Three Potential Pirate Players That Could Be Cut When Rosters Downsize

With the new rules for 2020 in place, the Pittsburgh Pirates will have to cut two players off their 30-man roster in a week and a half. These three could be on the team’s chopping block.

Believe it or not, we are already five games into the 202 MLB season. Despite being just five games into the season, we might already have a preview of a few of the Pittsburgh Pirates players that could be in trouble when rosters downsize.

Currently, the Pirates have 30 men on their active roster. After two weeks, teams will have to downsize their roster to 28 players, and then after two more weeks, teams will have to eliminate two more players off their active roster.

Every team in baseball will be facing difficult decisions when rosters shrink on August 6, but for the Pittsburgh Pirates the decisions may not be as difficult. That is because there are already a few players sticking out as ones in danger of losing their roster spots.

Even though we are early in the season, these players are already fighting for their roster spots, but losing that battle. In a week and a half, these three players could be optioned, designated for assignment or outright released.

Relief Pitcher Miguel Del Pozo

After spending nine years in the minor leagues with the Florida/Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, left-handed reliever Miguel Del Pozo finally made his MLB debut in 2019. Well, in 9.1 innings of work with the Angels he showed why he had been a career minor leaguer.

Del Pozo allowed 11 earned runs on 10 hits, eight walks and three home runs in his 9.1 innings of work. This led to the Angels designating him for assignment, and Del Pozo signing as a minor league free agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates this past off-season.

When summer camp started, Del Pozo was with the group of players working out in Altoona. Well, after Kyle Crick and Clay Holmes were placed on the injured list on Tuesday, Del Pozo was recalled to join the Pirate roster.

Del Pozo would pitch for the Pirates on Tuesday night, and it was a disaster. He faced four batters, three of these batters walked and the fourth hit a double. He was then removed from the game for Geoff Hartlieb.

Honestly, it would be shocking if Del Pozo is not one of the two players taken off the Pirate roster on August 6. That is, if Del Pozo even lasts that long with the Bucs.

Relief Pitcher Richard Rodriguez

It would have sounded crazy two years ago that Richard Rodriguez might be on the chopping block. Rodriguez had an outstanding 2018 with a 2.47 ERA, 2.60 FIP and 1.06 WHIP in 69.1 innings pitched. Rodriguez was a huge strikeout pitcher, getting 31.5% of the batters he faced down in strike three, and walking them at a rate of just 6.8%. Plus, he only gave up five home runs. Rodriguez finished that year with a 1.3 fWAR, which was in the top 30 of all relievers in baseball.

However, the wheels fell off last year. Rodriguez may have had a solid-looking 3.72 ERA, but he got worse. Through 65.1 innings, his strikeout rate dipped to just 22.1% and his walk rate went up to 8.1%. Home runs became a huge problem for Rodriguez. He gave up nearly triple the amount of home runs he did in 2018, surrendering 14 long balls.

The long ball might still be an issue for the right hander in 2020. Rodriguez ha already allowed a home run. In his first outing of the season he surrendered a two-run home run to Paul DeJong during the first game of the season, which ended up being the game winning hit for the St. Louis Cardinals that night. Though he did pitch a perfect inning on Monday, the concerns about Rodriguez still remain.