Lots of opportunities for the taking as Bucs camp approaches
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The offseason is, finally, almost over, and the eternal optimism of Spring Training is right around the corner. While the main core of this Pirates team remains mostly unchanged, they did make several signings and trades this offseason to shake up the roster.
As pitchers and catchers prepare for their first workout on Wednesday, here¡¯s the first projection of how Pittsburgh's Opening Day roster could look.
Catcher (2): Joey Bart, Endy Rodríguez
Bart enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024 and will enter a Spring Training catching competition with the inside track. The second job is between Rodr¨ªguez, Henry Davis and Jason Delay, but we¡¯ll give Rodr¨ªguez the early edge -- after all, he can play first base too.
First baseman (1): Spencer Horwitz
The Horwitz trade was the Pirates¡¯ biggest move this winter, sending Luis Ortiz and prospects to Cleveland. Now the utility man will have an opportunity to not only play one position but prove he¡¯s a Major League hitter.
Second baseman (1): Nick Gonzales
Gonzales took a big step forward last season. There are other young infielders on the roster, like Jared Triolo and Liover Peguero, so this might not be Gonzales' job outright, but he should have an inside track.
Shortstop (1): Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Kiner-Falefa is perhaps the most defensively versatile player in the game, and he won a Gold Glove at third base in 2020. He¡¯ll be tasked mainly with shortstop this season, a position where he has been worth 28 defensive runs saved in 3,021 career innings (including three DRS last season).
Third baseman (1): Ke'Bryan Hayes
Hayes¡¯ back and general health are going to be some of the main storylines this Spring Training. A return to his 2023 Gold Glove-winning form would be huge for the Pirates. A rebound with his bat would also be a tremendous boost after a career-worst .573 OPS last season.
Outfielders (3): Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Tommy Pham
Reynolds is coming off an All-Star campaign and he will continue to anchor this outfield. Cruz¡¯s jump to center field went well late last year, and he has a chance to take the next step now that he is another season removed from his fractured left ankle. Pham adds another veteran to the outfield mix after the Pirates parted ways with Bryan De La Cruz and Connor Joe this offseason.
Designated hitter (1): Andrew McCutchen
Some other players will get a day to DH and McCutchen may take a couple reps in the field, but this will be the main spot for the franchise icon.
Bench (3): Adam Frazier, Jared Triolo, Joshua Palacios
Triolo is the reigning National League Gold Glove winner for utilitymen, and the veteran Frazier is back in Pittsburgh to mostly be a utility infielder. That leaves one bench job left, and while there are some defensively versatile options (No. 22 prospect Billy Cook, No. 6 prospect Nick Yorke and Peguero), let¡¯s project Palacios to give them a fourth outfielder, another left-handed bat and someone with a good track record as a pinch-hitter (a .968 career OPS coming off the bench).
Starting pitchers (5): Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Jared Jones, Johan Oviedo, Bailey Falter
This is essentially the rotation the Pirates had down the stretch, with the one change being the return of Oviedo from Tommy John surgery and Ortiz being sent to Cleveland. Skenes and Jones are perhaps the most exciting young pitching duo this organization has had in the 21st century, Keller is now the vet of the rotation and Falter is coming off a nice campaign in 2024. Plus there are more young pitchers on the precipice of the Majors, including top prospect Bubba Chandler.
Relief pitchers (8): David Bednar, Colin Holderman, Dennis Santana, Caleb Ferguson, Kyle Nicolas, Carmen Mlodzinski, Peter Strzelecki, Tim Mayza
The bullpen is the hardest to project after the front three of Bednar, Holderman and Santana. Ferguson will get a look as a starter this spring, but he has been used almost exclusively as a reliever in the Majors. Nicolas and Mlodzinski grew in 2024, but they both have Minor League options, meaning they still have to earn a spot. Strzelecki and Mayza are veterans with Major League success on their r¨¦sum¨¦s, but they are both looking to rebound. Don¡¯t sleep on this group of non-roster invitees and rookies too, because there¡¯s opportunity to be had in this bullpen. That includes pitchers like Ryan Borucki, Carson Fulmer and No. 15 prospect Mike Burrows.