What will the Pittsburgh Pirates do with Dovydas Neverauskas?

Reliever Dovydas Neverauskas is out of minor league options and pitched well in the Grapefruit League. So, what will the Pittsburgh Pirates do with him?

Way back when Spring Training began, the Pittsburgh Pirates were going to have decisions to make with their bullpen. Entering Grapefruit League play, relievers Chris Stratton, Clay Holmes, Dovydas Neverauskas, Michael Feliz, and Nick Burdi were all out of options. As a result, the team had a decision to make with each of these pitchers.

Early on in Grapefruit League action Holmes fractured his foot. As a result he was expected to miss 4-6 weeks and start the season on the inured list. However, MLB’s suspension of play and delay of the start of the regular season should give Holmes enough time to get healthy for whenever Opening Day rolls around.

As for the other four pitchers, due to his potentially dominant stuff Burdi always appeared to be a lock for the Pirate bullpen. Feliz also appears to be in good shape due to his flashes of brilliance the last two seasons to go with his strong spring performance.

As for Neverauskas, he entered the spring behind the eight ball. Despite a power fastball and a plus curveball, he has never found success at the MLB level. In 61.2 career MLB innings the past three seasons, Neverauskas owns a 6.71 ERA, 5.99 FIP, 2.19 HR/9, and a 9.0% walk rate. Not good, friends!

During Grapefruit League play, however, Neverauskas was a different pitcher. In 5.2 innings of work Neverauskas allowed just two runs on no home runs, five hits, two walks, and strikeouts. This is the type of pitching that presents the Pirates with a tough decision to make.

While it is difficult to give much credence to Spring Training numbers, there is no denying that Neverauskas did all he could to earn a roster spot before the suspension of Spring Training games. If he can continue to pitch well whenever Spring Training games continue, and there will be Spring Training games to be played before any sort of regular season begins, Neverasukas just may force the Pirates’ hand.

The Pirates will face a tough decision with Neverauskas. With at least six of the eight bullpen spots appearing to be sowed up, decisions will have to be made. These decisions could hinge largely on how pitchers perform after spring training games resume. If Neverauskas continues to pitch well, he just may pitch his way onto the team’s Opening Day roster.