Friday Insider: And the Pirates' cash will go to?

The Pirates have saved roughly $17 million via A.J. Burnett's retirement and Pedro Alvarez's release, and they've theoretically still got the $12 million salary they'd have been delighted to commit to J.A. Happ before the Blue Jays threw a whole lot of loonies his way.

That's not the most in-depth form of accounting, but let's go with that for the sake of simplicity, OK?

Let's go with this, too: The Pirates' payroll will top $100 million in 2016, sources told me in the past week, a figure that will mark a franchise first as well as at least a $10 million increase over this year.

So now we're up to about $40 million in loose change and, after a quarter of that gets committed to raises for the eight remaining arbitration-eligible players, we're at $30 million.

That's no bounty by Major League Baseball standards, but it's plenty enough to do this:



1. Keep both Mark Melancon and Neil Walker through their final arbitration years, fully cognizant that neither could be reasonably replaced without downgrading the bullpen and/or second base.

2. Sign or otherwise acquire a No. 2-type starter. And yes, you heard that right that it would be someone right in that mix with Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano rather than a clear No. 3.

3. Add the first baseman of their choice, albeit from a thin field. Justin Morneau, the best of the free-agent class not named Chris Davis, had his third-year option declined by the Rockies. He's eminently affordable and, even if his offense isn't what it was, it's a year removed from a National League batting title, and he'll never let anyone down with his defense.

4. Look into extending the contract of a key current player, such as Francisco Cervelli or Gregory Polanco. At least one of those is a good bet this winter.

5. Plan in every way to have one or more of the younger starting pitchers step forward, notably Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon.

If all of that comes across as a stolen script, well, suffice it to say I had some recent conversations with members of the front office. That doesn't mean the script is set in stone, but it most definitely means that's how it looks going into the Winter Meetings next week in Nashville, Tenn.

Hard choices remain, but the picture very much remains intact for the Pirates to contend again in 2016. But there isn't much more they can -- or should -- shave before they build anew.

• Maybe the tightest of all of the Steelers' positional packs is that of the defensive line. Off the field, Cam Heyward, the central figure, is never far from Steve McLendon and Stephon Tuitt. On the field, including practices, the same applies. They're virtually inseparable, and all with matching intensity. I witnessed this again in Seattle with an emotional exchange between all three, seated side by side by side, in the visiting locker room.

I've got no interest in taking this too far, but it's not easy to get anywhere near the same vibe from the linebackers.

That's not to suggest or even hint at a lack of camaraderie. But rather it's to point out that, with all the moving parts, with all Ryan Shazier's injuries and Jarvis Jones' inconsistencies, with James Harrison being James Harrison, it's nowhere near the same feel. And I daresay that shows on the field, too, where only Lawrence Timmons stands out as a steady consistent presence.

For all the investment management has made at the position, that isn't good enough in any capacity. Eventually, people have to earn starting spots.

• One thing to understand about Mike Johnston's rather brash handling of the roster and other coaching elements through a quarter of the season is this: He came back from summer vacation very much prepared to take total charge.

I mentioned that in passing back in the earliest phase of training camp, but it absolutely bears repeating given all that's occurred in the interim. He shaped the lines the way he wanted, more than once ignoring advice from above. He took over the power play, almost entirely, from Rick Tocchet. He had zero use for Daniel Sprong, even though the 18-year-old wowed Jim Rutherford and staff enough to keep him from going back to juniors. And, as we've seen on a near-nightly basis, he's favored old vs. young at every other turn, as well.

If all that comes across as a coach whose primary interest is self-preservation, hey, who could possibly rule that out?

Johnston is 58. He spent most of his career in juniors, and he was promoted straight from there to Pittsburgh. He's only going to get so many more chances. And if he somehow flames out with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel et al, he might not get any more chances.

I asked Johnston, back during one of those early days of camp, about what I saw as a new, more aggressive attitude. He didn't respond.

FROM JASON MACKEY IN PITTSBURGH:

• Fantasy football owners weren’t the only ones who noticed Markus Wheaton’s nine-catch, 201-yard effort against the Seahawks.

