The Pittsburgh Pirates have spent the past decade constructing what is now a perennial contender. Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco, Neil Walker, Josh Harrison, Jordy Mercer, Francisco Cervelli, and Jung Ho Kang are under wraps through at least 2016, with McCutchen, Marte, Polanco, Harrison, and Mercer locked in through 2018. Ace starter Gerrit Cole is under team control through 2019. Strikeout extraordinaire Francisco Liriano is signed through 2017. Top pitching prospect Tyler Glasnow, who averaged over 11 strikeouts per nine innings at High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A in 2015, is a near-lock to be installed in the rotation next season.
Are the Pirates Built Better to Avoid Decline than the Reds Were?
