PITTSBURGH -- Whether or not Jim Tracy will be asked to return and finish out his contract as the Pirates' manager next season will likely be determined this week. However, that will be just the first of many answers to come.

It won't be too long before general manager Neal Huntington will conclude his comprehensive evaluation process, one that has been exhaustive and has included evaluations of players, coaches and front-office staff.

As a result, changes in all areas can be expected to follow. The question, now, is simple: when?

"I feel like I am getting some very valuable information," Huntington said of his progress on evaluating the organization. "It's a puzzle that I've got to put together. One thing isn't going to impact one thing. One thing is going to impact everything. I'm not going to [make any changes] until I am completely positive that it's going to impact the organization in a positive way."

In talking with the media on Sunday, Huntington did give some answers regarding what can be expected over the next few weeks. One thing that for certain is that he will heed the advice of others during this period of evaluation.

"I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I am going to make every single decision about every player, development staff and scout," Huntington said. "We need to put some great people in place. We are having those meetings with the development system right now. I'm not going to micromanage."

Furthermore, the GM also reiterated that there won't be a complete housecleaning within the organization.

"The thing I do feel good about is that there are some good pieces here," Huntington said. "From the outside, maybe I saw the negative and was made more aware of the negative. But, as I have gotten to know these people, as I've gotten to know the things here, there are some good things to build upon here."

What "good pieces" that Huntington is referring to remains murky, though it is believed that Brian Graham, the current senior director of player development, is one of them. Considering the previous working relationship between Huntington and Graham, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Graham ascend to the position of assistant general manager.

Beyond Graham, the job security of anyone in the front office is hard to gauge. But it's safe to assume a shake up is in order. All six of the current special assistants to the GM were put in their post by the recently dismissed Dave Littlefield, as was assistant GM Doug Strange.

The same could be said on the scouting side. With an organization that is going to be relying heavily on a drafting-and-developing approach to produce long-term success, Huntington has emphasized a crucial need to get superb talent evaluators in the scouting department.

Whether senior director of scouting Ed Creech will remain the head of the scouting department is appearing more doubtful.

Creech was also hired by Littlefield in 2001 and has come under some criticism for his Draft day selections in the past.

The organization has had a recent history of arm problems among its top Draft picks and many of Creech's Draft picks have been unpopular choices in the eyes of fans. Furthermore, the first pick under Creech -- Bryan Bullington (overall No. 1 in 2002) -- has not yet established himself as Major League pitcher.

Huntington wouldn't specifically comment on Creech's job security, nor that of anyone else in particular, for that matter.

"I've had the chance to meet with some really good people and gather some terrific information. It's not done," Huntington said. "Obviously I still have some meetings forthcoming. We want to make sure that we are thorough and fair as we go through this process."

After the front office, the questions go to the coaching staff. Again, Huntington remained tight-lipped about his initial assessments in that realm.

Regardless of whether Tracy will remain the Pirates' manager next season, changes within the coaching staff are likely to occur. The coaching staff evaluations, Huntington said, are going on at both the Minor and Major League levels.

"Everything is really under evaluation," he said. "There are some people that are going to step forward and have probably a greater impact in their role. I think those that know that they have done a great job, should feel secure. Those who maybe question whether they've given their full commitment to the organization, maybe there is some concern. But that's no different whether I came in or somebody was still here."

And then there are the players.

Despite the often negative connotation around the word "uncertainty", players nearly unanimously spoke of the organizational shuffle as the first necessary positive step moving forward. They said all this despite knowing that the future remains uncertain for many of them.

"It's been relatively the same here for the last three or four years. I'm just looking for something different, a different perspective," Jason Bay said. "I think this organization needs a little refresher."

Said Shawn Chacon: "The uncertainty going into an offseason is never fun, but hopefully for this organization, it's going to be something positive. I think a lot of guys are looking forward to that."

"I think everybody's excited about it," Adam LaRoche said. "A lot of stuff is up in the air as to what's going to happen."