CINCINNATI -- The Pirates ended the year on a high note, beating the Reds at Great American Ball Park to complete a 16-10 September and a winning season. They went 42-31 after July 8, when general manager Neal Huntington said their preseason "optimism has turned to realism."
But their overall results reveal the reality of Pittsburgh's season. They finished with three more wins than losses, won one more series than they lost and allowed one more run than they scored. They answered a number of questions, yet several still remain.
This offseason will not be as seismic as the last, when Huntington reshaped the Pirates' roster by trading away the club's top starter, Gerrit Cole, and franchise player, Andrew McCutchen.