CINCINNATI -- I’ll be honest, I don’t know how to make the Pirates’ 14-1 loss to the Reds Tuesday an interesting read.
To be even more honest, of those 26 players who suited up in the road gray uniforms at Great American Ball Park, there are more than a handful that just aren’t that interesting. Or, to put it another way, not a real part of the team’s plans going forward.
This is a… what do you even call this year? Bridge year? Gap year? Rebuild-but-most-of-the-people-you’re-building-for-aren’t-coming-this-season year? It’s not about 2021, in case you couldn’t tell by the Pirates' 1-4 start, or the PECOTA projection that has them winning just 60.5 games overall, barely ahead of the Rockies (60.4) for the fewest in baseball.
Trevor Cahill, who didn’t join the Pirates until halfway through spring training, got the start and looked rusty, allowing seven runs over four innings. He got the nod because Steven Brault is on the injured list.
The offense has looked pretty lifeless since Ke’Bryan Hayes injured his left wrist. It’s a minor injury, but he’s the best reason to tune in to Pirates baseball this year. They don’t have that right now.
That’s not to say that Brault and Hayes would have made up those baker’s dozen worth of runs, or even made this blowout interesting. But we know where both players stand within the organization right now. Brault is going to keep pitching until he’s inevitably traded. Hayes is cornerstone of the franchise.
So somewhere in this barrage of runs by the Reds, the thought crossed my mind: Where do these other 26 players stand? Not the guys in the minors or the alternate site who are a couple years away or couldn’t crack this team. The guys that if you tuned in tomorrow, could potentially be part of the next competitive Pirates team. By all measures, the soonest that could realistically be is 2023, perhaps 2024.
So let’s do this. The season just started. Let’s take inventory of what is here. Of the 26 players who suited up for the Pirates, which ones are going to be around for 2022, 2023 and beyond?
HERE...FOR NOW
Tyler Anderson: The rotation needed a veteran inning eater and got one. If things go well, he could be flipped for a prospect at the deadline. If things don’t go well, he was a no-risk pickup who could at least pitch garbage time.
Trevor Cahill: Same boat as Anderson. He’s here to fill innings. Worth noting that his start Tuesday could have theoretically gone to Wil Crowe, who was optioned to the alternate site Sunday.
Wilmer Difo: He’s here because Hayes got hurt and the Pirates didn’t want to go to Rodolfo Castro, who hasn’t played above Class A. He’s a beneficiary of the taxi squad system. Probably won’t be a Pirate next week.
Michael Feliz: I get the Pirates don’t just want to let go of pitchers when their whole mindset has been to stockpile arms, but at this point, what is left to see from Feliz?
Adam Frazier: Frazier was the one player who has popped up in trade talks the last two years that the Pirates haven’t dealt. He’ll be flipped for prospects at some point, whether that’s the July deadline or the offseason.
Erik González: There’s a middle infield wave of prospects coming. González is keeping their spot warm.
Clay Holmes: We’ve seen the full Clay Holmes spectrum already this season. On one end, flashes of brilliant vertical break and spin. On the other, five earned runs with only one out recorded, like Tuesday. The Pirates let him go once already. They absolutely could do it again.
Chad Kuhl: He’s under team control through just 2022, so he’s going to be popping up in trade talks this year. Showed some promise last year, so the Pirates could potentially get a medium-sized return for him.
Michael Pérez: Another year of the backup catcher shuffle seems probable this winter.
Gregory Polanco: Not the most popular player with the fanbase.
Duane Underwood Jr.: There’s some stuff there, but he was one of the last players to get an opening day nod and was designated for assignment by the Cubs this spring. Worth the flyer, but don’t count on much. At best, he’ll be a pleasant surprise.
STILL HERE OPENING DAY, 2022
Anthony Alford/Dustin Fowler: I’m cheating here. One of these two will still be around next year. I don’t know who yet. Alford certainly hasn’t gotten off on the right foot, going 0-for-10 with seven strikeouts, but Fowler has made gaffes on the bases, too. They have been splitting time so far, and probably will until one emerges or the Pirates pull the plug on the experiment.
Kyle Crick: Crick is under team control through 2023, and it wouldn’t be surprising for him to still be on the team then, but he needs to rebound after two down years. He should be in the future-closer mix if he bounces back.
Phillip Evans: Tuesday’s most/only valuable player award winner, Evans went full little league by hitting a homer and pitching a scoreless inning. It’s hard to say a utility bench player who had to fight for a job this spring is a lynchpin for the team, but he hustles. Not a bad guy to have on any team.
Sam Howard: The loser in Monday’s game after serving up a home run to Nick Castellanos, but a lefty who was one of just a few bright spots last year. How far can you commit to a lefty who relies on junk, though?
