This is Part 3 in a three-part series looking ahead to the Pirates’ summer training camp. Players began to report July 1, and camp will start Friday.
Previously, on the Pirates' 2020 season.
It has been 16 weeks since the first spring training was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A lot has happened since March 12, including rule changes, Pirates roster news and months of preparation for the return of baseball.
For those just tuning back in, here are the highlights of what has happened over these last 16 weeks.
WHEN WE LAST LEFT THE PIRATES...
In case you need a refresher with what happened during spring training 1.0:
• The Pirates went 3-15-2. Despite that lackluster record, it was a much looser camp, with players visibly having fun and being willing to experiment with new technology and ideas.
• Chris Archer missed multiple starts with what was described as day-to-day neck tightness. It was later discovered that was a symptom of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, which will cause him to miss the 2020 season.
• Steven Brault (left shoulder), Erik Gonzalez (left foot) and Clay Holmes (right foot) missed significant time with injuries, but all three are expected to report to PNC Park for summer camp healthy.
• Gregory Polanco, Nick Burdi and Kyle Crick came to camp healthy and stayed that way throughout. Polanco admitted he was never at full strength last year after undergoing major left shoulder surgery. After going to therapy six times a week during the winter, he came to camp in much better shape.
“I feel so thankful,” Polanco said when he reported in February. “I’m healthy. It feels great to be back. I’m happy to be back. It feels so good to be healthy.”
• As for what happened on the field with some of the younger players, Blake Cederlind blew people away with a 100 mph power sinker, Ke'Bryan Hayes started making swing adjustments with hitting coach Rick Eckstein to get the ball in their air more often and Cole Tucker homered three times.
WHAT HAVE THE PIRATES BEEN DOING SINCE?
For the pitchers, the short answer is they never stopped throwing.
That doesn't mean they have been throwing like they normally would during the regular season or throughout spring training. There was a "deloading" period where they gradually decreased from the spring training workload, but the starters and relievers kept throwing side sessions and bullpens, using all of their pitches.
The pitchers have been throwing live batting practices since late May, and the starters should be stretched out enough to go four or five innings when they report.
The coaching staff had constant communication with players throughout the shutdown, including having players send video so the coaches could watch their mechanics. However, there is only so much they can pick up through video and Zoom calls, so it will take time before they begin playing intrasquad games in camp.
"I think it’s going to be a matter of [pitching coach] Oscar [Marin] being able to get his eyes on our guys throwing bullpens and, probably the most important thing for our position players is making sure they’re ramped up enough to run the bases and are able to do movements," Derek Shelton said during a recent Zoom call. "So the general answer for that would be, once we determine we’re able to do it health-wise we’ll get into some simulated game-type stuff. Until our assessments are done, we won’t do it.
WHAT'S CHANGED IN BASEBALL?
In late March, the league and players association struck a deal for how the 2020 season will operate. The two sides spent the better parts of May and June trying to renegotiate that deal but failed to do so. Instead, commissioner Rob Manfred and the owners implemented a 60-game season.
There are a variety of rule changes coming this year. Here's a quick rundown on the major ones:
• The season will last 60 games. The schedule isn't out yet, but we know the Pirates will play everyone in their division 10 times and the other 20 games will be against American League Central opponents. The playoff structure will stay the same: Three division winners and two wild-cards from each league.
• Rosters are expanded to 30 players for the first 15 games of the season. It will be trimmed to 28 through the 28th day, when it finish with 26 for the rest of the season. Rosters will not expand in September like usual.
• The designated hitter is coming to the National League but just for a year -- for now. While the league and players had agreed to use the DH in 2020 and 2021 during their negotiations, since they failed to get a deal done, the 2021 DH was scrapped. There will still be one in 2020 as part of the health and safety protocols, lightening the workload for pitchers.
• In an effort to keep games from going deep into extra innings, starting in the 10th, teams will start the inning with a runner on second base. Minor League Baseball has had this rule in place the past few seasons.
• Speaking of MiLB, their season was officially cancelled. Instead of being able to promote players from Triple-A like years past, each team has a second training site with players they can use over the course of the season. Players will still need to be on the 40-man roster to appear in a game.
• Finally, there is a ban on spitting and the licking of fingers to try to stop the spread of COVID-19. That might be a little harder to pull off than it sounds.
"Some of the things that are outlined in the protocol are stuff that guys have done institutionally," Shelton said. "People may say, 'Oh, they're doing it to go against the protocol,' but they may just do it, like spitting. That one's come up in a couple calls. Well, you're going to tell these guys not to spit. These guys have been spitting since they were five years old. It's going to be an adjustment for that. There's going to be awareness to it, and I think a big part of it comes down to us and the players is that we're just educating each other about what the protocols are."
WHAT IS THE STATE OF THE ROSTER?
The Pirates have lost three players between the end of spring training and now: Kevin Kramer, Archer and Edgar Santana. Check out Part I and II of the roster to see how these changes impact the potential opening day roster.
Kramer underwent hip surgery in late May, sidelining him for four to six months. Archer went under the knife in early June to relieve symptoms of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome. He will also miss the 2020 season, and since he only has one club option remaining on his contract, he might have already pitched his final game with the Pirates.
Santana was suspended for 80 games on June 28 after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs.
The Pirates have 40 players coming to PNC Park to be a part of MLB summer camp. They also will have 19 head to Altoona, Pa., as part of an alternate camp. Teams will start the season with a 30-man roster, and barring something unexpected, it seems extremely likely the Pirates will form that roster from the group of players they have at PNC Park.
Here is the list of players going to each camp:
Jameson Taillon will work out with the MLB team but will not be part of the active roster since he is still recovering from his Tommy John surgery. That means there are effectively 30 spots for 39 players.
The construction of the opening day roster still needs to be determined. Not just who could potentially make the team, but the number of pitchers and position players they plan to carry.
"I think we’ll wait until we see where guys are at health-wise before we decide if we’re going to go 15 and 15 [for pitchers and position players] or 16-14 or whatever," Shelton said.
Those decisions will start to be made beginning on Friday. Stay tuned.
Other installments in the series:
Tuesday: Is there enough pitching?
Wednesday: What role will DH play?
To continue reading, log into your account:
