Don Kelly's recent Pirates changes may be hinting at a major Tommy Pham shakeup

The Pirates finished a thrilling nine game homestand with a 6-3 record, and there is a lot of excitement brewing with how Don Kelly has managed this ballclub. The term 'Donnieball' is being thrown around, as his managing is truly making a difference, with the team sitting with a record of 16-15 since he took over. One decision he has made that is standing out is the benching of Tommy Pham for Adam Frazier in the outfield.

It makes sense to find Frazier a spot in the order, as he has been one of the better hitters in the lineup. He is batting .287 in his last 30 games with eight RBI. He has not played nearly as much outfield as he has played second base in his career, so throwing him out there in every game of a three-game series this week was very bold.

His bat obviously gives the Pirates their best chance to win, and he has held his own in the outfield. Nick Gonzales has retaken the starting spot at second base, leaving the outfield as the best (and only?) way to keep Frazier in the lineup. Maybe, just maybe, Pham will finally be DFA'd.

Adam Frazier starting in left field may be pushing Tommy Pham off the Pirates roster.

Kelly has also shown an urgency to get Alexander Canario into the lineup over Pham. Additionally, Ben Cherington will keep Jared Triolo on the big league bench no matter how bad his bat is, as he brings Gold Glove defense. Joey Bart will replace Brett Sullivan once he is healthy, so that leaves Pham as the first guy out once someone else is ready to come up, such as a hot-hitting Billy Cook or newly claimed Ronny Simon.

As Pham continues to produce just a 44 wRC+, it is hard to even justify why he is still on the roster. Kelly has evidently had enough, and is completely comfortable with Frazier taking reps in left field because of it.

Adding Pham has turned into a complete disaster of a signing, and is one of the reasons the Pirates are 13 games back of .500. Even while they do play good baseball, it is unfortunate to think about how it is all happening without a true outfielder that the team needed to establish itself last offseason. Frazier or Pham were not exactly the answers fans wanted, but at least Frazier is competitive at the plate, even while he is out of position.