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To be sure, there will be no playoffs, no contention, not even that rare sniff of .500 without Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny sustaining their fine form of 2007: Snell's 9-12 record was starkly contrasted by his staff-best 3.76 ERA, 177 strikeouts and 208 innings, the latter two ranking among the top 10 in the National League. Gorzelanny was 14-10 with a 3.88 ERA, 135 strikeouts in 202 innings. Those are not numbers the Pirates can expect to replace if diminished to any significant degree. At the same time, the team can expect a record similar to the 68-94 mark of last season if the two aces do not get more help. All three of the other projected starters -- Paul Maholm, Matt Morris and Zach Duke -- had ERAs above 5.00 for the Pirates last season. -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pirates Minicamp: Snell, Gorzelanny eye 'W" column