Already under the knife to repair a torn flexor tendon, Joel Hanrahan also underwent Tommy John Surgery this afternoon. (Image Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)

Joel Hanrahan underwent surgery this afternoon to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right arm and more damage was discovered than originally expected. The right-hander wound up undergoing Tommy John Surgery as well, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Hanrahan will miss at least the next 12 to 15 months, putting a return at the earliest of mid-2014.

Hanrahan produced mediocre results in limited action for the Boston Red Sox this year. In just 7.1 IP he’d allow 8 runs (9.82 ERA) on 10 hits, walking 6. He’d earn the save in three of his first four outings on the year, but things would seemingly fall apart after. Needless to say, it wasn’t the results that Boston thought they were bringing in when they acquired him over the winter from the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s unclear just how severe the concerns were, but there has been some recent speculation that the team knew of some health issues Hanrahan was dealing with before the trade was completed. Buster Olney recently suggested that these issues were part of the reason why the Pirates had such a hard time finding substantial offers for the now 31 year old.

He’ll be a free agent at season’s end.

Pittsburgh shipped Hanrahan (and Brock Holt) to Boston in late December for Stolmy Pimental, Ivan De Jesus, Mark Melancon, and Jerry Sands. Pimental has garnered much of the early attention of the group, going 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA through his first eight starts at Double-A. He’s looked like an improved pitcher with the Pirates organization, though it is his third season at the level which could be a factor. De Jesus is hitting .326/.381/.467 in 105 PA at Triple-A, while Sands has struggled to a .150/.282/.183 mark in 143 PA. Sands, who’d hit nearly 30 HR each of the past two years at the level, has yet to go deep. Melancon has quietly justified the deal completely for the Pirates. In 21 appearances out of the team’s bullpen he’s posted a 0.43 ERA, 0.714 WHIP, 0.4 BB/9, and 9.4 K/9 in 21.0 IP.

Jonathan Sanchez has been released by the Pirates. (Image Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

Brought aboard on just a minor league deal over the winter, Jonathan Sanchez has been released by the Pittsburgh Pirates after clearing waivers, according to Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Sanchez had been designated for assignment on April 30th by the team after throwing just 13.2 IP in five appearances (four starts). He’d post an 0-3 record, 11.85 ERA, and 2.415 WHIP for the Pirates before the team elected to make a move. Sanchez received a chance to make the team’s Opening Day roster thanks to injuries affecting the remainder of the team’s pitching staff, notably to Francisco Liriano and Jeff Karstens.

Sanchez is 39-58 for his career, with a 4.70 ERA and 1.464 WHIP over 786.1 IP. His best years came with the San Francisco Giants, with whom he was a reliable – though never highly relied upon – member of the team’s starting rotation. However, since the Giants traded him to the Kansas City Royals prior to the 2012 season his command has completely eluded him. Sanchez has walked 60 and given up 107 hits in the 78.1 IP he’s thrown since.

Interest in the left-hander was minimal this past offseason, but at just 30 years of age there still could be reason for a team to take a chance on him provided he’s willing to pitch in the minor leagues. He’ll likely need to succeed there before another team will give him an opportunity at the Major League level.

There has been a lot to celebrate lately for Pittsburgh Pirates closer Jason Grilli, here slapping five with catcher Russell Martin. Grilli has 12 saves and an 0.69 earned run average going into Saturday’s games. Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Friday night was exhibit A why the Pittsburgh Pirates are winning and why they may yet post their first season-long winning record in a generation. Beers, or root beers, are on the house for A.J. Burnett, Mark Melancon and Jason Grilli.

They combined for a very impressive mound performance in Pittsburgh’s 3-1 victory over the Washington Nationals. Although All-Star teams are not selected based on one-game showings this trio showed what it’s got and what it has been doing since the 2013 season began. It also helps explain why the Pirates were 17-12 entering Saturday’s game and the Nationals, everyone’s pre-season favorite, were 15-15.

Right now Burnett is 3-2 with a 2.57 earned run average. He struck out nine Nationals Friday and leads the National League in strikeouts with 57. The right-hander is 36 and is in his 15th Major League season. He has pitched for the Florida Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees, but never has he been as consistently effective as he has been since joining the Pirates last year.

Burnett once finished 18-10 for Toronto and led the American League in strikeouts, but his ERA was so-so that season. Otherwise he has been doing his best pitching as he ages. The Pirates had to be classified as optimists when they signed Burnett before the 2012 season. He was coming off two straight years with the Yankees when his ERA was above 5.00.

