 After a brilliant start to the first half of 2012, James McDonald struggled with his command, going 3-5 with an era of 7.08 in 12 second half starts.He was eventually moved to the bullpen and replaced in the rotation by prospects Jeff Locke and Kyle McPherson.The 2012 Pirates garnered the dubious distinction of being the first professional baseball team to finish a season with a record below .500 despite being 16 games over .500 through 2/3 of the MLB season.