When you're a team like the Pittsburgh Pirates, you need to get creative. Filling holes on a budget isn't easy, and thinking outside the box is the only way to escape the league's cellar.
The club's current period of doldrums has been especially frustrating because, aside from employing the best starter in baseball, the pitching staff in general is brimming with talented young arms. However, an abysmal offense has held them back to the point that all the talent in the world on the mound means nothing.
The Pirates will be sifting through the bargain bin again this offseason, but the lineup upgrades they'll find will be marginal at best.