30-year old righty starting pitcher Kevin Correia pitched pretty solid baseball for the Pirates in the first half of the 2011 season. But, in July and August….he has been pathetic. Correia has started 7 games in July & August and he is 2-4 with a 7.86 ERA and a 1.83 WHIP. Overall, Correia has pitched in 25 games (24 starts) in which he is 12-10 with a 4.78 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. The Pirates can’t get back in the playoff hunt with Correia pitching like he is right now, period.

26-year old righty starting pitcher James McDonald looked like a big part of the Pirates’ future based on how he finished 2010 for them after getting picked up in the Octavio Dotel deal with the Dodgers. McDonald started 11 games for the Pirates in 2010 and he was 4-5 with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. This season though, he has taken quite a few steps backwards as he is getting beat up. He has started 4 games for the Pirates so far this year and he is 0-2 with a 10.13 ERA and a 1.98 WHIP. McDonald has given up 25 hits (5 homers) and he has walked 12 batters in only 18 2/3 innings so far this year as he has been a big mess. The Pirates aren’t going to wait much longer to pull the plug on McDonald, as far as his starting job goes, if he doesn’t straighten up soon.

26-year old righty starting pitcher Charlie Morton was part of the bounty the Braves gave up for Nate McLouth last season. In 2009, Morton wasn’t good but he wasn’t awful either. Morton started 18 games for the Pirates in 2009 and he was 5-9 with a 4.55 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. But in 2010, Morton has been absolutely putrid! He has started 12 games for the Pirates this year and he is 1-11 with a 9.66 ERA and a 2.03 WHIP! He has given up 83 hits (14 of which are homers) in only 50 1/3 innings pitched this year. He is literally pitching batting practice for the opposing team every time he takes the mound.

27-year old lefty starting pitcher Zach Duke has been pretty awful for the Pirates this year. He has started 19 games for the Pirates this year and he is 5-10 with a 5.32 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP. He has given up 142 hits (17 homers) in only 108 1/3 innings for the Pirates this year as he has been throwing batting practice. Duke burst onto the scene for the Pirates in 2005 when he pitched in 14 games (all starts) and he was 8-2 with a 1.81 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. But since then he has not been a good pitcher. He has pitched in 136 games (135 starts) in his last five years for the Pirates and he is 34-63 with a 4.69 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. I’m thinking the Pirates are going to try to trade Duke before this month is over as he’s not really helping them too much.

The Pirates thought that 38-year old righty reliever Brendan Donnelly was a sound investment for 2010 based on his pitching with the Marlins last year. Donnelly pitched in 30 games (0 starts) with the Marlins last year and he was 3-0 with 2 saves, a 1.78 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. But he has been awful for the Pirates so far this year. Donnelly has pitched in 21 games (0 starts) for the Pirates so far this year and he is 2-1 with a 6.27 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP. He has walked 16 batters and he’s given up 5 dingers in only 18 2/3 innings this season for the Pirates. The Pirates will likely keep him around a little while longer to see if he can turn things around but they won’t keep him all year if he keeps pitching poorly.