While Neal Huntington’s work has the Pirates positioned well for a turnaround circa 2012 or so, his evaluation of players in certain trades seems inaccurate in hindsight. Unfortunately, along with his celebrated wins at the exchange came these four losses.

With the first overall pick in the 2011 Major League Baseball first-year player draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates select Anthony Rendon, third baseman, from Rice University.

At the trade deadline, Neal Huntington made it relatively clear that 2011 will be another year for evaluation. If the Pirates are ever going to play competitive baseball, it likely won’t be until 2012. Here’s my take on an Opening Day lineup for next year.

Statistics are an important part of baseball, and so players are constantly being evaluated, judged, measured and scrutinized. In July, all the numbers are brought front and center by two events: the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, and the trade deadline. Cory and Alan consider the Pirates’ roster in that context.

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ ship began to sink shortly after the last recording of Pirate Revolution, a Titletahn podcast. Hosts Cory Humes and Alan Smodic return to their microphones today, and in doing so, hope to bail out a team that’s struggled through their early schedule in 2010.

Mike Lowell broke out at 26, and — risking being a jinx — Andy LaRoche is breaking out, too. Just 19 games into the 2010 season, I’m ready to commit to Andy at third for the long term. Move Pedro Alvarez to first base.

It’s the top of the 12th inning. You’re deadlocked at five runs. Your opponent, the Milwaukee Brewers, brings in a left-handed pitcher, starter-turned-reliever Manny Parra. You have the heart of the order due up. What’s the call?

All numbers that point to this being the darkest day in recent Pirates history. A record-breaking shutout loss, eclipsing a standard that stood for a century. A three-game series of absolutely one-sided baseball. A Pythagorean expectation so pessimistic that it’s quite literally unbelievable.