Jul 13, 2018 5 min read

Despite what my wife may say, I consider myself a reasonably patient human being. Being a Pittsburgh Pirates fan for over 30 years has all but forced that trait into my makeup. However, this year’s edition of the franchise has been doing nothing but testing that patience.

Probably the biggest factor in this increasingly elevated level of frustration is how well the team started, taking a 26-17 record into mid-May. The Bucs were also fun to watch, sporting one of the top offenses in the Major Leagues.

Unfortunately, the team went from playing the Reds, White Sox and Twins, to the Cubs, Brewers and Dodgers, and since the uptick in schedule quality, the wins, and the hits, have stopped coming for the team. They have not only slipped out of the pennant race, but seemingly fallen out of favor with the fan base more and more with each passing day.

With that being said, I think any remnants of the team’s winning attitude still hanging around from 2015 have finally evaporated into the air surrounding PNC Park. While I am typically not in favor of rebuilds, three years of negative press surrounding the ownership group, the management and the coaching staff have finally caused me to throw up the white flag and pull the plug on the squad’s current makeup.

After taking some time to look over the team’s minor league system, I have come up with a few thoughts on what the franchise’s future might look like in a few years. To be honest, what it currently has at Indianapolis, Altoona, Bradenton and West Virginia certainly doesn’t have the flash or perceived potential of a Josh Bell, Tyler Glasnow or Gregory Polanco. Depending on your outlook, that may be a good thing.

Remember when Bell was supposed to be the team’s first legitimate power first baseman since Willie Stargell? Glasnow was supposed to have the best stuff on the team since Doug Drabek. Oh yeah,, and Polanco was supposed to be the reincarnation of Roberto Clemente.

There are reasons to both believe in and be ready to throw in the towel on all three individuals. The one thing playing in all their favor is the fact that they are all still well short of 30 years old and all have shown flashes of potential greatness. However, those flashes have been separated by long stretches of mediocrity.

So, who could be at the forefront of the next wave of newcomers rolling into The Steel City?

I do like Indianapolis’s young middle infield composed of two guys named Kevin. Newman and Kramer, who were drafted in the first and second rounds of the 2015 draft, respectively, are both proven commodities. Their bats are solid for shortstops and second basemen, hitting between .280 and .300. Kramer has shown some unexpected pop (11 home runs, 40 RBIs), while Newman paces the squad with 54 runs scored.

Will Josh Bell ever become an everyday first baseman? Most in and around the organization certainly hope so. However, if the squad wants a sweet-swinging man at the corner with power, they already have him. Not only has Jose Osuna looked like a more-than-adequate offensive replacement for Bell, but he’s a natural first baseman without the defensive headaches.

When it comes to the outfield, a little consistency could spare Polanco’s career, especially if he stays in right. Austin Meadows has obviously won over the crowd, at least for the immediate future, and will almost certainly get his chance to be the man in the middle. When it comes to a possible third piece in the outfield, Altoona’s Jason Martin (.325, 9 HR, 34 RBIs) or Bryan Reynolds, who was considered the most intriguing prospect in the Andrew McCutchen trade, look to be the leaders.

For a team that has struggled so much in the last three years with starting pitching, I would need a whole new page to explore that position. All I can say is, there are solid looking prospects, but no one with the buzz of a Glasnow, Taillon or even a Nick Kingham.

Instead, I thought I would look at the other half of the battery. I think Elias Diaz has proven enough behind the plate and standing beside it to warrant a bigger workload. But, considering his age (27), there may not be a ton of good years left in his knees.

Unfortunately, there are also no intriguing prospects at the position, but there are younger back-stoppers to be seen in the majors. Wouldn’t it be interesting if the team could somehow reacquire Reese McGuire from Blue Jays to provide the solution this lack of depth? I also like Tyler Stephenson, a talented Reds prospect, who has dealt with more than his share of injury problems, but has been compared to Matt Wieters.

If the Pirates don’t start turning things around quickly, a new youth movement could be just around the corner. Unfortunately, that also means fewer victories that can be expected around said corner.