Pirates option Jose Osuna, set Opening Day roster

The Pirates have announced that they’ve optioned Jose Osuna and reassigned catchers Jacob Stallings and Jackson Williams, as well as outfielder Danny Ortiz. The moves set their Opening Day roster as follows:

PITCHERS

Gerrit Cole
Jameson Taillon
Ivan Nova
Chad Kuhl
Tyler Glasnow

Tony Watson
Daniel Hudson
Felipe Rivero
Antonio Bastardo
Juan Nicasio
Wade LeBlanc
Trevor Williams

CATCHERS

Francisco Cervelli
Chris Stewart

INFIELDERS

Josh Bell
Josh Harrison
Jordy Mercer
David Freese
John Jaso
Adam Frazier
Phil Gosselin
Alen Hanson

OUTFIELDERS

Gregory Polanco
Starling Marte
Andrew McCutchen

Significantly, the out-of-options Alen Hanson made the team. If he gets off to a poor start, it won’t surprise me if the Pirates designate him, but especially after it became clear Jung Ho Kang wasn’t going to to be available, there was little reason for the Pirates not to protect him.

The Pirates’ decision to option Osuna also isn’t a surprise. That he lasted on the roster this long was probably mostly a reward for his Bondsian .407/.492/.759 spring performance. Spring training stats don’t matter much, though, and Osuna only has 234 career plate appearances at Triple-A. If he continues hitting there, the Pirates will find a role for him soon enough, but given his full body of work, I think it’s at least as likely that this spring will turn out to be a flash in the pan, or mostly a flash in the pan. Or, hey, maybe it won’t, but I’d want to see him prove it in Triple-A first. Congratulations to him for making it this far, though.