BRADENTON, Fla. -- When discussing the Pirates' rotation, general manager Neal Huntington has often praised Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano as a dynamic one-two punch few clubs can match. Beyond that, he has said the Bucs are banking on improvements from Jon Niese and Ryan Vogelsong -- and a more consistent year from Jeff Locke.
Apparently, that consistency will begin with Locke's delivery. The left-hander began working Tuesday with pitching coach Ray Searage at the Pirates' mini-camp to adjust his mechanics heading into next season. Simply put, they are working to make Locke's delivery out of the windup more like the motion he employs out of the stretch.