Pirates Officially Add Jhan Marinez To Their Roster

The Pittsburgh Pirates officially have a new player on the 25-man roster

A day after claiming right-handed reliever Jhan Marinez off waivers, the Pittsburgh Pirates have officially added him to their 25-man roster. To make room for Marinez on the 25-man roster the Pirates have placed fellow right-handed reliever Josh Lindblom on the 10-day disabled list. This keeps the Pirate bullpen at 4 right-handed pitchers and a trio of southpaws.

Josh Lindblom had been used in long relief and mop-up duty for the Pirates the past few weeks. He had pitched 10 1/3 innings allowing a staggering 18 hits, however, he did not allow a home run. Lindblom also walked 3 batters, struck out 10, and owned a 1.97 FIP and a 4.42 xFIP.

With Lindblom going on the DL, Wade LeBlanc would appear to be the frontrunner to replace him as the long man. After all, LeBlanc did begin the season in this role. However, due to the expanded role in the bullpen that LeBlanc has seen in recent weeks, it is also possible that this duty now falls on Johnny Barbato.

It will be interesting to see what kind of role Jhan Marinez will play in the Pirate bullpen. He has the ability to be a very solid relief pitcher with back end stuff, however, he has struggled this season. Furthermore, he will have to earn the trust of manager Clint Hurdle as well.

Knowing Hurdle, look for him to try and get Marinez into a game as soon as possible. If the opportunity presents itself, do not be surprised if we see Jhan Marinez’s Pirate debut this afternoon against the Phillies.

Even with his struggles this season, Jhan Marinez has a good track record. In 62 1/3 innings pitched last season he posted a 3.18 ERA and a 3.68 FIP while averaging 7.22 K/9, 3.03 BB/9, and generating a strong 50.3 percent ground ball rate.

Jhan Marinez will not be arbitration eligible for the first time until after next season. Due to this, he comes with 5 years of team control for the Pirates.

Next: Pirates Drop Game 1 vs Phillies

Jhan Marinez possesses a good fastball and a plus slider. He has the pure stuff to be a solid reliever for Clint Hurdle and the Pirates. It will be up to Ray Searage to help Marinez hone in his pitches and throw more strikes.