BRADENTON, Fla. - With opening day only 2½ weeks away, the Pittsburgh Pirates' rotation isn't set, the batting order is unsettled and general manager Dave Littlefield is looking to add another bat.

OK, so this spring training is arguably no different from any other since Littlefield took over in 2001. Once again, the clock is running on a team that has gone a dozen seasons - and, arguably, tried dozens of different ways to get better - since its last winning season.

That's why the Pirates, who once again aren't expected to be factors in the NL Central race, are looking for positives wherever they can find them.

Rob Mackowiak and Tike Redman have .500 averages as they compete in center field. The starting pitching looks to be better than average, with only the No. 5 starter's job open. The everyday lineup is starting to take shape despite the departure of catcher Jason Kendall, long the team's most recognizable player.

It's not enough for manager Lloyd McClendon to proclaim his team will be in the race. But third baseman Ty Wigginton suggests the Pirates could be the 2005 version of last year's Padres, who made an appreciable leap in the standings in only one season.

Benito Santiago, the 40-year-old catcher who was dealt to Pittsburgh by the Royals, said the Pirates' perceived talent shortfall isn't as great as some make it out to be.

"It's all about winning, and that's what I have in my head right now," Santiago said. "It's tough for me to be with a team that's not a contender, and I would never talk like that. You never know."

That's one reason why Littlefield is looking for another bat to add to a lineup that has been stripped of its most reliable offensive component, Kendall, since finishing only 11th in the NL in batting last season.

So far, Littlefield has been unable to deal for Oakland's Eric Byrnes, despite repeated attempts to do so.

"Some of our outfielders are swinging the bat well, but certainly we've got a lot of room to grow offensively and we need to score some more runs," Littlefield said. "We're pleased the (Daryle) Wards, Mackowiaks and Redmans are swinging the bat well, but it's a long season and their careers to this point have been inconsistent."

Even if the Pirates haven't been.

They haven't finished higher than fourth in the NL Central since placing third in 1999 and have been within five games of .500 only twice since 1992, their last winning season. To put that into perspective, consider Barry Bonds - who left Pittsburgh after that season to sign with San Francisco - had hit only 176 of his 703 career homers to that point.

Still, McClendon thinks the Pirates have the makings of an excellent rotation, led by Oliver Perez, Kip Wells, Mark Redman and Josh Fogg, with either left-hander Dave Williams or right-hander Ryan Vogelsong likely to be the No. 5 starter.

Zach Duke, a combined 16-5 with a minor-league best 1.46 ERA last season in upper-level Class A and Double-A, will get an audition start tonight against the Phillies. But, realistically, he probably isn't in the running, if only because the Pirates don't want to rush their top pitching prospect.

"As we get deeper into the spring, this guy's continuing to perform well," Littlefield said Thursday. "He's shown poise, presence, he's thrown strikes and he has stuff. That's a strong combination, and we want to continue to see how he does."

Even if a good outing by Duke complicates his decision, McClendon expects to make up his mind in the next few days, perhaps after Williams starts Sunday against the Red Sox.

"We're not going to drag it out," McClendon said.

McClendon could go a little longer with the center field decision, if only because neither Mackowiak (.577, six extra-base hits) nor Tike Redman (.500, 2 stolen bases) has taken a clear-cut lead.

"Right now, it's not a bad situation to have," he said.