Andrew McCutchen

With the baseball season right around the corner, the baseball hot stove is scolding hot. Teams that missed out on big free agent signings are still trying to make a splash via trades. 

Some players could find themselves landing in a favorable situation, that opens the door for them to make some noise. Fantasy studs could be born next season with a change of scenery.

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Alright, kicking off my 30-team preview, we're starting in the wonderful city of Sixsburgh. A city of rich sports tradition, and champions all around.

Whether you're on the frozen pond, or on the gridiron, Pittsburgh knows what it takes to win championships. Even the dismal Pirates were once synonymous with success back in the early 1900s as well as the entire 1970s.

With Zach Greinke off the board signing with the Milwaukee Brewers, what if the Twins were in a position to grab their neighbor to the east's other prized possession, Prince Fielder? Bleacher Report will examine this possibility and rate it on a scale of one to 10 with one being the least likely. We will also look at a few other stars in major league baseball and their chances of playing the Twin Cities in the near future.

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On a day where the Pirates made some minor moves by signing Garrett Atkins to a minor league deal, acquiring minor league shortstop Corey Wimberly from Oakland, claimed left-hander Aaron Thompson of waivers from Washington, and designated reliever Wil Ledezma for assignment, it's time to take a different look at some of the Pirates needs.

It's the holiday season, so just like everyone else, the Pirates have their wish list for Christmas.

Only time will tell if the Buccos have been naughty or nice.  Maybe some of their wishes can be granted.

It's been a little over two weeks since the Pittsburgh Pirates last interviewed a candidate for the open managerial position.  They've yet to name a manager and many believe that the Pirates were waiting for the New York Yankees to get eliminated from the playoffs.

Could they be waiting for another guy and another team to get eliminated from the playoffs?  Maybe Texas Rangers hitting coach Clint Hurdle?

It makes sense.

I know everyone has been on the edge of their seats anxiously awaiting to see who would be so lucky to be honored by achieving my year-end Pirates awards.

On a team that lost 105 games, awards aren't likely for many of these guys. Or deserved for that matter. What fun would that be though?

Let's dive right in and see who receives the dubious honors to conclude the 2010 season.

Feel free to comment and add your own opinions on each award.

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The words "superstar" and "Pittsburgh Pirates" haven't gone together since a young kid named Barry Bonds was making his clean mark on Major League Baseball as a five-tool left fielder during the Pirate's last winning season. That seems like a lifetime ago, when in reality it was roughly 20 years. Hard to believe that there are children in college who weren't born yet the last time the Pirates were any good or had a superstar.

The Pirates are concluding yet another terrible season with only two games left in the 2010 schedule. They are going to pick first overall in next year's draft and have over 100 losses.

This seems pretty dim and honestly it is hard to get excited over much, but the Pirates have their young core finally and have reinforcements on the way.

With any luck they will be just a little bit better in 2011 and will make huge strides in 2012. No need to look that far ahead as you will need a reason to get tickets for next year.

With all of the troubles with its parent club in 2010, the Pirates AA affiliate Altoona Curve and the High-A affiliate Bradenton Marauders recently completed very successful seasons.

In case you haven't noticed, or have been too turned off by the latest 100 loss season by the Pirates, most of the real talent in the organization are currently playing at one of these two levels.

All of the trades and all of the last three successful drafts will wind up paying off in the form of these talented young players. For once, the Pirates have "real" prospects.

Since this season became a wash a really long time ago, there are still several things worth keeping an eye on the rest of the season. How will the rookies perform the rest of the season? What will the Pirates do at the trading deadline? Will this season’s team lose 100 games?

All of these areas could draw the casual fans interest, but for me there is one area worth keeping an eye on that will go a long way to determining what type of season the Pirates will have in 2011. Can these guys learn to win on the road?