Update on remaining Pirates position battles after latest roster cuts

One of the final Pirates roster shuffles of the spring included a handful of notable players involved in a few key position battles.

First base and backup catcher were the two main spots up for grabs entering the week, and now the list of possible options has been narrowed just a bit.

Another Pirates roster shuffle has led to these remaining position battles in the last few days of spring training.

At first base, Spencer Horwitz was obviously the expected starter before the injury, and his absence left a wildly experimental list of options on the table for the Pirates to work with this spring. That included seven different players playing first base, but now, only two remain who are still battling for the spot.

Darick Hall and Matt Gorski were both optioned down this week, and were much in the race for first base reps. Hall was the player who FanGraphs projected to start at first on Opening Day, and Gorski was red hot this spring. That crosses their names off of the list, leaving two others.

DJ Stewart and Billy Cook are the two looking to make the team at first base, and will continue to compete for that spot in these last few games. Stewart is a non-roster invitee who has five doubles and a homer this spring, but has struck out at a 31.6% clip. Cook has minor-league options to work with and is on the 40-man, but he has struggled, posting a wRC+ of 86 with a just four hits this spring. This battle could go either way, after what they have provided thus far.

The other available spot is the backup catcher role. Jason Delay has been around the team the longest, in this catching group, but was just optioned to Triple-A. Henry Davis and Endy Rodriguez remain alive battling for the spot on the roster. Rodriguez has been doing well and is winning this spring, while Davis had a lot to prove entering camp and has not been that bad.

Rodriguez posted a 1.169 OPS across his first 34 plate appearances, and has struck out just three times. He has an edge over Davis on defense as well, and this positive impact from the bat is definitely helping his case. Davis has belted two home runs and driven in seven runs, but his OPS is down to .781.

Even with just a few spring games left, there are a lot of important details to watch for, and these position battles should not be ignored.