The Pirates Don’t Want to Dare to Be Great

PHOTO BY HARRISON BARDEN/PITTSBURGH PIRATES

There was reason to contemplate, initially, as the offseason progressed to suspect, to anticipate even, how the campaign the Pittsburgh Pirates open today against the New York Mets would be different.

It may yet work out that way, but if it does, it’ll be in spite of the Pirates as they continue to try to do things the hard way.

Yes, they’ll have Paul Skenes on the mound for openers, but they’ll also start with Konnor Griffin in Class AAA Indianapolis rather than at shortstop in Flushing, N.Y.
That’s on them until if, and when, they rectify it.

General manager Ben Cherington said this week that when the Pirates opened spring training they “weren’t closed off to the idea totally,” of Griffin — the prized position-playing prospect in all of baseball at just 19 years of age — making the opening day roster.

In other words, they weren’t counting on Griffin doing so.

If that was the case, though, why are they playing their third baseman, Jared Triolo, at shortstop, plus a guy who should be coming off the bench, Nick Gonzales, at third?
The Pirates consider Triolo “above average defensively,” at shortstop, Cherington maintained.

Griffin’s upside is higher, and his offensive upside is higher than anyone at any position on the field. While he didn’t hit for average in spring training, and struck out frequently, he also hit for power.

It sounds like he’s ready to play Major League Baseball the way the game is being played these days — but the Pirates think otherwise. The team is being painfully cautious in preparing him for his eventual debut.

In doing so, they’re not only not giving themselves their best chance to win, they’re slamming the breaks on what could have been a compelling, season-long story.
The worst that could have happened, had Griffin started the season with the Pirates and failed, is he would have eventually been sent to the minor leagues for more seasoning.

In which case the Pirates would have had to play without him — as they’re content to do so intentionally now.

If such an experience threatened Griffin’s confidence and long-term prospects (it didn’t for Mickey Mantle, which seems like an apt comparison given Griffin’s perceived ceiling), then Griffin isn’t the guy everyone seems to be convinced he is in the first place.

Why not instead bet on Griffin growing into the generational player everyone perceives him to be?

PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

What the Pirates have opted for is a lineup that’s better offensively than last season’s anemic attack thanks to the few batters they’ve added, but still might not be good enough. It’s also one that’s potentially suspect defensively in the infield as well as the outfield.

Maybe Skenes and the pitchers can just strike everybody out. It’s no wonder Cherington was intentionally vague when asked about expectations.

“Just own the stuff we value every day,” he said. “What gives us the best chance to win the game that day and selling out to whatever that is in our practice and our process and our prep and our communication. Review that after the game, did we hit that mark or fall short?

There’s going to be an outcome every day, we know that. There will be individual outcomes for players. There will be a team outcome. Just sell out to the processes and behaviors that we believe in, and stay there and hold each other accountable to that.”

His response to a follow-up question about making the playoffs, something the Pirates haven’t achieved since 2015, was equally vague.

“Inside the clubhouse we’re focused on what we need to do to give ourselves the best chance to win, the processes that give us the best chance to win,” Cherington continued. “Look at the great teams around the world, the people inside those locker rooms, they don’t talk about it, they don’t use the word. They just focus on what it takes to give themselves the best chance to do that, and that’s where we’re gonna stay.”

Well, when you put it that way, play ball!