Whether it's turnover or rearranging chairs, Pirates will have new-look Opening Day lineup

What’s more surprising, that the Pittsburgh Pirates return only a dozen or so players from last year’s Opening Day 26-man roster or the possibility they could have new starters at almost every position?

As the Pirates prepare for their season opener Thursday at the Miami Marlins, the only players from their projected Opening Day lineup locked into the same starting role as last year are third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and designated hitter Andrew McCutchen.

There’s more to the story, whether it’s true turnover or a mere rearranging of deck chairs. Five of the Pirates’ Opening Day starters from last year are back, but several are playing new positions while others are in different roles than a year ago.

That includes a pair of No. 1 overall draft picks.

Where right-hander Paul Skenes started last season in the minors and Henry Davis was the Pirates’ starting catcher, Skenes was named the Opening Day starter and Davis was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis after losing the backup job to Endy Rodriguez. Joey Bart, who hit 13 home runs in 80 games after being acquired from the San Francisco Giants last April, moves into the starting catcher role.

It’s the first Opening Day for the 22-year-old Skenes, who supplants 2023 All-Star Mitch Keller atop the starting rotation. Skenes, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young favorite, is scheduled to face 2022 Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara.

“Obviously, it’s great when he’s on the mound,” Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds said of Skenes, who went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and team-best 170 strikeouts in 23 starts after his mid-May promotion last season. “It’s a good feeling when you’ve got a guy like that in your corner.”

The corner infielders were the center of attention this spring. The Pirates kept a close watch on the balky back of Hayes, the 2023 NL Gold Glove third baseman, in hopes he can have a healthy season and return to the offensive production of his team MVP season two years ago.

First base, on the other hand, was wide open after the Pirates designated Rowdy Tellez for assignment last September four plate appearances shy of a performance bonus. They acquired Spencer Horwitz from Cleveland via Toronto, only for him to miss all of spring training while recovering from surgery on his right wrist.

After trying out a number of players at first base in Grapefruit League play, the Pirates settled on Jared Triolo. He was their starting second baseman last Opening Day but lost his job and eventually filled in for Hayes at third. Triolo played every infield position to earn an NL Gold Glove as a utility player. The switch-hitting Rodriguez, who beat out Davis for the backup catcher job, also will play first base.

Nick Gonzales started last season in the minors but replaced Triolo at second base in May. His double-play partner at shortstop will be Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline. Kiner-Falefa won an AL Gold Glove at third base for the Texas Rangers in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, giving the Pirates three Gold Glove winners in their infield.

“I think that’s really important. It shows how much we value defense,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “Pitching is going to be our bread and butter. We’re very well aware of that. Now, having guys on the infield that are really consistent defensive performers, that’s going to be important for us to win games.”

The outfield has been completely shuffled. Michael A. Taylor, a 2021 AL Gold Glove winner who started in center, was designated for assignment last September and is now with the Chicago White Sox. Connor Joe, who started in right field in the opener, was nontendered in the offseason and signed with the San Diego Padres.

Oneil Cruz switched from shortstop to center field in late August and is flanked by veterans in left fielder Tommy Pham, who signed a one-year, $4 million deal in free agency, and two-time All-Star Reynolds in right.

“It’ll be new and old,” said Reynolds, who started 117 games in left last year. “Guys are playing new positions, but we’ve been working on it in spring and getting after it. Obviously, Cruz has the skills to do it. Tommy’s done it for a long time. We’ve got a good chance to be pretty solid out there.”

The Pirates are expecting Reynolds to replicate his offensive production — he led the team with 24 home runs and 88 RBIs — and for his arm to play in right field after his 11 outfield assists tied for the NL lead.

They are also counting on Cruz to increase his plate production after a season in which he had 34 doubles, 21 homers, 76 RBIs and 22 stolen bases in 146 games after missing most of 2023 with a fractured left ankle. Cruz showed elite speed and arm strength in 23 games in center, but his metrics were alarming: He had minus-3 defensive runs saved and nine misplays and errors, per Sports Info Solutions.

“Cruz is probably the one that’s the major adjustment in position. That’s one of the reasons we wanted to do it last year during the year, so we had a little bit of a body of work,” Shelton said. “With Bryan, our intention was he was going to get more right-field reps, then the roster just didn’t shake out that way performance-wise and he had to go back to left.”

McCutchen returns as designated hitter after a 20-homer, 50-RBI campaign and enters his 17th season five home runs shy of tying Pirates legend Roberto Clemente (240) for third-most in franchise history.

It’s worth noting that Rodriguez, outfielder Ji Hwan Bae and right-handed relievers Colin Holderman and Carmen Mlodzinski started last season on the injured list. Returning right-handed pitchers Dauri Moreta and Johan Oviedo were on the Opening Day roster last year but will start this season on the IL, and Jared Jones (right elbow) could join them.

Also returning for the Pirates are Keller, two-time All-Star closer David Bednar and lefties Ryan Borucki and Bailey Falter. Righty reliever Hunter Stratton, who started last season in the bullpen, pitched only one inning this spring but was added to the 40-man roster.

Although the starting lineup still has holes — most notably at first base — the Pirates believe they have upgraded at almost every position and improved their depth in both the rotation and bullpen.

“I think this lineup is definitely better than last year,” Shelton said. “I definitely think this offense is in a better spot than last year at this time.”