Newman and Kramer: PWE and Some Random PC Adds

I've been a big fan of Sport Card Collectors for a long time. I'm a frequent reader and I especially enjoy the product reviews, which have often inspired (or discouraged) my hobby box purchases. 

I was browsing through the blog the other day and noticed a few late 90's Topps football cards on the wantlist. I have a handful of football cards from that era, so I dug through some of my football commons and was able to dig up two of the cards on there. I contacted Matt who runs the blog and in a few days we had a PWE swap lined up.

I had my eye on a few of his recent breaks after seeing Matt pull a few good looking Pirates.

First up, Matt sent me this 2019 Stadium Club Auto from Kevin Newman. I've never busted open any Stadium Club myself, and I'm not sure I ever will. The photography is great - we know that - but I find myself gravitating towards bordered cards. Therefore, it's awesome to get another Stadium Club Auto in my collection, especially from a guy who has been super impressive in his rookie season.

The other card I requested is the 2019 Topps Chrome Kevin Kramer Prism. I do love some me shiny! At this time last year, Newman and Kramer were projected as the future middle infield for the Pirates. "The Seinfeld Double Play." That hasn't gone exactly to plan as Kramer has been on a slower path of progression. 

Matt also threw in the 2019 Topps Heritage Gregory Polanco Purple Parallel #/175. A really pleasant surprise. Thanks, Matt!

Now for a few random PC pick ups:

Top left: 2018 Bowman Draft Chrome Oneil Cruz #10/50. This guy is super intriguing. First off, he was traded at the deadline in 2017 straight up for reliever Tony Watson, who went on to pitch very meaningful innings for the Dodgers in the playoffs that year. Need more? His dad named him after Paul O'Neil! Not enough for you? He's a 6'6 shortstop, who has a cannon for an arm and a ton of raw power. 

He's 21 years old and was promoted to AA in August. He probably won't stick at that position, but so far his pure athleticism has been enough to keep him there. This is my first Cruz card. I'd love an auto, but he's only signed one licensed product so far and the prices aren't reasonable. 

Top right: 2014 Bowman Chrome Francisco Liriano Bubble Refractor /99. I think the bubble refactors are sooo sweet and I don't know why.

Bottom: 2019 Topps Series 2 Steel City Slammers. I mean... Steel City Slammers. Only two of the players on this card are still Pirates, which sounds about right since it's September and I'm a Pirates fan. Sweet card nonetheless, and a really great way for me to remember Corey Dickerson in one card.

Thanks again to Matt for the awesome PWE swap, and thanks to you for reading!

Marte Par-tay

Judson over at My Cardboard Habit and I were able to work out another easy deal. The plan was essentially: "Hey Judson I really want that Marte auto..."

And his response was "It's yours, just send whatever and I'll send you Marte."

...pretty sweet deal. I sent Judson just about every Ranger in my collection. Sure enough, he fired back the autograph. Not just the autograph, but also an awesome GQ Jersey Card. 

Judson, thanks so much for the cards. The Stadium Club autograph is easily one of my favorites out of my whole Pirates PC. Although I wasn't a huge fan of Stadium Club overall, I absolutely love the poses and the photography captured in the set. This card is no different.

Thanks for reading!

Tabata Time!

Gavin of the well regarded Baseball Card Breakdown has a been a consistent trade partner of mine.  I've probably gone back and forth with Gavin more than any other collector. I was trying to figure out why that is today, and I think it's simply because... Gavin has about 50 different player collections (ranked by high, medium, and low priority). That sure makes for an easy trading partner!

Before I get to the cards I'll present a quick aside:

I NEVER enter web addresses until the URL bar. I google EVERYTHING. So today, when I wanted to get to Gavin's blog, I just googled "baseball card breakdown." Some images popped up, and I got curious. This is what you'll see in google images:

I thought this was pretty cool for any blog. He and Adam do a lot of trading, Matt too. Just another way to navigate some old posts and see some different material, but using images rather than text... nice for us visual people.

Gavin was kind enough to throw in some extra cards, seen above some good-old-fashioned (and very 90's) household Bucco names: Kendall, Garcia, Hermansen, Guillen, and fan favorite Andy Van Slyke.

Gavin also threw in three Auto's. Far left is a nice base auto from prospect Wyatt Mathisen, who I believe resides in Bradenton Florida with the Pirates Single A affiliate. From I've read he shows some promise, but is at an early stage in terms of development.

