General manager Neal Huntington said Saturday that he views Lyles as "Plan A" for the fifth spot in the Pirates' rotation, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.
Huntington also mentioned Steven Brault and Nick Kingham as candidates for the rotation vacancy, but Lyles looks to have the early edge on the gig heading into spring training. So long as he stays healthy during camp and performs reasonably well in Grapefruit League action, Lyles should be able to lock down the starting spot, though it wouldn't necessarily make him a viable fantasy option outside of NL-only leagues. The right-hander has proven volatile during his stints with the Astros, Rockies, Padres and Brewers over the past eight seasons, compiling a 5.28 ERA in 635.2 career innings as a starter.