Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: With Bob Nutting present, Pirates ready for full-squad workouts

BRADENTON, Fla. — There was something different about the day before the first full-squad workout of spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates, starting with the black Jaguar parked prominently at Pirate City.

It belonged not to one of their high-priced veterans but rather the man who spent $30 million in free agency in an effort to improve a team that lost 100 games in back-to-back seasons.

That all of the Pirates players had checked in long before Bob Nutting’s arrival Sunday morning was a good sign.

Despite making a trade request, Bryan Reynolds showed up early and said he remained open to signing an extension that was “fair for both sides.” Despite being traded and exiled for five years, Andrew McCutchen returned wearing a bright smile. And, despite being blocked from participating in the World Baseball Classic and losing his arbitration hearing, Ji-Man Choi was on the field by Friday.

The offseason additions of McCutchen, first basemen/designated hitters Choi and Carlos Santana, starting pitchers Rich Hill and Vince Velasquez and catcher Austin Hedges has created a veteran vibe that was missing from the clubhouse the past few seasons.

“I think it is a little different just because we’re in a little bit of a different spot than where we’ve been in the last couple years in terms of the fact that we’ve added people, which, in the past couple years, we’ve not added the way we have this year,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Sunday afternoon. “But the consistent theme of the message is going to be: ‘We’re going to play hard. We’re going to play the way we play and continue to build our culture here.’”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton on the anticipation of Monday’s first full-squad workout of spring training. pic.twitter.com/vjktYtZL4y

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 19, 2023

1. Not for Nutting: The presence of the Pirates chairman at spring training is nothing new, as he’s typically in Bradenton for the first full-squad workout.

That Nutting was so visible Sunday was important, given the Reynolds saga. When the Pirates were prepared to take Reynolds to arbitration last year following an All-Star season, Nutting indicated that they wanted to avoid a hearing. By mid-April, Reynolds had signed a two-year, $13.5 million contract.

When Reynolds turned down a reported five-year, $76 million offer last fall — which would have been the biggest contract in franchise history — he became the first Pirates player since Josh Harrison to request a trade.

Harrison’s trade demand was prompted not by money but rather his wanting to play for a contender, angered by the appearance that the Pirates were entering a rebuild once they traded Gerrit Cole to Houston and McCutchen to San Francisco in January 2018.

That spring, Nutting was standing just beyond third base when Harrison, taking live batting practice, smacked a ball that sailed down the third-base line and into the fence just a few feet away.

This time, Nutting stood at a safe distance while talking with general manager Ben Cherington behind the back field where Pirates pitchers were throwing bullpens. Nutting even spent time chatting with Hill, who at 42 is the oldest pitcher in the majors.

Pirates chairman Bob Nutting chatting with GM Ben Cherington at Pirate City. pic.twitter.com/dAvPzeSQJQ

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 19, 2023

2. Camp Competition: Shelton emphasized the importance of competition as a theme at camp, and two of the position battles came into clearer vision after the first five days.

The one the Pirates spent the most money on is at first base, where Santana ($6.5 million) and Choi ($4.65 million) should provide an upgrade with both their experience and power. Whichever one isn’t starting at first could serve as the designated hitter.

“We’ll have a conversation as we get probably near the end of camp, see where we’re at, see health wise where we’re at and how guys are feeling,” Shelton said. “One of the things with veteran guys, especially Cutch and Santana, who have been playing a long time, is we’ll have conversations about their usage, how they’re going to do it and where they’re going to do it. And then on the flip side, just asking them to be very transparent with me about how they feel so we can put them in the best situations.”

The Pirates paid Hedges $5 million to replace Roberto Perez as the starting catcher but Shelton has indicated that there will be a battle for the backup spot — which the manager continually calls “C2” — with veteran Kevin Plawecki the frontrunner against incumbents Jason Delay and Tyler Heineman.

It might only be a matter of time before top prospects Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis are ascending to the major league roster but the depth gives the Pirates better options than last season, when they used eight catchers, including infielder Josh VanMeter.

“Last year we saw what a major-league season can do,” Shelton said. “One of the things that we were very conscious of was building depth. We have guys in the minor leagues that are coming, and we’ve done a nice job there. But we needed to make sure that we created competition for that C2 spot, and I think we’re in a better spot. Anytime you have depth at the catching position, it’s extremely important.”