Next is Brad Lincoln, who is *actually* back with the Pirates down on the farm. He was with the Bucs from 2010-2012 before he was dealt straight up from Travis Snider, who has made an appearance on this blog before.

Lastly, to the far right, a very nice looking card of the Pirates pinch-hitter-of-choice:

 Jose Tabata. That name sound familiar? Can't figure out why? 

Tabby was getting quite a lot of press this weekend after he may or may not have ruined Max Sherzer's perfect game. With two outs and two strikes in the ninth, a breaking ball got away from Maxxy and ran inside. The rest is history. 

Funny timing, but I received the Rookie auto from Gavin just a few days prior. It's a beauty.

Lastly, a COMC purchase- treating myself with some extra store credit. I've been hunting A.J.'s autographed products for a while, and they're hard to come by. He shows up often in base sets but I don't believe he's signed any Topps products in a Pirates Jersey. Could be wrong.

Happy to add my first A.J. Auto.

Thanks for reading!

2 Blaster Break - 2014 Topps Chrome/2014 Bowman Platinum

Overcome by "the itch" at Target last night. 

Except instead of browsing hanger packs and picking through the .99 cent packs, I was fortunate to come across some discounted blasters.

Boy I love seeing those big orange stickers. I've seen them on other blasters- NASCAR, Press Pass products, but never on anything this recent or collectible.

I cracked into the Chrome first, and was smacked immediately with the reminder of the inevitable "Chrome Warp."

Looks like these puppies have been sitting on the shelf for some time. I'm a huge fan of chrome, always have been- but the bend in the cards is a tragic flaw. I'm surprised that this hasn't been resolved in the hobby, I can't imagine that I'm the only who feels that way. I mean, it's 2015 for Pete's sake!

The blaster promises a 4-card purple chrome pack, and this one delivered. I imagine the Jeter card is somewhat collectible being his final year. I like the Bogaerts as well, a very clean RC.

Some more highlights.

Moving on to the Bowman Platinum with two Pirates. None in the Chrome, so I was happy to see two top prospects make an appearance in the base set. Bell and McGuire are the #4 and #5 prospects in the Pirates farm system, respectively. Welcome to the PC boys.

Two parallels and a (now) household name.

Here are my three inserts, which is very Tanaka-centric. How about that insert on the bottom? Doesn't it look like something's missing there?

Maybe an autograph? 

That was my first thought- the design of this card is very similar to many horizontal autographed cards I've seen (Topps Tribute comes to mind). For whatever reason, Bowman Platinum seems to love this sort of design and tease. If anyone ever hears of Tanaka signing TTM, let me know... this baby is asking for it.

Lastly, Mr. Bogaerts makes another appearance. This card looks fantastic with the Ruby background to match the Sox Jersey. And again, I'll never complain about a rookie.

Overall, solid return. More importantly, I had alot of fun ripping these packs. At full price there may have been some remorse, but I can live with the result after the hefty discount. Anyone else see good $12.99 blasters at Target lately? Not sure if this was a local deal or a company-wide initiative.

Everything here is for trade, so drop a comment if you something piques your interest.

Thanks for reading!

Nate

Autograph Trade Bait Randomness

Browsing my collection on a lazy Sunday and hoping to find some takers on some trade bait that's cluttering my collection. These have been acquired mostly through box breaks. Never been in a accident, one owner (check the carfax).

If you folks see anything that tickles your fancy, please drop a comment or reach me by email and nsbell440 at gmail dot com. Descriptions below (L to R, top to bottom).

***If you're building a set of 2015 Topps Baseball, please let me know. I have lots of singles and will happily send them off compliments of Big 44 Cards.***

Jorge Polanco 2013 Bowman Chrome Auto

Cameron Gallagher 2013 Bowman Chrome Auto

Andre Rienzo 2013 Bowman Chrome Refractor Auto /500

L.J. Hoes 2013 Topps Chrome Auto

Rob Brantly 2013 Topps Chrome Refractor Auto /499

Onelki Garcia 2014 Topps Chrome Refractor Auto /499

Mike Leake 2010 Topps "Peak Performance" Auto

Scottie Pippen 2012-13 Panini Momentum Auto /25

Larry Johnson 2012-13 Panini Elite Auto /199

Dwayne Bowe 2011 Panini Certified Jersey /50

Kyrie Irving 2012-2013 Panini "Swirlorama" RC #161

***If you're building a set of 2015 Topps Baseball, please let me know. I have lots of singles and will happily send them off compliments of Big 44 Cards.***

Thanks for reading!

