While there has been plenty of talk about "piggyback" starters during Pirates summer camp, the plan is for them to use traditional starters for at least four spots to open the season.
While nothing has been set in stone yet, every indication has been that Joe Musgrove, Trevor Williams, Mitch Keller and Derek Holland will be four-fifths of the opening day rotation. Derek Shelton has talked about how the Pirates' could be aggressive with that fifth spot, including using piggyback starters, an opener or a traditional starter. If it is indeed a piggyback, the two most likely candidates are Chad Kuhl and Steven Brault.
After those six, the Pirates' starter pool starts to become shallow. It already took a hit during the shutdown when Chris Archer had season-ending surgery. If a starter gets hurt, the Pirates could theoretically split up Kuhl and Brault, assuming they do start the season sharing that fifth spot. But what happens after that?
Of the players currently in the PNC Park's summer camp, outside of the aforementioned pitchers, J.T. Brubaker seems to be the only other "starter" option.
The Pirates' 2018 minor-league pitcher of the year missed most of last season with a right forearm injury.
"It’s just a hiccup last season with the injury," Brubaker said during a Zoom call Monday. "I felt like, when I was coming back, I felt like the same pitcher. I wasn’t manipulating anything. That was my one goal going into rehab was don’t change anything. Throw the way that you know how to throw. So I knew what type of test I could put on my arm, and it has worked out.”
Now healthy, the 26-year-old right-hander should make his major-league debut sometime this season.
"It’s an opportunity," Brubaker said. "I see another door opening. Just doing what I need to do, keeping my head focused. So, it’s a great opportunity to be back here actually in Pittsburgh.”
Brubaker is primarily a sinker-slider pitcher, signaling he could potentially fit into the bullpen, if Shelton and the Pirates decide to go down that path. However, that would potentially jeopardize his chances to start, as he would need to be stretched back out to a starter.
So far, he has thrown up to three innings, indicating he will need more time to be ready as a true starter option.
After Brubaker, what comes next?
Shelton has hinted that their can be other piggyback options besides Kuhl and Brault. So far, we only know who hasn't been approached for that role: Brubaker and Clay Holmes. To speculate, Chris Stratton and Robbie Erlin were spot starters a year ago and could potentially go multiple innings.
There are five starting pitchers in the Pirates' alternate training site in Altoona, Pa., but three have pitched almost exclusively in the lower levels and are not on the 40-man roster: Cody Bolton, Max Kranick and Braeden Ogle. Bolton is the most advanced of the trio, having pitched nine games for AA Altoona last year.
James Marvel and Cody Ponce are the two perceived major-league-ready starting options in Altoona camp. Ponce is already on the 40-man roster, but has only pitched 18.2 innings in AAA. Marvel was outrighted this offseason after being added as a September call-up.
There is a lot riding on the starters staying healthy, but if that opportunity does present itself, Brubaker will be ready. He better be, because there aren't a lot of options after him.
"I believe I’m full-go," Brubaker said. "I feel like I’m ready to go, as much as I need to go. I feel healthy. I’m ready for competitive baseball to start back up."
More from Day 11 of Pirates summer camp:
• Brubaker was able to spend most of the shutdown in Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., training with the handful of pitchers who were down there and bullpen coach Justin Meccage.
"For the guys down there, it was very beneficial," Brubaker said. "Able to focus in and be able to find tune stuff on the mound, stuff in the weight room, stuff in general in the throwing program."
• In the intrasquad game, Brault was pulled after three innings for Kuhl in what could be a piggyback preview.
"You saw the ability for Brault to spin the slider from the left-hand side, then Chad came in from the right-hand side," Shelton said. "It was a nice look for us."
• Musgrove struck out seven -- all swinging -- through the first five innings of his start. He was scheduled to throw six frames. He hung on pitch to Josh Bell, which he hit 110 mph into the right field seats.
"One thing that really stood out to me was his ability to use all his pitches," Shelton said. "He had an at-bat with [Jarrod] Dyson where he threw a changeup, and it wasn’t a good one and it was up and Dyse fouled it off. Then he came back with probably the best one he had thrown of the night. So the ability to repeat the pitch, I talked to Murph [John Ryan Murphy] about it afterward. His feel on his pitches tonight was about as close to being ready for the season, I think, as you can see out of a guy.”
• Speaking of Dyson and home runs, he went yard as well.
"Fastest guy running around the bases in the big leagues," Shelton said.
• Amazingly, there is only another nine days of camp and exhibitions before the Pirates head to St. Louis for the start of the regular season. So will they make any roster cuts in the coming days to slim down the roster, or are the 37 players they have on the field sticking around until camp closes?
"We’re still talking through that," Shelton said. "We’re still talking through where our innings are at for those three games against Cleveland and how we’re going to use them. Not only that, but the innings we have in between those games are going to be important – and the live looks for our hitters. That is something that we are currently talking through. I would assume we would send a few guys out before that time, but it’s not something that we’ve made a final decision on yet.”
MORE CAMP COVERAGE
• Pirates, Indians to play exhibitions
• Crick’s debut portends closing
