Taillon will start on opening day
Williams will follow in the rotation; Musgrove, Archer on track to return
A group text from Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage to Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams and Joe Musgrove was the first step in answering an important question.
“We knew right then something big was coming,” Taillon said of the message. “We all went in together.”
Hurdle told them Taillon will be the Pirates openingday starter. The Pirates start the season against the Reds in Cincinnati on March 28.
Taillon said he was taken back to his childhood, when he was as an Astros fan.
“Growing up a fan of baseball, there was a certain stigma around an openingday starter,” Taillon said. “I would always look forward to when the teams would announce it, who’s the Astros opening-day starter and stuff when I was a kid.”
Taillon had a 14-10 record last year with a 3.20 ERA. He pitched 191 innings, posted 179 strikeouts and pitched two complete games. Taillon will be an opening-day starter, but it wasn’t long ago that he was reading articles like this to find out the starter for his favorite team.
“I was the kid reading spring training box scores to see who was pitching well,” Taillon said. “I was trying to map out who would be the guy. I think the opening-day starter can say something about the way you’re looked at by teammates and stuff, too, not just about stats on a baseball card.
“It’s not something I take lightly. I know if I’m the opening-day starter, guys are going to look at me a certain way, to be the guy. I’m excited about that opportunity.”
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle made the news public Saturday. The Pirates play their first spring training game Saturday against the Phillies in Clearwater. Hurdle didn’t seem concerned listing the rotation.
“Taillon is gonna open the season in Cincinnati,” he said. “Trevor Williams is scheduled to pitch second. Joe Musgrove is targeted for the third game in Cincy. Chris Archer is targeted to the pitch the home opener.”
Hurdle is old school. He takes pride in picking the proper starter. He smiled explaining why he made the call sooner than last year.
“Different seasons bring different conversations. Jamo has earned it across the board,” Hurdle said. “Trevor did some nice things. Archer has done it before. There is an important aspect to me of pitching the home opener, as well. We’ve put young men in play that we think will represent the club the best way we can to start the season clean.”
Williams was 14-10 with a 3.11 ERA in 31 starts and 170.2 innings last year. Williams is starting his fourth season healthy and with high expectations.
“We believe that we have a chance to be really good this year,” he said. “We have a good group in this clubhouse.” Hurdle naming Archer and Musgrove to the rotation suggests that the team is confident each will be ready to start the season on schedule.
Musgrove had surgery to repair his right abdominal wall last October. His season ended prematurely when he suffered pelvic pain in September. Earlier in the week, Musgrove gave an update on his progress.
“Surgery obviously, especially down in that area, is kind of tough to feel 100 percent normal right away, but I feel pretty good for where I’m at,” Musgrove said. “I’ve been on a normal program and everything. I’ve been running, I’ve been throwing. I feel like I’m kind of right where I should be, and hopefully if things kind of stay the course and I don’t have any setbacks, I’ll be ready to go.”
Archer had a bilateral hernia surgery in November. The right-hander also says he’s making good progress.
“The first probably 10 days was bad. Walking, breathing, using the bathroom, getting in and out of bed,” Archer said. “Then, after like three weeks, it started to feel better. I was able to start strengthening some areas and it’s gradually progressed for the last 12 weeks.”
If the Pirates are to succeed, the rotation must be strong. Taillon thinks they can rise to the occasion.
“Being the opening-day starter is something that every guy wants to have,” he said. “I seriously mean this, I think we have a bunch of guys that could take the ball on opening day, so that makes it even more of an honor.”