Center Surplus
Pirates middle outfield depth provides options
By Joe Giardina

For years it felt as if the Pirates had no plan; no real sense of direction as an organization. The major league product was less than impressive - the minors not much better. They preached development, but would go outside the organization to sign an "established" (often past his prime) veteran for a year or two, after which they would be traded or released. The following year the cycle would start over.

There were not many significant trades made with the future of the organization in mind, nor where there many truly gifted players drafted and developed through the minor league system.

On the surface, all that is changing.

"The draft last year told you they're not going to do things the way they've been done in the past," said Jayson Stark, a baseball analyst for ESPN. "It's not going to be just about signability. The idea is to get some players in here with some star upside, whatever that takes. It's definitely a different direction."

If the direction the organization has taken the past 16 years has taught us anything, it's that it is indeed possible to have too much of a BAD thing.

But Pirates' general manager Neal Huntington believes you can never have too much of a GOOD thing.

A quick glance at the top young players in the Pirates' organization backs that up. A case in point is Nate McLouth, Nyjer Morgan, Brandon Moss at the major league level; and Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, Steve Pearce, Robbie Grossman at the minor league level. All are outfielders, and, if their development goes as planned, all should be contributing major leaguers in a few years.

Add in Eric Hinske, Craig Monroe and Delwyn Young and the Pirates have something they haven't in a while - a surplus of talent. Albeit, all at one position.

"We need to be deep at all positions," Huntington said. "The outfield happens to be a spot that we've got some options. "It's one of those situations where we can never have enough depth; we can never have enough talent."

While the Pirates may have a surplus of outfielders, they have a shortfall at other spots, most notably pitching. If a trade situation would arise, certain outfielders could become expendable.

"You always try to deal from strength to fill areas of need," Huntington said. "If it turns out that clubs like some of our outfielders, and we can turn them into pieces that we need to fill other spots, then it absolutely is a benefit for us."

After you get past Paul Maholm, Zach Duke and Ian Snell-and perhaps a minor leaguer or two at class A-there isn't much pitching throughout the organization. So spinning an outfield prospect for a couple of arms might not be out of the question. Offense can come and go, but pitching is what wins pennants. And simply put, the Pirates don't have it.

"Right now, we don't have the arms in the system that we'd like to have," Huntington said. "As we look to acquire talent and to develop talent, we always have to be on the lookout for good arms."

Could that mean trading McLouth, who has established himself as a major league talent? What about moving McCutchen, who has the potential to be a five-tool player?

"What teams are looking for when it comes time to make deals are young players with a shot to be stars, with a shot to be everyday players on winning teams in the big leagues," Stark said. "Just because you have a surplus, that doesn't mean you can go out and make a big deal in July or in December.

"And corner outfield is probably the easiest position to fill in the big leagues," Stark added. "But if you've got a surplus of guys who can play centerfield, and the Pirates may have a surplus there, then that's a different story. Impact centerfielders are harder to come by. If they are willing to talk about those kinds of players then they've got the chance to make a big deal."

But if a player has the athleticism to play center, he can play anywhere. Tabata, McCutchen, Morgan and McClouth all fit in that category, according to Huntington. And if trades can't be made, and the outfielders all reach their potential, a few position changes could be in the foreseeable future.

"It's amazing how it generally seems to work itself out," Huntington said. "Ideally, you would like centerfielders to stay in centerfield as long as they possibly can. But you develop players until they are just about ready to be big leaguers at their maximum value position, and then you begin to move them as you feel convinced and committed to them as pieces of your major league team."

It may not have been planned, but the surplus of outfielders is a victory in itself.

"When I looked around at the Pirates this spring, I saw more players that belong at the big leagues than I can remember in a long time," Stark said. "That's important, because once you develop depth; it allows you to do other things."

The Pirates hope it allows them to win.