Mar 26, 2018 4 min read

Fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates are fickle.

Every offseason, they slam the cheap ways of the Nutting family as if it were some sort of holiday tradition.

In some seasons, that might be warranted. But not this offseason.

Many Pirates fans bemoaned the two major deals made in the offseason. Pitcher Gerrit Cole was sent to Houston and popular center fielder Andrew McCutchen was shipped to San Francisco. Both moves brought back prospects.

Maybe bemoaned is too mild a word. Screeched like a cat whose tail gets caught in a desk fan is closer to the reaction, and I don’t know why.

Cole was supposed to be the top-of-the-order starter the organization hoped for when he made his major league debut in 2013. After a 19-8 record, 2.60 ERA and 208 innings pitched in 2015, the Pirates had more than enough reasons to believe they were right.

An injury-plagued 2016 season was followed by a stunningly bad 2017, when he was hit like Charlie Brown to the tune of 31 home runs. That was more than he gave up in the previous three seasons – 454 innings – combined. His ERA jumped to a career-worst 4.26.

More alarming, he showed no desire to stay in Pittsburgh. Their first pick in 2011 was looking more like a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher than a dominating force when he was traded in a market that was lukewarm for him.

McCutchen’s trade might have been to dump a contract, and if so, then it was a good deal. McCutchen’s numbers – he hit .279 with 28 home runs and 88 RBI – came at a cost of $14.7 million. The replacement in the outfield, Corey Dickerson, had similar numbers with a .282 batting average, 27 homers and 62 RBI. Dickerson is only owed $6 million.

You don’t have to be Warren Buffett to figure out if this was a good swap.

The trade of McCutchen allowed Starling Marte to settle into his natural position in center. If Dickerson, acquired in a trade from Tampa Bay, matches last season’s numbers and Marte doesn’t miss most of the season by violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy, the outfield will be stronger.

If the Pirates are to improve on last year’s 75-87 record, then these things also must happen:

1. Gregory Polanco has to live up to his potential. There is a right fielder who can hit 30 home runs, drive in 100 runs and steal 20 bases somewhere in a body that was soft and injury prone last year. The trick for manager Clint Hurdle is to coax it out.

2. Colin Moran and-or David Freese need to be productive at third base. Ever since Jung Ho Kang failed to see the value of an Uber ride after a night of partying, this position has been a weak spot.

3. Tyler Glasnow needs to “get it.” Not sure exactly what that means but I heard the phrase on a radio show and thought it fit. Anyway, a pitcher with a 98 mph fastball, a nasty breaking ball and durability has to succeed, right? Right? I know. I have my doubts, too.

4. The bullpen simply needs to be competent. That’s it. Save most of the games entrusted to this group. That’s all we ask.

If these few improvements come to pass, the Pirates should be a better than a .500 team. Let’s say 83-79 and third place in the National League Central.

Of course, the usual caveat of injuries, suspensions, spells and curses are to be considered.

This is not a playoff team, but it is better than most want to give credit for in the win column. Not that it’s surprising. As I said, they are a fickle bunch.