The Pirates announced their opening day roster Thursday, and their two biggest free agent signings were not on it. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal was the first to report outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall will be out 4-6 with a broken hand he suffered after being hit by a pitch Monday in Houston. J.B. Shuck will take his place on the team. Shuck, 31, struggled in Miaimi last season, but the minor league free agent jumped up the depth chart by slashing .372/.413/.558 over 46 plate appearances this spring. Right-hander Jordan Lyles will also start the year on the injury list after battling pain in his side all spring. His time on the IL is retroactive to Mar. 25. LHP Steven Brault earned a roster spot as a result. The Pirates also added Shuck, LHP Francisco Liriano and outfielder Melky Cabrera to the 40 man roster. To make room, RHP Edgar Santana was placed on the 60 day injury list, and pitchers Jake Barrett and Aaron Slegers were designated for assignment. Gregory Polanco (shoulder), Elias Diaz (illness), Dovydas Neverauskas (left oblique strain) and Jose Osuna (neck) were all placed on the 10 day injury list, too, all retroactive to Mar. 25.<doc-sep>RHP Nick Burdi and utilityman Pablo Reyes have been told by the Pirates they are making the opening day roster. The news comes from the Post-Gazette’s Nubyjas Wilborn. The Pirates confirmed right-hander Nick Kingham and infielder Kevin Newman made the team, too. Wilborn also writes the Pirates will take outfielder J.B. Shuck and left-hander Steven Brault to Cincinatti. Outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall exited early Monday after being hit by a pitch, and right-hander Jordan Lyles has been battling side pain this spring. If either one of them is placed on the injury list, Brault or Shuck will take their place. Shuck’s addition would require a corresponding move on the 40 man roster. Burdi, a 2017 Rule 5 pick who had to make the team or be returned to Minnesota, struck out 13 batters in 10 innings pitched this spring. Reyes slashed .302/.356/.491 with two home runs in 53 at-bats. The Pirates also announced pitchers Tyler Lyons, Brandon Maurer and Rookie Davis, catcher Steven Baron and outfielder Patrick Kivlehan were assigned to minor league camp.<doc-sep>PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 08: Jameson Taillon #50 is doused with Powerade and bubble gum by Starling Marte #6 and Josh Bell #55 of the Pittsburgh Pirates after throwing a complete game shutout against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on April 8, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) Finally, another long, miserable Pennsylvania winter is in the books. Spring is here. And, best of all, it is MLB Opening Day! Ladies and gentlemen our long, national nightmare is over…. Major League Baseball Opening Day is here! At 4:05 this afternoon Adam Frazier will dig into the dirt in the left-handed hitter batter’s box at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. When he does this he will stare down right-handed pitcher Luis Castillo and the 2019 Pittsburgh Pirates season will be underway. Opening Day should be a national holiday in this country. If we’re being honest, it’s a sin that it is not. Baseball is America’s past time after all. Instead of members of Congress arguing nonstop over minuscule issues, it’s time they come together, as red blooded Americans, and make MLB Opening Day a national holiday. 2019 is a season that has plenty of question marks for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but also plenty of promise. The Pirates will boast one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball. Earlier this week, their starting rotation was ranked as the nine best in all of baseball by FanGraphs and the seventh best by MLB.com, and this goes without mentioning what is also one of the five-to-ten best bullpens in the Majors. Simply put, pitching wins. When a team has a pitching staff capable of limiting an opposing offense, odds are, they are going to win more games than they will lose. In 2019, the Pirates have such a staff. The leader of this pitching staff is young righty Jameson Taillon. In 2018 Taillon put together his first full MLB season, and turned into one of the 10 best starting pitchers in the National League in the process. This led to him earning the Opening Day bid for the Pirates as both the team and Taillon look for the 27-year-old to continue to bud into a bonafide ace this season. As the old saying goes: hope springs eternal. With the start of the season of spring and the end of Spring Training upon us, hope is high within the Pirate Clubhouse due to the aforementioned pitching staff. This team