The Pirates sent Dan McCutchen and Brad Lincoln to Triple-A yesterday, which helps clarify the roster picture just a little bit more with only a few days left to finalize things. As it stands right now, we can pretty be sure that the bullpen will include Hanrahan, Resop, Grilli, Watson, and Juan Cruz with Danny Moskos, Chris Leroux, Jared Hughes, and Evan Meek as candidates for the final two or three spots.
The biggest question at this point is whether the Pirates will carry 11 or 12 pitchers, I think, for the span of time that Charlie Morton is on the disabled list and the team doesn’t need a fifth starter. If they go with 11 pitchers, that means that there are two spots for Moskos, Leroux, Hughes, and Meek and they can keep Yamaico Navarro, Josh Harrison, and Matt Hague. If they go with eight relievers, they have to cut a position player.
I’d been of the opinion that the team would take 12 pitchers north, but that one of them would be Dan McCutchen for the purposes of being a swing man while the rotation takes time to pitch itself into shape. With McCutchen going down, I’m much more inclined to think that the team will take two from that final group of relievers (Leroux and … someone; I’d prefer Hughes, I’m guessing either Meek or Moskos will get the spot) and all three position players, but I guess we’ll wait and see.
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