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As a fan of the two Bay Area baseball teams, most of my observed impressions of players around Major League Baseball are based on their performances against the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s.

Thus, I am biased toward new Pittsburgh Pirates starter, Francisco Liriano, who reportedly signed a two-year, $14 million contract on Friday.

On July 13th of last season, I saw him throw his best game of the season against the A’s. He went eight innings, struck out 15, walked one and allowed only four hits. Unfortunately, one of those hits was a grand slam off the bat of Jonny Gomes to give the A’s a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Despite the mistake to Gomes, Liriano’s outing was one of the most dominant performances that I witnessed all season. His fastball was in the 92-95 mph range, and he featured a nasty slider and changeup—two swing and miss secondary pitches.

Yet that July night was the high-water mark in what was otherwise another maddening season for the talented lefty. Despite having excellent fastball velocity and a wipe-out slider, Liriano was demoted to the bullpen before returning to the rotation in time for a midseason trade. He finished the season with a 5.34 ERA in 156.2 innings.

He was 14th in the league in strikeout percentage amongst starters who threw at least 140 innings, proving that he still has some of the best stuff in the game. However, his control continued to hold him back as he finished with the third-highest walk ratio.

Liriano also had a hard time getting right-handed hitters out last season. He held lefties to a .221/.310/.293 batting line, but righties slashed .251/.354/.430 off him.

Part of the reason for his platoon split is that the slider is his best offering, and that pitch is much more effective against lefties. His changeup—which he uses to attack righties—was outstanding in the start I watched against the A’s, but it was otherwise an inconsistent pitch for him last season.

Liriano also had issues pitching out of the stretch. Opponents had an OPS of .796 with men on base compared to just .699 with the bases empty.

Thus, while the Pirates are getting a pitcher with elite stuff, they’re also getting a guy who has a hard time throwing strikes, getting righties outs and pitching from the stretch.

Last winter Pittsburgh took a similar gamble on the talented but enigmatic A.J. Burnett when they acquired him from the New York Yankees. Burnett rewarded the Pirates by trimming nearly two runs off his ERA, predominantly by reducing his walk and home run rates. 

It isn’t hard to imagine Liriano having the same success in his change from the American League to the National League with the Pirates. Just two seasons ago, he ranked as one of the best pitchers in the AL when he put up a 3.62 ERA and four Wins Above Replacement (WAR).

He’s battled injuries and inconsistency since that excellent season, but he’s young enough to get the magic back. As with Burnett, Liriano’s stuff is still plenty good enough to miss bats.

The trick will be getting him to attack the strike zone the way he did two years ago and the way the Pirates got Burnett to last season. As with Burnett, this is a short-term bet on a player with excellent stuff and serious upside, but also with significant flaws.

This is a “boom or bust” deal for the Pirates, but the potential reward far exceeds the financial cost of the contract. When you haven’t made the postseason in two decades, these are the types of gambles that you have to take.

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I was planning to post on the Pittsburgh Pirates‘ options at the starting pitcher position today, but it appears the Bucs have already settled their rotation. 

Francisco Liriano is a polarizing player who is only two years removed from a season in which he was one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. Yet, he clearly has not been that player during over the last few years.

The reason to be leery of this signing is pretty evident; Liriano has demonstrated very poor control during each of the last two seasons, walking more than five batters per nine innings in 2011. Liriano also has been homer-prone of late and has struggled with runners on base.

$14 million over two years is a decent risk for a team in the Pirates’ financial position to take. Yet, this is absolutely a gamble worth taking for the Bucs.

The Pirates do not have many ordinary means of acquiring elite players in free agency, as their budget does not allow Neal Huntington to spend upwards of $15 million a year on one player. The only way for the Bucs to come out of free agency with an elite player is to guess correctly on someone with elite potential, who also comes with questions attached.

Liriano, who struck out more than a batter an inning in his disappointing 2011 season, is exactly that kind of player.

Liriano has always had the pedigree of a potential ace, and he was exactly that in 2010 when he was worth six wins above replacement.

It is obviously unreasonable to expect Liriano to revert to this high level of production, but the talent and strikeout ability make him the right pitcher to take a chance on. Even if he only slightly outperforms his 2011 season, Liriano can be a league-average pitcher (with subpar walk rates mitigated by the strikeouts) and well worth the money the Pirates are paying him. 

