Pittsburgh Pirates Players Fighting for a Roster Spot in Spring Training

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 14: Clay Holmes #52 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on June 14, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - JUNE 14: Clay Holmes #52 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on June 14, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 25: Jose Osuna #36 of the Pittsburgh Pirates is greeted by Erik Gonzalez #2 after coming around to score on a wild pitch by David Phelps #37 of the Chicago Cubs in the eighth inning during the game at PNC Park on September 25, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 25: Jose Osuna #36 of the Pittsburgh Pirates is greeted by Erik Gonzalez #2 after coming around to score on a wild pitch by David Phelps #37 of the Chicago Cubs in the eighth inning during the game at PNC Park on September 25, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

With time and options running out for these players, they are the ones with the most on the line to lose roster spots for the Pittsburgh Pirates upcoming 2020 season.

In Spring Training, every team brings in many prospects. But many have sat on the 40-man roster for the past few seasons, and haven’t yet found their footing in the MLB. After a couple of years, they get optioned to the minors, and eventually run out of minor league options.

This puts them in limbo of losing their roster spots. Sometimes, they are designated for assignment. The Pittsburgh Pirates have a few of these players entering spring training on the roster, and I wanted to go over their chances of making the 26-man, as well as their chances of getting optioned, or even being designated for assignment.

Like every team in baseball the Pirates will have some tough decisions to make this spring. With players that have plenty of talent but have yet to reach their full potential, general manager Ben Cherington will be in a tough position when it comes to roster decisions. The same goes for new manager Derek Shelton.