Battling Bucs : Offseason Possibilities

With the free agency theory officially under way I thought today represented a good opportunity to take a look at what the Pirates may do this offseason. Think of this as just a fun speculation exercise.
Catcher
Ah, we start out with the big one. Under control the Pirates have a capable backup in Chris Stewart, a struggling but still intriguing young catcher in Tony Sanchez and a promising looking prospect in Elias Diaz. There is also Ramon Cabrera who still resides on the 40 man roster but for this purpose we will ignore him.
The big elephant in the room of course is Russell Martin. The Pirates would surely love to have Martin back and will likely make him a competitive offer but it seems more likely than not that someone will give him and offer that the Pirates simply shouldn't be willing to match. In this scenario the Pirates could either turn to their assortment of internal options none of which appear to be strong bets to be ready to handle regular duty to start the season or they could look at outside help.
Outside of Martin the next tier of free agent catchers isn't a very encouraging group. A.J. Pierzynski in theory could be a bounceback candidate but he'll be 38 next year and has definitely been on the decline the last few years. David Ross is somewhat intriguing but he too is in his late 30s and has only been used in a backup capacity in recent years. It’s possible he's not capable of anything more. John Buck and Nick Hundley are non zeroes with the bat who are generally regarded as decent defenders but both seem to be poor pitch framers which really doesn't fit with the Pirates recent emphasis. Geovany Soto is interesting in that he is a decent pitch framer and is generally considered solid on defense and not a zero with the bat but he hasn't been able to play much each of the last years. Still he might be the best bet of this group.
Trade targets are always tough to predict but if we keep in mind the Pirates MO of good pitch framers and look at teams that may have a catcher available we can come with some sort of a list. Francisco Cervelli spends his time backing up Brian McCann and is generally considered a plus defender and good pitch framer. Past few years he has shown a solid bat in a limited sample size and the last time the Pirates got a catcher from the Yankees it worked out well. Hank Cogner was reportedly on the Pirates radar a few years ago and with Chris Iannetta still in front of him the Angels could consider moving him. Again Cogner is a good framer with all around solid defensive skills and a bit of offensive upside. Yasmani Grandal doesn't have the best defensive reputation but is a good framer and has been a good offensive contributor. Padres played him at 1B some this year to make room for another catcher. Another possibility could come from whichever team signs Martin as some of the reported front runners (Dodgers, Cubs and Blue Jays) have catchers currently in place who are at least solid (Ellis, Castillo and Navarro).
1st Base
The Pirates currently have a three headed monster at the position with Alvarez, Davis and Gaby Sanchez. Also waiting in the wings in Andrew Lambo but we will push him to the side for now. None of these options seem like decent bets but the Pirates will likely try to cobble something together from this group. There has been talk of moving Alvarez back across the diamond but I just don’t see it happening. One of Alvarez or Davis will likely be traded while the other becomes the regular 1B. As for Gaby Sanchez the question becomes rather the Pirates think they can find an effective right handed platoon bat cheaper.
Looking at free agents Adam LaRoche is the cream of the crop and would likely represent some sort of upgrade on whomever the Pirates end up playing there. Ordinarily it would seem the Pirates wouldn't be likely players but there doesn't appear to be a huge market for LaRoche so that could keep his price down. Mike Morse could be another possibility but I don't see it. An intriguing one to watch may be Corey Hart as he could be an interesting replacement for Gaby Sanchez and come at a low price considering he missed all of 2013 and played poorly last season.
2nd Base
The Pirates could in theory try to get creative here and move Neil Walker, who is a slightly below average defensive 2B, to another position (3B or even 1B) and then insert Josh Harrison here but that doesn't seem very likely at all. The most likely scenario here is Walker enters the year as the regular 2B and plays often and if later in the year his back or another injury causes him to miss some time perhaps Alen Hanson earns an extended look. It seems highly unlikely the Pirates look outside the organization for a regular here.
