Pittsburgh Pirates: Two Rotation Improvements Currently in the Bullpen

Two of the Pittsburgh Pirates most talented young pitchers are in the bullpen, but when will they join the starting rotation?

Two of the Pittsburgh Pirates most talented young pitchers in the organization are situated in the bullpen to start the season. Those two are Roansy Contreras and Miguel Yajure. The duo was acquired in the Jameson Taillon trade and has already seen some innings with the Pirates. But when will they join the starting rotation?

Contreras rose to top 100 status after his phenomenal 2021 campaign. He spent most of the season at Altoona, where he tossed 54.1 innings, posting a 2.65 ERA, 2.74 FIP, and .90 WHIP. He struck out 34.9% of batters faced while only having a 5.5% walk rate and 0.83 HR/9. But numbers don’t tell how much he improved in 2021.

Contreras increased his fastball velocity to the upper-90s. He only averaged around 90-95 MPH when the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired him, and now he’s hitting 96-98 MPH. His stuff, including his slider, curveball, and change-up, looks noticeably improved. It’s also great to see the massive increase in velocity didn’t affect his command.

Yajure spent most of the 2021 season at Indianapolis. He posted a solid 3.09 ERA, 4.35 FIP, and 1.05 WHIP. Although he’s never been a big strikeout pitcher, Yajure still put up a solid 23% strikeout rate to combat a 7.5% walk rate. Home runs were his most significant issue, with a 1.24 HR/9 rate.

Much of Yajure’s struggles happened down the stretch. A forearm injury limited him to just 58.2 innings between Triple-A and the Major Leagues. This also greatly affected his velocity. By September, he was only averaging out in the upper-80s. But in his first game of 2022, he was sitting around 91-94 MPH, the range he was hitting pre-injury. A fastball in that velocity range could be a significant weapon with his command. All of his offerings project to be average or better.

When these two get rotation opportunities can depend on a few things. The first thing is how much the Pirates want the two to get stretched out. Contreras and Yajure combined for only five innings this Spring. Neither started a game during Spring, and Contreras was recalled to the majors the day before he was supposed to make his 2022 debut at Triple-A Indianapolis. They’re not going to throw both directly into the fire to start the season.

Another thing that could impact when both start getting regular starts is how much of a leash the Pirates have on some of their fringe rotation guys, specifically JT Brubaker and Bryse Wilson. Both had awful starts to their first games but seemed to settle down after the first. Though neither is likely guaranteed rotation spots for the entirety of this year.

An obvious factor to consider is injuries. Zach Thompson getting pulled after a line drive hit him in the back was likely a precautionary action, but it goes to show that injuries can happen at any time. Contreras and Yajure are likely the first ones up if there is an injury that lasts a few starts.

Regardless, they should be in the rotation by the time summer rolls around, at the very latest. They’ll likely start getting regular starts in May barring injuries. They’re two guys the Pittsburgh Pirates consider potential long-term starters. The main reason they’re in the bullpen and guys like Brubaker or Wilson aren’t is because neither got proper time to get stretched out for the 2022 campaign. Once they’re ready, they’ll find a way for them to get starts.