In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
So pitchers and catchers have been at Pirate City for a couple of days now as we all look forward to the rest of the team reporting. Story lines abound, but the one of most importance to me is who will end up with the fifth rotation spot. The Pirates twitter account tweeted out a good article by Adam Berry of MLB.com debating the merits of each pitcher competing for that spot. What I found interesting is that the article was about the fifth rotation spot, with the assumption that Chad Kuhl essentially had the fourth spot locked up. I agree that he should be the fourth starter, but I would have thought that it wasn’t a 100% guarantee that that job was his.
In news that will affect the Pirates down the road, Cardinals pitcher Alex Reyes will need to undergo Tommy John surgery. Reyes was expected to be a major part of the Cardinals’ rotation this season, and would have likely competed for the NL Rookie of the Year. Reyes had a 1.57 ERA across 46 big league innings last year. But we all know the next-man-up mentality is a reality with the Cardinals, who will certainly find a way to battle past this and be competitive this season.
I still think the Cubs will run away with the division, but losing Reyes could make the Wild Card chase a little more interesting. You never wish injury upon any player, but it’s still an on-the-field break for the Pirates.
Baseball Talk Around the Web
- Buster Olney followed up on the Reyes injury and how the ripple effects will be felt throughout the team.
- Mike Axisa of CBS Sports gives his top ten starting pitchers in baseball right now. While we all know no Pirates’ pitchers made the list, it’s still interesting to see who guys like Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon are gunning for.
- And Danny Knobler of Bleacher Report answers some burning questions before spring training.
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