BRADENTON, Fla. — If the Pittsburgh Pirates are improved this season, chances are good they'll be hearing a lot of left-handed compliments.

That's because their pitching staff probably will have more southpaws than any in baseball.

In the starting rotation, there will be Oliver Perez, Zach Duke and Paul Maholm. Kip Wells is the only certain right-hander. There are three right-handers vying for the fifth spot, but left-hander Sean Burnett is expected to take over that spot at some point this season.

On top of that, the team's best starting prospect in Class AAA is left-hander Tom Gorzelanny.

In the bullpen, the left-handers will include closer Mike Gonzalez, as well as Damaso Marte and John Grabow. And one of the most impressive left-handed relievers in camp so far has been Mike Johnston, who should start out in Class AAA.

"To look around here and see the number of guys wearing a glove on their right hand I've never seen this, honest to goodness," manager Jim Tracy said.

It could have been more, had general manager Dave Littlefield not traded left-handed starters Dave Williams and Mark Redman this offseason.

Littlefield said he has no problem with the team's tilt to the left.

"Ideally, you'd like to have balance," he said. "But we're going to go with the best pitchers we have, and those happen to be from the left side for the most part."

"I don't see why it should matter what side we're all throwing from," Gorzelanny said. "If we've got guys who are talented, then those are the guys you go with."

It's likely the Pirates will try to split up their left-handers as much as possible when forming their rotation. When it's unavoidable to have them pitching back-to-back, they probably will try to use pitchers with different styles or motions.

All left-handed rotations are not unheard of. The Kansas City Royals used a four-man collection of Brian Anderson, Darrell May, Jeremy Affeldt and Jimmy Gobble in April 2004.

Notes: The Pirates took their first live batting practice of the spring Friday. Six pitchers threw from mounds, including Burnett, who is making a comeback from two arm surgeries. Tracy said more will be involved Saturday. ... Duke has been offered a contract of $335,000, which is $8,000 above the major-league minimum salary. Because he has less than three years of experience, the Pirates reserve the right to unilaterally impose any terms they wish. The team's deadline to have all such contracts complete is March 2.