Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Most pressing questions for Pirates entering spring training
Coming off back-to-back 100-loss seasons for the first time since the 1950s, the Pittsburgh Pirates underwent a roster overhaul and spent $30 million on veterans in free agency.
The turnover is dramatic, with only seven players remaining from the 26-man Opening Day roster from last season: closer David Bednar, right-handed starters JT Brubaker and Mitch Keller, relievers Wil Crowe and Duane Underwood Jr., third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and outfielder Bryan Reynolds, who requested a trade.
There was an emphasis on adding depth through seasoned veterans to a team that was the third-youngest in baseball last season (average age: 25.8 years), giving the Pirates an air of optimism.
“I think we’re going to be better,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “That’s the step forward we needed to make. Some of it came with the lumps we had to take by giving guys opportunities. Now, I think the thing that really stands out going into spring training — and one of the spring training messages — is there’s competition now.”
Will Reynolds finish the season with the Pirates?
Last year, the question was whether the Pirates would build their young club around Reynolds. Instead, they signed Hayes to a franchise-record contract of eight years, $70 million.
Reynolds signed a two-year deal at $6.75 million per season through 2023, and he led the club in most offensive categories, including batting (.262), home runs (27), RBIs (62) and OPS+ (126). He turned down a reported six-year, $76 million contract offer and requested a trade this offseason.
With two years of arbitration eligibility remaining and the ability to play center field or the corners, the 28-year-old Reynolds is an attractive trade chip. The Pirates’ asking price is considered astronomical, and general manager Ben Cherington has been adamant that the Pirates don’t want to deal Reynolds.
Meantime, the Pirates breathed life into a frustrated fan base by bringing back the most popular Pirates player of the PNC Park era. The return of five-time All-Star and 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen, who was signed to a one-year, $5 million contract five years after being traded, gives them a strong sidekick for Reynolds.
Or an eventual replacement, if Reynolds is dealt by the trade deadline.
Can Oneil Cruz avoid a sophomore slump?
Cruz is the sport’s unicorn, a 6-foot-7 shortstop with arm strength, speed and power that shattered Statcast records.
Cruz hit 17 home runs and had 54 RBIs in 87 games to finish sixth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. That put him on pace for 30 homers and 101 RBIs over a full season, and he wasn’t shy about sharing that he believes he “can do even more” — especially by improving his .233 batting average and reducing his 34.9% strikeout rate.
“I want to be a unique player,” Cruz said last October. “I want to do things that no one else is doing. I want to be able to stand out. More than anything, I want to be dominant with who I am, as a ballplayer, at my position and what I bring to the team.”
Those are lofty goals, so Cruz has to avoid the second-season slump that plagued his Pirates predecessors who also finished in the top six in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Josh Bell hit 26 homers and had 90 RBIs in 2017, then dipped to 12 homers and 62 RBIs the next year. Reynolds batted .314 with 37 doubles in 2019, then made a dramatic drop by hitting .189 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Hayes made a September splash in 2020, slashing .376/.442/.682 in 24 games before dipping to .257/.316/.373 over an injury-hampered 96 games the next year.
The Pirates need Cruz to become consistent, if not a superstar.
What is the most important position battle?
Since trading All-Star second baseman Adam Frazier to San Diego at the 2021 deadline, the Pirates have tried 11 players at the position. Of those remaining, Rodolfo Castro has the most starts (47) in that span.
That makes him the odds-on favorite to win the starting job, though Shelton warned that Castro will have competition this spring from the likes of Ji Hwan Bae and Tucupita Marcano. The Pirates also added a 10-year veteran, Chris Owings, as a non-roster invitee to spring training. The 31-year-old Owings has a career .239/.287/.366 slash line and led the majors with 11 triples in 2016.
The versatility of all three could factor into the decision. Castro can play shortstop and third base, where he might be the best backup option to Hayes. Bae can play shortstop and center field, where he could be a replacement for Reynolds. Marcano might be better in left field. Owings can play short, second, third and in the outfield.
The Pirates also have top-10 prospects at the position in the minors in a pair of former first-rounders, Termarr Johnson (No. 4, 2022) and Nick Gonzales (No. 7, 2020).
Who will be the surprise of spring training?
Diego Castillo is proof that great Grapefruit League numbers can sway the Pirates to keep a sleeper.
The rookie infielder/outfielder made the Opening Day roster after leading the club in batting (.371), home runs (six) and RBIs (12) last spring, then played 96 games as a shortstop, second baseman, right fielder, first baseman, third baseman, designated hitter and even pitched in two games.
After the Pirates played 25 rookies last season — with 14 making their major-league debuts — there shouldn’t be many surprises this spring. But here’s a guess: Look for Luis Ortiz in the bullpen.
Ortiz made a dazzling debut last September, averaging 99 mph on 53 fastballs and touching triple digits six times. He had 17 strikeouts and allowed 10 walks in 16 innings over four starts. His primary pitches are a four-seam fastball and a slider, so Ortiz will need to improve the sinker, curveball and changeup in his repertoire or risk more encounters like his start at St. Louis on Oct. 1 (three walks and three hits, including a grand slam, in a six-run first inning).
With three Pirates pitchers — right-hander Roansy Contreras (Dominican Republic), Bednar (USA) and Underwood Jr. (Puerto Rico) — participating in the World Baseball Classic in March, Ortiz could get looks as both a starter and reliever this spring. But Shelton didn’t deny that Ortiz might have a future as a closer.
“I think right now we view him as a starter and hopefully he will develop his pitches or add another pitch on top of it,” Shelton said last September. “The fact that he’s got 100 there, that makes it difficult to generate contact at times and would make him a good back-end guy.”
What will be the Opening Day lineup?
Oneil Cruz, SS: Batted .282/.331/.541 with eight doubles, three triples, seven homers and 23 RBIs in 32 games at leadoff spot.
Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B: Despite his struggles at the plate, Hayes slashed .302/.375/.444 in 17 games in the two-hole last season.
Bryan Reynolds, CF: Has a higher career batting average (.286 to .277) at No. 2 in order but a higher on-base percentage (.367 to .364) at No. 3.
Andrew McCutchen, RF: His 25 doubles and 69 RBIs for Brewers last season would have led the Pirates, and 17 homers tied for third.
Jack Suwinski, LF: Despite a .202 average, including .122 against lefties, batted .324 in a dozen games in the fifth spot.
Carlos Santana, DH: Had 19 homers each of past two seasons, and the switch hitter batted .284/.411/.523 in 28 games at sixth spot last year.
Rodolfo Castro, 2B: Small sample size, but switch hitter was best at seventh, slashing .273/.351/.364 with three doubles in 10 games.
Austin Hedges, C: Nowhere to hide his career .189 average, but 28 of his 66 homers, 100 of 207 RBIs have come in the eight hole.
Ji-Man Choi, 1B: Might be best suited for middle of order but is coming off elbow surgery and has .342/.490/.474 slash line at bottom.
Mitch Keller, SP: The right-hander posted his first-sub 4.00 ERA, led Pirates in starts (29) and innings (159) and would love to get Opening Day start at same stadium where he made disastrous debut.
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
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