Cole Figueroa to make Pirates' Opening Day roster

Infielder Cole Figueroa will make the Pirates' Opening Day roster, Rob Biertempfel tweets. This means Jason Rogers will head to Indianapolis, and the Bucs will try to get Pedro Florimon, who is out of options, through waivers.

Figueroa surely is appealing to the Pirates for any number of reasons. First, he can play shortstop, which helps on a bench that will also feature Chris Stewart, Mike Morse, Matt Joyce and Sean Rodriguez. Second, he has a bit of on-base ability (with a career .375 minor-league OBP), which means that, unlike with Florimon, you can use him as a pinch-hitter without it being a waste of an out (Florimon's famous walk-off triple aside). And third, he's a cerebral, curious player who can further improve the synergy between the Pirates' field staff and front office.

Neal Huntington identified Figueroa last December as a non-roster invitee he was particularly high on, so it perhaps isn't surprising he'll apparently get the nod. He only has 57 career big-league plate appearances, so making the team will be a big deal for him. Hopefully, he'll make the most of the opportunity.