Pirates aiming to surprise competition in `18
(MLB.com Pittsburgh Pirates)

The Pirates` vision -- before, during and since their three-year run of success that began in 2013 -- has been a window-less existence, a steady run in which they compete every season, never pushing all the way in or pulling all the way out. But their window closed with consecutive losing seasons, so they chose to trade franchise cornerstones Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole. Now, they`re `retooling` -- not rebuilding, they insist -- their roster around a young core.