“You have to ask permission to speak to Markus now,” Ben Roethlisberger chided Wheaton before practice Wednesday.

Wheaton laughed, but for much of the week he’s been smiling. That breakout game has put a significant bounce in his step.

“A game like that brings confidence,” Wheaton told me. “That’s always huge playing this game.”

• With a cast on his hand, it doesn’t take 20/20 vision to realize that Antwon Blake isn’t completely healthy.

It also doesn’t take much listening to know that Blake’s not happy about his performance and is more frustrated about it than anyone reading this.

“Anytime you have a questionable game or perform the way you don’t want to perform, you get a little anxious to go out there and redeem yourself,” Blake said. “That’s what I’m looking forward to doing.”

Also, don’t automatically assume that Blake’s out Sunday against the Colts, which almost surely would mean William Gay shifts from inside to outside and Brandon Boykin becomes the starting slot corner. This week was about looking at potential changes, and Boykin hasn’t seen that many looks.

• Because Heath Miller hasn’t practiced for two days, there remains a relatively strong chance that Jesse James, formerly of Glassport and Penn State, could make his first career start Sunday. And if he does, nobody will be too worried about whether he can hang.

There was an acclimation period for James, when he had to drop weight and increase his speed and stamina, but those days are long gone.

“Our group as a whole is deep and more than capable of doing whatever jobs we’re asked to do,” Miller said. “Certainly Jesse’s a part of that group.”

FROM JOSH YOHE IN EL SEGUNDO, CALIF.:

• Sergei Gonchar, the newest member of the Penguins’ staff, hasn’t been around much lately, but don’t be alarmed: He's been in Dallas, watching games on TV.

Jim Rutherford has a theory with recently retired players that he swears by. He believes it is best that former players, during their first year into retirement, need to spend most of their time at home until they decide, with certainty, what they will do in the future. So, Gonchar remains in Texas on most nights, taking notes while watching the Penguins play.

• The Penguins were supposed to have their annual Southern California dinner at co-owner Ron Burkle’s house. However, dinner was canceled.

• Never question the work ethic of the Penguins’ best players. Question their play at times, if you wish, but don’t question the passion. Crosby, for the second straight practice on this road trip, was one of the last people off the ice Thursday, looking exhausted when he returned to the locker room. And Malkin, who typically isn’t one of the last players on the ice, departed well after Crosby.

FROM MATT GAJTKA IN PITTSBURGH:

• Quietly, in the second half of last season, the Pirates hired Dr. Chris Johnson as their director of performance. The team has been very close-lipped about this front office addition -- nary a press release or even a tweet -- and the public relations staff denied my request for an interview earlier this week.

What I can tell you about Johnson is that he served as team psychologist for the NBA champion Golden State Warriors last season and has experience working with Navy SEALs and Marines at the Navy's Operational Neuroscience Lab in San Diego.

Johnson also contributed to the Mind Fitness Training Institute in Alexandria, Va., which calls itself a "non-profit research and training organization dedicated to teaching mindfulness and resilience skills that enhance performance and strengthen response to stress, change and uncertainty."

You'll remember the Pirates were quite open last spring about their admiration for the way the Warriors look for every competitive edge they can find. Johnson spoke of a holistic approach to mental acuity during his time with Golden State, and I can confirm that he's exploring at least one change: Brightening the abnormally dim lighting in the PNC Park home clubhouse, which he believes to be disruptive to circadian rhythms.

• It's probably impossible to determine when the Pirates and Alvarez became destined to split, but as Dejan reported in his Thursday column, much of the impetus behind the first baseman's departure came from Clint Hurdle.

A source close to Hurdle told me recently that the manager said he could feel his players' eyes on him in the dugout every time Alvarez committed an error. Hurdle sensed most of the Pirates had lost trust in Alvarez, and he was inclined to serve the best interests of his team.

That meant expressing his desire that the Pirates move on from Alvarez this offseason. With that knowledge and a limited trade market for the player, Neal Huntington followed through this week.