JUST ASKIN’
QUESTIONS THAT NEED ASKED — AND ANSWERED — OVER THE NEXT SEVEN WEEKS IN FLORIDA
Although it certainly came from a different place, in a different country by the person ultimately in charge of the Pirates, it wasn’t all that different from what we heard at other points of the offseason.
“I think it was progress but not success,” Pirates owner Bob Nutting told the Post-Gazette at the team’s academy in the Dominican Republic, talking about his impressions of a 2023 campaign that saw the Pirates go 76-86.
“We have to embrace that and work on it. A 14game improvement is remarkable. It’s probably more than we expected. You think of a 10-game jump as a hard-to-do, aspirational number. From that standpoint, very pleased with the progress. But also enthusiastic to see another step forward.”
In order for the Pirates to take that step, to clear .500 threshold and compete all season as Nutting emphasized during that exclusive interview, much has to happen. Let’s examine the questions they must answer:
1. Is there enough pitching?
It’s been a hot-button topic this offseason for good reason — they still have only three established starters. Furthermore, Marco Gonzales had his 2023 cut short because of injury. Martin Perez wound up in the bullpen.
What if neither bounces back? There’s also plenty riding on the development of Roansy Contreras, Luis Ortiz, Quinn Priester, Bailey Falter and Jackson Wolf, among the pitching depth with some shred of MLB experience.
Most fascinating there: Contreras. At the beginning of last year, he was dominant in the World Baseball Classic.
Last we heard of Contreras, he was mired in the Florida Complex League, struggling with velocity, control and confidence. There’s probably no wider range of player performance than what the Pirates could get with Contreras.
2. What about Oneil Cruz’s health?
If you could guarantee that Cruz would be 100% the entire year, it’s easy to see a breakout season for him. There’s also an expectation Cruz will be ready for Day 1.
At the same time, the 6-foot-7 shortstop played just nine MLB games in 2023. Some grace must be extended when it comes to re-acquiring timing and feel.
But how dramatically the Pirates can answer the Cruz question should determine a lot.
3. Can Henry Davis actually catch?
A year ago, the Pirates were comfortable giving Davis just two innings behind the plate, though they argued a lingering hand/ thumb issue was the reason for their reticence.
Whatever the case, it’s a sizable jump to go from that to Davis becoming the primary guy and a key offensive cog in 2024.
The good part is that Davis’ smarts, ability and work ethic make both things entirely possible, but it still has to happen.
Jason Delay profiles as a solid backup-to-timeshare option, but it’s doubtful Ali Sanchez is going to make anyone feel much better about the Pirates’ overall improvement.
4. Is Andrew McCutchen healthy?
Healthy enough to play the outfield, sure. But also just generally healthy enough to play and be productive coming off a season-ending Achilles injury.
It’s a terrific off-the-field story. The Pirates undoubtedly did the right thing. But they’re also investing $5 million in a hitter with a 113 OPS+ (100 is average) this past season.
Their offense needs that level of production again, while a young clubhouse will benefit from McCutchen and his presence.
5. Who wins the second base job?
The competitors are Liover Peguero, Nick Gonzales and Ji Hwan Bae, with the possibility Jared Triolo could see ample time there. (The Pirates still prefer Triolo as a super-utility type.)
Bonus if this does not result in the Kevin Newman/Cole Tucker/Erik Gonzalez shortstop competition from a couple years ago, when Newman emerged victorious and produced a meager .574 OPS across 148 MLB games.
All three of these guys were high-end prospects. It’s not crazy to expect one to win the job, then blossom into a regular — and important — contributor once they do.
6. Can Ke’Bryan Hayes keep it up?
Hayes won a Gold Glove and should’ve garnered Platinum honors, too. He was the Pirates’ team MVP. The whole thing showed what Hayes can be: a slick-fielding force in the middle of the lineup.
In 49 games starting Aug. 2, Hayes hit .299 with an .874 OPS. If that’s what the Pirates are getting in 2024, tremendous.
At the same time, Hayes endured plenty of injury and offensive issues in 2021 and ’22. Which version is real should say a lot.
7. Will the bullpen be dominant?
It can and probably should be with the addition of Aroldis Chapman to a back end that already featured David Bednar, Colin Holderman, Carmen Mlodzinski and Ryan Borucki.
The Pirates are banking on shortening games, matching up a bunch and protecting leads. As long as these guys stay healthy, it should be a definitive advantage.
8. When will Paul Skenes arrive?
It might be the question on the minds of Pirates fans. If Skenes pitches the way he’s capable in the early going, it’s only going to become a bigger story. Good.
It will be fascinating to see what happens if/when Skenes begins blowing away hitters at Double-A and Triple-A.
The Pirates could make a case for wanting to see minor league performance, enough to preserve a year of club control by Skenes not reaching a full year of service. But Super 2 if Skenes is blowing through the minors? Not even they could pull that one off.
9. Can Pirates power up?
Similar to the pitching question, which is fair, let’s talk pop.
Cruz will help. There’s also a sneaky big storyline when it comes to Jack Suwinski, who had 26 homers and a .793 OPS. If Suwinski can fare better against lefties, reduce his strikeouts and be more consistent, man, the potential is there.
The Pirates also need it.
They’re not built to lean on the long ball, but they should be able to get on base and count on enough power from guys like Cruz, Reynolds, Rowdy Tellez, Suwinski and Davis.