PITTSBURGH -- Phillip Evans provided a pretty simple explanation when asked why he signed a Minor League deal with the Pirates in December.

“They really wanted me here,” he said, “and I really wanted to be here.”

One Pirate really wanted him here: Joe Musgrove. The two San Diego residents are friends dating back to high school, when they played against each other and committed to San Diego State in the same recruiting class. They wound up living together while baseball was shut down, biding their time in what Evans described as a “cool little spot” in Pacific Beach.

When Evans told him the Pirates were in the mix of teams he was considering, Musgrove apparently went to bat for the 27-year-old super-utility man and sold him on Pittsburgh. Specifically, he sold him on the San Diego connections up and down the roster.

“His reaction was definitely convincing. Yeah, I’d say he had a part with it,” Evans said. “Just seeing those guys like [Kevin] Newman and [Steven] Brault and [Trevor] Williams, it just brings that San Diego feel to Pittsburgh, so I’m very excited about that.”

Heading into Spring Training, one might not have given Evans much of a chance of making the Opening Day roster. He has only 34 games of Major League experience, with the Mets in 2017-18, and he spent all of last season with the Cubs’ Triple-A Iowa affiliate. The Pirates were seemingly set on infielders, especially after retaining utility man Erik Gonzalez and signing JT Riddle.

But Evans had a strong camp, going 9-for-26 with a homer and three doubles. He ripped a 410-foot homer off Mike Clevinger in Monday night's exhibition against Cleveland and doubled off Adam Cimber, with all three balls he put in play at Progressive Field registering with an exit velocity over 95 mph. So with the designated hitter and a 30-man roster in play, Evans seems all but officially guaranteed a spot when the Pirates head to St. Louis on Thursday ahead of Opening Day.

“I feel pretty good. I think my career is just starting out,” Evans said. “Been bouncing around a couple other teams, but I like the fit here a lot. I like the guys. … Being here and seeing how hungry everyone is, I’m very excited to get this thing rolling.”

Evans can play every spot in the infield, and he’s occasionally played right field. That defensive flexibility makes him a useful bench player, especially if he's able to continue hitting the way he did in Spring Training and on Monday.

“His versatility plays,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “And the fact that he continues to put good swings on the baseball … I think his versatility allows us to do a lot of different things with him.”

Keller to start Game 3
No. 1 Pirates prospect Mitch Keller worked five innings during Tuesday’s intrasquad game at PNC Park, struggling through a rough second inning against most of Pittsburgh’s everyday lineup then finishing strong.

“I think today we saw him use all of his pitches. We saw the slider later in the outing become really effective. The ability to locate the fastball was sharper,” Shelton said. “This is a young kid who’s going to continue to grow into his stuff. I’m very happy with the pitching group that we have around him to try and help him develop.”

Keller’s outing came two days after Opening Day starter Musgrove and one night after Game 2 starter Trevor Williams. So, it came as no surprise when Shelton confirmed Tuesday night that Keller will start the Pirates’ third game of the season against the Cardinals on Sunday in St. Louis.

“Definitely another step of growth for him,” Shelton said. “Very excited that he will be Day 3 for us in St. Louis.”

With that announcement, Pittsburgh’s opening series rotation is officially set. Musgrove will face Jack Flaherty on Friday. Williams will line up against veteran Adam Wainwright on Saturday. And Keller will square off against righty Dakota Hudson on Sunday. That lines up Derek Holland to start Pittsburgh’s home opener next Monday against the Brewers, assuming he gets through Wednesday’s outing in good shape.

Jeremy Bleich, super-utility lefty
After Tuesday’s intrasquad scrimmage, Shelton joked that he wanted to name a new Opening Day starter: Jeremy Bleich, the former left-handed pitcher turned Pirates analytics staffer who took the mound and retired Newman, Bryan Reynolds and José Osuna in order.

Bleich, 33, pitched professionally from 2008-19 -- a career that included a strong '15 season in Pittsburgh’s organization. He is now a member of the front office, charged with translating quantitative analysis into actionable information for coaches and pitchers. But he’s done even more during Summer Camp, like donning pink-and-white catcher’s gear and a fanny pack to serve as the home-plate umpire during the Bucs’ early intrasquad games.

"As an umpire he was really, really good,” Shelton said. “We could track it on HawkEye [technology]. He was really consistent.”

The Pirates originally planned to have Bleich throw to their left-handers and switch-hitters, providing them with a different look in practice. That would also have given Bleich a way to keep his arm in shape as he prepared to pitch for Team Israel in the Olympics. But even with those plans postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bleich still found a way to pitch this summer -- and the Pirates were thrilled to see him get in on the action Tuesday night.

"I think he's got a really bright future in front of him in baseball, whichever area he decides to go. I'm happy he's part of our baseball ops group,” Shelton said. “I think it's sad that, with everything that's going on, he didn't get a chance to pitch this year in the Olympics, because any time you get that experience, it would be really cool. … But I'm excited he's part of our group."