This is Part 2 in a three-part series looking ahead to the Pirates' summer training camp. Players will report today, and camp will start Friday.
The National League fought it for over 40 years, but in 2020, it will use the designated hitter.
For now, it's a one-time thing as part of the health and safety protocols, putting a little less stress on pitchers and reducing the chances of them getting hurt. While the league and players association discussed many radical changes for the 2020 season, this is one of the few that will actually be implemented.
The plan is for pitchers to go back to hitting in the 2021 season. After that, who knows? The collective bargaining agreement between the league and players association is set to expire after then, and an NL DH could be a part of the new deal.
So the Pirates will get a taste of the designated hitter for the first time this year, but don't expect it to be just one guy sliding into the role.
“I don’t see that we would David Ortiz it or Travis Hafner it,” Derek Shelton said in May when it started to look like the NL would adopt the DH.
Shelton had coached exclusively in the American League before coming to Pirates, so he is no stranger to the designated hitter. If he wanted to Ortiz or Hafner it, he has options on this roster.
Josh Bell was one of the National League's best hitters last year, but has struggled in the field throughout his career. Gregory Polanco reported to Bradenton, Fla. healthy and swung the bat well in spring training, but there are serious concerns about his left shoulder. Having him just focus on hitting could make him play a full season for the first time since 2016. Colin Moran has swung the bat well in his time with the Pirates, but he was one of the worst defenders in baseball last year, greatly hurting his value. The Pirates also have one of the game's premier third base prospects, Ke'Bryan Hayes, who is ready to make the leap to the Majors.
“We’ve got a number of options to give DH at-bats to,” Ben Cherington said during a recent Zoom call. “[Players] who were part of our major league roster last year or were in spring training."
So the plan is to instead rotate. It could extend beyond those three hitters, too, as the DH will be a way to spell position players in this season where there are fewer off-days and less time to prepare in summer camp.
“What [the DH] does provide, obviously, is having another bat in the lineup that we’ll rotate," Shelton said during a Zoom call with reporters last week. "And we’ll be able to, instead of maybe [resting] someone that we were going to play in our regular lineup that day, they’ll have the ability to get four or five ABs. And I think that’s extremely important for us. Not planning on going with one person there. We’ll kind of rotate it through.”
What does the Pirates' lineup look like with a designated hitter?
Let's project their opening day starting nine:
LINEUP
This will fluctuate based on who the designated hitter is that day and if there is a righty or lefty on the mound.
1. SS Kevin Newman: Newman is the ideal leadoff hitter, mixing a high on-base percentage and speed. While his average stayed steady for most of last year, he made better contact as the year progressed, driving the ball more instead of relying on infield hits. A 5.3 percent walk rate is a bit concerning, but if he hits .300 again, it is a moot point.
2. LF Bryan Reynolds: Reynolds was brought up to the majors earlier than expected last April and just never gave the team a reason to option him back to Class AAA. Analytics support the idea of batting your best hitter second instead of third, as it means they will get more at-bats over the course of the season. Reynolds hit second throughout most of last year and in spring training. Needless to say, he's performed well in this spot.
3. 2B Adam Frazier: There really isn't a great spot for Frazier in this lineup, but by batting third, it puts three players with good OBPs in front of Bell. He batted third in multiple spring lineups that featured most of the regulars. He's been streaky throughout his career, but has averaged out to be a respectable hitter.
4. DH Josh Bell: Do you really need any explanation here? Bell is the big bat in the lineup, the All-Star. If his season is like his first 60 games last year, he could be in the MVP discussion. He reworked his throwing mechanics this offseason to help make himself a better defender. While the glove should still be a weakness, he does not need to be relegated to just a DH.
5. RF Gregory Polanco: Polanco went through camp without any issues, saying he finally felt healthy. Assuming Reynolds bats in front of Bell because of his high OBP, Polanco is the only other true power threat in the lineup who can protect Bell. Shelton used him as a DH often in spring training to put less wear and tear on his arm. He should get his fair share of days off from fielding during the regular season too.
6. 1B Jose Osuna: Again, a rotating DH means different people will get extra playing time. Hayes, Erik Gonzalez and Cole Tucker could all get more playing time in the field because of the DH. Osuna still does his best work against left-handed pitchers, so that might be where he gets most of his at-bats.
7. 3B Colin Moran: Hayes is breathing down Moran's neck, and if the rookie makes the opening day roster, he could be in the lineup instead. As for Moran, this is a really important year for him, as there are a number of infielders in the Pirates' system who are ready to make the leap to the Majors. If he doesn't prove himself in 2020, it might be time to move on.
