Bad Moves Over None?

Steve Goldman brings up an excellent point in today's Pinstriped Bible on YESnetwork.com, and believe me, I am not above scrounging for post ideas in other people's blogs. Intellectual property, my ass.
Anyway, Mr. Goldman (who despite writing for one of the supposed "Al-Yankzeera" media outlets, is suprisingly evenhanded and takes Steinbrenner & Co. to task often) criticizes the Pittsburgh Pirates not for making bad moves, as Lefty and I so often criticize clubs for doing, but for doing, quite simply, nothing at all this offseason. Apparently they are waiting on Adam LaRoche's asking price to come down so they can unload Mike "Ouch, my elbow" Gonzalez on Atlanta. LaRoche is not going to make them a contender (shit, Gehrig on first might not make them a contender) but it would be a step in the right direction. Atlanta, however, is playing footsy with any number of teams for LaRoche and are perfectly content to go to Spring Training with him at first base. Why, then, hasn't Dave Littlefield moved the fuck on with his young, cheap pitching and gotten some young, cheap hitting? He's a retard, that's why.
Let's look at their top three starters first (in alphabetical order):
Zack Duke
2006: 10-15, 215IP 255H 17HR 68BB 117K (4.47 ERA, 1.50 WHIP)
Duke's first year as a full season starter in the majors was an important step forward for him. A classic finesse lefty (take notice oh mighty getter-outer of lefthanders), Duke's innings pitched placed him 12th in the NL, and his 4.47 ERA led the starting staff. 17 HR in 215IP means Herr Duke's sinking action keeps that ball down and in the park. Tremendous potential as his control improves. Oh, and btw, his 2006 salary? $335,000. Pretty sweet.
Ian Snell
2006: 14-11, 186IP 198H 29HR 74BB 169K (4.74 ERA, 1.46 WHIP)
Numbers do not do him justice. I had the pleasure of seeing him pitch against the New York Mets this past season in early May. INSERT CLICHE ABOUT HIS PITCHES HERE. Seriously though, his stuff is electric/filthy/disgusting/unfair. At 25, he has plenty of time to settle in and learn pitch selection better, from what I read throughout the season, and this conforms to what I saw in the game against the Mets, Snell gets obsessed with strike three, tries to be too fine and ends up in a hitter's count. "Points" his slider a bit under duress and it flattens out. Explosive fastball with action that makes righthanded batters' thumbs hurt. Big time future barring injury (no whammies, no whammies, fantasy sleeper, no whammies). $330,000 buys alot of KFC snackers, but not many pitchers of his talent.
Paul Maholm
2006: 8-10, 176IP 202H 19HR 81BB 117K (4.76 ERA, 1.61 WHIP)
Another lefty, but with more velocity than Mssr. Duke, Maholm has seen his learning curve take off with his rude introduction to major league hitters. His ERA and peripherals are skewed by 2 bad months (April and June) and otherwise would have looked much more respectable had he not had three awful starts in those months. Strikeout numbers will improve with his control and pitch selection ala Snell. Guess what? He's another minimum wage youngster at age 24 with a $328,000 salary.

The point I am trying to make is that any GM worth a damn (not so many) would be actively salivating at the thought of these young, cheap and talented starters occupying the back end of their rotation. I am not arguing that Pittsburgh should be rid of all three starters, because that would be on the Derek Bell level of stupidity, but that outside of Freddy Sanchez, the offensive talent on this team is atrocious. With prospects like the oft-injured Brian Bullington and others that could give similar numbers to any of these three, it would be aggressive indeed for Littlefield to be offering one of his top three for a multitude of everyday-player talent. Putting asses in the seats may be overrated for purposes of running a franchise, but the leverage Littlefield has with these three in the market for pitching that there is today, he could remake his team twice over with the prospects and everyday players he could get for any one of these guys. Instead, he quibbles with John Schuerholz over Adam LaRoche. Sigh.
Me and lefty would have the Pirates at .500 next year and a contender in that division within 3 years. Waiting on your call, Pittsburgh fans.

-RJ