasons in a row with an ERA over 4.00, Volquez has led the way for the Pirates with an ERA of 3.31 and an 11-7 record.  

Considering Volquez‘s shaky past, it wouldn’t be a great surprise to see him ask for a reasonable, short-term contract.  

If so, the Pirates better go out and re-sign him, as he would be a low-risk and high-reward guy.  Re-signing him would probably make much more sense than re-signing Liriano, whose ERA has risen by almost an entire run between the last two seasons.  

Andrew Miller, RP

The Pirates have just three left-handers in the bullpen on their 40-man roster.  They will need another reliable arm in the bullpen to come in and get lefties out late in games.  

Enter Andrew Miller.  

The 29-year-old reliever has pitched brilliantly over the last three seasons for the Boston Red Sox and the Orioles.  

In 63 appearances in 2014, Miller has pitched to a 2.34 ERA.  He also owns a WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) of just 0.873 in 2014.  

Simply put, he has become one of the best lefty relievers in the league, and the Pirates would benefit greatly from signing him in the offseason, as they would create a three-headed monster that would consist of closer Mark Melancon, Tony Watson and Andrew Miller.  

Russell Martin, C

Catcher Russell is a must-sign for the Pirates heading into the 2015 regular season.  

The 31-year-old backstop has been a key contributor to the Pirates’ success over the last two seasons. His veteran presence behind home plate has been so important that it would be hard for Pittsburgh to go out and find someone who could match it.  

A three-time all-star, Martin finished 24th in the National League Most Valuable Player voting last season. However, he may be just as valuable to his team as reigning MVP Andrew McCutchen is.  

Considering the list of catchers who will hit the market this offseason is very slim, the Pirates must re-sign their catcher if they wish to have more success next season.  

J.J. Hardy, SS

No matter how you look at it, Jordy Mercer simply isn’t the answer at shortstop for the Pirates in the long run.  

Now, Mercer is not terrible, as he was batting just .256 with nine home runs on the season entering Friday and owns a lifetime .264 average in three big-league seasons.  

Still, if the Pirates could go out and get a player like J.J. Hardy this offseason, their offense would improve greatly.  

Although Hardy’s home run total has dropped from 25 in 2013 to just nine in 2014, his batting average has increased from .263 to .281 during that time.  

Hardy has been one of the driving forces of the Orioles offense, which has been one of the best in the league in 2014.  

His batting average ranks fourth in all of baseball among shortstops in 2014, while Mercer’s is 12th.  

Hardy could provide the Pirates with both a high average and plenty of power (if he regains his power stroke).  

Either way, Hardy would likely be a great fit for Pittsburgh in 2015.   

Jed Lowrie, SS

Another shortstop who may hit the open market is Jed Lowrie of the Oakland Athletics. 

In fact, he may even come at a discount.  

After a fantastic 2013 campaign in which he batted .290 and drove in 75 runs for Oakland, Lowrie has disappointed this season, batting just .239 in 113 games played.  

Given his downward slope in statistics, Lowrie may be willing to sign a short-term deal, as long as he is given enough money.  

For the Pirates, that may be just what they are looking for, as a report from Baseball America has shortstop Alen Hanson ranked as Pittsburgh’s No. 6 prospect.  

If Lowrie has a bounce-back season in 2015 with the Pirates, they could have the best infield in the National League Central Division.  

Mark Reynolds, 3B

After signing a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers prior to the start of the 2014 season, Mark Reynolds started producing right away.  

In 119 games this season, Reynolds has hit 21 home runs but driven in just 44.  

He is batting a well-below average .198 on the season, but his power at the plate is something the Pirates could use coming off the bench or platooning at first or third base.  

Don’t expect Reynolds to be at the top of the Pirates’ wish list heading into free agency, but if they could sign him and use him as a utility backup, it would provide great depth to their bench.    

Ben Zobrist, Utility

Ben Zobrist is right up there with Josh Harrison as one of the best utility players in baseball.  

In 126 games with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014, Zobrist has batted .273 with nine home runs and 44 runs batted in.  

The great thing about him is that he can play pretty much anywhere in the field (other than pitcher or catcher).  

A two-time all-star, the 33-year-old veteran knows all about winning, and his presence both in the lineup and the clubhouse could help this young Pirates team in 2015.  

The main focus will be on pitching this winter for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  However, if they can go out and sign a few of these offensive players, they will be set up to make another postseason run in 2015.  

*Statistics Courtesy of Baseball Reference

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The road to the majors is often a long and difficult travel.    

However, getting there may be a bit easier than remaining there, as has been the case for Pittsburgh Pirates‘ starting pitcher Vance Worley.  