Last year he finished 16-10 with a 3.51 ERA, scoring genius points for Pirates management. Everyone wondered if Burnett could possibly keep it up, but he has for the first month of this season.

The rest of that Friday pitching lineup owes its appearance to Joel Hanrahan. Some people thought Pittsburgh was nuts to trade Hanrahan to the Red Sox last December. He was an All-Star closer. One of the players who joined the Pirates in that multi-player trade was reliever Mark Melancon. Anyone who watched Melancon pitch last summer could easily have been persuaded that he would be starting this season in AA if he was even still in baseball.

Melancon had a worse year than Lindsay Lohan. At one point early last year Melancon’s earned run average threatened to eclipse the Boston Celtics’ team scoring average. That’s when he was exiled to the minors. But even when he returned to the majors Melancon didn’t do much for the Red Sox, finishing with a 6.20 ERA.

Boston had to be happy to find any taker for Melancon. Yet he woke up from his nightmare 2012 and through Friday he is sporting an ERA of 0.56 with 11 holds as a middle reliever. And wouldn’t you know it, Hanrahan has been having difficulties in Boston Score one for the Pirates.

Especially since they have shown they don’t need Hanrahan. Grilli is the new closer. He’s been great so far, particularly since he has never been a closer before. Grilli, like Burnett, is 36. before this season he had five career saves and a 4.24 ERA. Counting playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, Grilli has appeared in more cities than the road company of “A Chorus Line.”

But just as the dancers in that show dream about making it big, he has hit the jackpot this year. Grilli owns an ERA of 0.69 and has 12 saves already.

If Burnett, Melancon, and Grilli, and a few more of their compatriots playing well, can keep it up perhaps the Pirates can record their first above-.500 season since 1992.

After missing a chunk of time with a knee injury and limping (slightly) into the post-season in 2012, Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto should be back to his All-Star form this season. Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

As well as the Cincinnati Reds played last summer during the regular season, adapting and overcoming injuries, they couldn’t play better in 2013. But they can play longer and that’s the goal and likelihood. The Reds won 97 games and the National League Central Division title last year, but they got knocked out of the playoffs early by the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants after leading the series 2-0.

They accomplished what they did with star Joey Votto missing a chunk of the summer with injury and with starting third baseman Scott Rolen missing time with injury.

The two biggest things on the Reds’ minds in the off-season came to pass in a way. One was moving Drew Stubbs out of center field to the Cleveland Indians because he kept striking out too much and used up his chances. The other was not moving star closer Aroldis Chapman out of the bullpen and into the starting rotation. Well into spring training it seemed the Reds were committed making the Chapman move and then, out of nowhere, Chapman announced maybe should stay as the closer where he was an All-Star last year. That was probably the best plan for the team.

Shin-Soo Choo came over to the Reds from the Indians in the Stubbs deal, but no one seems to think that he can play center adeptly enough. So there may be some shuffling going on. Todd Frazier was a versatile rookie last year and he is starting at third. The rest of the starting lineup is in intact and the starting rotation, led by scheduled opening day hurler Johnny Cueto, looks tough.

St. Louis residents like to pride themselves on being just about the most enthusiastic and knowledgeable fans, and just about every year the Cardinals reward them with a contending team. Losing starter Chris Carpenter for the season and probably forever to injury, is not going to help the cause. The Cards are pretty solid all around, but some regulars like Carlos Beltran and Rafael Furcal (both going on 36) may be showing signs of age. Right now Furcal, David Freese and closer reliever Jason Motte are on the disabled list.

It doesn’t seem as if the Cardinals closed the gap on the Reds during the off-season, but they could eke into the playoffs and make some noise, which they did last year a year after winning the Series as a long-shot.

The Milwaukee Brewers suffered a talent drain after they won the division title two years ago and they are now seemingly a .500 team. Star Ryan Braun is the best player on the team, but now that his name has surfaced in the Biogenesis Clinic investigation you have to wonder if he will make it through the season unscathed and unbothered or Major League Baseball will end up suspending him for patronizing the wrong business at the wrong time. Losing Braun would pretty much doom the Brewers to a life as the second coming of the Houston Astros.