With a game of catch, Andrew McCutchen, Ke'Bryan Hayes begin bond as Pirates

(Via TribLive) https://t.co/w64VunTIhR

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 17, 2023

3. Veteran voices: Seated in a locker between Choi and McCutchen, Santana showed the attention he commands in the clubhouse in a conversation with a captive audience of fellow Dominicans Rodolfo Castro, Roansy Contreras and Yohan Ramirez.

Choi has mentored Ji Hwan Bae since he arrived in the United States from South Korea, so it was no surprise that the rookie infielder/outfielder gravitated toward the veteran.

And, after playing catch with Ke’Bryan Hayes on his first day in camp, McCutchen sounded like someone willing to Hayes under his wing and help him become the face of the franchise.

“I think we embrace the fact that he’s a leader,” Shelton said of McCutchen. “I would guess, and I have not talked to him about this, is that he’s just paying it forward. At some point there was someone that took him under their wing and was able to guide him. The fact that you get to a veteran status and you’re the person that he is. I think it speaks to the person that he is that he’s willing to take guys under his wing, talk to them and educate them, both pitfalls and really good things. The only way you can do that is if you have experience, but it really speaks to who Cutch is as a person, that he is willing to take guys and have conversations with them.”

Tyler Chatwood, Colin Holderman and Vince Velasquez (L-R) throwing bullpens on the back field at Pirate City. pic.twitter.com/ikO6KCuThE

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 16, 2023

4. Busy bullpen: Where the Pirates made three key offseason moves to add relievers, trading for righty Dauri Moreta, signing lefty Jarlin Garcia to a $2.5 million deal with a $3.25 million club option and selecting Jose lefty Hernandez in the Rule 5 Draft, the number of non-roster invitees has provided depth.

The Pirates added lefties in Caleb Smith, Angel Perdomo, Daniel Zamora and Rob Zastryzny and righties Tyler Chatwood, Wei-Chieh Huang and Nate Webb to minor league contracts.

All-Star closer David Bednar is assured of a job, but the newcomers could provide competition for returning relievers Wil Crowe, Chase De Jong, Yerry De Los Santos, Colin Holderman, Yohan Ramirez, Robert Stephenson and Duane Underwood Jr.

With Mitch Keller, JT Brubaker, Roansy Contreras, Hill and Vince Velasquez expected to comprise the starting rotation, it’s a possibility that John Oviedo and Luis Ortiz could be bumped to the bullpen competition, if needed.

“It is exciting, man,” Underwood said. “I think the world of these guys. It’s humbling to come into this locker room every day. I see the way these guys put in work and it motivates me to go even harder. Hopefully, we just bounce off each other like that. Anytime you have competition and you have guys going for it, it does nothing but a team up and bring the energy up. That’s all you want.”

Oneil Cruz working hard to stay at shortstop for Pirates, remain baseball's biggest oddity | https://t.co/hVDbdnrZ9M https://t.co/qU4KhqHAkD

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) February 18, 2023

5. Wait a second: When Cruz declared Castro his preferred double-play partner, it upped the ante for the competition at second base.

Castro entered camp as the favorite but the Pirates weren’t going to hand him the starting job, especially after a pair of embarrassing gaffes last season.

First, Castro didn’t run out a pop up against Arizona that first baseman Christian Walker allowed to drop so he could turn an easy double play. That got Castro demoted to Triple-A Indianapolis. In the first game upon his return to the majors, his phone popped out of his back pocket while sliding into third — a moment that went viral and got Castro a one-game suspension.

So Shelton is going to give Bae and Tucupita Marcano every chance to compete, if only to push Castro and demand more professionalism from the talented 23-year-old.

One player to watch in the infield is 31-year-old Chris Owings, a 2009 first-round pick by Arizona who has played in 710 career games with the Diamondbacks, Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies and Baltimore Orioles and once led the majors in triples (11 in 2016).

Owings could be this year’s versatility version of Josh VanMeter, albeit with a better bat. Owings has played every position but catcher and first base in his 10 major league seasons.

Shelton is excited to the camp competition come into focus.

“I think a little bit we’re in camp mode, which is kinda cool, because of the fact that we did have so many guys who showed up and were ready to hit the ground running,” Shelton said. “But (Monday is) different. Once you get everybody out there at the same time, everybody gets in pants, it’s the first full day, I think there’s a little bit different feel for it.”