The Pittsburgh Pirates are 44-89 and they are on pace to lose 109 games.  The worst part about another losing season for the PIrates is that this will also be the 18th consecutive losing season for the organization.  What does this mean for Pirates general manager Neal Huntington and manager John Russell?  It probably means the Pirates will be looking for a new manager and GM, if President Frank Coonlley’s comments shed any light on the situation.

“I have been extremely disappointed in the team’s performance,” Coonelly told the Daily Pitch in an e-mail responding to whether Huntington and Russell would be retained. “We are evaluating every aspect of our operation in order to determine how we can get the club moving in the right direction immediately.  “While we have made tremendous progress executing a sound plan to overhaul a broken system and return this once-proud franchise to its tradition of winning baseball, we have only one benchmark by which we measure ourselves and that is wins and losses at the Major League level. By that benchmark, we have badly underachieved.”

Huntington did take a few positive steps this season as he signed 16 year old pitching prospect Luis Heredia.  They also shelled out $6.5 mm on Jameson Taillon who was the second pick of this years 2010.

The positive steps that have been taken this season may not be enough to save Huntington and Russell’s job.  Both are signed through 2011 but could be looking for a new job after this season.

Information in this article was obtained from Bob Nightengale of USA Today.