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.

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.

Either I’m easily impressed, or you can still see a glimmer of what made Ronny Cedeno a former prospect. I’m not expecting him to become a star, but I do think Ronny can be a usable piece of the Pirates for more than a season or two. Jack Wilson, on the other hand, seems to be trending the other way.

These six scenarios will be fun to watch. They’re the ones where Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said to his colleagues: I’m better than you.