Part II: Playing Pirates GM with tough task of salary arbitration players and whether to trade Hanrahan

By John Perrotto

In Part I of this series in which I act as pretend Pirates' general manager, I tackled the subject of what to do with the seven players who are eligible for free agency after the World Series. However, that isn't the biggest task to take on once the season is over.

There is a possibility that 11 Pirates could be eligible for salary arbitration in the offseason depending upon final major-league service time numbers. Those players are left-hander Brian Burres, closer Joel Hanrahan, first baseman/outfielder Garrett Jones, right-handers Jeff Karstens, Charlie Morton and Ross Ohlendorf, infielder/outfielder Steve Pearce, relievers Evan Meek, Chris Resop and Jose Veras and infielder Brandon Wood.

Pearce could possibly fall short of having arbitration rights if he does not wind up in the top 17 percent of major-league players with more than two but les three years of service time.

The arbitration process is something to be taken seriously, especially for a small-market team like the Pirates who aren't afforded the luxury of even a mid-size payroll. Players are almost automatically guaranteed raised through the system, oftentimes substantial increases.

With that in mind, it is important to determine which players are worth going to a potential arbitration hearing. I would immediately lop off five of the 11 names by not offering contracts to Burres, Ohlendorf, Pearce, Resop and Wood.

Guys like Burres are easily found. Ohlendorf has reached the expiration date on being a promising young pitcher as he is 29 with a combined 2-14 record and 5.07 ERA in the last two seasons. Pearce has had 521 at-bats in five seasons and hit just .232 with nine home runs and 52 RBIs. Resop's 6.11 ERA in the second half of this season makes him expendable. Wood flashes the tools that once made him a top prospect with the Los Angeles Angels but he is never going to turn them into consistent production.

That leaves Hanrahan, Jones, Karstens, Morton, Meek and Veras.