There are reasons to expect improvement from Liriano.

He is moving to a park that favors left-handed pitchers, particularly when it comes to home run prevention, and he will have a better defense behind him than he has in recent years. Liriano should also benefit from moving to the National League.

The Pirates have had very recent success with this “reclamation projection” strategy, as A.J. Burnett put together a much better year in Pittsburgh than he had in recent seasons with the New York Yankees. This approach clearly will not always work, but if the Bucs pick their spots there’s no reason not to take another chance.

The Pittsburgh rotation suddenly has a pretty high ceiling, with Burnett, Liriano and James McDonald all capable of stellar outings, and top prospect Gerrit Cole likely to join the club in the middle of the season.

There is a large gap between that ceiling and the floor, especially given the variability of many above the pitchers’ performances. But the Pirates need to substantially exceed individual projections in order to have the kind of season they want to have, so they are right to invest in this kind of variability.

The Pirates have rightfully indicated that they will not be satisfied with mediocrity.

Their actions are backing up their statements, as they have shown an exciting penchant to seek high-impact talent during the last year. 

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I would personally love to see a Pittsburgh Pirates player on the cover of MLB 13 the Show. With the announcement that Andrew McCutchen is one of the candidates for the game’s cover vote, that thought may actually come to fruition.

The Player’s Choice for NL Outstanding Player @thecutch22 is now also a choice for the MLB 13 cover. mlb.com/covervote #MLB13Cutch

— MLBTheShow (@MLBTheShow) December 18, 2012

McCutchen is the third star to learn his name is in the running for the honor. Needless to say, he’d be the first Pittsburgh Pirates player ever on the cover of the MLB the Show series—or any other series for that matter.

Despite the team’s history of futility, McCutchen deserves consideration. If the Pirates had made the playoffs, he would have had a great shot at winning MVP.

He hit .327 with 31 home runs, 96 RBI and 20 stolen bases. Those numbers landed him third in the NL MVP voting, but local radio stations and news media are hoping to see their star finish first in this voting process.

Joe Kapp, the producer of Pittsburgh’s 93.7 The Fan took to Twitter to start McCutchen‘s campaign:

Andrew McCutchen Needs Your VOTE For Video Game Cover #fanmorningshow @937thefan « CBS Pittsburgh cbsloc.al/RCtH9u

— Joe Kapp (@937Catfish) December 18, 2012

McCutchen joins the New York Yankees‘ C.C. Sabathia and the Washington Nationals‘ Bryce Harper as players that are in the running for the honor. Sabathia would be the first pitcher ever to appear on the cover and Harper would be the youngest player to ever appear.

If any of the three known candidates are chosen, there is some history to be made. Per MLB.com, there is at least one more candidate to be named later. Miguel Cabrera and/or Mike Trout would make sense, but that’s just me talking.

The voting begins on January 7, and the game releases on March 5, 2013. Stay tuned for more information on the next candidate for the MLB 13 the Show cover, and more information about the game.

With a cancellation of the MLB 2K series looming per Kotaku.com, this may very well be the only virtual ball game available. 

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Incumbent shortstop Clint Barmes struggled significantly at the plate this season, and it is fair to ask whether the Pirates should rely in him in 2013.

Barmes was a defensive ace last season, and he provided the Bucs with a fair amount of value as a result. But he was still below league average at the position overall, and while his strong defense will likely continue, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him regress some from what was a career year in the field.

Like the catcher market, the market for shortstops is thin as usual. However there are some intriguing options for the Pirates to pursue, perhaps more substantial than in the catcher market, with the knowledge that Barmes will remain in the roster as a decent backup plan.

Free Agents

None of the free agent options at shortstop come without risk, and as a result it may be possible for the Pirates to sign someone to a one-year contract. Several of these options carry a fair amount of upside with them, as well.

Stephen Drew, coming off an injury, is likely the most promising name of the bunch. Traditionally a league-average hitter from the shortstop position, Drew would be a huge upgrade if healthy. Alex Gonzalez is in a similar situation and is essentially a poor man’s version of Drew. There is a decent chance that both players will look to prove they are healthy this year before seeking their next contracts.

Marco Scutaro, who at this point is ideally a second baseman but may still be able to handle the shortstop position, is another option. Scutaro remains a very solid hitter who would add on-base ability to a Pittsburgh offense that lacks it. 

