Spring training battles to watch for the Pittsburgh Pirates

Final two spots in the starting rotation

Although the Pittsburgh Pirates have added Marco Gonzales and Martín Pérez this offseason, their starting rotation is still filled with question marks. Behind those two additions and Mitch Keller, the Pirate starting rotation is filled with question marks.

Roansy Contreras, Bailey Falter, Quinn Priester, and Luis Ortiz will compete for the final two spots in the starting rotation. A trio of veterans added via minor league deals, could compete for a rotation spot as well. However, it seems unlikely that any of Wily Peralta, Brent Honeywell, or Connor Sadzeck will crack the Opening Day roster.

How things shake out at the back of Pirate starting rotation could hinge on performance this spring. That said, Contreras and Falter are both out of minor league options, which should work in their favor in terms of cracking the Opening Day roster, even if one or both of them start the season in the Pirate bullpen.

There is a possibility the Pirates view Priester as a pitcher who has maxed out his staff, leaving him with little room to grow in the minors. If that is the case, Priester could earn a spot in the rotation as Pirate brass may believe it's time to see what they have in Priester. This is likely the opposite of Ortiz who flashed plus stuff in 2022, and the Pirates may want him to work toward recapturing that stuff at Triple-A to start the season.

Prediction: Roansy Contreras, Quinn Priester

Right field

Throughout the offseason Ben Cherington expressed an interest in addressing the Pirate outfield. Specifically, he expressed a desire to add help in center field. Well, that did not happen which will likely make Jack Suwinski the team's Opening Day center fielder.

Assuming Suwinski is in center field, that creates a competition in right field. As of now, the three main competitors for the job in right field appear to be Andrew McCutchen, Edward Olivares, and Billy McKinney.

Last season, the Pirates wanted McCutchen to play in the field more than he did. However, an elbow issue relegated him to mostly designated hitter duties. While they would likely prefer to use Cutch in right field this year, and he will probably play there more than last season, let's assumer he'll once again be the team's primary DH.

On December 14th, the Pirates acquired McKinney via trade from the New York Yankees. One day later, the team acquired Olivares via trade from the Kansas City Royals. Now, the two may find themselves platooning in right field.

McKinney made some changes to his approach at the plate last season that led to improved offensive success. Olivares will bring intriguing power to the Pirate outfield situation, especially against left-handed pitching.

Derek Shelton has often times seemed to prefer to ease young hitters into larger roles as part of a platoon situation. That combined with the improvements McKinney made last season and him being the better defender of the two could lead to a McKinney/Olivares platoon in right field.

Connor Joe could also compete for playing time in right field, but will most likely be used as a platoon partner with Rowdy Tellez at first base. If things go south for him behind the plate, Henry Davis could see playing time in right field once again. However, the Pirates will give him every opportunity and then some to stick behind the dish.

Prediction: Edward Olivares/Billy McKinney platoon

Second base

Second base could be one of the best battles to watch this spring. Liover Peguero, Jared Triolo, Ji Hwan Bae, and Nick Gonzales will be competing for the job. All four players spent time in the majors last season and all four flashed at times.

Of the four, Triolo was the best offensive performer. However, he benefited greatly from an unsustainably high batting average on balls in play. Gonzales struggled with the swing-and-miss, often looking overmatched by MLB pitching. Bae spent the most time in the majors, but was one of the team's worst hitters.

As I wrote about earlier this month, 2024 presents a great opportunity for Peguero. The Pirate front office remains extremely high on him, next to Triolo he's best defensive option for second base, and he likely has the highest offensvie ceiling of the group.

It would be a surprise if Peguero does not open the season as the team's starting second baseman. Hopefully he will seize the bull by the horns and run with the opportunity. It will be interesting to see how much leash the Pirates give Peguero if he begins to struggle.