3rd Base
Aside from the previously mentioned possibilities of Walker sliding here of the Pirates truly giving Alvarez another look at the hot corner this appears likely to be Josh Harrison's spot. The Pirates have absolutely no depth at the position so giving it to a player like Harrison who came out of nowhere carries a substantial risk but he at least seems like a good bet to defend the position well and be non-awful with the bat so the chances of this completely cratering seems slim. I wouldn't mind the Pirates looking at a guy like Headley should his skill set of excellent defense at 3B and an average bat be overlooked but that doesn't seem likely to happen.
Shortstop
I don't believe we even have any drama of players potentially switching positions here. Jordy Mercer has solidified himself as the Pirates everyday shortstop and with the progress he showed on the defensive side of the ball that is just fine.
Left Field
Not much to discuss here, Starling Marte will patrol this position for years to come with only the possibility of eventually being shifted to center stopping him.
Center Field
The man in left could probably do a better job defensively in center than our incumbent but I think that is very low on the priority list. This spot is of course reserved for a few more seasons and requires no deliberation.
Right Field
Now we get into a bit of a discussion. I don't foresee the Pirates going outside the organization for a regular here but I could see a bit of an open competition between Snider and Polanco here. I imagine both players will play fairly regularly regardless but it wouldn't surprise me to see Snider get the starting nod over Polanco to begin the season. Regardless though Polanco will eventually inherit this position long term.
The Pirates may not look for a regular player here but I believe there is a possibility the team looks for a right handed OF to occasionally spell these two lefties. Looking at the current FA crop I'm not sure I see a perfect fit here. Corey Hart I've mentioned earlier at 1B but he is beyond the days of wanting to trot him out in the pasture. Reed Johnson or Scott Hairston may work but I don't see it.
Bench
The Pirates bench is currently a very fluid situation. On it will be the backup catcher and one of Snider and Polanco. Beyond that it is tough to speculate. A 1B platoon bat be it Gaby Sanchez, Corey hart or someone else will likely be on it. Recently acquired Justin Sellers or a free agent signee like Clint Barmes will likely hold down the backup shortstop job. Beyond that a utility player is needed but at this moment it is unclear just whom that will be. Emilio Bonifacio is the best of the bunch on the free agent market but he'll likely get a starting gig with someone. Or perhaps this is the year the Pirates buck their tradition of two backup infielders and carry a bench bat like a RH OF.
Starting Rotation
I'm not even sure really where to begin here. Gerrit Cole will hold down a rotation spot next year and this is all that we are really certain of. It is probably reasonable to expect Vance Worley will be given a shot at a spot and that Locke will be given a chance to at least fill in while Morton heals. So right there is three starters we are kind of sort of certain about. Beyond them what do you have? Well Cumpton and Sadler look like depth options to start the year and Taillion, Kingham, Sampson and possibly even Rodriguez all could be ready by midseason to step up if needed. Morton will also eventually be back but all of this still means the Pirates will need two more starters to begin the season.
This is where the Pirates will likely be the most active in free agency. The Pirates will likely dabble in the second tier of pitchers (Liriano, McCarthy and Santana) and will try to get one of them. Should those effort fail expect the Pirates to look at some reclamation project types and mid rotation starters. Virtually everyone is a possibility in this group is a possibility as the Pirates will have to cast a wide net. It seems likely they will also entertain the trade market. The Pirates are likely going to have to get creative here because this is unquestionably their weakness and it needs fortified if they are to remain competitive.
Bullpen
Huntington has shown a willingness to sell high on relief arms so while a trade of Melancon or Watson can't be ruled out it seems likely the Pirates will return much of the same bullpen with some minor tweaks of course. Melancon and Watson seemed poised to enter the year as the back end duo with Holdzkom possibly getting a shot to be the third member of the trio. Stolmy Pimentel looks to be a good position to assume the Jeanmar Gomez role of long reliever. In the middle Jared Hughes and Justin Wilson are the current incumbents but the Pirates could surely move them and try other options. My expectation is that someone from the free agent class will be added on a low level deal but this is always impossible to try and predict.