With 7 Opening Day starters returning, Pirates start spring training with a sense of stability

BRADENTON, Fla. — For as much as the Pittsburgh Pirates coaching staff values versatility, the players crave a sense of stability. That’s something they finally might have in their lineup this season.

As pitchers and catchers reported Wednesday morning to Pirate City for the start of spring training, the Pirates welcomed the return of seven starters from their Opening Day lineup last year: shortstop Oneil Cruz, left fielder Bryan Reynolds, designated hitter Andrew McCutchen, third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, center fielder Jack Suwinski, second baseman Ji Hwan Bae and starting pitcher Mitch Keller.

It’s the most returning starters under the leadership of general manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton, who enter their fifth season with the club. And that number doesn’t include two-time All-Star closer David Bednar, who earned the first of his 39 saves in the 2023 opener.

“I think that’s a big thing, having some type of consistency,” said Reynolds, the only Pirates player to start every opener since 2020. “You look at the (Atlanta) Braves, and they run out the same seven or eight guys for 162 games. If we can get to the point where we’ve got a set group — obviously, you’re going to mix and match here and there — it will help everybody.”

There promises to be competition this spring for the three openings, as well as for at least one of the incumbents. Shelton said last September that he considers Hayes, the NL Gold Glove winner, locked in at third base, and Reynolds and Suwinski to compose two-thirds of the outfield.

Two starters are returning from season-ending injuries. Cruz is coming back from a fractured left ankle in April that caused him to miss all but nine games but is expected to be the everyday shortstop, if he shows requisite range. McCutchen suffered a partial tear of his left Achilles tendon in early September but should serve as designated hitter again.

Keller, selected to his first All-Star Game, has a chance to become the first Pirates pitcher to make back-to-back Opening Day starts since Francisco Liriano made three in a row from 2014-16. Despite the signing of seven-time All-Star Aroldis Chapman, Bednar remains the closer.

But Bae could be challenged by Nick Gonzales, Liover Peguero or Jared Triolo for the starting job at second base. Bae could even switch to playing more in center field, where appeared in almost as many games (62) as he did second base (64). Almost half of Bae’s appearances in center were late-game defensive switches to take advantage of his speed.

Carlos Santana started 85 games at first base last year but was traded to Milwaukee in July. The Pirates signed Rowdy Tellez to a one-year contract worth $4 million with incentives, but the lefty slugger could platoon with Connor Joe and Triolo.

Austin Hedges started 61 games at catcher before being traded to the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers at the deadline after he had been supplanted as the starter by rookie Endy Rodriguez. Rodriguez was lost for the season to elbow surgery, so the Pirates signed 12-year veteran Yasmani Grandal to a one-year contract for $2.5 million plus performance bonuses to compete for the starting job with Henry Davis, Jason Delay and Ali Sanchez.

The other opening is in right field, where rookie Canaan Smith-Njigba used a strong spring to earn the Opening Day start but spent most of the season in the minors and was lost to the Seattle Mariners on a waiver claim earlier this month. Davis made a midseason switch from catcher to corner outfielder and had the most starts in right (49), followed by Joe (39) and Joshua Palacios (36). But the Pirates added outfield depth by acquiring Edward Olivares from Kansas City and Billy McKinney from the New York Yankees and signed Gilberto Celestino to a minor league contract, and it’s also possible Suwinski could switch to right if Bae plays center.

That’s where the versatility creates variables with the lineup. Bae can play second base and center field. Davis is a natural catcher but played primarily in right field, then at DH in September. Triolo has played first, second and third for the Pirates and some shortstop and center field in the minors. Joe can play the corner outfield spots and first base. Gonzales and Peguero can play both sides of the bag in the middle infield, which gives them a shot at being Cruz’s backup at short. Although McCutchen started 97 games at DH, the five-time All-Star and 2012 Gold Glove winner also played eight games in right field last year.

The key for the Pirates will be staying healthy, especially for those returning from injuries such as Cruz and McCutchen.

“I’m feeling like myself, honestly,” McCutchen said last month at PiratesFest. “It’ll be about not trying to overdo anything, taking my time, making sure I’m ready for Game 1 of the season.”