Michael Morse, 1B
Michael Morse! He could very well be the Pirates opening day starter at first base. With Pedro Alvarez gone, it seems inevitable in a very Pittsburgh Pirates kind of way that we’ll be seeing a lot of Morse. He’s been slumping of late but if one harkens back to the 2011 Washington Nationals, Morse once hit 31 home runs and batted .303. His competition for the first base job is decidedly uninteresting: Jason Rogers and John Jaso. Waiting in the wings is also Josh Bell, a highly touted prospect that is a candidate to play first base for the Pirates beyond 2016 when Morse will most likely be gone.
Prediction: Morse is the opening day first baseman for the Pirates and swats 20+ home tuns in 2016.