Meanwhile, if you ever had any fondness in your heart for the Pittsburgh Pirates, even if it was long ago when Roberto Clemente was playing, you should throw a little love Pittsburgh’s way in hopes that they can finally end their 20-year streak of sub-.500 finishes. They were close last year at 79-83 after a late-season collapse. But it’s got to happen soon or the Pirates will be dropped to AAA.

And then there are the Cubs. Last year Chicago finished 61-101. They were pretty horrible. Any Cubs fan that thought Theo Epstein was going to come over from the Red Sox, wave a magic wand, and everything would be all right, was a tad optimistic. It was obvious from the start that rebuilding was not going to be accomplished overnight. (Of course what is the definition of overnight in the context of going 105 years without a World Series title–five years?). Checking out the Cubs roster can be pretty demoralizing. They really don’t have more than two or three guys that seem likely to cause any excitement in the batting order.

It also seems that anyone in the pitching rotation positively seems capable of winning eight games. Many more from any individual except maybe a healthy Matt Garza would be a bonus.

Wrigley Field will be 100 years old in 2014 and no doubt the Cubs want to put together a smashing celebration. Just maybe they’ll be able to field a spicier lineup by then.

This is how the NL Central Division will look: 1) Cincinnati Reds; 2) St. Louis Cardinals; 3) Pittsburgh Pirates; 4) Milwaukee Brewers; 5) Chicago Cubs. 6) Houston Astros, in memoriam after being forcibly moved to the American League West Division where they can finish last instead.

Multi-talented outfielder Andrew McCutchen is The Man in Pittsburgh and if the Pirates are to breaking their string of sub-.500 seasons, he will lead them. Credit: Rob Foldy-USA TODAY Sports

If the Pittsburgh Pirates did not put together a winning season in 2012 there really isn’t much empirical evidence to suggest that they can in 2013 given the lack of major movement on the roster. But I am going to go with my gut and not my head and say that it’s gonna happen this year Pirates fans.

To recap, the Pirates hold the record for the most consecutive sub-.500 seasons in baseball history. And not only baseball history, but you can throw in basketball, football and hockey history, too. The Pirates’ losing streak encompasses all of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States. No baseball, basketball, football or hockey team has gone as long as the Pirates have without scoring a winning record.

The last time the Pirates had a winning record was 1992. That’s 21 years ago, sports fans. That’s 20 completed losing seasons in a row, boys and girls. That’s mind-boggling, everyone. In 1991, the Pirates finished 96-66. In 2012, the Pirates, who teased their supporters most of the summer into believing they might even make the playoffs, never mind finish over .500, finished 79-83.

Interestingly, during this entire drought the Pirates’ winning percentage only dipped below .400 three different times and they lost as many as 100 games in a season just twice. What this indicates is that Pittsburgh was not every single year truly, truly horrible for much of this stretch. On the other hand, the body of work spread over two decades, is truly horrible.

OK, everyone out there who thought the Pirates were finally going to break the curse and finish over .500 in 2012 raise your hands. As late as August 19 they were 13 games over .500. Don’t be embarrassed. I was one of you. For sure I thought it was going to be impossible for the Pirates to fade so far, so fast, but they did. They closed September and October on a 9-22 rush. Ick. In the land of eternal optimism this translates as not only improvement, but a tell-tale sign of the sure-thing ascent to .500 this year.

What I’d hoped to see over the off-season, though, was a recognition by management that the team was getting close and a sizeable investment being made to thrust the Pirates not only into the land of above-.500 teams, but playoff contendership. The big get was catcher Russell Martin, a three-time All-Star who is 30. Martin should be a great add. Invited to spring training as non-roster players given a chance were such familiar names as pitcher Jose Contreras and Jonathan Sanchez, infielder Brandon Inge and outfielder Felix Pie. Those guys had no Major League contracts and were discarded by other teams. But you never know.

At the same time Pittsburgh lost reliever Joel Hanrahan. Hanrahan went 5-2 with a 2.72 earned run average and 36 saves last year and was selected for the National League All-Star team in 2011 and 2012. He was a keeper, but he wasn’t kept, going to the Boston Red Sox along with Brock Holt in a trade for four players. The Pirates acquired Jerry Sands, Ivan DeJesus Jr., Stolmy Pimental and Mark Melancon.

Sands, DeJesus and Melancon are pretty much journeymen. Pimental is waiting to make his Major League debut. It’s very early to tell if some or any of these guys are really going to help the Pirates much.