My Wax Box

A few weeks ago, I came across a blog post that presented a brilliant idea: Buy packs, and don’t open them. Yep, that’s right. It sounds difficult I know, but it’s actually been one of the best decisions of my collecting career.

(I can’t recall whose blog it was, but if this sounds like your idea: A. Thank you and B. Please drop a comment and take credit!)

So it works like this: If I’m at Target or Walmart shopping for items aside from cards, I hit the card aisle and grab some packs. I approach it with two simple guidelines: Look for bargains, and buy in bulk. If anything decent is discounted, I grab that. If I’m at Target, I usually grab a box of packs from the Fairfield Company, which is basically the only way to “buy in bulk” without using the internet. Here's an example:

When I get home, I take my packs and throw them in a designated box- my Wax Box! My goal is to build up a nice collection of packs, so when I get the urge to rip some retail, I have a variety of packs available to me. If I buy a bunch of packs, I may open one or two immediately and throw the rest in the box.

Above is my accumulation thus far and I hope it continues to grow. Not only is this type of collecting tons of fun, but it eliminates the impulse to run out and buy packs. If I want to open packs, I've got them. It takes a good deal of self control to avoid shredding them all at once, but it really does pay off! 

Now this isn't to say that I don't still run out and buy new products, because I absolutely do. It seems like yesterday that I was eagerly making my way out grab some 2014 Bowman.

I'd love to hear some feedback. Aside from the mystery blogger who prompted me- Anyone else do this? If not, would you consider trying it?

Thanks for reaading!

Four 2014 Bowman Baseball Hobby Packs, With a Hit!

After seeing some blog posts about 2014 Bowman, I definitely needed to get my hands on some packs. I considered a blaster, but opted to hit my LCS. For $17 and change, I was able to secure myself 40 cards with a reasonable chance some at parallels or a hit. That's a way better deal than a blaster, plus I'm supporting my LCS. Hell yeah.

 The design is pretty sharp. I'm a big fan. I like the design much more than Topps Series 1- I'll never get over that weird border thingy hanging around on the right hand side of those cards.

Here are the highlights:

I'll start with two base cards that stood out to me, for different reasons. The Rendon card hit struck me immediately because I've seen that picture a thousand freaking times. I'm pretty sure it's the only picture of him that Topps owns. As for the Morales card, I found it funny because he's currently unemployed. It's not often that you open a brand new product and find a guy in an outdated jersey.

I was lucky enough hit a Tanaka rookie, one of the more sought after cards thus far in 2014. I was thinking about selling it, but I was able to get some good return from a different card (read on for more), so I think I'm going to hang onto this bad boy. The Lambo card is the only Pirate that I pulled. I've already been showered in Lambo RC's from Topps flagship, but I like this one better. Hopefully this guy can prove to be an effective major leaguer some day soon.

My two parallels, both from the "hometown flags" parallel line. The Castellanos RC was a nice little hit. From what I understand this guy is projected to have a solid career.

Lastly, I beat the odds and hit the one auto in the box. It's actually the first time I've ever hit an auto from an LCS hobby pack. This is a actually a bit of surprise considering how many dozens of packs I've bought- so it was nice to finally get a big hit!

I had never heard of Jesse Winker, so I did some quick research. He's a very young prospect in the Reds system, projected by most prospecting sites as the 4th or 5th best prospect in the Reds' system. This guy won't see be seeing the bigs for several years, if he pans out- the story of every prospect. Chances are, like 95% of prospects, this guy will never make a name for himself. 

Based on that, this card went straight to eBay and served as a perfect refund for my original purchase. It rarely works out like this, so I'm feeling pretty fortunate. If this guy ever hits it huge and becomes the next Mike Trout, please feel to come back to this post a berate me. I deserve it. 

Thanks for reading!

New Bucco's, What Else?

You know how this goes, just me showing off some more PC additions. Nothing too extravagant here, but I'm very happy with these purchases!

First up is Ike Davis. I'll admit, I wasn't initially excited about my Buccos signing Ike. As a New Yorker with tons of Mets fans for friends, I'm very familiar with his career. I remember when he first came up to the bigs, there was a real buzz surrounding his power. He's certainly showed some of that power, although his batting average has suffered. He's a lifetime .241 hitter, which is the last thing the Pirates need (think: Pedro Alvarez). Ike's struggles have mostly come against lefties, and the Pirates signed him with the intention of throwing in platoon situation with Gaby Sanchez facing the lefties. After Ike's grand slam last week, I'm a little more optimistic. If he stays above .250 and drives in consistent runs, I'll be satisfied.

