Neal Huntington Calls Current Team On Paper 'Deepest And Most Talented' He Has Assembled
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN) - Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington joined the Starkey and Mueller show to talk about what has been a very interesting off-season for his team.
Things opened up with Huntington talking about the signing of Korean infielder Jung-Ho Kang and their expectations for him.
"He's going to be a very good big league player, a solid regular," Huntington said about Kang.
Huntington admits though that the opportunity for that to happen may not take place this year.
"We just don't have that spot for him right now and we're comfortable with that," he said.
The biggest advantage Kang's addition will present to the Pirates may be in strengthening their bench, and Huntington addressed that aspect of the signing.
He'll "give Clint [Hurdle], in our minds, by far the most talented and versatile bench that Clint's had and we've had since we've been here."
Talking about that stronger bench and the strength of his team in general, Huntington was asked if this is the best team he has had heading into spring training since he took over the Pirates.
"It's an uncomfortable yes, because it's on paper," Huntington said. "As we look at this club, yes it is the deepest and most talented, but we still have some flaws. We still have work to do. We still need to control what we can control and we need some of the uncontrollables - mainly a bizarre injury or two - to stay away."
One of the biggest off-season story lines for the Pirates has been the transition from third base to first base for Pedro Alvarez, and Huntington talked about Alvarez not attending the team's voluntary mini-camp and the communication they have had with him.
"We've talked as we do with every player," Huntington said. "This is not amateur baseball where we have control over these guys in the off-season. They are professionals, they have responsibilities and obligations, we don't dictate their off-season. It is ultimately in their field to come back into camp ready to go, and 95 percent of the time our guys do that, and that's a testament to them and where they are. We feel like Pedro is going to come into camp ready to go. He had made the transition in his mind adequately, in our mind adequately from third to first. He was comfortable playing games out there, we were comfortable with him playing games out there. Now we get a six week stretch at spring training where he can get a ton of work in."
Click the audio link below to hear more from Huntington on these topics as well as his thoughts on the team's current payroll and their long-term hopes for Neil Walker.