Richard Rodriguez: The unofficial closer for this team, whether Shelton wants to admit it or not, Rodriguez will probably start drawing more trade interest once he starts racking up saves and establishes himself as a late-inning reliever.
Chris Stratton: A guy who can fill in several roles in the bullpen and perform reasonably well. Not a bad guy to fill a bullpen out with.
STILL HERE OPENING DAY, 2023
JT Brubaker: He has a good sinker-slider foundation with room to grow with the four-seamer and curve. If he develops, he could stick in the back of the rotation. If not, bullpen. But he should be here for a couple years, regardless.
Colin Moran: Moran has reached base safely in all five games this year with two homers. He is a good hitter who is getting a chance at a position that better suits his defensive skillset. He’s a decent player, but not one a team can build around long term.
Kevin Newman: A year ago, Newman would have been in the “building blocks” category. He can rejoin that tier again with a good season, but if he doesn’t, then he could be lapped by the wave of middle infielders in the farm system who should be major-league ready about now.
Luis Oviedo: Where exactly do you put a Rule 5 pitcher who has just two games above Class A under his belt? He’s made a very good first impression, and could potentially be stretched back out as a starter in the future.
Jacob Stallings: A defensively-gifted veteran backstop. He isn’t the long term answer at the position, but he will be fine for the next couple years.
BUILDING BLOCKS
David Bednar: I might be overreacting over his spring and very early season performance, but this guy has closer stuff and is attacking the zone. If he does those two things, the hometown kid is going to be a part of this lineup for a long time.
Mitch Keller: The control problems that popped up at the end of last season have lingered into 2021. If he doesn’t beat himself, he’s golden. He’s the most likely of all the pitchers on staff to be here in the long haul, but it’s time to right the ship.
Bryan Reynolds: He’s hitting the ball hard again. That’s all that matters, though the early slashline is appealing, too. He and Hayes could be the No. 2-3 hitters for years to come.
MORE FROM THE GAME
• Ok, back to trying to make this game interesting.
Cahill allowed seven runs on nine hits over four innings in his Pirates debut. After spending the first half of spring training as a free agent, Derek Shelton said Cahill still had some rust to shake off.
"We saw it with his breaking balls today," Shelton said. "Just wasn’t as sharp as he normally is, and he had trouble finishing it. And when he did finish it, it was short."
Going up against the white-hot Reds hitters didn't help matters either. The Reds now lead baseball in runs scored with 46.
Tyler Naquin did most of the damage, driving home a career-high seven runs, including homering in the first two innings. Jonathon India picked up four RBIs, and Tucker Barnhart the other three, both in three-hit performances.
"They’re a hot team with hot bats right now, so you’ve got to execute," Cahill said. "You’ve got to be a little bit stingier with your pitches, and I tried to go after them, and they hurt me."
• On offense, the Pirates had no answers for Wade Miley, who gave six innings of two-hit ball.
The bats have been in a funk during the team's four-game losing streak, scoring just eight runs in that stretch.
"We just need to have more consistent at-bats throughout our lineup," Shelton said. "We have some guys who are having really good at-bats, and we’ve got a group of guys that we just need to have more consistent at-bats."
• The one player who really produced, both offensively and pitching, was Phillip Evans. Not only did he go deep for a second straight day for the Pirates' only tally of the night, he pitched a 1-2-3 eighth on just five pitches.
During spring training Evans hinted that he might take the mound at some point this year, breaking down his pitch arsenal: The eephus, the side-arm slider and the eephus up top, to "change the eye-level."
With that pitch mix, it's not too surprising Evans hasn't pitched since he was a sophomore in high school.
Evans signed with the Pirates in part last year to be with his longtime friend Joe Musgrove. The two might have to exchange notes.
"I'm sure he sent me a video already and we'll have some fun with that later," Evans said.
• Factoid of the night: Evans is the third Pirate since at least 1901 to homer and pitch in the same game. The others were Keith Osik on May 20, 2000, and Dick Hall on August 24, 1955.
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
Adam Frazier, 2B
Kevin Newman, SS
Bryan Reynolds, LF
Colin Moran, 1B
Phillip Evans, RF
Jacob Stallings, C
Erik Gonzalez, 3B
Anthony Alford, CF
Mitch Keller, P
And for the Reds:
Tyler Naquin, LF
Nick Castellanos, RF
Joey Votto, 1B
Eugenio Suarez, SS
Mike Moustakas,3B
Nick Senzel, CF
Jonathan India, 2B
Tucker Barnhart, C
Wade Miley, P
THE SCHEDULE
The Pirates can stave off a sweep against the Reds in the series finale Wednesday at 12:35 p.m. in Cincinnati. Chad Kuhl makes his first start since opening day against Luis Castillo, who had a rough start to the season against St. Louis.
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