PITTSBURGH _ The Pirates have a problem.
OK, they have several problems as "summer camp" workouts begin Friday at PNC Park: starting pitching; overall depth; offense from the catching and center-field positions; and a potentially rugged division in which they will play 40 of their 60 games if games are played at all.
I could continue.
But the problem at hand is this: What are the Pirates going to do with Ke'Bryan Hayes and Cole Tucker in a year with no minor league baseball?
At some point, they need to find out if these two first-round picks, these two defensive-whiz infielders _ Hayes is a magician at third base _ can hit enough to be big league regulars. Hayes is 23. Tucker turns 24 on Friday.
How does the club balance their development with service-time considerations and the notion of contending for a playoff spot?
The answer cannot be pickup games in Altoona.
In a normal year, Tucker and Hayes likely would have begun at Class AAA Indianapolis. But as you probably heard Wednesday, there won't be any Class AAA. Or Class AA. Or Class A. The minor leagues were officially canceled for the year.
So where do your prospects get all their vital reps? That is a dilemma facing every organization, though some, such as the Pirates, depend on player development more than others _ at least in theory. Their youngest prospects will be languishing for months with no outside competition. They will lose an entire season, which could be disastrous.
As for Hayes and Tucker, they are close enough to big-league ready to use the majors to develop, so it's up to the Pirates to get creative and find them at-bats.
It's imperative, actually, as the club looks to build its future infield.
Hayes will have to wait, at least for a little while. He will likely begin the season with the Altoona taxi squad as the Pirates manipulate his service time in order to gain a year on the back end _ and that only makes sense.
But he'll be here sooner rather than later, and he must play. Adam Frazier and Colin Moran will likely be more productive than Hayes and Tucker, but it's hard to envision Frazier and Moran as future pieces. Both are in their late 20s. Moran is not a good defensive third baseman. Frazier is an ideal trade piece.
General manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton must find ways to get Hayes and Tucker involved regularly, even at the potential expense of winning a few games.
Nothing the Pirates did during the traditional offseason would indicate they had a serious interest in winning in 2020. They were all about assessment and building toward the future. That shouldn't change now that a 60-game season theoretically presents every team an opportunity.
I mean, if they were suddenly all-in on this season, then bring in Yasiel Puig and show it. Make a move. Otherwise, focus on finding out what you have.
If that means putting Hayes at third base regularly and using Moran as a designated hitter, so be it. If Hayes hits, win-win. If it means putting Tucker at shortstop and using Kevin Newman as a DH, great. If it ultimately means trading Frazier, moving Newman to second and giving Tucker 30 games at shortstop, that would be fine.
And remember, Frazier likely won't be here much longer, anyway.
Hayes came on late last season at Indy, hitting .327 in August. For what it's worth, he and Tucker hit well in spring training.
The Pirates spent the 24th overall pick on Tucker in 2014. They used the 32nd pick on Hayes a year later. Both have periodically tantalized.
It'd be great to accidentally contend in an alternate-universe season, to get off to a great start and be leading the division after three weeks. If it happens, we can revisit this conversation.
Meantime, back here in reality, this is no time to give Hayes and Tucker a year off. Let's see if they can hit a little bit.
