Changes to Pirates pitching staff could take time

The question didn’t require an immediate answer, but Derek Shelton had one ready.

“Who’s your opening day starter?” the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first-year manager was asked at PiratesFest, two months and two days before the season begins March 26 in Tampa.

Shelton’s answer: “You got an opinion?”

Everyone does, of course, but only those held by Shelton, pitching coach Oscar Marin and general manager Ben Cherington matter.

For the first time since 2010, those three jobs are held by men other than Clint Hurdle, Ray Searage and Neal Huntington. Yet, there hasn’t been a lot of corresponding turnover on the pitching staff following the 93-loss mess of last season.

But new faces at the top could mean a change in how pitchers are deployed, if not early in the season, but as it progresses and beyond 2020.

Cherington will be seeking depth — in the starting rotation and bullpen — but he won’t make any significant moves until he and others can put eyes on arms in spring training.

That process begins Monday when pitchers and catchers report to Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla. The first workout is Wednesday.

“We’ve spent a lot of the winter trying to learn more about the current group and maybe where some of the opportunities are,” Cherington said. “Definitely excited about getting on the field. Not me, but seeing the group, our coaches, our support group and the pitchers on the field working together in spring training and excited about some of the things that we may be able to tap into.”

No Pirates group suffered a bigger regression last season than the pitchers whose composite ERA fell from 4.00 (14th in MLB) in 2018 to 5.18 (26th). There are many reasons, some of them troubling and unsavory.

Injuries can be blamed for much of what happened. Such as:

• Jameson Taillon had his second Tommy John surgery, started only seven games and is lost for the 2020 season.

• Chad Kuhl was rehabbing from his first Tommy John and missed the ‘19 season.

• Trevor Williams’ ERA ballooned from 3.11 in 2018 to 5.38 while dealing with a side strain.

• Chris Archer was healthy for most of the season and started 23 games, but he won only three of 12 decisions.

Then, there was the clubhouse turmoil that led to Keone Kela’s suspension and left relief pitcher Kyle Crick with a broken finger in September after a fight with All-Star closer Felipe Vazquez. Not long after that, Vazquez was sent to prison on felony sex charges, his career at a likely end.

That leaves Shelton and Marin with a lot of pieces to pick up and re-assemble.

Clearly, the identity of the opening day starter is the least of Shelton’s concerns as he settles into 6 1/2 weeks of spring training. But Joe Musgrove, who started 32 games last season and has shown a willingness to provide leadership in the clubhouse, will be a leading candidate.

Williams, Archer and Mitch Keller also will be part of the rotation, with Steven Brault, Kuhl and J.T. Brubaker aiming to be part of the five-man mix.

Jonathan Trey Brubaker, 26, is an interesting prospect. He was the Pirates’ sixth-round draft choice in 2015 and their minor league pitcher of the year in 2018 after an 8-4 record and 3.10 ERA in Triple-A Indianapolis. It was an honor won by Brault in 2017.

Injuries plagued Brubaker through most of last season, but he recovered to win two of four starts for Indianapolis with a 2.57 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 21 innings.

Kela appears to be the No. 1 choice for the closer’s role. But he is unsigned beyond 2020, so Cherington and Shelton might want to experiment with Edgar Santana and Nick Burdi, both of whom are recovering from injuries. Santana had Tommy John surgery and Nick Burdi suffered a nerve injury in his right arm last April.

Although Kuhl has started all 144 major and minor league games in which he has appeared, he could be a wild-card candidate for the bullpen. The velocity he displayed pre-surgery could be effective in late innings.

It also might be wise to seek left-handed depth. Brault and Sam Howard, formerly of the Colorado Rockies, are the only pitchers on the 40-man who throw from that side.

The new rule requiring pitchers to face a minimum of three batters or work to the end of a half-inning will force them to get out batters on both sides of the plate. Cherington made that point at PiratesFest.

Kela, a right-hander, has held right-handed batters to a .178 average in his career. That rises to .236 against left-handers. Right-hander Richard Rodriguez breaks from the norm and has more trouble against right-handers (.268) than left-handers (.216).

There’s a lot of work involved in crafting a pitching staff, and one season might not be enough time for the Pirates to do it.

“These are human beings we’re talking about,” Cherington said. “Just because you have an idea doesn’t mean you snap your fingers and it happens right away. Everything takes work and reps and time. Excited about diving into that process.”

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