Kevin Gorman's Take 5: Pirates have more questions than answers to start spring training
After a 101-loss season followed by a 99-day lockout, the Pittsburgh Pirates start a condensed spring training Monday in Bradenton, Fla., with more questions than answers.
They traded Gold Glove catcher Jacob Stallings to Miami, parted ways with starting pitchers Steven Brault and Chad Kuhl and first baseman Colin Moran and signed three veteran free agents to one-year deals.
With no players under contract beyond the 2022 season, the Pirates clearly have an eye toward the future. Their immediate focus shifts to solving the following issues while conducting camp at LECOM Park:
Will the Bucs build around Bryan Reynolds?
Reynolds bounced back from a rough 2020 season in a big way, shifting to center field and becoming an All-Star for the first time by batting .302 with a .921 OPS, 35 doubles, eight triples, 24 home runs and 90 RBIs to finish as a finalist for a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.
Those numbers make Reynolds a strong candidate for one of two things: receive a contract extension or be traded to a contender. The 27-year-old switch hitter previously turned down a Pirates extension offer, so the latter is more likely.
The Miami Marlins, New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners have been rumored to be interested in Reynolds, though the Pirates are expected to have a high asking price. This spring will be telling whether the Pirates view Reynolds as the centerpiece of their team or another trade chip.
Problem is, the Pirates don’t have anyone to replace Reynolds.
Can Oneil Cruz crack the Opening Day lineup?
The Pirates tweeted a photo Friday of three jerseys hanging in their lockers in the LECOM Park clubhouse. Reynolds’ No. 10 and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes’ No. 13 were expected, but the third choice was the most prominent and, perhaps, most telling.
You love to see it. pic.twitter.com/WNVfdH0MKa
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 12, 2022
Oneil Cruz has played in two major league games, yet the Pirates are promoting their No. 1 prospect alongside their top two players.
Of course, Cruz put on a show in those two games.
The 6-foot-7 shortstop became the tallest player to start a major league game at his position, delivered the hardest hit by a Pirate in the Statcast era (118.2 mph) in his debut and homered in his second game while flashing a good glove and electric speed around the bases.
The 23-year-old, however, has only 438 at bats above the Class A level. He missed a portion of last season at Double-A Altoona with a strained forearm but homered five times in six games at Triple-A Indianapolis in a late September stretch before his major league call-up.
The Pirates return Gold Glove finalist Kevin Newman, who signed for $1.95 million. General manager Ben Cherington said in December that shortstop will be Newman’s primary position, but he will have competition. With openings at second base or shortstop, it’s likely Newman or Cruz could be making a position switch.
What is the most important position battle?
Shortstop is the most important, and Newman has had to fight for the starting job every spring so fending off Cruz is nothing new.
The most wide-open spot is at second base, where the Pirates started six players over the final two months after trading All-Star Adam Frazier to San Diego at the deadline last July.
A simple solution could be to slide Newman over if Cruz wins the starting job at short. Cole Tucker has made spectacular plays at second but has to prove he can hit like he did over the final 27 games (.256) and not the .143 of the first half.
That’s true of two other candidates. Called up from Altoona, Rodolfo Castro made baseball history by homering for his first five hits but batted .198. Acquired from the Yankees in the Clay Holmes trade, Hoy Park got off to a hot start but finished .197.
Perhaps the best bet is Michael Chavis, who hit .357 but injured his shoulder diving for a catch in right field. Chavis, acquired from Boston for reliever Austin Davis, could also play first base or serve as DH.
One wild card is Diego Castillo, also acquired from the Yankees. The Pirates added him to the 40-man roster in November after he slashed .282/.342/.445 in 28 games at Altoona and .278 with a .914 OPS in 18 games at Indianapolis.
The Pirates also have to find a starting right fielder to replace Gregory Polanco — Greg Allen, claimed off waivers from the Yankees, will get first crack — decide whether Yoshi Tsutsugo is better suited to serve as the first baseman or designated hitter and find a backup to catcher Roberto Perez, 33, who has started 100 games once in eight seasons.
Is Mitch Keller ready to become staff ace?
The Pirates had Keller lined up to start on Opening Day last year, but he struggled in spring training (11.91 ERA and .434 batting average against).
Keller hasn’t lived up to his billing as the Pirates’ top pitching prospect and future ace. He was 5-11 with a 6.17 ERA last season, allowing 11.9 hits per nine innings in 23 starts and a hard-hit rate of 47.5% with an average exit velocity of 91.5.
Remote athlete and Pirates' RHP @mkeller11 started working with Tread in late October.
✅Peak bullpen velo before this winter: 95 mph.
✅2021 average FB velo: 94 mph
✅Peak MLB velo ever: 98.3 mphHere he is throwing absolute missiles at Tread HQ, topping 100+ mph.???? pic.twitter.com/bmKKN7JRbc
— Tread Athletics (@TreadHQ) January 28, 2022
Keller’s four-seam fastball sat at 93.8 mph last season, but he was averaging 97 mph — and touching triple digits — this offseason while training at Tread Athletics in Charlotte.
The Pirates have to hope Keller, who turns 26 on April 4, finally can anchor a pitching staff that features veteran lefty Jose Quintana and young right-handers JT Brubaker, Roansy Contreras, Wil Crowe, Max Kranick, Zach Thompson, Bryse Wilson and Miguel Yajure.
What will the Opening Day lineup look like?
Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B: Slashed .279/.293/.354 in 18 games at leadoff but had a better OBP (.328) in 69 games in the two-hole.
Oneil Cruz, SS: Cruz strikes out a lot but had a .342 OBP in the minors, and his speed sets the table for Reynolds to drive in runs.
Bryan Reynolds, CF: Batted third in 142 of his 159 games, and Pirates manager Derek Shelton has him locked into this spot in the order.
Yoshi Tsutsugo, 1B: It’s a small sample size but batted .364 with a .902 OPS in 11 games at cleanup for the Pirates last season.
Ben Gamel, LF: Slashed .288/.385/.576 with five homers and eight RBIs in 20 games at the No. 5 spot in the order last year.
Michael Chavis, DH: Hit .357 with an .857 OPS in 25 games for the Pirates, so it’s a matter of whether he can drive in runs.
Greg Allen, RF: Played in 15 games with the Yankees last season and collected 10 hits. Five of those hits were for extra bases.
Roberto Perez, C: Had 24 homers and 63 RBIs in 2019, but the 220-pounder hasn’t hit his weight in five of last six seasons.
Kevin Newman, 2B: Best career numbers are as leadoff hitter (.294/.335/.444 in 89 games) but batted .087 there last year and .167 in 2020.
Mitch Keller, SP: Fares well against the St. Louis Cardinals, going 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in four starts, including a .229 batting average against at Busch Stadium.
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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