As the Pirates prepare to open training camp at PNC Park next week, new manager Derek Shelton has some quick decisions to make in preparation for the 60-game schedule.
He’ll have to figure out how to navigate the new extra-inning rule, with a runner starting the tenth inning on second base. Shelton is getting a crash course from assistant hitting coach Mike Rebelo, who used the runner at second rule while managing in Double-A last year.
The Bucs’ skipper also has to decide on a pitching rotation. He says he’s confident there’s enough talent to pick up the slack for the absences of Jameson Taillon and Chris Archer, who are both out for the year. Three starting spots are set, with Trevor Williams, Joe Musgrove, and Mitch Keller. Derek Holland, Steven Brault, and perhaps Chad Kuhl, returning from Tommy John surgery, are candidates. Shelton may also opt for an “opener” from the bullpen as his fifth starter.
Camp opens in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
The Pirates have laid off more than two dozen employees in restructuring business operations. The moves do not touch baseball operations. The Pirates furloughed about 20 percent of their employees in May.
Comments