Where does Vance Worley fit in with the Pittsburgh Pirates?
Following a terrible season with the Minnesota Twins in 2013, Vance Worley found himself wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform in 2014. Appearing in 17 games as a starter, Worley was very successful on the mound for the Bucs. He went 8-4 with a 2.84 ERA and helped them secure a Wild Card spot.
During the past two seasons of playoff baseball in Pittsburgh, the Pirates’ pitching staff has become more renowned for its depth than its dominance. In 2014, the Pirates had six different starting pitchers who put up an ERA under 4.00 in at least 100 innings pitched, the highest total in all of baseball. They edged out the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, and Cincinnati Reds, all of whom had five such starters.
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The Pirates have one of the few strong rotations in baseball whose ace is difficult to name. Francisco Liriano and Gerrit Cole are both talented pitchers, but neither easily outshines the remainder of the franchise’s starters. The Pirates cannot complain, though, because all of their above-average pitchers help keep them in games on a consistent basis. Even if the way they get there is strange, the success of the Pirates’ starting staff speaks for itself.
The Pirates currently have six experienced starting pitchers on the roster including the injured Charlie Morton. When Morton returns from hip surgery, which is supposed to happen in April or May, that would leave Worley out of the starting rotation.
Pittsburgh put a lot of thought into building their current starting rotation. The Pirates chose to re-sign Francisco Liriano and let Edinson Volquez walk. They also brought back A.J. Burnett after a bad season with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2014 where his ERA jumped up over a full run and he led the league with 18 losses.
Losing to the San Francisco Giants in the 2014 National League Wild Card Game affected the Pirates enough to actually do more than enter the 2015 season with the same starting staff. They didn’t make any big signings, but then again, nobody really expected them to.
The Pirates possess an abundance of options in the rotation, and it will be interesting to see what happens with a capable starter like Worley who finds himself without a spot. Depth appears to be a top priority for the roster, which has added first baseman/outfielder Corey Hart who will give them a nice veteran bat off the bench. The Pirates also have Jung-Ho Kang ready to play just about anywhere on an already full infield.
Rather than pluck out the best players available in free agency or make trades for big names, the Pirates are carefully stacking together their roster by making smart moves focused on the bigger picture. For Worley, he’s seemingly a backup plan with the assumption that someone will get hurt at some point and he’ll be there to pick up where they left off.
Vance Worley is set to be a weapon for the Pirates in 2015. After Morton’s return, he will pitch out of the bullpen, an unfamiliar role for him. After how good he looked as a starter last season, though, there is reason to believe that he can be dominant in shorter stints as well. Best of all for the Pirates will be the security that comes with having an established major league starter ready to go if and when injury strikes.