Trade Targets

There are usually few quality shortstops available for trade, but this year there are a couple established players who are in positions where their teams might at least listen if the offer were substantial enough.

Jurickson Profar and Manny Machado are two of the best prospects in all of baseball, so while the Rangers and Orioles are not expressly interested in trading either Elvis Andrus or J.J. Hardy, the Pirates would at least be able to broach the subject. 

It would require a substantial offer to acquire either player, especially Andrus, who is one of the better players in all of baseball. But it isn’t out of the question, and the Pirates are one of the few teams with the collection of players and prospects necessary to get a deal done.

Internal Options

The Pirates do not really have any short-term internal solutions at shortstop, as top prospect Alen Hanson is still a few years away,

Jordy Mercer and Chase D’Arnaud, the two true shortstops in the upper levels of the system, are still trying to prove they can be everyday players at the Major League level. Neither has proven that they have enough pop to be much of an upgrade over Bames at the plate.

Brock Holt impressed in his late-season call-up in 2012, but he cooled off towards the end of the season and he has not yet proven that he can handle the position defensively.

Conclusion

There is decent chance that Clint Barmes is the Pirates’ shortstop on opening day. But given that the Pirates are comfortable with this, they should be willing to make a run at a few riskier acquisitions.

Even if Drew or Scutaro would command a decent amount of money, they could probably be signed to one-year deals which would substantially mitigate any risk. The Bucs would then be able to roll the dice with a superior offensive player while having a Barmes ready to play if the gamble didn’t pay off.

It would also be nice to see the Pirates make a sincere run at a player like Andrus. A team in Pittsburgh’s position should be looking for cornerstones at hard-to-fill positions; you can always find a first baseman at a moderate price. If the Bucs can capitalize on Joel Hanrahan’s value to make him the centerpiece of a trade, all the better. 

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It looks increasingly likely that the Pittsburgh Pirates record of futility – 19 losing seasons in a row – will extend to 20.  If the Pirates want to stop 20 from becoming 21, there are five things that they must do this offseason. 

1.  Fire Neal Huntington  

I am not guaranteeing it will happen, but they are few things that unite Pittsburgh fans more than the sentiment that General Manager Neal Huntington must go. 

The anti-Huntington sentiment hit an all-time high after the explosive piece by Pittsburgh Tribune Review columnist Dejan Kovacevic on the questionable training procedures in place for Pirates farmhands. 

Even without the embarrassment and outrage over the revelations regarding the highly unorthodox training procedures in the Pirates’ minor league system, Neal Huntington has earned a ticket out of Pittsburgh.  The five years of the Huntington era have produced zero winning seasons and two epic collapses. 

Huntington’s record on the free-agent market is horrific.  Particularly when it comes to signing position players.  Lyle Overbay, Rod Barajas, Matt Diaz, Nate McLouth and Clint Barmes read like a who’s who of free-agency busts. 

The Huntington-era farm system has produced almost no talent drafted by Huntington.  Despite high draft picks and high profile over-slotting to convince college-bound players to sign with the Pirates, the minors have essentially produced nothing that Huntington can point to—outside of streaking 3B Pedro Alvarez.  Indeed, most of the Pirates core of young up-and-comers are made up of players drafted by the previous regime—players like Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker and even rookie Starling Marte. 

There has been talk of mythical five-year plans since Cam Bonifay was the GM of the Pirates at the beginning of this streak of losing seasons.  Well, Huntington has had five years, and yet the Pirates continue to lose. 

2.  Fire Clint Hurdle or at least give new GM the power to fire Hurdle  

This pains me, because I like Clint Hurdle.  However, you can’t fire Huntington and bring in a new GM without giving that GM the opportunity to hire his own head coach.  This means that Hurdle must be fired—or, at the very least, the new GM must be empowered to fire Hurdle. 

While I like Hurdle, he is certainly not without blame for the situation the Pirates find themselves in for the second straight year.  Hurdle made a series of questionable moves with his pitching staff, including inexplicably trotting out James McDonald time after time when it was obvious to everyone in the entire world that something was the matter.

It is also worth noting that in the 10 years that Clint Hurdle has been a big-league manager, he has only had one winning season. 

