Five Spring Training Questions for New Look Pirates
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The sun is beginning to rise on a new era of Pittsburgh Pirates baseball. For the first time in over a decade, the Pirates arrived at Spring Training in Bradenton not only with hope for the future, but with a mandate for the present. Following an offseason that the front office uniformly declared would be about making the playoffs — “Period. Full stop", according to Team President Travis Williams — the Pirates have undergone a startling metamorphosis.
Gone is the passive approach of winters past, replaced by an aggressive spending spree that added All-Star caliber hitters Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn, and Marcell Ozuna to a lineup that was the worst in baseball a year ago. The franchise’s shocking spending spree has injected not just power into a punchless lineup, but a new level of expectation into the organization.
With the team holding their first full squad workout today, the buzz around Pirate City is undeniable —but so are the questions. As Don Kelly begins his first full season as manager, here are five key storylines to watch for in Spring Training that will define whether this retooled roster can finally end the franchise’s decade-long playoff drought.
1. Will Konnor Griffin make the Opening Day roster?
The most pressing question is likely one that you've seen discussed all across the baseball media world. And it's one that might actually be the most important to Pittsburgh's roster construction.
At just 19 years old, the consensus top prospect in baseball arrives in camp with a defensive profile that would instantly upgrade a shaky infield — he won an MiLB Gold Glove in 2025 — and a bat that could force the issue. A 19-year-old with no experience at Triple-A is hard to project, but Griffin's performance and explosive trajectory has made it one of this off-seasons most popular exercises.
There's a clear void in offensive firepower from the left side of the infield. Third baseman Jared Triolo is a glove-first player. Shortstop/second baseman Nick Gonzales was a first round pick in 2022, but has hit only 14 home runs in 923 MLB plate appearances. Gonzales has taken reps at third this spring, opening the possibility for a Triolo/Gonzales platoon if Griffin is the Opening Day shortstop. So, the position that Griffin plays also happens to be one in need of a boost, which could make front office conversations at the end of March easier.
The safe play would be to send him to Triple-A Indianapolis for seasoning, particularly given he has yet to see a pitch at that level. But the Pirates didn't spend on O'Hearn, Ozuna and Lowe to play it safe. Even if Griffin's bat languishes at the big league level, he would be a valuable defender and baserunner. It's hard to envision a lineup that Griffin doesn't make better, regardless of his age. Obviously you don't want to ruin his confidence if he isn't hitting, but it's still easy to see him making contributions to the team with a below average bat.
If Griffin hits this spring, the Opening Day shortstop job is his, pushing Gonzales into a super-utility role and giving this lineup another dynamic threat from Day 1. If he doesn't hit, then it makes the decision a little more difficult. But it still would behoove the Buccos to make Griffin a member of their Opening Day roster.
2. Who will be the fifth starting pitcher in the rotation?
On paper, the top of the rotation is a weapon capable of carrying a team to October. It begins with Paul Skenes, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, who reported to camp with the kind of quiet confidence that suggests he's far from satisfied. Behind him, Mitch Keller provides stability, while Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler — both of whom tantalized in their first big-league tastes last season — appear poised to claim the third and fourth spots.
But the fifth spot is where it gets complicated. Jared Jones is still working his way back from internal brace surgery and will miss the start of the season. He would be locked into a rotation spot if he were healthy.
That leaves a battle between veteran José Urquidy, who is himself returning from Tommy John surgery, incumbent pitching staff member Carmen Mlodzinski, and prospect Hunter Barco.
Urquidy is being reunited with the Pirates new pitching coach, Bill Murphy, whom he worked with during his five seasons with the Houston Astros. The right-hander missed the entire 2024 season, returning to the mound for the Detroit Tigers in September 2025. He struggled in only two appearances. The hope is that Urquidy and Murphy can tap into the pitcher that had a solid two year run in the Astros rotation.
