Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Why the Pirates have Jameson Taillon working out at PNC Park

Now that right-handed pitcher Hector Noesi has opted out of the 2020 season for family reasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates are a player short on their 40-man roster for training camp at PNC Park.

And that depends on who you’re counting.

Staff ace Jameson Taillon also is in camp and counts on the roster, even though the right-hander won’t pitch this season while rehabilitating from his second Tommy John surgery.

That leaves the Pirates with 38 players for 30 roster spots for Opening Day on July 24 at St. Louis. Two of those players, outfielder Socrates Brito and relief pitcher Blake Cederlind, gave the Pirates permission to share that they tested positive for covid-19.

With the players divided into different groups every day and select media allowed to view workouts in a four-hour window, we have had a chance to see all the majority of position players in camp except for two: Brito and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, their top position prospect.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said closer Keone Kela has yet to practice, although Shelton wouldn’t elaborate any further but to add that he’s “not worried about that in the least bit” about Kela’s availability.

Taillon’s presence is telling, a sign that this training camp is less of about a competition for the final roster spots and more about preparing the Pirates for the 60-game sprint of a season this summer.

"I like the view." pic.twitter.com/M0eI4XH0tt

— Pirates (@Pirates) July 8, 2020

1. Back in the ’Burgh: Taillon planned to spend his summer at Pirate City in Bradenton, rehabilitating his right elbow and making major changes to shorten his delivery.

MLB shutting down spring training sites after covid-19 outbreaks at Philadelphia Phillies camp in Clearwater and New York Yankees camp in Tampa changed those plans.

Taillon now plans to work out in Pittsburgh, working efficiently so he doesn’t affect the numbers limitations. Taillon said it’s possible that he could go to the alternate training site in Altoona when the Pirates travel so he can throw his bullpen sessions.

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” Taillon said. “But I don’t think going back to Florida is in the cards.”

2. Jammin’ with Jamo: Even though Shelton doesn’t have captains or a leadership council, Taillon quickly became one of the players he trusts. That might be because Pirates players trust Taillon as their Players Association rep as much as they do as their staff ace.

“We felt very strongly as a group about having ‘Jamo’ around, for a couple reasons,” Shelton said. “First and foremost, we want to continue to monitor his rehab because he’s a very important part of Pirates baseball movement forward. And, secondly, he’s a leader on this team. He’s very good for our guys to have conversations with. He sees things.”

Shelton noted that Taillon talks shop with pitching coach Oscar Marin and bullpen coach Justin Meccage and is actively involved in the bullpen sessions of other Pirates pitchers.

“And I enjoy having him around because I view him as one of the people on this club that when I’m talking to him about how things should be and how we want our culture to be, he’s a big part of that,” Shelton said. “And he’s going to be a big part of that going forward. It was very important for me — knowing even when I got the job that he was not going to pitch for us this year, but he’s a big part of it going forward — I want him to have a voice in things that we’re doing.”

There for my big day. Here for his. Congratulations @DookieTucker29 for signing your contract today. I’ll see you in the big leagues! pic.twitter.com/3ECLEIQ3I6

— Cole Tucker (@cotuck) June 27, 2020

3. Trading places: Six years ago, Cole Tucker was an absolute wreck while waiting to be picked in the MLB Draft and then chilled out once the Pirates selected him in the first round.

During the downtime in Arizona, Tucker watched his younger brother, Carson, follow in his footsteps as an MLB first-round pick when the Cleveland Indians selected him No. 23 overall.

Where Cole remembered freaking out until he was picked, Carson was the opposite. He was calm until he was chosen, then became emotional. Cole congratulated his brother for realizing his dream, then teased Carson about being picked one spot higher.

The Pirates drafted Cole Tucker 24th overall in 2014.

“It was just a big brother moment, and I’ve never been prouder of him,” Cole said. “That was probably the best day of our life. That was really special.”

4. Look at me: Despite being a career shortstop, Cole Tucker made it clear that he’s willing to play wherever to make the team.

As long as it’s the middle of the field.

That includes shortstop, second base or center field.

Shelton said he hasn’t even approached Tucker about the option of playing in center, where the Pirates plan to start 35-year-old Jarrod Dyson this season after trading Starling Marte to Arizona.

Tucker thinks he can play center because of his size and speed, but he has enough respect for the game not to believe it would be easy.

“I think anything on a major league baseball field is hard, whether you’ve been doing it since you were a little kid or you just started,” Tucker said. “But I think I have the athleticism and the tool kit to play center field. I’m fast and athletic, and I can throw. In my eyes, you catch it, you hit the cutoff man, you run it down. I think I can do it, but I’ll do whatever it is to be in the lineup. For me, the most important position is being on the lineup card.

“Whatever that takes, I’ll do.”

"I like the view." pic.twitter.com/M0eI4XH0tt

— Pirates (@Pirates) July 8, 2020

5. Sim-sensations: Seeing the likes of Steven Brault and Chris Stratton or Joe Musgrove and Chad Kuhl in full uniforms for simulated games has Shelton excited for the season.

“When you see guys put the uniform on — our pitchers have put the uniform on — and take it in the intensity they’re going at it,” Shelton said, “… it gets you closer to thinking about what it’s going to be like on July 24.”

The Pirates got a quick scare when Brault took a Kevin Newman comebacker off his backside, but Brault brushed it off and kept pitching. Musgrove threw five innings and Kuhl two.

Shelton was impressed by what he saw from lefty relievers Miguel DelPozo and Nik Turley: “Breaking balls. Love their breaking balls. Both of them were really good today. Turley’s breaking ball was sharp. DelPozo’s breaking ball was sharp. Really good, I mean outstanding. They were the two last guys that threw (that) really stood out, their ability to throw the breaking ball early in the count and they used it for chase. It was good.”