After this morning’s round of cuts, 37 players remain in big league camp for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Notable cuts included Max Moroff, Nick Kingham, and Christopher Bostick. With Opening Day just over a week away, who might get that final bench spot?
There are three remaining candidates, Jose Osuna, Bryce Brentz, and Jordan Luplow. Each player presents a specific case as to why they should (or shouldn’t) head up north. Let’s be real. There is nothing special about any of these players right now. They are competing for the 25th spot on a roster that most see as mediocre at best. The spot is open though. Who’s going to grab it?
Jordan Luplow
Luplow strikes me as someone who will be included among the next round of cuts. He hasn’t really impressed this spring. Right now, his on base percentage is lower than his batting average but he does have four home runs. Yes, don’t worry, I am aware that spring stats mean nothing. Last season, Luplow didn’t exactly light the world on fire during his short stint in the bigs hitting .205/.276/.385 in 87 plate appearances. Small sample.
Luplow is still young. He won’t turn 25 until September. He only has 182 AAA plate appearances. Consistent at bats in AAA seems most likely for Luplow this season. Was last year’s minor league success just a fluke? We’ll find out.
Bryce Brentz
To me, Brentz is very similar to Luplow. Like Luplow, Brentz hasn’t hit well this spring. He’s actually hit much worse. Like Luplow, Brentz had a great season in the minors last year. He smacked 31 home runs in AAA. Both players are average to below average in the outfield. Brentz has -3 defensive runs saved in 199 career major league innings. Luplow has -2 in 181. Brentz is a more experienced minor leaguer. He is 29.
The one and only advantage Brentz has over both Luplow and Osuna is that he is out of minor league options. If the Pirate’s cut Brentz, he would have to clear waivers to be retained by the Pirates. Is it worth it to keep a player just because you don’t want to risk losing him? Or is it better to take your chances?
Jose Osuna
Right now, it looks like Osuna is the favorite to land the job. Like last spring, Osuna is lighting it up with the bat right now. Last season after getting called up to the Pittsburgh Pirates, he showed some flashes of promise but was mostly underwhelming with the stick. He hit .233/.269/.428 with wRC+ of 78 in 227 plate appearances. The biggest problem with Osuna is his inability to get on base consistently. .269 is an atrocious on base mark.
Osuna is a liability anywhere you put him in the field. Last season, he accounted for -9 DRS. -9 came in right field in 158.2 innings. -1 came at first base in 127.1 innings. Somehow, Osuna accounted for 1 DRS in left field in 87.2 innings last season. Oh wait, here’s how. For the record, probably 98 percent of outfielders catch that second ball. I can’t wait to see how Osuna fares at third base.
Like Luplow, it would be nice to see Osuna down in AAA getting consistent at bats.
My favorite option
In my opinion, none of these players are worthy to break camp with the Pittsburgh Pirates. A four man bench of David Freese, Sean Rodriguez, Adam Frazier, and Elias Diaz seems adequate to get the job done.
All of the listed players above would be the least favorable option to pinch hit late in games besides Diaz, the backup catcher. None of the players above can field particularly well and would never be used as a defensive replacement. They would also never be used to pinch run. Besides general depth, what value would they provide?
An extra arm in the bullpen would provide much more value, especially when considering the unknown that is the starting rotation. An extra arm would open the opportunity to get a little creative. The extra bullpen spot could go to the ultimate freelancing type arm. Tyler Glasnow anyone? He would be the perfect fit as a guy who would be asked to eat innings, piggyback starts, and keep the pitching staff fresh in general.
When it comes down to it, making the 25 man roster is almost as trivial as “earning” an Opening Day start. Things happen. Players get hurt. Sometimes suspended. All of the players listed above will contribute at some point in 2018 unless of course Brentz is cut and picked up by another team.
So why not open the season with an extra pitcher? If you run out of pinch hitters, someone like Steven Brault is capable of putting in a competitive at bat. It’s not the sexiest solution by any mans, but it would mean having more pitching weapons to use in what may be a trying season.
Image credit – Daniel Decker
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
