This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf’s Pirates Beat publication. To learn the total publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it commonly in your inbox.
Because the calendar turns to February, Spring Coaching is lastly proper across the nook. Bradenton baseball is sort of right here, and the Pirates can be enjoying Grapefruit League video games this month.
Whereas the Pirates have a good suggestion of what most of their crew goes to appear like after they head southeast to Miami for his or her Opening Day collection towards the Marlins, there are a handful of jobs which can be going to be up for grabs in camp, together with these three.
Catcher
Probably the most public competitors, the Pirates have 4 choices on the 40-man roster: Joey Bart, Henry Davis, Endy Rodríguez and Jason Delay. Of that group, Bart is the one one who looks like a lock for an Opening Day spot. He’s coming off a stable season (13 dwelling runs and a .799 OPS in 80 video games performed) and is the one one of many group that may’t be optioned to the Minors. He’s a no brainer to maintain, however is he going to be the outright starter or splitting time with another person?
After that, it seems like an actual competitors. Rodríguez is getting back from elbow surgical procedure and mentioned throughout PiratesFest that it feels “like a child.” Don’t be shocked if he wants a while to get again to recreation pace, however he feels able to go.
“The swing proper now feels 100%,” Rodríguez mentioned. “Again dwelling, in my offseason preparation, it’s been good. The swing is right.”
All eyes can be on Davis’ swing too. That is going to be a pivotal 12 months for him to show he can hit Main League pitching after struggling in 2024.
If neither Davis or Rodríguez look prepared for the Majors, it’s not out of the query that Delay might earn his third straight Opening Day spot.
For readability’s sake, nook outfield has been on the Pirates’ purchasing checklist all offseason, and the Pirates have signed a number of free brokers on the eleventh hour in recent times. Jarrod Dyson signed early in camp in 2020, as did Daniel Vogelbach in 2022. Yasmani Grandal signed simply earlier than camp final 12 months, and Michael A. Taylor inked his deal in March.
There might nonetheless be one other signing or commerce incoming. If it does, take into account this a search for a fourth outfielder.
The Pirates acquired Nick Yorke and Billy Prepare dinner ultimately 12 months’s Commerce Deadline. Yorke has the upper pedigree — the primary Pirate off Pipeline’s High 100 prospect checklist — however is a second baseman by commerce and should not have the ability to be an on a regular basis outfielder defensively. Prepare dinner confirmed some robust glove expertise (six defensive runs saved) and bumped into three homers final September, however he’s additionally removed from a confirmed large leaguer.
Joshua Palacios battled sickness and accidents in 2024 however ended up having a very good 12 months at Triple-A Indianapolis. Jack Suwinski homered 26 occasions in 2023 however struggled in 2024. Non-roster invite Bryce Johnson had a stable half season in Triple-A for the Padres (20 stolen bases and a .407 OBP), and Nick Solak will even be preventing for a roster spot this spring. There’s no clear reply right here, however maybe there could possibly be an efficient platoon.
Bullpen
David Bednar, Dennis Santana and Colin Holderman can be there, however these are most likely the one names you possibly can positively write in ink when making out an Opening Day roster. The Pirates will discover stretching out Caleb Ferguson as a starter and pitchers like Kyle Nicolas and Carmen Mlodzinski are going to be main elements of this bullpen, however each younger pitchers have Minor League choices that could possibly be used this 12 months.
Ryan Borucki is again on a non-guaranteed deal, seeking to show he’s again to 2023 type. Tim Mayza has a Main League deal, however his $1.15 million wage could possibly be simply absorbed if he doesn’t look good in Spring Coaching. Brett de Geus, Peter Strzelecki, Joey Wentz and Chase Shugart have all been added to the roster in current months. Veterans like Carson Fulmer, Tanner Rainey and Yohan Ramirez are on prove-it non-roster offers. Does a prospect like Mike Burrows get a glance as a reliever?
There are going to be at the very least two and maybe as many as 5 jobs up for grabs, and that’s assuming everyone seems to be wholesome. Strzelecki might have put it greatest when requested throughout PiratesFest if the crew has mentioned what his position could also be.
“Probably not, they only instructed me there’s going to be alternative,” Strzelecki answered.
