On the final day of a second consecutive losing season, Neal Huntington spoke at Nationals Park of the Pirates having a foundation to contend again in 2018.
Although little was said of Andrew McCutchen’s future with the club, Josh Bell, Starling Marte, Adam Frazier and Gregory Polanco will surely be back. And Huntington did, at the least, acknowledge that the best version of the 2018 roster would have McCutchen on it. The rotation has promising young talent after it went through growing pains in 2017. And the bullpen has one of the most feared closers in Major League Baseball, Felipe Rivero.
However, a foundation isn’t enough to return to prominence. Perhaps no spot on the roster will need to be tinkered with more than a bullpen that excelled in the final five weeks of the season while relying on young relievers such as Dovydas Neverauskas.
But can the Pirates afford to rely on a youth movement?
Huntington confessed to the chance of "some ups and downs with young players," while adding, "Pull some guys out of the rotation and you can formulate a pretty solid pitching staff. We’ll look to be opportunistic in trades, opportunistic in the free agent market and see if there’s other players that can help us be better."
It's similar to the approach the Pirates took with their rotation in 2017, when they leaned upon Jameson Taillon, Chad Kuhl and Tyler Glasnow at the beginning. Although the gamble yielded full, representative seasons from Taillon and Kuhl, Glasnow was demoted to Class AAA when his ERA ballooned to 7.45 following his 12th start. He didn't return until rosters expanded in September and allowed eight runs in 7 2/3 innings.
But the Pirates had somewhat of a larger major-league sample size on each of those three starters prior to making that decision. That's not necessarily the case with a few young relievers:
• After struggling during his first two stints with the Pirates, Neverauskas, who turns 25 in January, had a 3.54 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in his final 20 1/3 innings upon being called up a third time in August, showing improved fastball command and capability in high-leverage situations.
• Edgar Santana, a 26-year-old right-hander, finished with 8 1/3 scoreless innings, when opponents batted just .148 against him. He had a 6.52 ERA in his first 9 2/3 innings with the Pirates this season. Santana did not start playing organized baseball until he was 19. Although his four-seam fastball velocity reached 100 mph and his slider was as good as advertised, he has yet to develop a third pitch, which can make him predictable. The front office has urged him to implement a changeup -- as Ray Searage almost always prioritizes that -- but he has yet to throw it with any consistency.
• Angel Sánchez, who is short on experience at 28 years old, struggled in his short stint with the Pirates at the end of the season, although the organization is encouraged with his progress after he missed all of 2016 because of Tommy John surgery.
These three were part of a bullpen that finished with the second-best ERA in Major League Baseball during September and October. That came after the Pirates' relievers finished 28th in August and eighth in July.
“Watching these young guys is pretty awesome,” Rivero told DK Pittsburgh Sports last month. “With Juan gone, that’s what this bullpen needs. These guys have stepped up.”
Rivero, of course, was referring to Juan Nicasio, who was second on the team in innings when he was lost on waivers to the Phillies on Aug. 29. When the Pirates let him go, Nicasio had a 2.81 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP in a league-leading 65 appearances. He was owed roughly $700,000 for the rest of the season and was excellent in the eighth inning, posting a 1.69 ERA as the setup man — a job that was supposed to belong to Daniel Hudson.
When Hudson and Tony Watson faltered, Hurdle moved Rivero to the closer role and Nicasio to the eighth inning. It worked wonderfully. Rivero had 21 saves with a 1.67 ERA and 88 strikeouts to only 20 walks.
But with the Pirates falling out of contention and Nicasio a free agent at the end of the season, Huntington said he preferred to take a longer look at younger relievers like Neverauskas and Santana in the final month.
With Nicasio gone, the Pirates claimed George Kontos, a 32-year-old right-hander, off waivers from the Giants on Aug. 5. Although he spent 10 days on the disabled list because of a groin injury, Kontos proved to be a valuable addition with a 1.84 ERA and 15 strikeouts to only three walks in his final 14 2/3 innings of the season — most of which were in the eighth inning.
He answered one of the many questions regarding the bullpen in 2018.
Rivero will close. Kontos will likely control the eighth inning. Huntington expressed confidence in Hudson's ability to have a bounce-back season after he signed a two-year, $11 million contract last December, although he hasn't proven capable of handling high-leverage innings.
So, what about that youth?
"There are quite a few guys here with some big arms that need some veteran leadership and some guys who can talk about how to pitch and how to get in their routines and how to figure out what they do to get ready," Kontos said. "Guys like (Neverauskas) and (Sanchez) and Santana, these guys are big arms and I think in a few years when they figure out how to use their stuff and how to pitch they’re going to be pretty dangerous."
What those three can become does little to help the Pirates in the interim. After all, their formidable bullpen was vital to them reaching the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. Beyond Rivero and Kontos, there isn't another proven option.
Johnny Barbato, Dan Runzler and Jack Leathersich are under club control next season, but each was cast off by another organization. Runzler, 32, went five seasons between major league relief appearances because of a lingering injury. Barbato had a 1.50 WHIP in 28 2/3 innings with the Pirates in 2017. Leathersich missed all of 2016 with Tommy John surgery and has only 22 2/3 innings in the majors.
Perhaps the most proven middle-relief option is A.J. Schugel, a 28-year-old who had a 1.97 ERA in 32 innings after being recalled in July.
Exploring trades and free agents will likely be difficult considering the payroll situation for 2018. So, moving a starting pitcher to the bullpen is the most realistic option, whether it's Glasnow, left-hander Steven Brault or possibly Nick Kingham. In past years, the organization would hesitate to make such a move, but the emergence of Taillon, Kuhl and Trevor Williams can allow them to shift a starter into a relief role.
With the Pirates facing a decision on whether or not to exercise left-hander Wade LeBlanc's option, Brault could be the top candidate to join the bullpen, although he had a 1.68 WHIP in 16 2/3 innings out of the bullpen this season.
However the bullpen fills out, Hurdle said progress was made in 2017, but the club is in search of one trait that can separate contenders from pretenders.
"Everybody strives for consistency," Hurdle said. "Everybody strives for dependability. We’ve got it in different places. We’re looking for more of it. … The plans we had made, we had to adapt, improvise and overcome throughout the season.
"The core group is in place. We have good players and we have good pitchers. Traction is a good word."