The MLB's second-best record couldn't get the Pittsburgh Pirates a division title. It couldn't even get them to the NLDS. The Buccos are heading back to the drawing board and have many questions to answer regarding their starting rotation, which is expected to lose at least A.J. Burnett and J.A. Happ.
Rumors suggest Pittsburgh might need some help from their farm system, specifically prospects Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon.
It's unknown if the Pirates will opt to retain Jeff Locke because they have an out with him, as opposed to Charlie Morton, who is guaranteed $8 million next season. Morton had a poor 2015 campaign, but unless the Pirates can find a trade partner, they'll be stuck with him. The rotation could be down three starters at the beginning of the offseason depending on what the team does with Locke.
If they were planning to replace one of the missing pieces with Vance Worley, they won't be able to do that anymore. The right-hander was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday, according to Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
This could open the door for prospects Glasnow and Taillon.
"The Bucs could non-tender Locke or trade him this offseason, or they could keep him and replace him with top prospect Tyler Glasnow after the Super Two threshold passes in June," writes Charlie Wilmoth of MLBTradeRumors.com. "Jameson Taillon, who's recovering from injury, could also be a possibility at some point. They could, of course, also just promote Glasnow to start the season, although that seems unlikely. Historically, they've waited to promote nearly-ready prospects like [Gerrit] Cole and Gregory Polanco until mid-June, and after 41 innings at Triple-A Indianapolis in which Glasnow racked up strikeouts but wasn't consistent, the Pirates could reasonably claim he could use the extra couple months in the minors."
Glasnow made great strides in the minors this past season and jumped from Double-A to Triple-A after just 12 starts. He finished 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 48 strikeouts in eight starts (48 innings) at Triple-A. Rumors suggested he had a chance to make his MLB debut when rosters expanded in September, but GM Neal Huntington opted to keep him in the minors.
As for Taillon, the right-hander suffered a setback in his return from Tommy John surgery back in July and needed another procedure to repair an inguinal hernia. He missed all of 2015 as a result and hasn't pitched since the 2013 season when he finished 4-7 with a 3.73 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 143 strikeouts in 26 games (25 starts), totaling 147 1/3 innings.
According to Baseball America, Glasnow is the organization's No. 1 overall prospect and Taillon is No. 5 overall.
"Glasnow and Taillon could be ready at some point next season, but Glasnow has only eight starts above Class AA, and Taillon has not pitched in an affiliated game since 2013 because of elbow and hernia surgeries," Brink added.
As for other prospects in the Pirates' organization, Brink noted that Nick Kingham (made six starts at AAA before undergoing Tommy John surgery) won't be ready and Casey Sadler's health is in question after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in his throwing elbow in July.
All in all, they might only have one realistic option in the minors with Glasnow.
If they lose Happ, then the Pirates can still explore free agency and land a decent starter in a class full of high-profile names. They could take a look at Marco Estrada, Doug Fister, Hisashi Iwakuma, John Lackey, or someone else of that caliber who won't command a long-term lucrative contract.
Nonetheless, don't be surprised if we see an MLB debut from a Pirates prospect (or two) in 2016.
