Pirates: Five things to know
Pirates: Camp tour | 
Knobler | 1 Man vs. 1 Fan | Hinske
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Five things to know about the Pittsburgh Pirates:
1. Plenty of people around baseball still criticize the Pirates for their return from last summer's trades that sent Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte to the Yankees, and Jason Bay to the Red Sox (as part of the three-team Manny Ramirez deal). One scout even suggested that the Pirates would have received a better return had they held onto Nady and Bay and traded them over the winter. But general manager Neal Huntington strongly disagrees. "Honestly, we feel as good today about the deals as we did the day we made them," he said. "We know what was on the table, and we know what we asked for. Six of the eight guys we got will probably play a meaningful role for us this year, and the other two are the highest-ceiling guys." The six who could help the Pirates this year are pitchers Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf, Daniel McCutchen and Craig Hansen, right fielder Brandon Moss and third baseman Andy LaRoche. The two younger prospects are outfielder Jose Tabata and pitcher Bryan Morris.
2. The biggest decision the Pirates face this spring is deciding whether 22-year-old outfielder Andrew McCutchen is ready to jump to the big leagues. McCutchen has impressed the front office and the coaching staff this spring, but Huntington still calls it an outside shot that he makes the opening day roster. "We want to make sure he has developed to the point where he can succeed rather than just survive," Huntington said.
3. The Pirates' new pitching coach is Joe Kerrigan, and you've probably heard of him. The Pirates' new infield coach isn't as well-known, but he should be. "Where [Perry Hill] goes, a gold glove will follow," manager John Russell said. Hill previously worked with the Rangers, Tigers and Marlins, before taking the last couple of years off for family reasons. How good is he? The Marlins wouldn't give him permission to go to the Yankees or Mets, and when the Dodgers tried to hire him last year, the word is that Marlins asked for Matt Kemp as compensation.
4. If McCutchen makes the team this spring, it will be as a left fielder. While he's a natural center fielder, Nate McLouth won a gold glove in center field for the Pirates last year. The Pirates have left open the question of whether McLouth could switch to a corner spot sometime down the line.
5. Rich Donnelly was a Pirates coach in 1992, the last time the Pirates had a winning record. Since then, Donnelly has coached with the Marlins, Rockies, Brewers and Dodgers, before returning last year as an instructor/advisor. "For some people, (1992) probably feels like 32 years ago, but for me it's a blur," he said. "But you can feel it now, that guys are sick and tired of getting beat -- and sick and tired of hearing about it."
