Welcome to the Pirates mailbag, where Post-Gazette reporters Andrew Destin and Noah Hiles answer all of your questions about the ball club. If you have a question, find them on X at @AndrewDestin1 and @_NoahHiles or email them at adestin@post-gazette.com and nhiles@post-gazette.com. Andrew and Noah will answer your questions in full length each Thursday. Below are this week’s top questions.
Bob: Has there been any talk of going to a six-man rotation? They could work one of the young arms in.
Destin: Nothing at the moment, though that is of course subject to change. Using prior seasons as a precedent, it doesn’t seem like a six-man rotation is something manager Derek Shelton would like to operate with for an extended period of time during the regular season. It would limit his ability to deploy a particularly diverse bullpen and mess with the usual schedules of some of the Pirates’ more established starters like Mitch Keller and Andrew Heaney.
Hiles: As Andrew said, there hasn’t been a ton of talk about that throughout spring. That doesn’t mean we won’t see it. They have so many guys stretched out that it could always be an option. But right now, I think their plan is to go with a traditional five-man rotation to start the season.
Mike: You think Stewart has a chance to make the roster?
Destin: I would say he’s got the best shot of any nonroster invitee, but it is hardly a guarantee. The way I see it with DJ Stewart is the Pirates have a decision to make: Do they want to move somebody off the 40-man roster to add a potentially impactful bat, or do they think Spencer Horwitz’s absence will be so brief that they can weather the storm in the interim with the likes of Jared Triolo, Billy Cook and Nick Yorke? That’s the ultimate question.
Hiles: I think his chances continue to get better. He has become a regular in the starting lineup and continues to see more and more time at first base, where he looks comfortable. He’s hitting the ball well, which really helps his case. If I had to make a mock opening day roster, Stewart would be on it.
Sebastian: Will Hayes finally be traded?
Destin: I see no way Ke’Bryan Hayes gets traded, especially considering he’s dealing with some “left side tightness” as the Pirates put it. His eight-year, $70 million contract runs through the 2029 season with a club option for 2030, and Hayes has openly discussed the lingering back issues that have plagued him for the last few campaigns. Unless the Pirates are willing to sell low or even eat some of that contract, I see no way Hayes gets dealt before opening day.
Hiles: No. I’m not sure why people want to see him traded now. This new injury — if you even want to call it that — is very minor. He said he will be back this weekend, so let’s see if that ends up happening before we demand he gets shipped out of town. Also, as Andrew said, his trade value is very low due to his recent injury history. There is no reason to trade him right now.
Stephen: Have there been any discussions on Endy playing 1B? Seems like a logical answer given he’s recovering from TJ and has looked solid this spring.
Destin: Not based on what we are hearing at the Post-Gazette. The Pirates’ top priority for Rodriguez, who missed nearly all of 2024 due to elbow issues, is to get him back up to speed and comfortable at catcher. It’s worth noting that while on the surface it seems the Pirates have a surplus of catchers, there’s a lot of uncertainty at that position. Who’s to say Joey Bart repeats this season what he showed at the plate in 2024? Can Henry Davis hit enough to be an impactful MLB catcher? Neither of those questions has a clear-cut answer yet, in my opinion, so it makes a good deal of sense to keep Rodriguez behind the plate.
Hiles: What Andrew said. I know we’ve said this a ton throughout spring, but I will say it again: Had he not undergone elbow surgery, first base might be an option. But because he missed all of last season, they have to get him back to speed at his primary position before he plays elsewhere.
Frank: Who are your surprise picks to make the opening day roster?
Destin: I’ll do one pitcher and one position player — I think Joey Wentz overcomes the odds based on the plethora of lefties in camp, and Billy Cook’s elite defensive versatility is too much to keep him off the roster. Sure, Wentz doesn’t have as much guaranteed to him as fellow southpaws Caleb Ferguson and Tim Mayza do and he also has to fend off a nonroster invitee in Ryan Borucki, who was pretty darn good in 2023 when healthy. But I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Wentz this spring, and he deserves a spot as of right now. As for Cook, he can play so many positions and he can do it so well. That’s the kind of guy I’d want on any team, especially one that needs some more impact defenders in the outfield.
Hiles: I think three nonroster guys make the opening day club — DJ Stewart, Ryan Borucki and Tanner Rainey. Not sure if those would qualify for “surprise picks,” but that’s the best I’ve got.
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First Published: March 13, 2025, 9:30 a.m.
