With Grapefruit League action reaching a halfway point, here are some remaining spring training story-lines to follow for the Pittsburgh Pirates as they set their eyes towards Opening Day.
The Pittsburgh Pirates enjoyed a much-needed day off on Wednesday, their first since Grapefruit League action began in earnest on March 1st. With the respite serving as an unofficial spring training halfway point of sorts, here are the storylines that we will be monitoring closely as March winds down.
First, can Jeff Locke continue to build on his new-found approach? After a very rough spring debut in which he allowed four runs on March 2nd, Locke has shown an ability to maintain control. In 14 total spring innings, he has walked just four batters. At a time when many established starting pitchers are building up arm strength and getting ready for the season, Locke went into the most pressure-packed spring of his young career and has taken his destiny into his own hands. While I believe his spot in the rotation was never truly in doubt, a continuance of this new, confident Locke can greatly extend his leash in the regular season.
One thing that has caught my attention this spring is the amount of home runs given up by the Pirates. In 16 games this spring, the Pirates pitching staff has given up a total of 27 home runs, the most out of any Major League team. I am very interested in seeing if this trend continues, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it did. The Pirates have been known to give up the long ball frequently while playing at McKechnie Field during the spring, but it hasn’t seemed to translate to the regular season. In fact, last season, the Pirates allowed the least amount of home runs (110) out of any team in Major League Baseball. This spring, the Bucs pitching staff has struggled overall, compiling an ugly 5.01 team ERA and a .279 overall batting average against. Based on the past successes of the pitching staff, I don’t believe that this will translate into the regular season, but it is a trend that is worth keeping an eye on.
Another story-line that I’m interested in following is the progress of Pirates ace Gerrit Cole. The 25-year-old, who is coming off of a Cy Young-caliber season in 2015, has been dealing with right rib inflammation throughout spring training. He has made just one start this spring, giving up two runs (two home runs) and striking out one batter in two innings of work against the Detroit Tigers on March 13th. It was obvious that Cole was just trying to shake off the rust and get his first spring outing out of the way. Cole made his second start of the spring this afternoon, this time at Pirate City, throwing 50 pitches (29 strikes) in three innings of work while giving up one earned run on two hits and striking out three batters. It has already been announced that Francisco Liriano will start on Opening Day when the Pirates take on the St Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on April 3rd, and although Cole might have been the obvious choice to get the Opening Day nod, this gives him more time to make progress from his injury woes and get back to 100 percent once the games begin to mean something. His performance today will be something to keep an eye on and Pirates fans should pay close attention to his progress as the spring continues.
On March 11th, the Pirates made a big move by signing infielder David Freese to a one-year contract. Freese, who has spent his major league career playing for both the St Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, changed the entire outlook on what the Pirates lineup could consist of once the regular season begins. Though Freese is likely to be the starting third baseman until Jung Ho Kang returns from injury, he also has reportedly been thrown into the first base conversation as well. The first base battle has already been a crowded one with players such as John Jaso, Michael Morse, Jake Goebbert, and Jason Rogers still battling it out. Josh Bell, who was optioned to Triple-AAA Indianapolis today, is also a first baseman who could likely make an impact at some point in 2016. The addition of Freese makes this first base battle a lot more interesting. We know what his immediate role will be once the season starts, but I am looking forward to seeing if Freese gets any time at first base this spring and if he will be able to make an impact at the position. He doesn’t have much experience at the position, as he has only played nine career games there, but it will be interesting to see if the first base battle changes at all due to this new acquisition.
One of the biggest surprises of the spring thus far, at least in my mind, has been the performance of new Pirates pitcher Juan Nicasio. Nicasio, who has started 70 games throughout his major league career before being converted into a reliever last season, has been stellar in three starts and four overall appearances this spring. In those four appearances, Nicasio has yet to give up a run in ten innings of work, while compiling 16 strikeouts and only walking three batters. In his most recent start, Nicasio was flawless, giving up only one hit and striking out ten Orioles in four innings of work. The 29-year-old spent all of last season pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, making only one start and appearing 52 other times out of the LA bullpen. What makes Nicasio’s situation so interesting is that his role may be completely different with the Pirates. Though he could make a very solid addition to the Pirates bullpen, he could be in the hunt to possibly beat out Jeff Locke for that final starting rotation spot. Nicasio has experience pitching in relief and starting, so it will be interesting to see if he continues his spring dominance and if his success translates to an invitation into the starting rotation.
Those are just a few of many things to look for as spring games continue for the Pittsburgh Pirates and as well all collectively await Opening Day, and it will be intriguing to see how they all play out.
Pirates Breakdown editor Jason Rollison contributed to this story.
(Photo Credit: Grante Jefferies/Bradenton Herald)
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