Somebody else has to be Hanrahan in the bullpen this year. But really, all discussions about the Pirates’ prospects begin with outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who became a full-fledged star last year. The two-time All-Star batted .327 and the Pirates need him to be just as good and to stay healthy. McCutchen is the team leader.

Maybe the Pirates will get lucky and resurrect one of their free-agent invitees to big-league training camp and maybe they will find someone to smoothly slide in and take over for Hanrahan. However, last season classified as a full-fledged collapse. The question is whether the returning Pirates will let that experience impress a defeatist attitude on them or whether they will get angry, fight back, and drag the team to its long-awaited .500-plus record.

Mar 1, 2013; Sarasota, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) grounds out against the Baltimore Orioles during the top of the fifth inning of a spring training game at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

On August 6, the Pittsburgh Pirates were 62-46, alive in both the NL Central and wild card races. A 17-37 walk off the gangplank sunk the Pirates to a fourth place finish and their 20th straight losing season. GM Neal Huntington made one significant trade and one middle tier free agent pick up in the offseason. He also re-signed a number of important contributing players. As Pittsburgh enters 2013, their best chance to contend may rely on two young arms that could anchor their staff for the next decade.

In December Huntington traded All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan to the Red Sox for a package that included reliever Mark Melancon and prospect Stolmy Pimentel. Melancon put together solid 2010 and 2011 seasons, but seemed to slide in 2012 with a 6.20 ERA. However, Melancon’s ERA was 3.86 after April and his WHIP and batting average against were in line with his career averages. Melancon will serve as a setup man for new closer Jason Grilli.

Grilli’s ratios have been similar to Hanrahan’s the past two seasons. If he can transfer his success as a setup man to the closers role, the Pirates should not see an appreciable drop in performance. Grilli signed a two year $6.75 million contract in the offseason

Russell Martin wanted to play shortstop for team Gordie Howe in the World Baseball Classic, but will catch for the Pirates. Over the past two seasons with the Yankees, Martin has averaged 19 HR and 59 RBI in 405 AB. Signed to a two year $17 million deal, the dependable catcher has started on postseason teams.

Starting third baseman Pedro Alvarez hit 30 homers and drove in 85 RBI. His 2013 team option was exercised for an economical $700,000.

Neil Walker, the 11th overall pick in the 2004 draft, has become one of the more productive second baseman in baseball. His 2012 batting line was .280 BA/.339 OBP/.426 slugging with 14 HR. He signed a one year $3.3 million contract, avoiding arbitration.

OF/1B Garrett Jones posted another productive season, hitting 27 HR with 86 RBI. He signed a one year $4.5 million deal to avoid arbitration.

1B Gaby Sanchez was acquired midseason from the Marlins. He suffered a disappointing 7 HR/30 RBI campaign in 2012. He was signed for $1.75 million and will compete for a starting job.

James McDonald has put together two straight solid years as a starter for the Bucs, posting identical 4.21 ERA’s in 171 IP both seasons. He signed a one year $3 million deal and will be the third starter.

Starting pitcher Francisco Liriano signed a one year $1 million free agent contract with a team option for 2014 following a 6-12 season. He will compete for a rotation spot in 2013.

After A.J. Burnett, Wandy Rodriguez and McDonald, Pittsburgh’s rotation is very thin. The key to their success in the future, and possibly 2013, is the duo of Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon. Cole (1st overall 2011 MLB draft) and Taillon (2nd overall 2010 MLB draft) are both top 20 prospects according to Baseball America and could be ready to join the Pirate rotation in 2013.

The Pittsburgh Pirates should enter 2013 with a sense of optimism, they have the potential to be a sneaky contender for a wild card spot if things break their way. Center fielder Andrew McCutchen is a top ten player and is surrounded by a solid, but not overwhelming supporting cast.

Despite the embarrassment of last year’s Navy SEAL/Hell’s Angel debacle, Huntington did a nice job of building the roster entering 2013. If Cole and Taillon make an impact at the major league level and the Pirates finish a season strong, they may surprise in 2013. At the very least, Pittsburgh has a reasonable shot at ending their 20 year string of futility.

September 20, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Francisco Liriano (58) delivers a pitch during the first inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported that if Liriano’s option year vests at $5 mil or $6 mil, he can earn the difference between that and the full $8 mil based on games started in 2014. Not a bad deal for an injury prone pitcher, but a pitcher that used to have some of the nastiest stuff we have ever seen. Luckily for Liriano, the injury he had was to his right arm (non throwing) and not his left.