Mlodzinski is the most familiar name to Pirates fans. He has bounced between the rotation and the bullpen for the past two seasons. Before last year, the Pirates focused on converting Mlodzinski to a full-time starter. It didn't exactly work out, as he pitched to a 5.67 ERA before being sent down to Triple-A on May 17. Mlodzinski returned as a reliever on June 13 and finished the season as an effective member of the bullpen. It appears as if he wants to try and start again, and he unveiled a new splitter to help diversify his arsenal.
Barco is the only left-handed starter in the mix, which gives him an advantage in a rotation full of righties. His outstanding performance in the high minors last season also gives the front office confidence that he eventually will be a contributing starter in the rotation, even if it's not this season.
The Pirates have also been connected to virtually every available starter on the market, suggesting they may not be content to simply hand the job to an internal candidate.
3. Will the Pirates acquire any more players?
The answer to this question may very well determine the answer to the one above it. While the headline moves have been made, Cherington admitted during a recent press conference that the club was still looking to add "in some form to both the starting pitching group and the bullpen group, and also at least one more position player".
Third base remains the glaring infield hole if you're looking for more offensive production. After missing out on Eugenio Suárez, who signed with the division-rival Reds, the Pirates have reportedly turned their attention to the Mets' surplus of young infielders. Brett Baty and Mark Vientos have both been discussed as potential targets — cost-controlled bats who could step in at the hot corner immediately.
Again, the Pirates could bring in a veteran starter to fill that fifth rotation spot if they don't feel comfortable with their current options. Patrick Corbin, Tyler Anderson, and Jose Quintana are some of the names that have been thrown out there - all lefties.
4. How will the defense align?
This is where a winter of acquisition becomes a spring of arithmetic. The Pirates have added power, but they may have subtracted defensive stability.
Lowe mashed 31 home runs last season, but he also posted minus-13 outs above average at second base. O'Hearn is a first baseman by trade who may be asked to patrol a corner outfield position. Ozuna is strictly a designated hitter at this point in his career, which makes it more difficult to rotate players into that position on their off days from the field.
This is another reason why elevating Griffin for Opening Day may be a wise decision. His defensive ability gives the Pirates more flexibility in how they can align. Triolo, Gonzales and Griffin are the easiest pieces to move around the infield, which could counterbalance the lack of elasticity in the outfield.
The defensive projections are, to put it charitably, concerning. Kelly might have to be part alchemist to make this work.
5. How will the position battle at catcher shape up?
For all the flashy new additions, the most fascinating competition might be the one that happens in the shadows. Joey Bart and Henry Davis split time behind the plate last season, and they are poised to do so again. But they remain almost opposite players.
Bart is the better hitter — or at least he has been historically — though his production slipped in 2025 and his defensive metrics were below average across the board.
Davis, the former No. 1 overall pick, has developed into an elite defensive catcher. He ranked in the 92nd percentile in caught stealing above average and was the personal batterymate for Skenes during his Cy Young campaign, helping the ace post a microscopic 1.81 ERA. The problem? Davis hit .167 last season.
Rafael Flores was acquired at last season's trade deadline, and probably has more power potential than any other catcher on the roster. But his defensive ability leaves something to be desired, and he may need a bit more seasoning before becoming a full-time regular in the big leagues.
Endy Rodriguez returns from elbow surgery to provide another option at catcher. This was his second elbow surgery to his throwing arm, and health concerns have been an issue for Rodriguez since he was named one of MLB's top 100 prospects in 2023. He also has experience at first base, and will likely need to prove himself in a bench role before he garners any attention as a full time catcher.
The Pirates need more than that from the position, and how Kelly balances the offensive void with the defensive trust will be one of the spring's most telling developments.
Ethan Merrill is from Grand Rapids, MI, and brings with him a diverse background of experiences. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, he worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks for three seasons before settling in the Pittsburgh area in 2020. With a passion for sports and a growing connection to his community, Ethan brings a fresh perspective to covering the Pittsburgh Pirates.