With all of that said, I definitely wanted to acquire an auto from Ike. He's got plenty of autos out there, and the prices were very affordable. So affordable, in fact, that a rookie auto wasn't out of the question. I snagged this 2010 Topps Chrome for $8 shipped. The cost was little much for such mediocre player, but I decided to shell out a few extra bucks for that "RC" stamp.

Here's a nice auto from 2014 GQ from Jeff Locke. Locke, a 2013 All-Star, has completely disappeared. After having a fantastic first half last season, he completely collapsed and eventually landed on the DL. He's still battling injuries and trying to get himself straightened out in triple A. As of now, he's not an option for the Pirates rotation. Nonetheless, I'm excited to add another Locke auto to my collection. 

This came to me courtesy of a half case break conducted by the wonderful Judson over at My Cardboard Habit. I actually got two of these in the break, so I've got an extra if anyone's interested. Won't take much.

Lastly is a simple little Charlie Morton auto from 2011 Topps Lineage. I never dabbled with the set, but I really like this card. For a sticker, it's certainly not bad. This is the only certified autograph card that I've seen consistently on the market from Charlie. I was able to pick this up for $4 shipped.

Charlie's having a pretty rough year this year, as are most Pirates pitchers... and batters... and so on. They were able to pick up a nice 6-1 win over St. Louis this afternoon. Hopefully they can steal one from Adam Wainwright tomorrow and gain some momentum before heading to Baltimore to begin interleague play.

Thanks for reading!

2014 Topps Gypsy Queen TRADE BAIT!

Good evening friends. I've finally gotten around to sorting all of my GQ from this year, and I was able to amass a Pirates team set from Judson's group break. 

Speaking of that group break, it gave me a TON of dupes and extra trade bait. I had the Pirates and Red Sox, so you'll see a theme here. I also ripped a few hobby packs from my LCS. I've set aside all the cards I want. Here's what I don't:

The mini's. Mostly Sox. There's a nice Ted Williams variation in there.

Judson actually pulled two Jeff Locke auto's, and I only need one. That Shields card looks sick with the blue border, /499.

Some inserts above. And more...

And lastly, the numbered mini's...

Nothing too crazy here, although I imagine that the Bogaerts RC holds some nice value.

So, let me know if you see anything you like! I also have TONS of base cards from Red Sox and Pirates (probably a few full teams sets). You can reach me, as always, at nsbell440@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading!

Opening Day 2014: Pictures, Predictions, Postseason? Part 2

Yeah, yeah, I know... Opening Day was a week ago. But I'm slow,  and I haven't had a chance to get on here and write a post of this length!

If you recall, a week ago I posted my thoughts and predictions for the Pirates 2014 campaign. In that post, I only hit on the offensive starting lineup, and didn't mention anything about the pitching staff. So, I thought it would be appropriate to analyze the hurlers as well.

Without further ado, the Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day starting rotation!

First up, #1: Francisco Liriano!

2013: IP: 161 Record: 16-8 ERA: 3.02 K: 163 WHIP: 1.22

2014 Projected stats: IP: 170 Record: 14-11 ERA: 3.90 K: 178 WHIP: 1.67

Comments: I hate to say it, but I don't see Frankie having a repeat of last year, when he won comeback player of the year. Don't get me wrong, I love this guy. I love the attitude he brings to the mound, and I love watching confused batters hack and miss at his disgusting slider. I just can't see him achieving the same level of success he had last year. If he can stay healthy, I think he'll have a solid year, just not the outstanding season of 2013.

#2: Charlie Morton

2013: IP: 116 Record: 7-4 ERA: 3.26 K: 85 WHIP: 1.23

2014 Projected stats: IP: 175 Record: 13-7 ERA: 3.31 K: 131 WHIP: 1.36

Comments: Unfortunately this is the nicest card I have of Ground Chuck. Why do they call him Ground Chuck, you ask? Because it's catchy, yes, but also because he's a classic ground-ball pitcher (...and his name's Charlie). He's a real Derek Lowe type. Everything he throws breaks downward, and it's never more than theigh-high. In my opinion, he's probably the Pirates most consistent starter. He's not flashy by any means, but he's almost always able to pitch 5 or 6 strong innings, giving the Bucco bats a chance to win the game. I think he'll take a nice step forward in 2014.

