The Pittsburgh Pirates re-assigned some notable names today in their second round of cuts.
Today the Pittsburgh Pirates announced their second round of cuts, sending some notable names to minor league assignments.
The #Pirates also reassigned Juan Diaz, Adam Frazier & Dan Gamache to minor league camp.
There are now 45 players in big league camp.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 18, 2016
While most of the cuts were expected, there were some notable names on this list.
While it is almost a certainty that Josh Bell will receive a major league call-up at some point in 2016, there was never any indication that he would break camp and head north with the big league club. Bell has performed moderately well at the plate this spring, but has still shown to be adapting to the first base position defensively.
Gift Ngoepe has wowed many with his defensive talents during Grapefruit League play, but he is still very raw at the plate. He did receive a promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis last year, but collected only 71 plate appearances. His offensive play is still a work in progress, and another year of seasoning with the Indians to help his bat catch up to his glove was nearly a certainty.
Alen Hanson spent a full year at Indianapolis in 2015, tabbing 529 plate appearances and slashing .263/.313/.387. Though he had the soft prerequisite of 500 plate appearances at Triple-A that Neal Huntington routinely prefers, his role on the major league team is very unclear. With Sean Rodriguez able to handle backup second base duties, Huntington feels that they can take their time with Hanson, as he told 93.7 The Fan recently:
“We do not feel he’s ready to go be a major-league regular. But, could he come out here and take an opportunity that’s presented, without us feeling like we’re rushing him? It’s just consistency is what’s holding Alen back, and why we haven’t thought about him as a major league regular at this point in time.”
For both Ngoepe and Hanson, they may also be clear second line options behind Pedro Florimon, who has big league experience, and Cole Figueroa, who has impressed so far in Bradenton.
Of all of today’s cuts, John Holdzkom had possibly the best chance to make the club as the final piece in a potentially lethal bullpen. In the end, Holdzkom may have been a victim of his right-handedness. With Tony Watson currently the only sure left-handed option, the final relief spot will likely come down to Eric O’Flaherty, Kyle Lobstein or Cory Luebke, each of whom is a lefty.
UPDATE: As Neal Huntington spoke with reporters regarding today’s cuts, it was revealed that a drastic drop in velocity may have had more to do with Holdzkom’s reassignment than any other factor.
Huntington said John Holdzkom's velocity is resting 89-91 mph this spring, down from 96-97 mph. Holdzkom has not suggested he's injured
— Travis Sawchik (@Travis_Sawchik) March 18, 2016
With today’s cuts, the Pittsburgh Pirates now have 45 players in big-league camp.
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