3.  Sign Another Veteran Front-Line Pitcher  

Think AJ Burnett.  The Pirates need another AJ Burnett.  Neither Gerritt Cole, nor Jameson Taillon, the crowned jewels of the Pirates farm system, will be ready for big-league action at the beginning of next year.  For the second year in a row, the starting rotation was spectacular in the first half and dreadful in the second half.  The rotation needs another veteran hand who can eat up innings and keep the Pirates in games.

While the Erik Bedard experiment didn’t work, if the Pirates are going to be able to sustain in the August and September next year, they need another veteran pitcher. 

4.  Rebuild the Bullpen

Given that this is one of the only things that Neal Huntington really was successful at doing, maybe we should ask him to sign a couple of bullpen guys before we show him the door. The Pirates closer for the last two years. All-Star Joel Hanrahan, may not be back, and quite honestly, given how uneven his play has been, and how often he seems to be doing a Mitch Williams impersonation, that might not be a bad thing.  Hanrahan’s set up man, Jason Grilli, is a free agent who will be looking for a big payday.  A payday he is likely to get, but given how he has pitched in September, buyer beware.  Long reliever Brad Lincoln was dealt to the Blue Jays at the trading deadline, and Juan Cruz and former All-Star Evan Meek were both DFA’d. 

The Pirates bullpen, once a strength of the team, will need an entire overhaul in the offseason. 

5.  Upgrade at Catcher

Defensively the Pirates could not have been worse behind the plate.  Some of the inability to pick off opposing runners is on the pitching staff, but certainly the catchers shoulder a good deal of the blame as well.  Unbelievably, opposing runners have stolen on Rod Barajas at a 94 percent success rate in 2012.  Catcher Michael McKenry, who split time with Barajas, was only slightly less terrible, with opposing runners having an 84 percent success rate stealing against him. 

Barajas has not only been a defensive liability, he has also been an offensive liability as well.  In 305 at-bats, Barajas is just about at the Mendoza line at .203.  He has hit 10 HRs, but has driven in just 29 RBI and has an OPS of .616. 

McKenry has been more serviceable offensively, but much of his offensive production came in a burst in the summer.  McKenry still managed 12 HR/39 RBI/.795 OPS in just 227 ABs. 

It is clear the Pirates do not believe McKenry is an everyday catcher, and if he is going to be one half of a platoon, they need a better platoon partner than Barajas. 

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Third place doesn’t doesn’t seem like much of a prize, particularly in the National League Central. But it could mark the way to bigger and better thingsin the future. Relative to the past few years, Pittsburgh is on its way up. Milwaukee has seen better days, although this relationship is the reverse of what has happened this year.

Going into tonight’s game, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers have identical records, 74-72. Pittsburgh has actually done better against the rest of the National League, 70-64, versus 66-68 for the Brewers. But Milwaukee leads the two teams’ season series eight to four.

On paper, Milwaukee looks like the more powerful team.They’ve scored the third most runs (701) in the majors. Old standbys such as 2011 National League MVP Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez have been joined by rookie Norichika Aoki among the league’s best hitters. The Pirates, meanwhile, are in the bottom third offensively, although they have their own MVP candidate in Andrew McCutchen.

To balance this, the Pirates seem to have a much better rotation. However, if you take the Brewers’ Randy Wolf (whose 5.69  ERA skews up the team ERA) out of the equation, the two teams’ starting pitching is almost evenly matched. This explains Milwaukee’s advantage.

The Brewers have scored 41 runs more than they have allowed, a differential that suggests that they should be more than two games above .500. The Pirates have scored four fewer runs than they have allowed, which suggests that should be a bit below breakeven. The Pirates are just luckier in close games, while they tend to lose bigger when they lose.

To see the Pirates neck-and-neck with the Brewers this late in the season is more than many Pirate fans, including yours truly, would have hoped at the beginning of the season. That’s because they have been doing quite well against the rest of the league.

But for Pittsburgh to be a true contender, they have to win more than five games a season against Milwaukee, which they have not done since 2006. They can start by winning this series, particularly since it’s at home, and lay a foundation for 2013.

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This one hurt, Pittsburgh Pirate fans.

In fact the excruciating 14 inning, 4-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds could very well be a devastating blow to the team and their fading hopes for a playoff spot.

