3 Pirates storylines to follow this spring

This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

By the time you¡¯re reading this, Pirates camp will have opened and pitchers and catchers will have kicked off the 2025 campaign.

Happy Spring Training.

As the Pirates prepare for another turn in Bradenton, Fla., let¡¯s take a look at three storylines worth following this February and March.

1. Is this rotation up to task?
There¡¯s no way around it: The only way this Pirates team can compete this year is if their starting pitching is as good as they believe it is.

The rotation has as much potential as any team in baseball. The world is ready to see what Paul Skenes¡¯ encore will be. Mitch Keller was an All-Star in 2023 and had a strong case to be one in ¡¯24. Jared Jones is electric. Johan Oviedo is back from Tommy John surgery. Bailey Falter is coming off a strong campaign, and there are plenty of pitching prospects who are on the precipice of the Majors, like Bubba Chandler (the Pirates¡¯ No. 1 prospect, per MLB Pipeline), Braxton Ashcraft (No. 4), Thomas Harrington (No. 5) and Mike Burrows (No. 15). The Pirates have both quality and quantity with their rotation.

If there¡¯s one knock on the group, it¡¯s that there isn¡¯t much experience. With the exception of Keller, everyone else is a prospect or coming off their first full Major League season. A sophomore slump or injury could throw plans off.

A healthy, productive spring is the best-case scenario here to try to set the Pirates up for the season. Seeing Oviedo toe the rubber for the first time since 2023 will be a bonus.

2. How is Ke¡¯Bryan Hayes¡¯ back?
It looked like Hayes finally had his breakout season in 2023, winning his first Gold Glove and posting solid offensive numbers. Injuries derailed his chance to build on that campaign in 2024, and he finished with a career-worst .573 OPS in 96 games played.

Back injuries are tricky and can linger, though both Hayes and the team expressed optimism at the end of last season that a different rest and rehab plan could help keep him on the field. Time will tell if it¡¯s sustainable for a full season, but Spring Training is a first chance to see how Hayes is swinging the bat and moving in the field.

The Pirates made a bet on Hayes in 2022 by signing him to what was, at the time, the largest contract in franchise history (Bryan Reynolds¡¯ and Keller¡¯s extensions the last two years have since surpassed it). A Gold Glove third baseman would be an outstanding way to support this starting rotation, and Hayes has the offensive potential to lengthen the lineup and give this team another much-needed impact right-handed hitter. It¡¯s very possible if his back doesn¡¯t get cranky again.

3. What¡¯s happening behind the plate?
Joey Bart emerged as one of the Pirates¡¯ top hitters last season and will have an inside track for the starting catcher job. Even if one of the two catcher spots is more or less spoken for, there¡¯s still plenty of intrigue here.

Henry Davis and Endy Rodr¨ªguez were top 100 prospects two years ago and appeared to be the future for the position. Rodr¨ªguez is coming off elbow surgery and Davis struggled in the Majors last year. It¡¯s way too soon to write either player off if they don¡¯t earn an Opening Day roster spot, but this is a big year for both, and the Majors are the ultimate proving ground.

So what¡¯s the arrangement? Is Bart the starting catcher outright? Do the Pirates want to have a 1A-1B situation? Is there enough playing time for Davis or Rodr¨ªguez to develop if Bart is the starter? Could Jason Delay factor into this mix? He¡¯s a solid defensive catcher and calls a great game, and plenty of teams would be happy to have him as their backup. This storyline is most likely going to continue into the regular season, but a fast start in Florida could only be a good thing.