In less than two weeks, pitchers and catchers will report to Bradenton and Spring Training 2019 will be underway for the Pittsburgh Pirates. As of now, the Pirates have one of the strongest 1 – 4 of any rotation in the National League. However, the team could still use an upgrade for their final rotation spot.
As Neal Huntington discussed last weekend at Pirate Fest, as of now Jordan Lyles is ‘plan A’ for the final rotation spot. Lyles, as he proved last season, however, is better suited for the bullpen. While he is the clubhouse leader to be the fifth starting pitcher, Huntington’s comments last weekend certainly left the door open for the Pirates to add another starter.