Pitchers and catchers reported this week, so spring has officially sprung. The Pirates have several position battles going on with this group. Let’s take a look how the rotation is shaping up.
The starting rotation looks different from the past couple of years. Trevor Williams was released with Jameson Taillon and Joe Musgrove were traded for a bunch of prospects. What’s left? Leading the rotation this year will be Mitch Keller. Truthfully, I think he is the only lock.
Keller has been a highly touted prospect for several years now. He got his first taste of the big leagues in 2019 and struggled. Last season, there was definitely some things to feel good about. Keller finished with an ERA of 2.91 over 21.2 innings pitched. In that span, he struck out 16, but walked 18. That’s too many walks for the number of innings. With that being said, Keller had a nice stretch of 11 innings without giving up a hit at one point over two starts. His potential growth is something to look forward to this season. If he can get the walks under control, he could have a really good year.
The next two spots belong to Steven Brault and Chad Kuhl, as long as they are still with the team. I am not sure both will be. They’ve both come up in rumors this offseason. Both are coming off of strong showings in 2020 and are controllable past this season. If they aren’t dealt before the season, continue to build off of last year, and stay healthy, I think one or both will be traded at some point this year.
The next spot goes to recent signing, Tyler Anderson. The lefty Anderson brings some experience to the rotation with him seeing action over each off the last five seasons. Anderson’s job is pretty easy: stay healthy and bring back a prospect or two in a trade later in the season.
The fifth spot is between 3 guys: JT Brubaker, Cody Ponce, and newcomer Wil Crowe. Right now, I am giving Brubaker the edge due his experience from last season. However, I don’t think he’s necessarily a lock. If he does win the job, I could see Ponce going to the bullpen and Crowe starting the year at AAA.
I am not totally convinced that the Pirates won’t add another arm to the mix for the rotation. I would love to see them make a trade for an established starter with a big contract that a team wants rid of and get a prospect or two along with it. Two targets could be David Price from the Dodgers and Tanner Roark from the Blue Jays. Maybe trade Adam Frazier and Richard Rodriguez for one of those guys and one or two prospects in return. At the trade deadline, they should be able to flip the pitcher they acquire, barring injury or total implosion, for more prospects.
The Pirates have a few other guys who should start at AAA that could find their way into the rotation. Miguel Yajure, Cody Bolton, and Max Kranick could very well find themselves in the rotation at some point this season. The Pirates have some depth.
The Pirates rotation will be a work in progress this year. Some of the guys I mentioned will be traded. Some may deal with injuries. Some guys will struggle. Some may shine. It is going to be interesting to watch the rotation and see what comes out of it at the end of the season.
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