By John Perrotto
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnperrotto/2019/03/28/pittsburgh-pirates-mlb-season-preview/#9df0e446d0ab
March 28, 2019
The Pittsburgh Pirates decided little action was the best course of action over the winter.
The Pirates made few moves following a 2018 season in which they finished a surprising 82-79. A winning record was unexpected after stars Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole were traded a month before the start of spring training.
Owner Bob Nutting also influenced the lack of transactions as he gave general manager Neal Huntington a limited budget. the Pirates will open this season with a $75-million payroll after finishing last season at $89 million.
Nevertheless, manager Clint Hurdle believes the Pirates can contend in the rugged National League Central.
“I am pleased with the effort and energy the players brought,” Hurdle said on the last day of spring training. “The vibe has been consistent from these guys. They have been focused and their work has been consistent. They have been having fun, as well. I think this has been a well-run camp by the coaching staff. The players have showed up professionally. We’re ready to go and get after it.”
Team MVP: Starling Marte
Center fielder Starling Marte provides a blend of power and speed and was also a two-time NL Gold Glove winner when he played left field. Last season, the 30-year-old hit .277/.327/.460 with 20 home runs, 72 RBIs and 33 stolen bases in 145 games.
Best-Value Pitcher: Jameson Taillon
Right-hander Jameson Taillon will pitch at a low price this year as he does not become eligible for salary arbitration until following the season. The 27-year-old is making just over the major-league minimum salary of $555,000 even though he will start on opening day against the Reds on March 28 at Cincinnati.
Taillon had a breakout season in 2018 when he was 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 32 starts. If he pitches like that again, the Pirates will likely look to sign Taillon to a contract extension next spring. The talks could be contentious as Taillon is the team’s player representative to the Major League Baseball Players Association and likely not be willing to take much of a hometown discount.
Best-Value Position Player: Adam Frazier
Second baseman Adam Frazier will have a $584,000 salary, which is a low price for a leadoff hitter. Like Taillon, though, Frazier does not become eligible for salary arbitration for the first time until next offseason.
The 27-year-old is getting the opportunity to start after spending his first three seasons in a utility role. He hit .277/.342/.456 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs in 113 games last year.
Best Addition: Lonnie Chisenhall
Lonnie Chisenhall will be the fill-in right fielder until Gregory Polanco recovers from shoulder surgery, which will be likely sometime in May. The Pirates signed Chisenhall to a one-year, $2.75-million contract in free agency over the winter after the 30-year-old spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Cleveland Indians.
Last season, injuries to both calves limited Chisenhall to just 29 games. However, he was relatively productive in the little bit of time he was in the lineup, batting .321/.394/.452 with one home run and nine RBIs.
The X-Factor: Jung Ho Kang
Jung Ho Kang beat out incumbent Colin Moran for the starting third baseman’s job in spring training. It marked quite a comeback for Kang, who was limited to three major-league games over the last two years because legal issues stemming from a third DUI arrest in his native South Korea.
Kang hit seven home runs during the exhibition season and the Pirates could use the pop after finishing 25th in the major leagues in that category last season. He turns 32 on April 5, so it will be interesting to see how he will hold up to the day-to-day grind after missing so much time.
John also publishes a pair of direct-to-inbox newsletters, one covering MLB and the other the Pittsburgh Pirates, that are filled with insider news and gossip . Ordering info can be found here.
No comments:
Post a Comment