The rumors are swirling and it looks highly probable that the Pirates may make some kind of move soon, possibly as soon as this weekend at Baseball's Winter Meetings. Much of the discussion revolves around the acquisition of more power, preferably in the form of a new right fielder.

I find the Bucs' right field situation very interesting. For one, it's interesting because its always fun for fans to speculate about who they might (or should) get. More importantly, however, the right field situation is important because its recent history perfectly encapsulates the problems the organization has had in general, and the rut they find themselves in. Looking back at the various right fielders that have worn the black and gold, it becomes readily apparent that the Pirates have been making the same mistakes over and over again. Let's re-examine those mistakes, and see if there is anything that may be learned from them going forward.

This recent quest for a right fielder is nothing new. The Bucs have been unable to find a long-term solution for this position for several years, essentially since the "glory days" of the early 90s, when Bobby Bonilla and then Orlando Merced anchored the position. Merced was far from an impact player, but he was a dependable player who brought some stability to the position. He was a good complimentary player who did the things that help teams win. Unfortunately for the Bucs, there wasn't a whole lot of winning going on after the division-winning run in the early part of the decade. The Bucs were rebuilding and players like Merced are not the kind of players you build around. So with free agency quickly approaching, the Pirates traded Merced to the Blue Jays in a blockbuster nine-player deal after the 1996 season. Ironically, one of the players the Pirates got back in the deal was a young minor league catcher named Craig Wilson, who would later play his own role in on the Bucs' right field odyssey.

The Bucs entered the 1997 season with no reliable options for the position. Names like Midre Cummings, Turner Ward and Mark Smith were bandied about, but to the everyone's surprise 20 year old Jose Guillen made the jump up from High A ball and won the job in spring training. Guillen got off to a promising start, but the Pirates grew weary of his immaturity and questioned his upside. He was shipped off to Tampa Bay during the middle of the 1999 season.

The Guillen situation is an interesting one. At the time, I was very critical of the Bucs for giving up on such a young player so early in his career. That criticism seemed justified when Guillen finally realized his potential the last two years -- producing the kinds of numbers the Bucs sorely could use. However, I think it is probably be a bit unfair to point to Guillen's recent production as a failure on the Pirates part. Sure, I still believe they gave up on him too soon, but they were not the only ones.

Tampa Bay ended up outright releasing Guillen following the 2001 campaign. Guillen promptly signed with the Diamondbacks and lasted one season before he was once again released midway through 2002. The Rockies then immediately picked him up only to cut him a month later. The Reds swooped in and Guillen finished the 2002 season with them. The following year, injuries gave Guillen an opportunity, and he seized it with a breakout season. If the Bucs gave up on Guillen too early, the same could be said for the Devil Rays, Diamondbacks and Rockies. At least the Bucs walked away with Humberto Cota to show for it.

Of course, while Guillen has finally established himself as a player, he seems unable to shake the attitude problems that caused the Pirates to sour on him in the first place. His very public meltdown with the Angels last year has many teams questioning his overall worth. In all likelihood, the rebuilding Pirates probably could not afford a clubhouse distraction, no matter how talented. Still, there are teams that feel he may be worth the hassle. The Washington Nationals decided to "buy low" and take a gamble on him. Time will tell if it will pay off.

The true legacy of the "Guillen era" is one of what-ifs and could've-beens. In 1997, it looked like the Pirates had solidified the position for the next decade -- with Guillen a shining testament to the organization’s player development system. It was thought he was a sign of things to come. Boy, was he ever -- just not in the way that anyone would've expected. Instead of locking up the position, Guillen (or more accurately his subsequent departure) created the revolving door situation in right field that exists to this day. A void was created, not only on the major-league level, but on the player development level as well. The Pirates have not developed another legitimate right field prospect since Guillen -- and character issues aside, there is no arguing that Guillen was (and is) a legitimate right fielder. And the Bucs have no legitimate right field prospects anywhere on the horizon. The position has been a problem spot for over five years -- the lack of options available to address it is a glaring organizational failure.

In the next installment of this article, I will take a look at how the Pirates have chosen to address the right field position in the post "Guillen era". Stay tuned.

ADDENDUM:
After finishing the first part of my right field diatribe, I was struck by some weird parallels between the post Jose Guillen right field situation and the post Aramis Ramirez third base situation. Just as Guillen's arrival promised to bring stability to right field for years to come, Ramirez's arrival had the same sort of promise for third base. Inconsistent production and a front office directive to cut costs led to the Pirates trading Ramirez to the Cubs (along with Kenny Lofton) for infielder Jose Hernandez, Bobby Hill and Matt Bruback.

Like the Guillen trade, the Ramirez trade was made without any real alternative waiting in the wings. Since the trade, the Bucs have trotted out Hernandez, Chris Stynes, Rob Mackowiak and Ty Wigginton to man third base. Worse, there is no bright spot in the minor league system that coupld step in during the next year or two and solidify the position.

The depressing thing for Bucs fans is that during the late 90s, Guillen and Ramirez were viewed as cornerstones for the next wave of Pirate success. That success never came and both are gone. That happens, especially to small market teams. Retaining talent is difficult. Small market teams have limited resources, and what limited resources they have at their disposal are very precious. To discard those resources without getting anything remotely comparable in value in return is not only devastating, it's nearly insurmountable. You really don't have to look much farther for an explanation of the Pirates current woes.