Will spring struggles for key Pittsburgh Pirates relievers translate to regular season?

Will struggles from key Pittsburgh Pirates relievers translate over to the regular season?

The Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen has been one of the biggest strengths for the major league club that has returned to prominence in the past few years. Three key members of this bullpen as of late have been Jared Hughes, Tony Watson, and, most recently, Arquimedes Caminero. However, this trio has struggled this spring, bringing up the big question of whether or not these struggles will continue once the regular season begins on April 3rd.

Since 2011,  Hughes has been one of the most consistent arms in the Pirates bullpen. The 6-foot-7 right-hander has compiled a 2.77 career ERA while appearing in 246 games over the past five seasons. Hughes is not a huge strikeout pitcher, but he gets quality outs, something that you want out of a middle relief pitcher.

After a 2015 season in which he appeared in a career-high 76 games, the 30-year-old has struggled this spring, giving up eight earned runs and three home runs in only 3.2 innings pitched, giving him a 19.64 ERA. Spring training is a time for all major league players to get warmed up for the start of the season and despite Hughes’ struggles on the mound, he has been one of the most reliable relief pitchers in the Pirates “Shark Tank.” Though his less than stellar play shouldn’t be a cause for concern at this point, it is vital for him to be at the top of his game as the season begins.

Aside from Mark Melancon, who set a franchise record with 51 saves in 53 opportunities in 2015, Tony Watson was arguably one of the most valuable members of the Pirates bullpen last season. As the Pirates setup man to Melancon, Watson had another stellar season in 2015, posting a 4-1 record with a 1.91 ERA and a National League-best 41 holds in 77 total appearances. The 30-year-old, who made his first career All-Star appearance in 2014, ranked in the top five in the National League in appearances each of the past two years, finishing first in 2014 (78 appearances) and third last season (77 appearances).

Like Hughes, Watson has also struggled to have effective outings this spring. In four total appearances, Watson has pitched four innings while giving up three earned runs and two home runs in the process. Like many of the other Pirates relief options, Watson has had some trouble with the long ball in only a small amount of appearances this spring. However, this hasn’t been much of an issue throughout his career in the regular season. Since 2011, Watson has never given up more than six home runs in a season and has pitched in at least 43 games every year. Due to his track record, this shouldn’t be much of a concern for the former All-Star. Expect for him to return to form as the regular season begins and for the rust to be shaken off by April 3rd.

In 2015, Caminero was one of the newest members of the Pirates bullpen, coming over from the Miami Marlins. In his first full season in the major leagues, he cemented himself as a solid member of the bullpen, posting a 5-1 record with a 3.62 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 74.2 innings. Unlike Hughes and Watson, Caminero does have a tendency to give up the long ball, allowing seven home runs in 73 appearances last season. This spring, it has been more of the same, as the 28-year-old has struggled to find his form, allowing nine earned runs in five appearances. Caminero was less effective than Watson and Hughes were last season, but he is bound to be a key part of the bullpen in 2016. Like the other fellow middle relief options, the struggles Caminero has endured this spring shouldn’t be much of a concern. He is still young in regards to having a minimum amount of major league experience and it will be interesting to see how much he improves in 2016.

The entire Pirates pitching staff has struggled this spring, compiling a team ERA of 5.33 and allowing 32 home runs, which ties for the most in Major League Baseball. Hughes, Watson, and Caminero all play huge roles on the Pirates pitching staff and their ability to avoid continuing their struggles in the regular season will be vital to early season success.

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