2011 Indianapolis Indians

This is the first year in recent memory where every level of the Pirates minor league system is going to be interesting. The Indianapolis Indians will be a great place this year with the pitching being particularly exciting to watch. Many will be making the jump late in the year.

These are my projections, but I find the Indy infield particularly hard to judge.

C - Hector Giminez
1B - Garret Atkins (Steven Pearce will take over, but I am not convinced that he will be ready for the opening, and he may have to start lower to get his swing back depending on if he can play in any Spring Training games)
2B - Josh Harrison
3B - Andy Marte
SS - Jordy Mercer
LF - Josh Fields
CF - Andrew Lambo
RF -Alex Presley
DH - Jeff Clement

I think that will be the starting line-up, but I believe that Brian Friday will be a starter on most days of the week, but I think they will switch him up. Infield somedays (second and third) and outfield somedays (SP -corner spots), and even the DH from time to time. I expect this line up to be pretty fluid. Fields and Atkins will play some at 3B as well. Especially the 3B spot will be interesting. If Marte does not play well he will get replaced. Especially after Pearce comes back. That will move Atkins to a regular rotation for the 3B spot. The best thing that can happen for a lot of these guys is the dumping of Doumit at the big league level opening a spot for one of them (probably either Presley, Pearce, or Atkins), and then Clement can move out of the DH spot and everything will be much more settled.

I do not have Ciraco on this line up as I believe he will be lost after not making the Big League team. Also you will note no Jim Negrych. I do not think he will open up at AAA. If so, he will be buried on the bench. His last few years have been a real disappointment. He is not a prospect, and thus will be behind all of those on this list. I also do not think that they will open up with Chase D'Arnaud in AAA. He will make it before the season is over, but his bad year and the off season signing signal another stint at AA.

Pitching:
SP - Brad Lincoln
SP - Rudy Owens
SP - Daniel McCutchen
SP - Aaron Thomson
SP - Brian Morris
RP - Brian Burres
RP - Daniel Moskos
RP - Justin Thomas
RP - Sean Gallagher
RP - Michael Crotta
RP - Kevin Hart (he could start on DL or lower to work his way to AAA)

You will notice that Jeff Locke is not here. I think he will start in AA. AAA is too crowded and Locke was not there very long. He will start there, but end up here in AAA. I think Burres will be a bullpen guy because the Pirates are short on left handed arms in the bigs, and Burres thus they need him to be in the pen. I think that McCutchen will get one last shot at being a starter. More value that way. If they decide to switch him to the pen they can always do that later. Crotta does not have much of a shot at being a big league starter, but the pen is a real possibility. Thus, that transition starts this year. The other guys I added because the saw time last year and very well could again this year.

I think the Indians are going to have a real chance at being good this year. More importantly they have a real chance to develop some great prospects in the field (like Mercer and Lambo) and on the mound (almost everyone). They are a team to watch for Pirate fans.