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Pittsburgh Pirates: Four Non-Tender Candidates
By Marty Leap
Super utility man Wilmer Difo
Last offseason the Pittsburgh Pirates signed veteran utility man Wilmer Difo to a minor league contract. With the ability to play third base, shortstop, second base and all three outfield spots, Difo looked like a safe bet to crack the team’s Opening Day roster.
While Difo wound up starting the season with Triple-A Indianapolis he spent most of the season in the Majors. The switch hitting Difo went on to accumulate 240 plate appearances in 116 games with the Pirates.
Difo had an overall strong season hitting for a .269/.329/.384 slash line to go with a 95 wRC+. He was also one of the best pinch hitters in all of baseball. That said, there are plenty of players out there who can give you what Difo does as a player.
Like Kuhl, Difo is only under team control through the end of the 2022 season. Combine this with players like Difo being easy to come by, and, odds are, he will fall victim to the 40-man roster purge that will be required this offseason to protect players from the Rule 5 Draft, while also adding likely offseason additions to the starting rotation and bullpen.