BRADENTON, Fla. -- Kip Wells sounds ready to welcome the 2006 season for many reasons, not the least of which is that it could help him bury the dismal one that just passed.

And he apparently will embrace no aspect of it more than the Pirates' new coaching staff.

Emphasizing he was not criticizing the previous regime, he nonetheless made clear in an interview yesterday at minicamp his belief that new manager Jim Tracy and new pitching coach Jim Colborn can help to bring a dramatic upgrade.

For the team and for himself.

"Obviously, the situation here is a lot different than four months ago," Wells said. "I had a lot of questions about my future in Pittsburgh. But with Tracy and Colborn here, there's a lot more reason for optimism. I'm ready to get back out there and get more out of my ability."

Spin Williams was the pitching coach in Wells' first four years with the Pirates, and the results were wildly erratic, capped by an 8-18 record last season that marked the most losses in Major League Baseball. Williams was fired on the final day of the season.

"I don't want to take anything away from what the other staff did. Spin tried to get everything out of me that he could," Wells said. "But I think that, without a better foundation for what was going to be our fail-safe plan when things don't go well ..."

He paused.

"Since we really didn't have that, we didn't establish what was going to make us successful as a staff. From a preparation standpoint, there should be a regimented program you stick by through thick and thin."

Wells said Colborn's across-the-board philosophy for pitchers, one that brought him many accolades in his five years under Tracy with the Los Angeles Dodgers, should improve the staff's habits and game-planning.

"You should be able to say, 'This is what's made people successful from a Jim Colborn standpoint. This is what I've come away with by working with Jim Colborn.' He's had good results from Eric Gagne to Jeff Weaver to other guys who have made considerable improvement. There's a consistent trend there."

Consistency has been Wells' main missing ingredient, as was glaringly evident again last season. Ten times, he delivered seven or more innings and gave up two or fewer runs. Seven other times, he failed to survive the fourth inning.

"How many guys in the big leagues have that many good games, but then also go out there for three innings and give up eight runs? There aren't many in my kind of boat," Wells said. "To me, the number of good games shows it's in there. It's just a matter of doing it four out of five times."

He blamed an incessantly fluctuating approach.

"One game, I'd be a power guy. The next time, I'd try finesse. I'd throw to the middle of the plate one game, to the corners the next. I need to establish a good regimen from a mechanical standpoint, then don't waver when things don't go right."

Tracy and Colborn phoned Wells in the offseason, all concerned said, to tell him they have faith in him. They have had more detailed conversations at minicamp.

"I can tell you Jim Colborn has had success in getting results out of pitchers with a lot less talent than Kip Wells," Tracy said. "I have every reason to think that will happen here."

Colborn said his immediate priority with Wells is to stress the positive, largely because Wells has a history of questioning himself despite having one of the most dynamic arms in the National League.

"He's pretty darned good to begin with, and what he has to do now is pitch without trying anything extra," Colborn said. "He has to believe in himself, too. He has to feel good when he has a good game and carry it over into the next one. We're going to work on that."

Wells said such sentiments have made his offseason more upbeat than it might have been.

"I could have just gone home and sat on my butt and thought, 'Well, it was a bad year,' Obviously, it helps to have someone else validate that confidence in you," he said. "We'll see what happens, but I think having this type of standard or plan will allow all our pitchers to be more successful than in the past."

Notes
Second baseman Jose Castillo is expected to report to minicamp today, having been delayed by travel issues. It is highly unlikely reliever Damaso Marte, who has the flu, will arrive. ... Ian Snell might not throw off a mound in minicamp. He said he is recovering from tendonitis in a finger on his throwing hand. ... Only minor-league relievers Jonah Bayliss and Ron Chiavacci threw off a mound yesterday, but most will do so today. ... Bryan Bullington, the Pirates' No. 1 draft pick in 2002, is the only pitcher doing no work with a baseball. Recovering from October shoulder surgery, he remains on pace to return to competition in late June. His next step, he said, will be to resume throwing in early February. ... An Associated Press report out of the Dominican Republic quoted free-agent starter Jose Lima as saying he is in contract talks with the Pirates and Arizona Diamondbacks, but Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield reiterated yesterday he is satisfied with his pitching.