Liriano split his 2012 season between the Twins and White Sox as Minnesota traded him to the divisional rival White Sox shortly before the trade deadline. He put up a 5.34 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 156 2/3 innings. It was the second consecutive season in which he posted an ERA greater than 5.

The former top prospect will join a nice rotation featuring A.J. Burnett, Wandy Rodriguez and James McDonald for a very young and talented Pittsburgh team that plays in a very winnable NL Central. SP, Vin Mazzaro was outrighted to AAA Inidnapolis to make room for Liriano on the active roster.

Left-handed Jonathan Sanchez could be on the verge of joining the Pirates on a minor league deal. (Image Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports)

Sanchez is coming off a rough 2012 season that saw him traded twice. Just prior to the start of the season he was sent packing from the San Francisco Giants to the Kansas City Royals for Melky Cabrera. He was moved again before midseason, this time to Colorado for Jeremy Guthrie. Between the two stops he pitched just 64.2 innings over 15 starts, going 1-9 with a 8.07 ERA, 2.088 WHIP, and a career-worst 7.4 BB/9.

It’s hard to gauge what Sanchez might be able to bring to the table in Pittsburgh. Outside of his 2010 campaign (13-9, 3.07 ERA, 193.1 IP) his career has been largely inconsistent and relatively mediocre. Given the other options that will be in camp for the Pirates, it’s also hard to imagine a situation in which he makes the team’s active roster at the end of Spring Training. The front of the Pirates rotation – A.J. Burnett, James McDonald, Wandy Rodriguez – is likely set and Jeff Karstens appears to have an inside track of one of the two remaining spots. That could leave just one opening to a group already consisting of Andy Oliver, Jeanmar Gomez, Vin Mazzaro, and Jeff Locke. The team also has top prospect Gerrit Cole waiting in the wings with the expectation that he’ll join the rotation sometime this season.

There also remains a possibility that the organization finalizes their deal with Francisco Liriano, which was first agreed upon in January. It is uncertain if the Sanchez signing will affect the team’s efforts with Liriano.

(Image Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports)

The 29 year old Liriano made 34 appearances (28 GS) and threw 156.2 innings on the 2012 season, posting an overall record of 6-12 with a 5.34 ERA, 9.6 K/9, and a career high 5.0 BB/9. He was traded midseason from the Minnesota Twins, the only organization he had known in his career, to the Chicago White Sox.

Liriano had been expected to join a starting rotation in Pittsburgh that includes A.J. Burnett, James McDonald, and Wandy Rodriguez – a trio that went a combined 33-22 during the 2012 season. His injury, and the potential that a deal is now not completed between the sides, casts significant doubt on the backend of the Pirates rotation with Spring Training just about a month away. Rookies Kyle McPherson and Jeff Locke would appear to be the front runners among the team’s internal candidates, which is unquestionably a limited group. Charlie Morton is still recovering from Tommy John surgery and will not be ready until midseason. Top prospect Gerrit Cole could be an option, but there is a strong sentiment within the organization to start him back at Triple-A to begin the season.

It is unclear if Pittsburgh will look at any of the remaining free agent options (including Joe Saunders, Shaun Marcum, Jair Jurrjens, and others) should they elect to move on from Liriano.

(Image Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports)

Gomez threw 90.2 innings for the Indians this past season, making 20 appearances including 17 starts. He posted a 5-8 record and 5.96 ERA in that span, adding a 1.423 WHIP. He added 11 more starts at Triple-A, going 6-5 with a 4.41 ERA over 69.1 innings. Since making his MLB Debut in 2010 he’s a combined 14-16 with a 5.18 ERA, 4.9 K/9, and 3.1 BB/9 over 42 appearances (38 GS, 206.2 IP) in the past three seasons. Gomez will turn 25 just before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in early February. He’s expected to compete for a spot in Pittsburgh’s uncertain starting rotation.

Latimore was Pittsburgh’s 4th Round selection in the 2007 Draft, but he’s failed to develop much in the way of plate discipline since passing up on a commitment to the University of North Carolina to sign with the Pirates. He spent the past two season’s with Double-A Altoona, batting a combined .245/.308/.422 with 30 HR, 56 doubles, and an astounding 245 strikeouts in 971 plate appearances. Latimore will turn 24 at the start of February and holds a highly uncertain future.

This ultimately could be one of those classic “change of scenery” deals that could benefit both teams in the long run. Neither player should have a substantial impact in the upcoming season.