We all know about the nearly two decades worth of futility. The Pirates haven't cracked the .500 plateau since 1992 and it's all but certain that streak will not come to an end this season. However, after years of the previous regime filling out the roster with expensive band-aid veterans like Jeromy Burnitz and Mark Redman, new GM Neal Huntington has reversed course and dealt basically all of his veterans for young bodies that he hopes will be the foundation of the next contending Pirates team.
Some of Huntington's more notable trades include…
- Trading Jason Bay to Boston for Andy LaRoche and three other prospects.
- Trading Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte to the Yankees for Ross Ohlendorf and three other prospects.
- Trading Nate McLouth to Atlanta for Charlie Morton and two other prospects just four months after signing him to an extension.
- Trading Freddy Sanchez to San Francisco for prospect Tim Alderson.
- Trading Ian Snell and Jack Wilson to Seattle for Jeff Clement, Ronny Cedeno and three additional prospects.
The media and fan backlash has been harsh, but Huntington has stuck to his guns. He has invested heavily in the draft the last two seasons, and has young Andrew McCutchen turning heads as McLouth's replacement. The team is still losing with regularity, but at least now the franchise appears to have a direction.
What do you think of the moves the Pirates have made in the last year or so? Do you think they're on the right track, or were they better off keeping players like Bay and McLouth and Sanchez and building around them? There's an argument to be made for both scenarios, but tell us what you think in the comments.
