Pittsburgh Pirates

Jeff Clement fully understands he has yet to live up to the hype he generated as an amateur, setting the national high school record for career home runs in Marshalltown, Iowa, then becoming the all-time leader in homers as an All-America catcher at the University of Southern California.

Clement will get what could be his last shot at becoming a major league regular in February when he reports to the Pirates' spring training camp as the nominal favorite to be the opening-day first baseman. Clement was the centerpiece of the five-player package the Pirates received from Seattle in a July 29 trade for Jack Wilson and Ian Snell, and Pittsburgh immediately began converting him into a first baseman at Class AAA Indianapolis.

"I think what baseball, and really all sports, are about is getting the most that you can out of your ability," Clement said. "I haven't done that yet, and it's disappointing to me. I know I'm a better player than what I've shown."

Clement is 26, and the superstardom that was predicted for him has been elusive. He has played in just 75 major league games, including none this year, and hit .237 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs.

Clement batted .224 with seven homers and 22 RBIs in 27 games with Class AAA Indianapolis after the trade. The plan was for Clement to join the Pirates in September and play regularly at first base, but that was scuttled when he suffered a strained muscle in his rib cage.

"The timing of the injury was very unfortunate," Clement said. "I was looking forward to making a good first impression. Now, I can't wait to get to spring training to begin making that impression."

The Pirates believe they can unlock Clement's potential. The Mariners, though, gave up on the idea of Clement being their catcher of the future last season, as he spent the year at Class AAA Tacoma before being traded. Rookie Rob Johnson unseated Kenji Johjima as Seattle's starting catcher.

--rhp C

hris Jakubauskas, a major league rookie this year at age 30, was claimed off waivers by the Pirates. Jakubauskas went 6-7 with a 5.32 ERA in 35 games (eight starts) for Seattle in 2009.

• RHP Jeff Karstens, who would have been eligible for arbitration this winter, was designated for assignment by the Pirates. He went 4-6 with a 5.42 ERA in 13 games (eight starts) for Pittsburgh this year. The Pirates also designated LHP Justin Thomas and C Robinzon Diaz for assignment. Thomas was claimed off waivers from the Mariners last month.

• OF Gorkys Hernandez, RHP Brad Lincoln, RHP Ramon Aguero and RHP Bryan Morris were added to the Pirates' 40-man roster. The move protects them from the Rule 5 draft.

• RHP Craig Hansen is finally starting to recover from a nerve problem in his neck that did not allow him to pitch after April 19 last season. The nerve is beginning to generate to where he is slowly regaining strength in his neck. While Hansen is not expected to be ready for the beginning of spring training, he should be able to pitch at some point next season after doctors feared he might be forced to retire.

• RHP Jose Ascanio's rehabilitation from October shoulder surgery is going as planned, and he continues to be on target to return in June. Ascanio was acquired from the Cubs on July 30 but was forced to the disabled list after making one start for Class AAA Indianapolis and two relief appearances for the Pirates.

• LHP Zach Duke, RHP Matt Capps and SS Ronny Cedeno are all eligible for salary arbitration, and the Pirates plan to tender all three contracts. Capps had a $2,425,000 salary last season, while Duke's was $2.2 million and Cedeno's was $822,500.

• CF Andrew McCutchen finished fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting behind Florida's Chris Coghlan, Philadelphia's J.A. Happ and Atlanta's Tommy Hanson. McCutchen received two first-place votes and five seconds in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. 1B/OF Garrett Jones came in seventh, as he got two third-place votes.

• Steve Williams was hired as a major league scout after spending the last three seasons as Kansas City's assistant scouting director. Williams, 45, spent 10 years in the Royals organization. He has been in scouting since 1988, as he has also worked for Minnesota and Toronto.

By The Numbers:

2.14—LHP Donnie Veal's ERA for Scottsdale in the Arizona Fall League, as he had allowed five earned runs in 21 innings. He had a 7.16 ERA in 19 relief appearances for the Pirates last season as a rookie after being selected from the Cubs in the Rule 5 draft.

Quote To Note:

"There is finally some light at the end of the tunnel."

—RHP Craig Hansen, on getting news from the doctors that a nerve in his neck is starting to regenerate. The rare condition caused Hansen to miss the last five months of the 2009 season.

The results looked as bad as ever this year, as the Pirates stumbled through their 17th losing season in a row. However, the future appears brighter thanks to a series of trades that rid the team of veteran players and brought back a stable of prospects. The record string of losing years figures to reach 18 in 2010, though.

Biggest Needs:

The Pirates could use a power hitter for the middle of the lineup, as they finished 15th in the 16-team National League in runs scored, preferably a left-handed-hitting right fielder after Brandon Moss failed to fill the bill in 2009. They also would like to add a reliable left-handed reliever.

Arrivals:

2B Akinori Iwamura (trade with Rays), RHP Chris Jakubauskas (claimed off waivers from Mariners).

Departure:

RHP Jesse Chavez (traded to Rays).

Free Agents:

No one on the roster is eligible for free agency.

Arbitration-eligible:

RHP Matt Capps, SS Ronny Cedeno, LHP Zach Duke, RHP Jeff Karstens.

The Pirates will at least explore the idea of signing Duke to a multiyear contract. Capps, Cedeno and Karstens figure to return on one-year deals.

In Limbo:

RHP Matt Capps and C Ryan Doumit will be used as potential trade bait, especially if the Pirates can get a decent package of youngsters in return. RF Brandon Moss likely will be traded if the Pirates acquire a power-hitting outfielder in free agency.

Medical Watch:

RHP Craig Hansen (nerve problem in neck) might not be ready for the beginning of spring training, he should be able to pitch at some point next season.

RHP Jose Ascanio (arthroscopic right shoulder surgery in October 2009) likely will be out until June.