#3: Wandy Rodriguez

2013: IP: 62 2/3 Record: 6-4 ERA: 3.59 K: 46 WHIP: 1.12

2014 Projected stats: IP: 181 Record: 11-10 ERA: 3.68 K: 155 WHIP: 1.32

Comments: I love this card. Shiny, low number, great sig. Wandy was plagued with injuries in 2013, sitting out the majority of the season on the back end. He's a very underrated starting pitcher in the major leagues, probably due to playing a total of 8 years with Houston. His lifetime record is 91-93 with an ERA of 4.01-- although these numbers are skewed by a three rough years to start his career. Since 2008, he's never had an ERA over 3.76, and he put together a streak of four 10-win seasons. He's not glamourous in any way, but he's a perfect middle of the rotation guy. I think he'll stay right on track with his career averages.

#4: Gerrit Cole

2013: IP: 117 1/3 Record: 10-7 ERA: 3.22 K: 100 WHIP: 1.12

2014 Projected stats: IP: 192 Record: 16-7 ERA: 3.05 K: 188 WHIP: 1.15

Comments: The phenom, as they say. Boy, is this guy exciting. Cole has been a highly-touted and incredibly exciting young prospect for the Pirates for several years, and has finally made a splash in majors. As a mid-sesason call-up in 2013, he certainly didn't disappoint. I don't see this guy struggling in any way, simply because he's never struggled at all in his young career. Gerrit will take a huge leap forward in his first full season, and he'll be anchoring the Pirates rotation for years to come.

#5: Edinson Volquez

2013: IP: 170 1/3 Record: 9-12 ERA: 5.71 K: 116 WHIP: 1.67

2014 Projected stats: IP: 158 Record: 8-14 ERA: 5.29 K: 106 WHIP: 1.58

Comments: Please excuse that silly piece of tape that a previous collector felt was necessary. We all know how that goes. The Pirates seem to have a ton of faith in Volquez, hoping that the pitching coaches can turn him around like they did with Liriano. Unfortunately, I don't see it happening. I've seen this guy play for a while now, and he just can't get it under control. He was a very cheap signing, so he's low-risk in that sense. However... he kind of sucks... so pitching him once a week seems pretty high-risk to me. I pray that I'm wrong in my predictions and he turns out OK. If not, I pray that the Pirates dispose of him before he can put up the stats that I've projected above.

So there you have it. In my eyes, it should be a solid year for the pitching staff. There's no doubt that's some talent, but all of the pieces will need to fall into place perfectly if the Bucs will have a shot at the postseason.

One last thing: If you haven't already seen, I'm holding a contest with some nice prizes. Check out the link if you like free cards!

Thanks for reading.

Opening Day 2014: Pictures, Predictions, Postseason?

I've been waiting for this one for some time. The snow is melting, the days are getting longer, and it's Opening Day! It's a great day to be alive! 

My goal was to have a certified autograph of every Pirates opening day starter by... opening day. Unfortunately I have failed in my quest, but not by much!

Here's my predicted Pirates opening day roster with some of my favorite cards, as well as my statistical predictions. I'm going to do my best to remain objective and realistic!

Without further ado...

Starting at Catcher, for the YOUR Pittsburgh Pirates: 

RUSSEL MARTIN!

2007 Bowman's Best Auto

2013: 438 AB, .226 BA, 51 R, 15 HR, 55 RBI, 9 SB

2014 Projected stats: 444 AB, .261 BA, 62 R, 19 HR, 68 RBI, 7 SB

Comments: I absolutely loving having this guy as a backstop. His defense is his most valuable asset, not his bat. He's coming off a fantastic defensive year, capturing a runner-up position in the Gold Glove award, and saving the Pirates a handful of runs. In his contract year, I see him taking a step forward offensively.

At first base: Gaby Sanchez

2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Auto

2013: 264 AB, .254 BA, 29 R, 7 HR, 36 RBI, 1 SB

2014 Projected stats: 367 AB, .260 BA, 42 R, 22 HR, 55 RBI, 2 SB

Comments: Gaby goes into the 2014 as the Pirates starting first baseman. Historically, he mashes lefties and is blind against righties. Reportedly, he came into spring training much more trim than last year, dropping some fat and gaining muscle. He's very solid defensively, and he's going to need to step up his offense. He'll have the opportunity to 

prove himself as a regular first baseman in 2014.

