2020 Pirates season preview: The rebuild begins in earnest

Things were looking bleak in Pittsburgh even before the Pirates knew they would be without right-hander Chris Archer for the duration of the season. Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic bringing fan attendance into serious question, that beautiful ballpark may remain empty even when games are being played.

As frustrating as it must be for the Pirates faithful to see the team enter another rebuild - especially after watching the likes of Andrew McCutchen, Gerrit Cole, and Starling Marte get traded away in recent years - there are signs of life. Young players like Mitch Keller and Ke'Bryan Hayes will receive opportunities, and home run machine Josh Bell is still kicking.

The biggest offseason change came in the front office, as longtime general manager Neal Huntington was fired and replaced with Ben Cherington. Patience will be a virtue, as the young Buccos likely won't win a ton of games in 2020.

2020 Breakdown

2019 record: 69-93
Payroll: $69,589,500
Projected record: 24-36 (5th)
World Series odds: +50000
3-year trend: 2017 (4th); 2018 (4th); 2019 (5th)
Key addition: Guillermo Heredia
Key subtraction: Starling Marte
Highest projected WAR: Joe Musgrove (0.9)
X-factor: Colin Moran
Prospect to watch: Ke'Bryan Hayes
Winter report card: D

Projected Lineup

Bench

Bell will need to carry the load, at least until he gets dealt in the continuing rebuild. That's not to say the lineup is void of talent or value, but there's a significant lack of punch even if Reynolds and Frazier are perfectly fine hitters. Gregory Polanco - who's never lived up to expectations - was penciled in to be a middle-of-the-order bat prior to hitting the injured list. For the Pirates to surprise, they'll need players like Moran to find a new ceiling.

Rotation

Without Archer or Jameson Taillon, the Pirates' pitching staff is simply not in a position to make up for a middling lineup. Musgrove is a legitimate breakout candidate and Keller may be in line for Rookie of the Year votes, but it looks like it's going to be tough sledding.

Bullpen

The bullpen is pretty good on paper. The Pirates could leverage any number of these relievers into decent trade chips. Keone Kela likely would have had the most trade value before being placed on the IL since he's the most established option as a closer, but Crick could be a ninth-inning option if he can rein in his control after posting an 11.20 K/9 in 2019.

Key injuries/absences

(Projected WAR/ERA source: FanGraphs)