In the case of Kenny Lofton, Reggie Sanders and Matt Stairs last season, or Jose Mesa and Daryle Ward so far this year, the approach can be mutually beneficial for player and team. In the case of Raul Mondesi, whose petulance, greed and personal baggage got in the way, it was a fiasco.
Opportunity is also a long-term proposition. The Pirates can afford to give a young player time to mature and deal with failure in the big leagues; that's a fringe benefit to playing before small crowds in a city with low expectations.
The plan has certainly worked for Craig and Jack Wilson, who are giving the Pirates big-money production for a combined $3 million in salary.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
ESPN The Magazine subscribers
Need more information?