At second base: Neil Walker 

2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Auto

2013: 478 AB, .251 BA, 62 R, 16 HR, 53 RBI, 1 SB

2014 Projected stats: 493 AB, .269 BA, 64 R, 15 HR, 66 RBI, 1 SB

Comments: Neil took a pretty big step back last year, setting career lows in many categories. He was battling injuries during much of the year, and was still able to approach 500 ABs. I have a hard time seeing him getting back to his 80+ RBI days. A repeat 

of last year is likely, with a hopeful spike in batting average. 

At Shortstop: Jordy Mercer

2013 Topps RC

2013: 365 AB, .285 BA, 33 R, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 3 SB

Projected stats: 412 AB, .270 BA, 40 R, 12 HR, 33 RBI, 2 SB

Comments: Jordy's coming off his first full season in the majors, and in my opinion, a pretty decent one. He wasn't on the Pirates opening day roster last year, although he joined the club in May and stayed for the remainder of the year. The Bucs still operate with a platoon at shortstop, with Jordy and Clint Barmes. Barmes is much more solid defensively, and steals some ABs as a late game defensive replacement. I see Jordy taking a small step forward offensively, although I haven't seen enough from him to predict anything extraordinary. 

At third base: Pedro Alvarez 

2011 Topps Chrome Atomic Refractor /225

2013: 614 AB, .233 BA, 70 R, 36 HR, 100 RBI, 2 SB

Projected stats: 608 AB, .245 BA, 72 R, 38 HR,102 RBI, 5 SB

Comments: What year for Pedro in 2013. He finally came around and began to look like the star he was projected to be out of college, leading the NL in HR's and being named to the All-Star team. Pedro took a huge step forward in terms of production, cranking out exceptional HR and RBI numbers. The big concern with El Toro is his low average and terribly high strikeout rate. I see much of the same this year as we saw in 2013.

In left field: Starling Marte:

2013 Topps Gypsy Queen Auto

2013: 510 AB, .280 BA, 83 R, 12 HR, 35 RBI, 41 SB

Projected stats: 522 AB, .270 BA, 79 R, 15 HR, 33 RBI, 45 SB

Comments: Marte had a breakout season in 2013, and was rewarded nicely just a few days ago with a 6-year, 31 million dollar contract. Marte is an exciting outfielder with great speed, excellent range, and a strong arm. The big concern with Marte is his strikeout numbers, which are unusually high for a leadoff hitter. I see the free-swinging Marte having a very similar year with a slight drop in average, and an increase in pop.

In center field: Andrew McCutchen

2005 Topps Chrome RC Auto /499

2013: 583 AB, .317 BA, 97 R, 21 HR, 84 RBI, 27 SB

Projected stats: 580 AB, .322 BA, 104 R, 27 HR, 90 RBI, 25 SB

Comments: You know him. And in Pittsburgh, there's no one more popular aside from maybe Sid Crosby. The reigning 2013 MVP actually has worse statistical year in 2013 than 2012 in every major category but steals. In 2014, I see him getting back to those numbers of two years ago, and making another run for MVP. This guy's a bonafide star; even if he drops off a bit, it won't be by much.

And lastly, in right field: Travis Snider

2007 Bowman Sterling Travis Snider RC Auto

2013: 261 AB, .215 BA, 28 R, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 2 SB

Projected stats: 310 AB, .232 BA, 36 R, 9 HR, 33 RBI, 1 SB

Comments: Snider comes off a terrible, injury riddled 2013 season. When he was healthy, he was striking out, and grounding into double plays as a pinch hitter. I've heard lots of great anecdotes about Snider's personality, and he seems like a great clubhouse guy. However, I've never been impressed with Snider's performance, especially at the plate. The only real favorable memory I have of Travis is this amazing catch back in 2012, which was an unbelievable robbery. Offensively, I don't see a ton of improvement on the horizon. I think his numbers will increase quantitatively, simply because he'll be healthy. He may be DFA'd at some point this season.

Final team predictions:

2013 Season: 94-68, 2nd NL Central, Wild Card, Lost NLDS 3-2 to St. Louis

2014 Prediction: 89-73

In all honesty, I have a hard time seeing the Pirates achieving the same success that the team enjoyed last year; but that's not say that I think they'll return to their nightmarish losing ways of the past. I think the team will still have a very good year and contend for a playoff spot. As long as the Cardinals are in the NL Central, I don't see Pirates being able to win the division. Optimistically, they'll play well enough to squeeze into a Wild Card spot and create some noise in the playoffs. Pessimistically, they'll sink closer to .500 and miss the playoffs. 

Here's to hoping some of the magic fairy dust from 2013 is still lingering in the Steel City.