Pirates, A’s Have a Lot in Common Besides Playoff Losses This Season

It’s ironic that places so different as northern California and western Pennsylvania can be homes for teams with so much in common as the Oakland Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates.

The A’s and Pirates are managed by close friends Tony La Russa and Jim Leyland. Both, of course, came up just short in the playoffs, the Pirates’ defeat coming down to one of the most dramatic ninth-inning rallies in history.

But the biggest similarity is that these two proud clubs played with a professional attitude, even though this may be their last hurrah as they are presently constructed.

Oakland has 16 free agents and a need to slash its payroll by at least $10 million. The Pirates, whose talent already has been chipped away by the departures of Bobby Bonilla, John Smiley and Sid Bream, could lose Barry Bonds, perhaps the game’s best player, and Doug Drabek, their best pitcher and one of the game’s best competitors.

There is little doubt that both teams will look very different next season. Can the Pirates and A’s remain competitive? Or was this, indeed, the last hurrah for two great teams?

Here’s a look at what should happen in the offseason:

Oakland: After trading Jose Canseco, general manager Sandy Alderson acknowledged that the A’s would like to slash their $41-million payroll to at least $30 million. But they aren’t writing off all their free agents.

The A’s will make a real effort to retain first baseman Mark McGwire and catcher Terry Steinbach. They also will make a serious effort to keep pitchers Ron Darling and Dave Stewart. Designated hitter Harold Baines is another possibility.

Ruben Sierra? In this year’s market, he would be smart to accept arbitration, play next season in Oakland and then be eligible for free agency after ’93 when the crop will be much less attractive. But Sierra is also the subject of a lawsuit between agents, so who knows what kind of advice he will receive.

Even if the A’s are successful in retaining most of those free agents and are able to keep some of the other lesser free agents, as much as half of the A.L. West Division championship roster will be different.

“Our owners (the Haas family) have gone a long way to keep this team together that by all odds should have been torn apart a long time ago,” Alderson says. “When you’re paying out more than you take in, at one point it has to stop.”

Whatever changes ensue, the A’s will retain a decent nucleus. Rickey Henderson, a healthy Dave Henderson, Mike Bordick and Walt Weiss are quality players, and if McGwire and Steinbach are kept, the everyday lineup will be competitive. Relief ace Dennis Eckersley remains. Bobby Witt (a possible big winner under coach Dave Duncan’s tutelage), Mike Moore (if his option is picked up) and Bob Welch combine for a decent pitching foundation.

The Oakland farm system has produced potential replacements in Lance Blankenship, Scott Brosius, Eric Fox and some good young pitching--Todd Van Poppel?--is on the way. The A’s also are likely to dip into the major leagues’ secondary pool of free-agent talent that could include some solid players at bargain prices.

Don’t ever underestimate what Alderson and La Russa can achieve. There are few more intelligent or effective general manager-manager duos in sports. Yes, the A’s will be in different in 1993. But don’t be surprised if they remain contenders.

Pittsburgh: Bonds would like to stay with the Pirates, but economically, there is no way Pittsburgh will be able to keep him.

Drabek is another story. He would likely take a little less to stay with Leyland and Pirates pitching coach Ray Miller. There is also a sense from some club executives and agents that the free-agent prices may not be as stratospheric as predicted.

If Drabek can be retained, Pittsburgh would have a championship-caliber pitching nucleus with Randy Tomlin, Zane Smith, Tim Wakefield, Danny Jackson, Stan Belinda and Bob Walk likely returning. Paul Wagner and Steve Cooke are quality prospects. General manager Ted Simmons says his farm system has “pitching out our ears.” But if Drabek leaves, someone will have to be an ace.

What happens with the lineup is the key question because Bonds will be very difficult to replace. But Andy Van Slyke and Jay Bell will be around.

The Pirates have to hope that Jeff King can produce over a full season as he did in the last two months of 1992 and that Orlando Merced grows into an everyday player. They have prospects such as Carlos Garcia, Kevin Young and Al Martin who could be starters next season. The Pirates likely will shop veterans Jose Lind and Mike LaValliere for help. Many of Pittsburgh’s other veterans such as Bob Patterson, Lloyd McClendon, Cecil Espy, Gary Varsho, John Wehner and Roger Mason could be gone.

Let’s not forget that Leyland, like La Russa, is one of those rare managers who means at least 10 extra victories to his club. Because the N.L. East may be baseball’s weakest division, that should help the Pirates as well.

Simmons says the Pirates, like Montreal, Cleveland and Houston, are positioned to remain competitive despite a smaller market. But if Drabek and Bonds leave, the Pirates will be hard pressed.