Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day Roster Prediction: New Year Edition

Now that the calendar has flipped from 2022 to 2023, what does the Pittsburgh Pirates projected Opening Day roster look like?

Welcome to 2023,Pittsburgh Pirates fans! With the calendar now flipped to the New Year the start of baseball season continues to get closer. In about six weeks, pitchers and catchers will report to Bradenton and spring training will be underway.

Between now and the start of spring training, and especially now and Opening Day, there will be changes to the Pirate roster. The team may look to add another bullpen arm or two, as well as a backup middle infielder. Adding another catcher can not be compeltely ruled out, either.

There is also the elephant in the room that is a potentialBryan Reynoldstrade. As of now Reynolds remains with the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, with him requesting a trade earlier in the offseason after long-term contract talks did not work out, that could change.

But as we look ahead to Opening Day and do our latest roster projection, we will do so with Reynolds still in the fold. Until Reynolds is traded, if he's traded, he remains a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates and a key piece in their lineup.

Catcher - Austin Hedges, Tyler Heineman

When the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Austin Hedges to a one-year, $5 million deal it became clear that he will be the team's primary catcher in 2023. His catching partner remains a bit of a mystery though, as highly touted prospect Endy Rodriguez is the only other catcher currently on the 40-man roster.

During the Winter Meetings manager Derek Shelton stated that Rodriguez will start the season in the minor leagues. While this did not come as a surprise, it confirmed that someone who was not on the 40-man roster at the time would be making the Opening Day roster.

Prior to signing Hedges the Pittsburgh Pirates re-signed the defensive minded Tyler Heinemanto a minor league deal. Heineman spent last season with the Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays. Right now, it appears likely that the Pirates will add Heineman to their 40-man roster and carry him as their second catcher when the regular season begins.

The Pirates could add another catcher to go with Hedges. However, with Heineman being more than serviceable as a backup catcher and the Bucs having two top 100 catching prospects in the upper minors who should graduate to the majors in 2023, odds are Heineman will be the guy.

Outfield - Ji Hwan Bae, Bryan Reynolds, Jack Suwinski, Connor Joe

It seems likely that Ji Hwan Baecracks the team's Opening Day roster. He has nothing left to prove in the minors and was very impressive in his short MLB stint last season. While he could serve a backup infield role, and he may still see some starts in the infield on starter's off days if another middle infielder isn't added, with the current makeup of the team's roster Bae could be in line to start in left field.

Center feidl is set in stone. If Bryan Reynolds is not traded, he will be the team's starter in centerfield while bebeging a key cog in teh team's lineup. Until Reynolds is traded, we'll consdier him part of this team's roster.

Right now it would appear that right field will be a platoon between Jack Suwinski and offseason addition Connor Joe. Suwinski hit right-handed pitching very well last season, but struggled mightily against left-handed pitching which makes him a prime platoon candidate. Joe would likely be his partner.

Starting Rotation - Mitch Keller, Roansy Contreras, Rich Hill, Johan Oviedo, Vince Velasquez, JT Brubaker

The Pirate starting rotation quietly has some quality depth. Especially with Quinn Priester, Mike Burrows, and Luis Ortiz all slated to start at the Triple-A level and be on the door step of the major leagues.

To start the season, however, it would not be a surprise to see the team go with a six-man rotation, which is not uncommon early in seasons. Mitch Keller, Roansy Contreras, and Rich Hill are all locks to be in the Opening Day starting rotation. Having Johan Oviedostart the year in the minors or the bullpen would make little sense, especially after how well he pitched in seven September starts last year.

Starting with a six-man starting rotation also allows the Pirates to watch innings and the work load of pitchers early in the season. You could also see a situation where Velasquez and Brubaker are used in a piggybacking role to begin the season.

If the Pittsburgh Pirates do start the season with a more traditional five-man starting rotation then likely Velasquez or Brubaker would be pushed to the bullpen. But to start the season, look for a six-man rotation to be a real possibility.

Bullpen - David Bednar, Wil Crowe, Robert Stephenson, Colin Holderman, Jarlín García, Jose Hernandez, Chase De Jong

The bullpen is a bit more difficult to predict. There are certianly arguments to be made for Yohan Ramirez and Yerry De Los Santos, assuming the ladder is healthy, to also crack the Opening Day bullpen. However, having minor league options may hurt them.

We'll start by looking at the stone cold locks. David Bednar is an All-Star and one of the best high-leverage arms in the National League. Jarlín García was added in free agency to boost the bullpen, and Jose Hernandez will be there to as the seocnd lefty. Hernandez, as a Rule 5 Draft addition, must remain on the active roster all season as well. Chase De Jong is out of options and coming off the best season of his career, he'll be the long/swing man. Colin Holderman was acquired in the Daniel Vogelbach trade for a reason, he'll also be in the Opening Day bullpen.

That leaves two more spots in the bullpen. Right now the safe bets for these spots would be Wil Crowe and Robert Stephenson.

While Crowe struggled mightily down the stretch last season, the Pirates need to find out who the real reliever Crowe is. The Crowe who was lights out the first three months of the season or the Crowe who limped to the finish line.

As for Stephenson, the former first-round pick has electric stuff as a reliever. After being acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates late last season he was excellent for the Bucs in September. Have the Pirates helped Stephenson figured something out and turn a corner? The hope is yes, and this gets him an Opening Day bullpen spot.

In addition to De Los Santos and Ramirez, Zach Thompson, Duane Underwood Jr., Colin Selby, and Dauri Moreta could all compete for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen as well. If Hernandez struggles in the spring and the Pirates determine they do not want to attempt to keep him on the roster for the entire season, this could open up a spot. The bullpen could be a spot that sees the predictions fluctuate throughout the spring.