The Pirates Rotation is a Disaster and Ray Searage Needs to Be Held Accountable

The Pirates and Ray Searage have long been known as an ideal spot for struggling veteran pitchers, hoping to reinvent themselves and press the restart button on a once-glamorous career.

That is no longer the case.

In the years since fellow pitching master Jim Benedict left for the Tampa Bay Rays, Searage and the Pirates have struggled to replicate their previous success, with even the likes of Chris Archer proving inept at best.

We admire Searage's immediate reaction to stand up for his guys, but look no further than Monday night's game as a reason to be concerned about Pittsburgh's starting pitching moving forward. Trevor Williams, once a beacon of hope in the Bucs' starting five, has struggled mightily this season. Just hours after Clint Hurdle suggested Williams has been unable to execute basic pitches, his mechanics let him down again. It look...less than one inning.

The Pirates do have reason to be excited about some of their young prospects, including Mitch Keller, but with the wrong leadership in charge of the staff it'll all be for nothing.

Searage has long been a great storyline in Pittsburgh, but you have to wonder if he's lost his touch.