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We have written before regarding just how difficult Jose Osuna is making things difficult for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Not much has changed since then.
In case you missed it, Osuna once again went yard yesterday in impressive fashion. The game was not televised, but luckily for you, PBD has your highlights.
That was a massive shot, and the perfect stroke that Osuna laid on that ball is indicative of the perfect storm that Osuna has found himself in. The World Baseball Classic and the subsequent absences of Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco, Josh Harrison and Andrew McCutchen also helped Osuna accumulate at-bats he likely would not have seen otherwise. Jung Ho Kang‘s absence from camp also contributes towards Osuna’s breakout.
It seems like we are saying this every other week, and it also seems that we need to say it again: Jose Osuna is still a longshot to break camp with the Pittsburgh Pirates. This is more of a function of how the team is currently constructed then any fault of Osuna’s, even before his excellent spring. With Alen Hanson serving as the likely backup shortstop – Adam Frazier is listed as the team’s backup, but did not play at the position in 2016 – his subsequent near-lock on a roster spot leaves Osuna the odd-man out.
But, if you’re the Pittsburgh Pirates, do you live with adequate, if not spectacular, defense from Frazier at SS to keep Osuna’s bat in the lineup? Or, more likely, do you keep an extra bat through the first month of the season, when a fifth starter would not necessarily need to be on the roster? That scenario may be the lone option resulting in Osuna starting the year with the big league club.
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