Pittsburgh Pirates: 3 Spring Training Battles to Watch

While Pittsburgh digs out of the snow and hunkers down to avoid the latest arctic blast, Pirates fans may benefit from dreaming about warmer climes. After all, Spring Training is just about a month away, and a few position battles promise to heat up February in Florida.

1. The Back-End of the Rotation

Mitch Keller, with whom the Pirates avoided arbitration last week, is a lock for the top of the rotation. In 2023, Keller took a major step forward from “promising” to “legit,” earning his first All-Star nod and posting his career-best WHIP (1.245). Nos. 2 and 3 will be Martin Perez and Marco Gonzales, two new Bucs who will provide veteran experience but also come with their fair share of red flags.

That’s about where the certainty stops. The fourth and fifth rotation slots are up for grabs and a litany of young arms seem poised to make a push. Quinn Priester carries the highest expectations of the group. He has ranked in both Baseball America and MLB’s Top 100 prospect lists and flew through the Minors. His first stint in the Majors was forgettable, allowing 29 runs over his first six starts, and Pirates fans have yet to see if his stuff can translate successfully to the big league level.

Bailey Falter, whom the Pirates acquired from the Phillies via trade last season, has had the most Major League success of Pittsburgh’s in-house options. If he can replicate his 2022 results, which yielded a 3.86 ERA, the left-hander could lock up a spot. Whether Falter can bear the innings load required of a starter is yet to be seen. The last time Falter completed more than 100 innings was 2018 when he was in Rookie/High-A ball.

The final two candidates are a pair of young right-handers with an up-and-down history in the big leagues. Roansy Contreras is out of Minor League options, so he has added pressure to perform well this spring, and Luis Ortiz can touch triple-digits with his fastball but has yet to demonstrate solid command at any level above Low-A.

On the bright side, these young arms just need to carry the team through the early months of 2024. JT Brubaker will return from Tommy John surgery, and Pirates faithful will see Paul Skenes in black and gold before they know it.

2. Which Utility Infielder Will Earn a Starting Job?

With Oneil Cruz returning from injury, the left side of the Pirates’ infield might be the best it’s been in years. The right side? A murky land of questions.

Barring an outstanding (or horrific) spring showing from either player, Connor Joe and Rowdy Tellez may make up a lefty-righty platoon at first base. Joe handles left-handers better, posting a .261/.356/.429 line. Tellez’s average and on-base percentage are fairly consistent across the board, but his slugging against righties is .464, compared to .386 against lefties. If either one is carrying a hot bat, Joe could still slot into the outfield while Tellez mans first.

Second base, like in years past, is shaping up to be a battle. In a surprising move, Ji Hwan Bae cracked the Opening Day starting lineup in 2023, but his lackluster fielding (six defensive runs saved below average) and light hitting made him something of a liability in the infield last year. Liover Peguero, Nick Gonzales, and Jared Triolo each took a turn in the revolving middle-infield door. Triolo and Peguero ended the year heading in two very different directions. Triolo posted a 1.025 OPS over the final month of the season, while maintaining above-average defensive numbers. Peguero limped to a .548 OPS over the same span. Gonzales, a former first-round pick, struggled consistently and may be attractive trade bait.