Coming off a surprising 4th place finish, the Pittsburgh Pirates continue to try to right the ship from within, in another rebuilding year in 2008. Mitch Maier and Ryan Doumit should anchor the offense, with hopes that Erick Aybar and James Bouldic can break out this season as well.

The Lineup


1. CF Chris Duffy - Fantasy owners rejoice, Duffy made the most of his platoon spot with 65 stolen bases in 2007, hitting .279 with a solid .775 OPS. He will again split time with Nate McLouth, who hit very well against left handed pitching last season.
2. SS Erick Aybar - His talent additions have made him the unquestioned shortstop of the future in Pittsburgh, and batting him second shows a huge vote of confidence to the future star. Aybar started hot, but evened out, hitting .255, .303, .387 last season with 36 stolen bases. The Pirates were also happy with his fielding, which kept him in the majors last year, after replacing Jack Wilson.
3. LF Mitch Maier - Unquestionably the best bat on the team last season, Maier hit .270 with 24 homers and 88 RBI in his first full season as a pro. One of the best young bats in the game, the Pirates would love to lock up Maier long term and make him a center piece to their future.
4. 1B Ryan Doumit - Two disappointing seasons for Doumit haven't changed the Pirates minds about him. Doumit slumped to a .224 average last season and only hit 8 homers. Expected to be the Pirates long term solution at catcher, Doumit will get at least another half season at first base as the team waits for promising prospect James Bouldic to take over the job full time.
5. CA Ronnie Paulino - Struggled last season, hitting .249 in the two hole for most of the season when more was expected. Likely in his last season in Pittsburgh, with Doumit taking back the job behind the plate. Needs a big season force a trade elsewhere.
6. LF Delwyn Young - Likely out of place in the outfield, but Freddy Sanchez is a better defender, and getting his bat in the lineup is the biggest thing. Hit .252 last season, with only 3 homers, a number that is expected to improve dramaticly this season. Lots of potential here, but he's shown nothing to this point.
7. 2B Jose Bautista - Another disappointment last year, Bautista struck out 146 times and hit .256 with 10 HR's last season. He'll stay at second until Ruben Gotay can take over the job, and then will likely shift over to third, where his defense is spotty, but the Pirates can take advantage of his rocket arm.
8. 3B Freddy Sanchez - After hitting .289 with 12 HR's in 2006, Sanchez was given a chance to run with the third base job once again, and this time, failed miserably. Freddy hit .237 with 8 HR's and will likely be replaced by a free agent before the season starts. He will likely resume his utility man role, that was held last season by Travis Dawkins.

The Bench


CA Humberto Cota - Could start on many teams in the majors, Cota is a solid backup with a good bat against right handed pitchers, and a solid glove/arm combination behind the plate.

1B/LF/RF Victor Diaz - Diaz hasn't developed as hoped, but he's still a solid reserve corner outfielder and first basemen with a little pop.

UTIL Yurendell De Caster - Mr. Utility can play all over the diamond, and is on the team despite a weak bat, that only hit .209 in his second big league season.

IF Travis 'Gookie' Dawkins - Likely to be sent to the minors before the season, Dawkins is another glove-first infielder that took over for Jason Alfaro when he was injured last season. He offers nothing bat wise, and is probably a Triple A player.

OF Nate McLouth - Will again get time in center, splitting with Chris Duffy after a solid season where he hit .273 with 16 stolen bases, mostly against left handed pitching. He's played well with the glove as well, and rounds out a defense-first bench rather well.

Pitching and predictions will likely come tomorrow.