Pittsburgh Pirates: Players Most Likely to Come Off the 40-Man Roster Before Opening Day

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Relief pitcher Duane Underwood Jr.

Like De Jong, Duane Underwood Jr. is a relief pitcher who is out of minor league options. This could put Underwood Jr. in a tough spot in terms of a 40-man roster spot. However, he likely has higher odds than De Jong does of cracking the Opening Day roster.

While De Jong had a better ERA than Underwood Jr. last season, Underwood Jr. has the far superior stuff between the two pitchers. Due to this, Underwood Jr. also has the far superior ceiling between the two.

There are plenty of reasons to still be intrigued by the right arm of Underwood Jr. Due to this, he will likely head north with the team to Cincinnati for Opening Day but that is not a given. Since it is not a given, he is in the discussion here.

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