In 2011, Worley started 21 games for the Philadelphia Phillies, going 11-3 and helping his team cruise to the top of the National League East.  

The 2012 season was a completely different story for Worley and the Phillies, however, as he went 6-9 and posted a 4.20 ERA in 23 starts with the team.  

That offseason, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins for Ben Revere, where he did not fare well at all, posting a 7.21 ERA in 10 starts before being sent down to Triple-A.  

This past March, Worley‘s contract was purchased by Pittsburgh, and he pitched for Triple-A Indianapolis until June.  

When Worley was called up to start a game against the Miami Marlins on June 15 this year, it looked as if he had never left the majors. The veteran allowed no runs on just five hits in 7.0 innings pitched en route to a no-decision.  

Worley would go on to make three more consecutive starts in the rotation, going 2-1 while allowing seven earned runs in 20.2 innings pitched during that span.  

While he is accustomed to being sent down to the minors and then called back up again, it looks as if Worley may now be here to stay.  

After spending almost three weeks in the bullpen in July, Worley returned to the rotation on July 22, when he shut down the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing just one earned run in 6.0 innings pitched.  

Just five days later, Worley pitched one of the best games of his career, throwing a four-hit shutout against the San Francisco Giants.  

Very quietly, Worley has actually been one of the best pitchers this season for Pittsburgh, leading all Pirates starting pitchers with an ERA of just 3.01 in 86.2 innings pitched.  

The 26-year-old righty has remained in the Pirates’ starting rotation since July 22, but if he continues to pitch well, he may remain in the Pirates’ future plans.

The Pirates may lose two of their starting pitchers after this season, as both Francisco Liriano and Edinson Volquez will become free agents. Both veterans are over 30 years old, which probably won’t fit general manager Neal Huntington’s organizational plans.  

Of course, it is too early to start thinking about next season, as the Pirates are right in the thick of another playoff race.  

Still, if Worley can continue to pitch well deep into September and possibly even October, there is no reason to believe he won’t be in consideration for a permanent rotation spot at the beginning of the 2015 regular season.   

*Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference

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For much of the first half of the 2014 regular season, the Pittsburgh Pirates looked lost as a team, falling as far out as nine games behind the Milwaukee Brewers on June 28.  

At that point, the Brewers owned a league-best 51-32 record, as they also led the reigning National League-champion St. Louis Cardinals by 6.5 games in the National League Central Division.  

The Brewers have been the biggest surprise in 2014, as they were coming off a terrible 2013 season in which they finished with a record of 74-88.  

Now, Milwaukee has come back down to Earth, and both the Cardinals and Pirates are knocking on the door.  The Brewers have lost five games in a row and eight of their last 10 overall.   

St. Louis has managed to pull into a tie for first place with Milwaukee, but Pittsburgh is on the verge of possibly making it a three-way tie.  

The Pirates enter a three-game showdown with the Cardinals having won seven of their last 10 games.  

Meanwhile, the main reason St. Louis is now tied with the Brewers is because of Milwaukee’s poor play of late.  St. Louis has struggled too, having dropped six of its last 10 contests.  

Clearly, the Pirates have been the hottest team lately in their division, which is why they sit just two games behind both St. Louis and Milwaukee.  

Now, the Pirates need to show up ready to play in St. Louis more than ever.  

The last time the Pirates sat alone atop the standings in 2014 was April 4, just four games into the regular season. Gerrit Cole earned the victory that day as the Pirates pounded the Cardinals by a score of 12-2.  

Now, Cole has the opportunity to bring his team one game closer to the top, as he will take the mound in the first game against Lance Lynn and the Cardinals Monday.  

According to Caitlin Swieca of MLB.com, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny has a positive outlook on the remainder of the season.  

“We still see our best baseball ahead of us and believe the time is ripe for us. But we’ve also seen some not very good baseball from our club as well. We just have to limit those and stretch out those good runs,” Matheny said.  

After seeing how well Pittsburgh has played of late, however, the time seems to be riper for them, and they give Matheny and his Cardinals another bad stretch this week.  

Although Milwaukee is still ahead of the Pirates, Pittsburgh’s real concern right now is St. Louis, as the Brewers seem to be slowly fading away in the standings.  

This series marks the last time the Pirates and Cardinals will square off against each other in the regular season. That means these are the last three times that Pittsburgh can gain a full game directly by defeating St. Louis.  

However, the Pirates still have to play the Brewers three more times as well before the season ends, meaning they must continue to play well in order to make it back to the playoffs for the second straight season.  

Things are looking up for the Pirates, and a series victory against the Cardinals will bring them that much closer to the organization’s first National League Central Division title ever.

Statistics Courtesy of Baseball Reference 

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