How will Pirates use their 'taxi squad?'

While Major League Baseball is set to return next week after the league and players agreed to health protocols, there are still serious concerns about player safety. The most pressing is COVID-19 and the rising amount of cases nationwide, not to mention among MLB teams like the Phillies, Blue Jays, Rockies and Rangers. However, with the spring training 2.0 being just three weeks long -- half the length the original spring was supposed to be -- it also raises the risk of an increase in baseball injuries.

There will not be a minor-league season this year, so teams will not be able to call on triple-A players like normal if someone gets sick or injured. Instead, there will be a "taxi squad" of additional players they can promote.

Every MLB team will have to submit a list of up to 60 players that they intend to bring to spring training 2.0 and use in 2020 by Sunday at 4 p.m.. 30 would go with the Major-League team at the beginning of the season, the rest back to what is effectively an extended spring training.

The Pirates confirmed earlier this week that they would use Peoples Natural Gas Field, home of the AA Altoona Curve, as an alternate training site throughout the season. That's where the taxi squad, and potentially rehabbing players, will go.

The Pirates' list of players is not finalized, but they are close.

"We’re really close to that 60," Derek Shelton said during a Zoom call Wednesday. "We’ve been talking about it for a few weeks now because we had guidelines where we knew it was going to be close to 60. I would say within one or two guys, we’re really close to finalizing that."



Shelton mentioned that players who had previously been optioned to triple-A will be part of that group coming to spring training 2.0. While nothing is official, it seems almost certain that would include most, if not all, of the 40-man roster. That would include Ke'Bryan Hayes, Cole Tucker, Edgar Santana and Jason Martin, all of whom were optioned to the minors shortly after the shutdown began, and those already on the 26-man roster.

If all members on the 40-man are brought to spring training, that leaves up to 20 additional spots left for non-roster invitees. These players would still need to be added to the 40-man roster in order to play in a game, but they can train with the group.

The MLB roster freeze was lifted Friday afternoon, meaning the Pirates can now place Chris Archer and Kevin Kramer, who both had season-ending surgery during the shutdown, on the 45-day injured list, creating two spots.

One of those spots will go to Derek Holland, who signed as a minor-league free agent, but he was a near lock to make the team based on his spring performance. Left-hander Robbie Erlin, infielder Phillip Evans and catcher John Ryan Murphy all got long looks in Bradenton, Fla., and seem to be safe bets to be brought back.

After that, it becomes more foggy. Extra insurance for the rotation could be invaluable, which could lead to James Marvel or Brandon Waddell getting a call. Having extra catching could also be a benefit, especially to handle the pitchers in camp. Christian Kelley, Jason Delay and veteran Andrew Susac were all non-roster invitee backstops back in February.

Some teams have entertained the idea of adding their top prospects in the lower levels too, not because they feel they could help the Major-League team, but because it would guarantee that they get some formal instruction this year. The Pirates are still exploring ways to organize a camp for their prospects, but this could be a safe way to make sure young players get a look. This could be most important to those entering the organization, such as right-hander Brennan Malone and shortstop Liover Peguero, who were both acquired in the Starling Marte trade, and first-round pick Nick Gonzales.

Malone and Peguero were both a part of the abbreviated minor-league spring training in Bradenton.

Teams will be allowed to take three members of the taxi squad with them on road games during the regular season, with the condition being at least one has to be a catcher. In the Pirates' case, that extra backstop would likely be either Murphy or Luke Maile, depending on who loses the roster battle for the backup spot. Maile seemed to have the inside track for the job back in Bradenton, but Murphy showed some pop, hitting three home runs in 21 plate appearances during the first spring training.

Those other two spots would likely be for an extra hitter and pitcher.

These taxi squads could get a little more crowded as the year progresses. Teams will be allowed to start the season with 30 players for the first 15 games of the season. That total is cut to 28 through the 28th day of the season, when it is finally reduced to the normal 26. There will not be September expanded rosters this year.

So who could make the jump from the taxi squad to being part of those early expanded rosters? Hayes? Tucker?

"I think the big part of that is how everyone comes into play, in terms of making any assessment of what our players are at," Shelton said. "Until we get eyes on them and we are able to watch them move around and do things, to say what we're going to do with them, I think it's a little premature."