The Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t had a winning season in 18 years and as spring training is rapidly approaching, it looks like that streak will extend at least one more year.

According to the MLB odds found at BetUS, the experts are absolutely counting on it. Even as baseball analysts examine the team, it’s hard to find many clues that indicate otherwise.

Will the Pirates mascot have something to cheer about this season?

Photo by David Watson, used under  creative commons license.

An optimist might suggest that the Pirates signing of Lyle Overbay at first base might actually present an offensive upgrade, such as general manager Neal Huntington claims. But a pessimist might easily refute that suggesting that a 34-year-old that batted .243 in a hitter-friendly park last season isn’t exactly a coup.

The bottom line for Pirates fans is that the team isn’t noticeably improving. It’s been 18 years since they’ve had a winning season, which means they’ve had plenty of high draft picks to pick the players they’ve wanted.

They’ve also continually downsized, sending developed veterans for packages of young assets. But the reality is that none of it has come together and the Pirates are still at square one – even if they are trying.

2011 won’t produce a winning season for Pittsburgh even if its young pitching performs as All-Stars. The team just needs a change in philosophy and a change in management before they’ll even come close to a winning season. Don’t hold your breath; at this rate, that winning season might still be a decade away.

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