Seems Pirates have thrown 2016 in recycling bin

Well, it certainly at least seems like the Pirates have decided to toss the 2016 season into the recycling bin.
In less than two weeks, they have allowed first baseman Pedro Alvarez to become a free agent and traded second baseman Neil Walker and right-hander Charlie Morton.
The only players they have gotten back in that series of moves is left-hander Jon Niese, who should be a useful part of the starting rotation for as many as the next three seasons, and a minor league pitcher who had a 4.44 ERA in Class A ball this year.
The Pirates are also trying to deal closer Mark Melancon, but not having much success because the trade market is flooded with quality late-inning relievers.
Alvarez, Walker and Morton are eligible for free agency after next season. The Pirates had already decided they weren’t going to re-sign any of those players and the same applies to Melancon.
Thus, general manager Neal Huntington has gotten a jump in housecleaning chores.
The Pirates’ strategy, according to team sources, is to be retrench in 2016 despite making three straight postseason appearances then make another run at the playoffs 2017.
By then, the Pirates will still have their stellar outfield and ace pitcher Gerrit Cole under contract among others, plenty of money saved by the moves they’ve made this offseason, and a host of prospects who should have already assimilated into the major leagues.
Headlining that wave of prospects will right-handers Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon and switch-hitting first baseman Josh Bell, while righty Trevor Williams, left-hander Steven Brault and catcher Elias Diaz should join them.
The moves made this winter should also give them the financial flexibility to make some substantial moves next offseason to further bolster the 2017 roster.
Not the Pirates have completely given up on 2016.
They will try to make some short-term moves during the remainder of the offseason to try to ensure being competitive. Then they will hope to overachieve and reach the postseason despite playing in the same National League Central with a pair of powerhouse franchises in the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.
The Pirates have holes to fill to even reach that point. They need a starting pitcher, a fill-in third baseman in the event Jung Ho Kang hasn’t recovered from his broken leg and torn knee ligament by opening day and better depth options for the bullpen and bench.
Yet, it is 2017 that the Pirates are really looking forward to, a season in which they feel will be the jumping off point for another run of multiple postseason appearances and maybe even a World Series appearance that has eluded the franchise since 1979.