believes, this team is confident, and that always bodes well for any team. A confident team of believers never quits. A confident team of believers is the type of team that is the hardest for opponents to put away. Expect this to be the case with the Battling Bucs of 2019. With Opening Day here, it’s time for us fans to think of an anticipate the fun times ahead. For every Taillon, Chris Archer, Keone Kela, and Felipe Vazquez strikeout. It is time to be in awe of each majestic home run hit by Gregory Polanco, Josh Bell, and Jung Ho Kang. Every dazzling play in the outfield by Starling Marte, and countless Francisco Cervelli fits pumps after a big out. Once again it is time for summer nights with friends and family at the best ballpark in America – PNC Park. It’s time for ballpark food, beverages, and fun. It is time to make memories that will last a lifetime. It is time for Pirates baseball.<doc-sep>This Spring Training, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a number of opportunities for young players and veterans to make a case for the 2019 opening day roster. As Opening Day approaches, Neal Huntington and Clint Hurdle will have to make a few tough decisions. There was plenty of competition this Spring for the Pittsburgh Pirates and their players, and with any competition there are always winners and losers. As Opening Day approaches, there are still a lot of question marks that the Pirates will need to answer in-season with how they play the game. Who will be the fifth starting pitcher? Will Jung ho Kang return to form? What will the bench look like? Who’s in the bullpen? These were the same questions being asked in October as the Pirates watched the post-season once again from the comfort of their couches. Neal Huntington seemed to answer some of these questions by crowning Kang as the Opening Day third-baseman and athletic infielder Erik Gonzalez as the starting shortstop. Questions still remain for both the bench and the bullpen. So, in order to figure this mess out, let’s take a look at who the winners and losers are for the Pirates this spring as we preview the 2019 campaign. I’ve only included in this list those players who certainly had a clear path to the big leagues and excluded players like Mitch Keller and Rookie Davis who generally weren’t expected to crack the top-25. Losers Colin Moran After a merely average rookie campaign, Colin Moran entered the Spring with higher expectations after slashing .272/.330/.411 with just 11 home runs and 54 RBIs from the hot corner and ranking among the bottom in defensive metrics around the league. However, it was still his position to lose and he did just that. Moran will be moved to a bench role where he will most likely split time backing up Kang at third and Josh Bell at first. Steven Brault & Nick Kingham Entering the Spring, Steven Brault and Nick Kingham were competing with newly signed free agent reliever Jordan Lyles for the fifth spot in the Pirates rotation. After posting 4.32 ERA and 4.35 ERA respectively, both Brault and Kingham failed to make enough noise take the position away from Lyles who, despite a high ERA, had the inside track to the position due to a mid-season adjustment that saw him improve not only his ERA, but his FIP and K% in the second half. Expect him to be the 5th starter to start the season. For Kingham, who is out of options, not much is known at this point as to what the Pirates plan to do. It seems most likely that the Pirates will add Kingham to the pen, joining Felipe Vazquez, Keone Kela, Richard Rodriguez, Kyle Crick, Nick Burdi, and Francisco Liriano. For Brault, who still has options, it seems likely that he will be optioned to Triple-A. It doesn’t seem likely that Tyler Lyons will make the roster, however, meaning the Pirates could take an 8th reliever if necessary. Yet, with Brault’s performance to date, it seems like a better idea to start him in the minors and go with just 7. Jose Osuna With a crowd of players in the outfield and at the corners of the infield, the odd-man out is Jose Osuna. He has failed to make even a whimper this spring after batting below .200 and will certainly not make the club at the beginning of the season. For Osuna, his time in Pittsburgh may finally be up. Tyler Lyons As I mentioned earlier, it is highly doubtful that the Pirates will keep Lyons on the 25-man roster. Lyons has a 8.38 ERA this spring and with the addition of Francisco Liriano, Lyons usage as a lefty-reliever seems unneeded at this point. Michael Feliz Coming over with Moran from Houston, the strong throwing reliever Michael Feliz was expected to be a strong addition to the bullpen. It hasn’t worked out that way. After a dismal 2018 campaign followed by a poor