Notes From The March 26th Edition Of The Neal Huntington Show

Mar 16, 2017; San Diego, CA, USA; Dominican Republic outfielder Gregory Polanco (25) reacts as he rounds the bases after a one run home run against Venezuela during the 2017 World Baseball Classic at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2017; San Diego, CA, USA; Dominican Republic outfielder Gregory Polanco (25) reacts as he rounds the bases after a one run home run against Venezuela during the 2017 World Baseball Classic at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Notes from the March 26th edition of the Neal Huntington Show

Every Sunday during baseball season Pirate general manager Neal Huntington meets with Greg Brown to do his weekly radio show. Earlier today Huntington discussed a wide variety of topics on his radio show. Read on for a synopsis of what was discussed.

First off, the Pirates’ injuries. Left fielder Gregory Polanco is dealing with a sore shoulder and backup catcher Chris Stewart tweaked his hamstring on Friday.

Huntington said the Pirates are ‘hopeful’ to have both Polanco and Stewart on Opening Day. Obviously, not having Gregory Polanco to open the season would be a bigger blow to the Bucs than not having Stewart.

If Gregory Polanco were to start the season on the disabled list, then Jose Osuna should be a lock to make the team out of camp. He may even open the season as the starting left fielder. If Chris Stewart is not ready, Elias Diaz will be Francisco Cervelli‘s backup.

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Speaking of Cervelli, he was scratched from Sunday’s game due to a sore foot. However, Huntington did not sound worried about this. My guess is that if this were the regular season, Cervelli would have played today.

Next, there is the construction of the Pirates’ roster to start the second. Neal Huntington said the Pirates will take a ‘traditional’ 25-man roster north next Monday. This means 13 hitters, 7 relievers, and 5 starting pitchers. There had been some speculation the Pirates

There had been some speculation the Pirates may take an extra hitter north to start the season due to having the designated hitter in their season-opening series at Fenway Park. However, this will not be the case.

He also said that the final 25-man roster will not be announced until after the final exhibition game in Montreal next Saturday. He added that it may not be announced until Opening Day. So be patient, Pirate fans.

Neal Huntington also touched on Rule 5 Draft selection Tyler Webb. If Webb does not make the roster out of Spring Training the Pirates will have to return him to the New York Yankees. When asked if Webb would make the team or be returned to the Yankees, Huntington said: “we’re still working through that.”

Right now five spots in the Pirates’ bullpen are locked up. Tony Watson, Felipe Rivero, Juan Nicasio, Daniel Hudson, and Antonio Bastardo are locked into the Opening Day bullpen. Webb is competing with Jared Hughes, Josh Lindblom, and Wade LeBlanc for the final two bullpen spots. The losers of the competition for the fifth rotation spot could make the pen, too.

Next: How To Construct The Pirate Lineup

That will do it for today’s edition of the Neal Huntington Show. As the regular season progresses, check in here at Rum Bunter every Sunday morning for news and notes from the Neal Huntington Radio Show.

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