It took a bit longer than he hoped, but Bubba Chandler is officially in the Major Leagues.
The Pittsburgh Pirates promoted their top pitching prospect on Wednesday, finally bringing him up from Triple-A Indianapolis. He arrived at PNC Park on Friday ahead of the Pirates’ series opener against the Colorado Rockies and will likely make his MLB debut this weekend.
While Chandler’s a starting pitcher, Pittsburgh plans to use him out of the bullpen initially to help him acclimate to the Major Leagues, similar to what they did with Braxton Ashcraft earlier this year. Some have criticized the idea, however, given that the Pirates are 20 games below .500 and out of contention. If he’s going to be a starter eventually, then now seems like a good time to let the 22-year-old get some experience in that role.
Former closer Adam Ottavino agrees with Pittsburgh’s strategy, however, based on his comments on MLB Network on Friday.
“When you start out of the bullpen, it does teach you a little bit about what coming out of the gate hot should look like, and you can actually translate that back to starting relatively easily,” Ottavino said. “I think this might be a good move depending on Bubba’s personality, and I’m really looking forward to him getting his feet wet in this way.”
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Ottavino, who pitched for 15 seasons in the Major Leagues, cited other examples of great starting pitchers who began their careers as relievers, including Corbin Burnes and Adam Wainwright.
In Pittsburgh’s defense, Chandler struggled over the last few months at Triple-A, so perhaps using him in shorter stints will help him get his confidence back. It will also help the team limit his innings down the stretch and preserve his arm for next year.
Regardless, Pirates fans are excited to see what he can do on the mound, especially against the Rockies’ lackluster lineup.
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