spring, Feliz has failed to nudge his way back into the pen and will start his season in Triple-A. Winners Erik Gonzalez Coming into Spring Training, Gonzalez, who has spent time in Cleveland as a utility infielder, was given the opportunity to win the starting shortstop position. His competition was top prospect Kevin Newman. Due to his slick glove and athleticism, Gonzalez beat out Newman for the position and will join Kang on what should be a very good defensive left infield for the Buccos. Jung Ho Kang After being away from the game for two plus season, Kang came into Spring Training with something to prove. After cranking 7 home runs including a walk-off grand slam, Kang has shown that his power potential is still there. On defense, he outperformed struggling Moran to claim third base for the beginning part of the season. Melky Cabrera After signing with the Pirates on a minor league deal, Melky Cabrera earned a spot on the Opening Day roster. He provides versatility in the outfield, being the best option to back Starling Marte in center, and has proven his strong contact ability is still there after posting a .300+ batting average this spring. Cabrera will join Lonnie Chisenhall and more than likely Pablo Reyes to back the outfield before Gregory Polanco returns. Francisco Liriano Like Cabrera, Liriano returned to the Pirates on a minor league deal with a shot at the major league roster. Liriano proved to be reliable this spring and seems to be a better long-relief and left-handed option when compared to Brault and Lyons. Pablo Reyes After a hot September debut and a strong spring, Reyes has more than earned a spot in the Pirates lineup as an every-other-day utility man after posting an .857 OPS in Spring Training. This is the final card for the Pirates, who will have to run with a 5-man bench that will include Reyes, Cabrera, Moran, Newman, and Jacob Stallings.<doc-sep>
The Pittsburgh Pirates are closing in on a finalized Opening Day roster The Pittsburgh Pirates are now less than 48 hours away from stating the 2019 regular season. However, before the team gets to Cincinnati for a three-game series against the Reds beginning on Thursday, they must finalize their 25-man roster. On Tuesday, the team announced that utility men Pablo Reyes and Kevin Newman have both made the Opening Day roster. The same goes for relievers Nick Burdi and Nick Kingham. These moves do not finalize their Opening Day 25-man roster, though. The team will be taking 27 players with them to Cincinnati. This is because it is unknown if outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall or pitcher Jordan Lyles will be ready for Opening Day. Due to this, outfielder JB Shuck and pitcher Steven Brault will travel with the squad to the Queen City. Chisenhall was hit in the right hand with a pitch on Monday night in Houston. He was immediately removed from the game and replaced by Melky Cabrera. He is currently day-to-day, but may need an injury list stint to begin the season. If the oft injured Chisenhall starts the season on the IL, Shuck, who had an excellent spring (.372/.413/.558 slash line) after signing as a minor league free agent, would make the team. He’d likely back up Cabrera and Reyes in right field until Chisenhall, or potentially Gregory Polanco depending on the severity of Chisenhall’s injury, returns. As for Lyles, the issue is he has yet to hit the 6 inning, 100 pitch threshold the Pirates like to see all of their starters reach before the end of Spring Training. In his final start of the spring, he threw 75 pitches in 5 innings of work. Lyles spring schedule was thrown out of wack due to cramping issues causing him to exit his penultimate spring outing after just 2 innings. While the Pirates would love to get Lyles one more start in the minors before his regular season begins, he can not be optioned to the minor leagues without being exposed on the waiver wire. Due to this, if they determine Lyles is not ready by Thursday’s noon deadline to finalize rosters, odds are, he will start the year on the injured list. If this happens, look for Brault to pitch out of the bullpen for the Pirates. With the way their April schedule sets up they will not need their fifth starting pitcher until April 7th. Lyles can be back from the injured list by then, allowing the team to start the season with eight relievers. In addition to deciding what to do with Brault, Chisenhall, Lyles, and Shuck, the Pirates also need to clear 40-man roster spots for Cabrera and Francisco Liriano. One of these spots will be opened up when Edgar Santana is moved to the 60-day injured list. Polanco, Elias Diaz, and most likely Jose Osuna will also be put on the 15-day injured list before first pitch on Thursday.