There certainly was no lack of effort on both team’s part. Both the Reds and Pirates wiggled out of impossible late game jams that looked as though they would put the game away.

The Pirates loaded the bases in the 11th and the 14th, the latter with nobody out. They failed to score.

The Reds bailed out Pirates reliever Tony Watson when Todd Frazier swung at ball three and four in the ninth inning with a runner on.

Jose Tabata made a game saving catch with two outs in the bottom of the 11th.

And with two outs in the bottom of the 14th, reliever Rick van den Hurk got Ryan Ludwick to ground out but shortstop Chase d’Arnaud could not get it out of his glove and the game was over.

A victory would have meant so much for the Pirates. It would have pulled them to within a game and a half of the Wild Card and help wipe out the memory of the embarrassing sweep at home by the lowly Cubs.

Instead, their losing streak is at four games. They are only four games above .500. They have dropped 21 of their last 30 and spiraling.

And yet a victory tonight and a Cardinal loss puts them right back in to the mix.

Last week, I wrote a Bleacher Report article about why it is better to lose 12-2 than a close extra inning game.

There is no better example of that than last night. The Pirates need to turn their ship around or those bases loaded opportunities will haunt them all winter.

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Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle’s description of the Pirates‘ 12-2 loss to the lowly Chicago Cubs as “Our worst game of the season,” doesn’t really begin to describe it.

More like “one of the worst games of the century.”

The team’s seven errors in a single game tied those of a game in 1985, and was one short of the club record in 1939, according to the Associated Press (via Boston.com).

Hurdle should know how bad a game it was. He got himself ejected from the game trying to argue for an out on a close play that would have shortened the sixth inning.

Unfortunately, it was the Bucs’ ace, A.J. Burnett on the mound. He gave up seven runs in the loss, but only three of them were earned.

Moreover, he left after five innings—which tied for his second-shortest stint all season—putting pressure on the bullpen. (The first was a 12-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.) A pitcher who contributes mightily to the opponents’ double-digit score was the one who the New York Yankees remembered, and dumped.

Two rookies, Starling Marte and Brock Holt committed two errors apiece, while one each was contributed by relative (for the Pirates) veterans Josh Harrison, Gaby Sanchez and Rod Barajas.

Even the relievers couldn’t catch a break. Chris Leroux, a much-maligned player, gave up two runs over 1.2 innings. But neither of them were earned because the two baserunners reached on errors.This caused him to be lifted for the newly signed reliever, Hisanori Takahashi, who gave up three earned runs and let in Leroux’s two unearned runs.

On the other hand, the Cubs played brilliantly.

Aside from scoring 12 runs (six earned), their rookie pitcher, Travis Wood, pitched six innings of shutout ball—the best of his career—while relievers held the Bucs to two runs. After Burnett’s three earned runs, there was just no way the Pirates could have won, even without the errors.

A loss isn’t nice.

But in this case, its “inoculative” effects could make it a a restorative. Because the Pirates played so poorly last night that today’s game is likely to be better—if only by comparison.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates are trying to climb back into playoff position and time is running out. As of this article there are only 25 games left in their schedule and they remain a game and a half out of the wild- card spot.

So with this little time remaining, they can not afford to lose many games. But if they must lose a game, last night’s 12-2 debacle in PNC against the Cubs was the perfect way to lose.

There is no looking back at last night’s game and thinking “Oh man, it was so close.”

It is impossible to break down the game and point to one or two places where it could have been won.

It was a complete and utter breakdown on all counts. The pitching was bad, the offense was bad and the defense, with seven errors, was atrocious.

And that is the perfect loss. No one part of the team was let down. Everyone was almost equally terrible.

The bats were shut down by Travis Wood, who let only one hit in six innings. A. J. Burnett only lasted five innings. The defense, starting with first baseman Brock Holt, opened up the flood gates. And left fielder Starling Marte was so bad that it was not obvious that he had played baseball before last night’s game.

According to Yahoo Sports, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle called the game their “worst game of the season.”

Who could argue with him?

With time running out, losses can wear down a team, especially ones that got away.

If a team loses 1-0, they can lament that they blew a solid pitching performance and grind their teeth thinking of runners on base.

If a team loses 9-8, it can be agonizing knowing that even mediocre pitching could have secured a win.

If a team blows a lead late, it can have a residual effect into the next day. If a team loses a game on an error or a blown call, it can be devastating.

