Time to play ball.

Question is, will the Pirates play winning ball?

The Bucs begin the 2008 campaign in Atlanta Monday, when they start their quest to avoid a major league record-tying 16th consecutive losing season.

The entire baseball world seems to be under the assumption that No. 16 is a given.

After all, we're talking about a team that lost 94 games last year and added only utility infielder Chris Gomez through free agency — unless you want to count non-roster invitees Jaret Wright and Doug Mentkiewicz in that mix.

Byung-Hyun Kim was signed as a right-handed set-up man out of the bullpen, but all he did in Grapefruit League play was set up batters to hit tape-measure home runs.

All is not lost with this team, however. It's actually good that the Pirates' new management team didn't swing any trades or make a splash in the free agent market.

No Jeromy Burnitz or Joe Randa is on the roster. Jason Bay or Jack Wilson wasn't shipped out for the next Bobby Hill, either.

For now, the Pirates are staying the course, which is what they should do.

Their lineup is good enough to score enough runs to win if their starting rotation kicks in gear this season. And the starting rotation is where the Pirate ship will sink or sail.

Tom Gorzelanny, Ian Snell, Paul Maholm and Zach Duke all have upside and if three of the four post winning records, the Pirates will likely avoid that 16th straight losing season.

If Matt Morris pitches well enough to break even — say, 12-12 — the Bucs might even play some meaningful games down the stretch.

Big ifs?Of course, because those "ifs" haven't happened before.

There's always a first time.

In the meantime, here are a few moves the Pirates should keep under consideration:

n Start Nate McLouth in center field and keep Nyjer Morgan on the big league club.

McLouth has a more powerful bat and can steal 30 bases as an every-day player. He can certainly serve the role of a lead-off hitter because he knows how to draw a walk.

Morgan excels defensively and can serve as a late-inning defensive replacement or pinch-runner because of his speed. He can pinch-hit in certain situations.

Morgan's big-league clock is ticking and sending him back to Triple-A is just wasting some of that time.

• Trade Ryan Doumit to an American League team.

This guy is a dangerous hitter with good power, but is a defensive liability. Keeping him as a No. 2 catcher is a shaky move.

Some American League club has to welcome Doumit's bat as a DHand be willing to trade a serviceable No. 2 catcher to get him. The Pirates should do that because he's never going to be a regular here.

• Find a place for Steve Pearce to play. If that means dealing Xavier Nady to make room in the outfield, do it.

Pearce is major-league ready and Nady has been injury-prone throughout his career. Let's start Pearce's development with the big club right now.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle.