It feels inevitable. It just feels like our bubble, as sports fans, is ready to burst. We've still likely got a month to a month and a half before any type of competition would resume, but live sports, in any capacity and under any circumstances, will suffice.
The 2020 MLB season was halted on March 12, during Spring Training competition and exactly two weeks before Opening Day was set to take place.
It is unclear how/when the MLB season will resume, but many plans have been discussed. These include the Arizona-only plan, the Spring Training (Arizona and Florida) plan and the Three-State (Arizona, Florida, Texas) plan.
Many, if not all, teams would want to finish the season in their home cities, so the plan that is selected will likely only be temporary.
Under first-year manager Derek Shelton, the Pittsburgh Pirates are not expected to turn too many heads. The club, who finished 69-93 in 2019, traded away their franchise player in Starling Marte and are a team seeking to find a new identity under new management, including Travis Williams (president), Ben Cherington (general manager) and Shelton.
Here is what a potential Opening Day roster could look like for the Pirates. It is important to consider that, per a new rule change, MLB rosters can now carry 26 players, as opposed to the previous carrying capacity of 25.
Starting Lineup
C - Jacob Stallings
MLB Debut (Age): June 19, 2016 (30)
Years Experience: 4
Acquired: Drafted in Round 7 (226th overall) of the 2012 MLB Draft
2019 Stats: .262 BA, 6 HR, 13 RBI, .708 OPS (191 AB)
Career Stats: .268 BA, 6 HR, 23 RBI, .697 OPS (257 AB)
1B - Josh Bell
MLB Debut (Age): July 8, 2016 (27)
Years Experience: 4
Acquired: Drafted in Round 2 (61st overall) of the 2011 MLB Draft
2019 Stats: .277 BA, 37 HR, 116 RBI, .936 OPS (527 AB)
Career Stats: .265 BA, 78 HR, 287 RBI, .831 OPS (1705 AB)
2B - Adam Frazier
MLB Debut (Age): June 24, 2016 (28)
Years Experience: 4
Acquired: Drafted in Round 6 (179th overall) of the 2013 MLB Draft
2019 Stats: .278 BA, 10 HR, 50 RBI, .753 OPS (554 AB)
Career Stats: .279 BA, 28 HR, 149 RBI, .762 OPS (1424 AB)
SS - Kevin Newman
MLB Debut (Age): August 16, 2018 (26)
Years Experience: 2
Acquired: Drafted in Round 1 (19th overall) of the 2015 MLB Draft
2019 Stats: .308 BA, 12 HR, 64 RBI, .800 OPS (493 AB)
Career Stats: .293 BA, 12 HR, 70 RBI, .750 OPS (584 AB)
3B - Colin Moran
MLB Debut (Age): May 18, 2016 (27)
Years Experience: 4
Acquired: Trade with the Houston Astros on January 13, 2018
2019 Stats: .277 BA, 13 HR, 80 RBI, .751 OPS (466 AB)
Career Stats: .274 BA, 25 HR, 143 RBI, .746 OPS (915 AB)
LF - Bryan Reynolds
MLB Debut (Age): April 20, 2019 (25)
Years Experience: 1
Acquired: Trade with the San Francisco Giants on January 15, 2018
2019 Stats: .314 BA, 16 HR, 68 RBI, .880 OPS (491 AB)
Career Stats: .314 BA, 16 HR, 68 RBI, .880 OPS (491 AB)
CF - Jarrod Dyson
MLB Debut (Age): September 7, 2010 (35)
Years Experience: 10
Acquired: Signed as a Free Agent from the Arizona Diamondbacks on February 12, 2020
2019 Stats: .230 BA, 7 HR, 27 RBI, .633 OPS (400 AB)
Career Stats: .247 BA, 21 HR, 170 RBI, .657 OPS (2317 AB)
RF - Gregory Polanco
MLB Debut (Age): June 10, 2014 (28)
Years Experience: 6
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent on May 29, 2009
2019 Stats: .242 BA, 6 HR, 17 RBI, .726 OPS (153 AB)
Career Stats: .252 BA, 78 HR, 304 RBI, .741 OPS (2390 AB)
Bench
2B - Erik Gonzalez
MLB Debut (Age): July 16, 2016 (28)
Years Experience: 4
Acquired: Trade with the Cleveland Indians on November 14, 2018
2019 Stats: .254 BA, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .618 OPS (142 AB)
Career Stats: .260 BA, 6 HR, 33 RBI, .659 OPS (404 AB)
LF - Guillermo Heredia
MLB Debut (Age): July 29, 2016 (29)
Years Experience: 4
Acquired: Signed as a Free Agent from the Tampa Bay Rays on January 9, 2020
2019 Stats: .225 BA, 5 HR, 20 RBI, .668 OPS (204 AB)
Career Stats: .240 BA, 17 HR, 75 RBI, .659 OPS (974 AB)
C - Luke Maile
MLB Debut (Age): September 1, 2015 (29)
Years Experience: 5
Acquired: Signed as a Free Agent from the Toronto Blue Jays on December 16, 2019
2019 Stats: .151 BA, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .440 OPS (119 AB)
Career Stats: .198 BA, 10 HR, 60 RBI, .556 OPS (605 AB)
1B - Jose Osuna
MLB Debut (Age): April 18, 2017 (27)
Years Experience: 3
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent on May 13, 2010
2019 Stats: .264 BA, 10 HR, 36 RBI, .766 OPS (261 AB)
Career Stats: .246 BA, 20 HR, 77 RBI, .719 OPS (582 AB)
CF - J.T. Riddle
MLB Debut (Age): April 11, 2017 (28)
Years Experience: 3
Acquired: Signed as a Free Agent from the Miami Marlins on January 31, 2020
2019 Stats: .189 BA, 6 HR, 12 RBI, .601 OPS (132 AB)
Career Stats: .229 BA, 18 HR, 79 RBI, .638 OPS (668 AB)
Others Considered: Ke'Bryan Hayes (3B), Jason Martin (CF), John Ryan Murphy (C), Cole Tucker (SS)
Starting Rotation
SP1 - Chris Archer (RHP)
MLB Debut (Age): June 20, 2012 (31)
Years Experience: 8
Acquired: Trade with the Tampa Bay Rays on July 31, 2018
2019 Stats: 3 W-9 L, 5.19 ERA, 143 K, 1.41 WHIP (119.2 IP)
Career Stats: 60 W-80 L, 3.86 ERA, 1349 K, 1.25 WHIP (1235.0 IP)
SP2 - Joe Musgrove (RHP)
MLB Debut (Age): August 2, 2016 (27)
Years Experience: 4
Acquired: Trade with the Houston Astros on January 13, 2018
2019 Stats: 11 W-12 L, 4.44 ERA, 157 K, 1.22 WHIP (170.1 IP)
Career Stats: 28 W-33 L, 4.37 ERA, 410 K, 1.23 WHIP (457.0 IP)
SP3 - Trevor Williams (RHP)
MLB Debut (Age): September 7, 2016 (27)
Years Experience: 4
Acquired: Trade with the Miami Marlins on October 24, 2015
2019 Stats: 7 W-9 L, 5.38 ERA, 113 K, 1.41 WHIP (145.2 IP)
Career Stats: 29 W-29 L, 4.22 ERA, 367 K, 1.31 WHIP (479.1 IP)
SP4 - Chad Kuhl (RHP)
MLB Debut (Age): June 26, 2016 (27)
Years Experience: 3 (spent 2019 recovering from Tommy John surgery)
Acquired: Drafted in Round 9 (269th overall) of the 2013 MLB Draft
2018 Stats: 5 W-5 L, 4.55 ERA, 81 K, 1.44 WHIP (85.0 IP)
Career Stats: 18 W-20 L, 4.37 ERA, 276 K, 1.42 WHIP (313.0 IP)
SP5 - Mitch Keller (RHP)
MLB Debut (Age): May 27, 2019 (24)
Years Experience: 1
Acquired: Drafted in Round 2 (64th overall) of the 2014 MLB Draft
2019 Stats: 1 W-5 L, 7.13 ERA, 65 K, 1.83 WHIP (48.0 IP)
Career Stats: 1 W-5 L, 7.13 ERA, 65 K, 1.83 WHIP (48.0 IP)
Others Considered: Steven Brault (LHP), Derek Holland (LHP)
Bullpen
LR - Steven Brault (LHP)
MLB Debut (Age): July 5, 2016 (27)
Years Experience: 4
Acquired: Trade with the Baltimore Orioles on February 20, 2015
2019 Stats: 4 W-6 L, 5.16 ERA, 100 K, 1.50 WHIP (113.1 IP)
Career Stats: 11 W-12 L, 4.88 ERA, 234 K, 1.57 WHIP (273.0 IP)
LR - Chris Stratton (RHP)
MLB Debut (Age): May 30, 2016 (29)
Years Experience: 4
Acquired: Trade with the Los Angeles Angels on May 11, 2019
2019 Stats: 1 W-3 L, 5.57 ERA, 69 K, 1.66 WHIP (76.0 IP)
Career Stats: 16 W-17 L, 4.88 ERA, 238 K, 1.51 WHIP (289.2 IP)
MR - Edgar Santana (RHP)
MLB Debut (Age): June 10, 2017 (28)
Years Experience: 2 (spent 2019 recovering from UCL reconstruction surgery)
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent on October 12, 2013
2018 Stats: 3 W-4 L, 3.26 ERA, 54 K, 1.10 WHIP (66.1 IP)
Career Stats: 3 W-4 L, 3.31 ERA, 74 K, 1.20 WHIP (84.1 IP)
MR - Michael Feliz (RHP)
MLB Debut (Age): May 31, 2015 (26)
Years Experience: 5
Acquired: Trade with the Houston Astros on January 13, 2018
2019 Stats: 4 W-4 L, 3.99 ERA, 73 K, 1.26 WHIP (56.1 IP)
Career Stats: 17 W-9 L, 4.96 ERA, 300 K, 1.37 WHIP (225.0 IP)
SU - Richard Rodriguez (RHP)
MLB Debut (Age): September 2, 2017 (30)
Years Experience: 3
Acquired: Signed as an MiLB Free Agent from the Baltimore Orioles on December 7, 2017
2019 Stats: 4 W-5 L, 3.72 ERA, 63 K, 1.35 WHIP (65.1 IP)
Career Stats: 8 W-8 L, 3.53 ERA, 154 K, 1.26 WHIP (140.1 IP)
SU - Kyle Crick (RHP)
MLB Debut (Age): June 22, 2017 (27)
Years Experience: 3
Acquired: Trade with the San Francisco Giants on January 15, 2018
2019 Stats: 3 W-7 L, 4.96 ERA, 61 K, 1.55 WHIP (49.0 IP)
Career Stats: 6 W-9 L, 3.43 ERA, 154 K, 1.29 WHIP (141.2 IP)
CL - Keone Kela (RHP)
MLB Debut (Age): April 7, 2015 (27)
Years Experience: 5
Acquired: Trade with the Texas Rangers on July 31, 2018
2019 Stats: 2 W-0 L, 2.12 ERA, 33 K, 1.01 WHIP (29.2 IP)
Career Stats: 21 W-11 L, 3.23 ERA, 263 K, 1.11 WHIP (214.2 IP)
Others Considered: Nick Burdi (RHP), Geoff Hartlieb (RHP), Derek Holland (LHP), Clay Holmes (RHP), Cody Ponce (RHP)
Conclusion
The Pirates will endure a lot of growing pains in 2020, and should be focusing on the growth of young stars like Bryan Reynolds, Kevin Newman and Mitch Keller. Expect many faces to be moved during and after the season, including the two prized acquisitions of the 2018 MLB Trade Deadline (Chris Archer and Keone Kela). This year will mark the beginning of a long, but necessary, rebuild for Pittsburgh.
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