When a team loses 12-2 to a pitcher who had not won in months and had a defensive day worthy of The Bad News Bears, there is no frustration. No element of the game was wasted. It was a total failure.

As Hurdle said in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, “there’s nobody in there that isn’t embarrassed to some degree.” Well, then that would be a total team effort.

Dust yourselves off, Pirates. The Cardinals lost as well and the wild card is still only a game and a half away.

Besides, you are bound to play better today. How could it be worse?

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While the Pirates are on the verge of slipping out of the race for the division title and falling out of the second wild-card spot, Pedro Alvarez’s days in Pittsburgh could be coming to an end. 

Alvarez has 21 home runs and he knocked in 60. Pretty good numbers, right? Not when you look at the whole package. The majority of those numbers have come during streaks. While all players have hot streaks, Alvarez has two or three a year and accumulates the majority of those home runs and RBI during that time.

The only consistency we have seen from Alvarez is how overmatched he appears at the plate. He seems to guess wrong almost every pitch. He swings at balls and takes strikes. To say he is lost at the plate is not an overstatement. I can honestly say that I can’t recall a player in a starting lineup who hurts his team as much as Alvarez does. This may seem unfair and harsh, but I am being honest. If Alvarez performed this way in a major market, he would already be in the minor leagues or watching from the dugout.

Tonight’s game against the Dodgers was a prime example of the majority of his games this season. He had three strikeouts and a weakly hit ground ball to first base with a runner in scoring position. His fielding also came into question.

In a fourth inning that saw the Dodgers score three runs, the wind was taken right out of the Pirates’ sails. Alvarez couldn’t catch a relatively routine line drive. For whatever reason, the batter (Matt Kemp) was awarded a hit. It was a gift hit. To be fair, Walker didn’t use two hands when attempting to tag Kemp on the bases, and the umpire said Kemp was safe because Walker didn’t have control of the ball. If Alvarez made the initial possible out, the next play wouldn’t have even been an issue.

Alvarez has had fielding issues all year. While he makes great plays from time to time, his poor defense outweighs those other above-average plays.

The question remains: What should the Pirates and Neal Huntington do regarding Alvarez?

I say deal him when the winter meeting roll around. Let’s face it, coming into tonight’s game, Alvarez’s career batting average was .232. He is now hitting just around .230. The Pirates third baseman has been up and down in the minors since his debut in 2010. This is Pedro’s first full season.

Let’s remember that Alvarez went to Vanderbilt and didn’t turn pro until he was 23 years old. He is now 25 and doesn’t show any signs of progressing. In fact, you can make the argument that he played his best baseball when the Pirates first brought him up in the middle of that 2010 season.

While Huntington would have to weigh his options and discuss which direction to go, I have an example trade. I think it makes sense for both teams.

Chase Headley had been discussed in trade rumors prior to the non-waiver trade deadline. The Pirates were one of many teams rumored to be interested. While Headley wasn’t traded, he also has not been signed to an extension with San Diego.

It has also been stated by numerous sources (Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and Buster Olney of ESPN) that the Padres felt they could get more for Headley during the offseason rather than the trade deadline. If that’s the case, why not center a trade around Alvarez and Headley? Alvarez would get a fresh start in San Diego, something that would help him. The Padres would get a player under contract for a few more years. The Pirates would get a player who can take Alvarez’s place at third. Finally, Headley would put up more power numbers in PNC, compared to Petco.

The Pirates can’t afford to keep up this project with Alvarez. On the surface, Alvarez put up respectable power numbers to this point. The Pirates should use the offseason to try and use the value he has now, and deal him. The Pirates can’t put up with no production in the sixth spot of the batting order. This is becoming more and more apparent the longer this season goes.

I do realize that there are a number of Alvarez fans out there, and they won’t like this article. I’m not solely centering on Alvarez for the Pirates’ poor play as of late. There is enough blame to go around, including the starting pitching (McDonald) and some issues with the bullpen.

I honestly hope that I am wrong and Alvarez puts the Pirates on his back and helps them toward a playoff berth this season. That being said, I believe it would be wise to send Alvarez somewhere else unless he completely turns it around these last seven weeks of the season.

If the first four and a half months of the season are any indication, it is hard to imagine Alvarez turning it around. I really do hope I’m wrong though.

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