8. C Jacob Stallings: Stallings does not offer much with the bat, but his defensive and framing abilities are just as good as his two predecessors, Russell Martin and Francisco Cervelli. He became the "personal catcher" to about half of the rotation last year, including de facto 2020 ace Joe Musgrove. He's in the lineup for his glove. Anything he brings to the plate is a bonus.
9. CF Jarrod Dyson: Not having a pitcher bat could actually be a plus for Dyson. He has explosive speed, and while his .313 OBP isn't bad, it's not enough to justify him batting leadoff. By batting ninth, when he gets on, he will have two batters with high batting averages following him. If they put the ball in play, he can take extra bases, adding more value to go with his solid glove in center.
BENCH
Teams will start the season with a 30-man roster. Assuming 15 of those players are hitters, that would mean the Pirates would have six available off the bench.
• C Luke Maile: While nothing was made official, Maile came into camp as the apparent backup catcher. Derek Holland and other pitchers praised his work with the staff, and he is graded as a plus-defender. He won't hit much, but how much offense can you really expect from a backup backstop?
• INF Erik Gonzalez: Gonzalez broke his left foot playing winter ball, and the injury flared up in Bradenton, sidelining him for a chunk of games. Something to keep an eye on as he comes into camp with an outside chance of being the opening day third baseman.
• OF Guillermo Heredia: Heredia got plenty of playing time in center this spring, signaling he would be Dyson's backup at the position, not Reynolds. He can play all three outfield positions and has good numbers against left-handed pitchers, recording a .795 OPS against southpaws last year. Not a bad choice for a fourth outfielder, but there is not much depth behind him.
• UTL JT Riddle: Riddle flashed a lot of the tools teams look for in a utilityman this spring, showing proper awareness in the infield and outfield. He also made some heads up base running plays and legged out three triples. Between the DH and expanded rosters, the appeal of the utilityman may not be as alluring since each position will have some depth, but he needs to make the team or be designated for assignment.
• SS Cole Tucker: Tucker made some swing tweaks this offseason, emphasizing getting the ball in the air more often. It paid off in Bradenton, with him homering three times in 31 plate appearances. He is still an excellent base runner and defender. If this is a sign that he is about to break out as a hitter, he might not be on the bench for long.
• INF Phillip Evans: Evans was very quietly one of the better hitters in Bradenton, starting his spring with a home run off Trevor Williams on the first day of live batting practice. He just kept going from there, finishing with a .346 average and four extra-base hits in 30 plate appearances. Shelton listed him as someone who could fit in the DH mix during a recent interview. He would still need to be added to the 40-man roster for that to happen.
TAXI SQUAD
To wrap things up, let’s look at some of the candidates who could join the team from the taxi squad this season. The Pirates will be allowed to take three taxi squad players on road trips, meaning at least one catcher and probably another position player will travel with them.
• 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes: Hayes will play in the majors at some point. He's at the point in his development where he needs to play and be around Major-League coaching. He and hitting coach Rick Eckstein started tapping into how he could get the ball in the air more towards the end of spring training. That type of instruction is invaluable right now. Unfortunately for him, if he is off the roster for just a week, the Pirates still retain a sixth year of control over him. It seems very unlikely the Pirates would trade a year of control for one extra week this year.
• C John Ryan Murphy: Teams are allowed to take three players on the taxi squad on the condition that at least one is a catcher. Expect Murphy to make a whole lot of road trips then. He has a good glove and decent power for a catcher. The problem is he doesn't get on base nearly enough.
• OF Jason Martin: Martin might not be the fastest player on the Pirates' roster, but he might be the best base runner. He went 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts in spring training and took extra bases on top of that. He's already on the 40-man roster and the Pirates do not have much outfield depth on hand, so it's more a matter of "when" rather than "will" he get promoted again.
• OF Socrates Brito: Brito did not show much in spring training, but he led the Dominican League in hits last winter and was the MVP for the Blue Jays' triple-A affiliate last year. It's clear Cherington is intrigued by him, hence why he is a non-roster invitee to the Pittsburgh camp.
• 1B/RF Will Craig: Craig was arguably the most glaring omission from the Pittsburgh summer camp. He will head to Altoona instead, but if something happens to Bell or Osuna, he should get a call.
• SS Oneil Cruz: Perhaps a bit unrealistic, but Cruz is already on the 40-man roster and held his own against spring training pitching. He has more raw power than just about any prospect in baseball. Perhaps that plays in a small sample size.
Other installments in the series:
Tuesday: Is there enough pitching?
Thursday: Where did this leave off?
