BRADENTON, Fla. -- The calendar says the Pirates are midway through spring training, though Clint Hurdle sees it from a different perspective.
Pitchers and catchers reported to spring training three weeks ago today on Feb. 11. Camp ends March 24 when the Pirates play the Orioles in the Grapefruit League finale in Sarasota, Fla., before flying to Houston for two exhibition games against the Astros. Then the Pirates open the regular season March 28 against the Reds at Cincinnati.
“I guess it depends on how you look at it,” Hurdle said when asked to give his assessment of the first half of spring training Sunday following a 10-4 loss to the Rays at LECOM Park. “I look at it that we’ve got 24 (exhibition) games left and have only played (10). There’s more than halfway to go.”
Regardless of how the midpoint is measured, Hurdle is pleased with how things have gone so far in the beginning of his ninth season with the Pirates.
“We’re heading in the right direction,” Hurdle said. “We’re getting things done. There are going to be lulls in spring training but we’re looking at personnel, so the win-loss record is off the table. The development is real. We’re getting guys we want to see on the field, strengthening and sharpening them. Everything is getting done that we want to get done.”
The Pirates are taking a different approach to playing time this spring as part of that development.
Adam Frazier and Starling Marte have yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game and neither has the starting pitching quartet of Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams, Joe Musgrove and Chris Archer.
Following today’s off-day, Archer will start at 1:05 p.m. Tuesday against the Orioles at Sarasota. The other three starters figure to follow suit in the coming days along with Frazier and Marte.
Meanwhile, there is already an interesting competition developing for the third baseman’s job. Jung Ho Kang has made a strong return after missing nearly two full seasons because of problems securing a visa to travel from his native South Korea following a third DUI address. He also underwent wrist surgery last year. Kang has gone 3-for-12 (.250) and all three hits have been home runs. Incumbent Colin Moran, meanwhile, is 1-for-11 (.091). Of course, that is an extremely small sample size.
Rookie Kevin Newman is 3-for-11 (.273) in his bid to win the starting shortstop job while Erik Gonzalez, acquired in an offseason trade from the Indians, has gone 1-for-11 (.091).
The fifth starter’s derby is still seemingly a long way from being decided. Rookie Davis made a strong debut last Friday against the Blue Jays by pitching two scoreless innings. The other three candidates have been inconsistent through two outings as Steven Brault has allowed three runs in four innings, Jordan Lyles has given up four runs in five innings and Nick Kingham has been touched for five runs and five innings.
Every spring training always seems to have a rookie phenom and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes has filled that role so far. Hayes, who is likely to begin the season at Triple-A Indianapolis, is 5-for-12 (.417) with three doubles and two home runs while living up to his reputation as a Gold Glove-caliber defender.
Health has not been much of a factor this spring except for Elias Diaz being listed at week-to-week with a virus. He almost certainly will start the season on the disabled list with either Jacob Stallings or Steven Baron serving as the backup catcher to Francisco Cervelli.
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