Predicting the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2016 Opening Day roster
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a clear mission in the 2016 season: launch a deeper postseason run than last year, when their 98-win squad fell to the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card game. The best way to achieve that would be winning the NL Central, but that’s much easier said than done given the intense competition housed in the division.
The Bucs will need to fend off the arguable World Series favorites in the Cubs, as well as the ever-formidable St. Louis Cardinals. Fortunately, they seem to have the ingredients for another successful campaign. Here is a potential 25-man roster that could come out of Pirates Spring Training this year.
Next: Bench
Bench
Chris Stewart – C
John Jaso – 1B/OF
Sean Rodriguez – IF/OF
Jason Rogers – 1B/3B/OF
Pedro Florimon – 2B/SS
The Pirates look to have a fairly versatile bench in 2016, with several players able to fill in around the field.
Catcher Chris Stewart appeared in only 58 games last year, but he represented himself well in his limited playing time, slashing .289/.320/.340 over 172 plate appearances. Pittsburgh inked him to a two-year extension last month to return as their backup catcher.
John Jaso has appeared almost exclusively as a backstop or designated hitter during his seven-year big league career, but after signing with the Bucs this offseason, he figures to see most of his opportunities at first base. Utility man Sean Rodriguez is a real jack-of-all-trades for the club. Last year he played every infield position as well as the corner outfield spots.
27-year-old Jason Rogers slashed .296/.367/.441 in 86 games for the Brewers last year and has experience at the corner infield positions as well as the outfield. Pedro Florimon offers little in the way of offense, but he can handle the middle infield spots and provides speed off the bench.
Next: Bullpen
Bullpen
Mark Melancon – Closer
Tony Watson – Setup
Arquimedes Caminero – Setup
Jared Hughes – Middle relief
Juan Nicasio – Middle relief
Neftali Feliz – Middle relief
Kyle Lobstein – Long relief
The bullpen was a major point of strength for the Pirates in 2015, and though there are a few new faces here, it figures to once again be a potent part of the roster.
Mark Melancon notched an MLB-leading 51 saves last season, and he will once again be locking down the ninth inning in Pittsburgh. Left-hander Tony Watson posted a 1.91 ERA over 75.1 innings for the team last year and should continue serving as the eighth inning bridge to Melancon.
Hard-throwing 28-year-old Arquimedes Caminero put up some surprisingly good numbers in 2015, his first full season in the majors. If he can get the walks under control (3.5 BB/9), his 98 mph fastball could be a powerful weapon for the Bucs in late, high-leverage innings.
Jared Hughes and Juan Nicasio also turned in solid performances a year ago and should provide some quality innings for the team in middle relief. Veteran Neftali Feliz had a rough go of it in 2015 (6.38 ERA in 48 IP), but his career numbers tell a better story and Pittsburgh will hope he bounces back for them after signing him to a one-year deal in January.
26-year-old Kyle Lobstein, acquired from the Detroit Tigers this offseason, could settle into the long relief and spot-starter role. He enjoyed a promising start to the 2015 campaign filling in for an injured Justin Verlander in the Tigers rotation, but quickly lost effectiveness and was sent down to the minors in late May.
Next: Starting Rotation
Starting Rotation
1. Gerrit Cole
2. Francisco Liriano
3. Jeff Locke
4. Jon Niese
5. Ryan Vogelsong
Gerrit Cole lived up to his billing as ace last year, winning 19 games with a 2.60 ERA on the way to a fourth-place finish in the NL Cy Young race. He’ll lead the staff again, and at still only 25 years old, it’s staggering to think just how much higher his star could rise.
Ten-year veteran Francisco Liriano should slot into the number-two spot in the rotation. He posted a 3.38 ERA over 186.2 frames in 2015. The Pirates will need another strong year from the lefty, but at age 32 it might be time to wonder if a decline could be on the horizon.
The rest of the rotation is somewhat of a question mark, but Jeff Locke and Jon Niese (two more southpaws) figure to be the third and fourth arms in the pecking order. 38-year-old Ryan Vogelsong will likely get the first chance to hold down the fifth spot, but he could easily move into the bullpen later in the season as needed.
Conventional wisdom says we might see top prospect Tyler Glasnow in the rotation this year at some point, but it probably won’t be out of Spring Training.
Next: Starting Lineup
Starting Lineup
1. Gregory Polanco – RF
2. Josh Harrison – 2B
3. Andrew McCutchen – CF
4. Starling Marte – LF
5. Jung Ho Kang – 3B
6. Michael Morse – 1B
7. Francisco Cervelli – C
8. Jordy Mercer – SS
The Pirates will once again have one of the finest players in the game, former MVP Andrew McCutchen, batting in the heart of their lineup. He’ll be joined in the outfield by Starling Marte, who emerged as a star in his own right in 2015, and 24-year-old Gregory Polanco. If Polanco takes some steps forward this year, Pittsburgh could boast one of the league’s best outfields.
It’s unclear whether last year’s surprising rookie Jung Ho Kang will be ready for Opening Day after knee surgery, but Spring Training is the time for optimism so we’ll pencil him into the lineup for now. If he has to start the year on the DL, keep an eye on minor leaguer Alen Hanson to potentially break camp with the big club.
Another position to monitor is first base. As things currently stand, Michael Morse appears most likely to begin the season there, but the performance of someone like John Jaso could determine whether he holds onto the job.