Pirates Should Be Confident Post Winter Meetings

Dec 8, 2014; San Deigo, CA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle speaks with the media at MLB Winter Meetings at Manchester Grand Hyatt. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs were definitely the most active National League Central team during the past week’s Winter Meetings, but the Pittsburgh Pirates and their fans should feel like they are still in good standing post the free agency frenzy.

The Pirates were never going to be a contender for Jon Lester and while the Cubs were able to obtain the ace with a six-year $155 million deal, the Bucs’ re-signing of right-handed starting pitcher Francisco Liriano may be just as important. The Pirates were able to stabilize their rotation and now have one of the best one through five staffs in the National League.

The Pirates also did not throw money around like a drunken pirate so to speak. The Cubs had to spend a lot. No one will know how this will play out until the 2015 season is completed, but Cubs’ fans — despite their usual happy-go-lucky attitude — will have to be let down if the team does not at least make the playoffs. The Cubs are now 12-to-1 favorites to win the World Series. That seems a little much based on paper players. The Los Angeles Dodgers also made a ton of headlines with their wheeling and dealing, most notable trading away Matt Kemp to the San Diego Padres, but it is hard to say they are any better. The rest of the National League still needs to do more if any of those teams will see significantly improve.

The Pirates are fortunate to have the players on their current roster that offer a solid offense and decent pitching. The team still needs a reliever — Antonio Bastardo will help — and maybe another position player (a real starting catcher, perhaps?), but they are still positioned to be one of the best teams in the National League next season.