3 key roster questions still looming for Pirates

TAMPA, Fla. -- There¡¯s just more than a week left in the Grapefruit League schedule, but that doesn¡¯t mean the Pirates¡¯ roster is set quite yet. A lot can happen in a week, either giving a player a late opportunity to earn a spot or seeing where other dominoes fall after making some decisions.

As the Pirates prepare for their final week of Spring Training, let¡¯s take a look at three questions that still need to be answered.

1. Who will be the second catcher?
This was one of the most intriguing roster battles coming into spring, and so far, it¡¯s lived up to the hype. Jason Delay is a solid defender, while Henry Davis and Endy Rodríguez have done really well at the plate. Davis is hitting the ball to all fields, something that he worked hard on this winter after becoming too pull-heavy in 2024, which has translated to an .836 OPS. Rodr¨ªguez is hitting .364 with a 1.108 OPS, and his swing has been feeling better now that he¡¯s had some reps against live pitchers after missing almost all of last year due to right elbow surgery.

¡°It feels pretty good,¡± Rodr¨ªguez said. ¡°The timing is there. I¡¯m feeling better.¡±

The question may be which player would most benefit from everyday at-bats in Triple-A. Rodr¨ªguez would seem to be the answer, but considering how he¡¯s hit so far this spring, it may be worth pushing him into the Majors. Davis showed he can crush Minor League pitching last year, and he¡¯s at a position in his career where he needs to prove that he can hit in the Majors. There¡¯s appeal to going with either of those two as the second catcher alongside Joey Bart.

2. How many lefties will the bullpen carry?
There were plenty of issues with the Pirates¡¯ bullpen last year, including missing a reliable lefty specialist. Aroldis Chapman was solid, but he was a late-inning leverage arm. Pittsburgh tried to replace an injured Ryan Borucki midseason through free agency and trades, but nothing clicked. Last season, left-handed hitters had a .267 average against the Pirates' left-handed relievers -- and walked at a 12% clip. That was the worst opponents' batting average in the National League in those situations, and the second-highest walk rate.

Borucki re-signed on a Minor League deal this winter, but he isn¡¯t the only southpaw now. Caleb Ferguson and Tim Mayza signed Major League deals, and Joey Wentz was solid in his brief cameo last September. It looks like the Pirates will have multiple lefties in the Opening Day bullpen, but how many can they use?

Borucki is much healthier than he was last season, and his new splitter could be an effective tool to get right-handers out. Ferguson has shown that he can go multiple innings this spring as the Pirates have explored using him as a starter. Mayza struggled in 2024, but he had a 1.52 ERA in 2023. Wentz has a solid curveball/cutter combo. There¡¯s a case to be made for all these lefties, but it¡¯s hard to envision the Pirates carrying four southpaws in the 'pen to start the year.

3. Who's on first?
Spencer Horwitz (right wrist surgery) is hitting off a tee and doing fielding drills, so he may not be too far away from getting into games. It¡¯s hard to see him being ready for Opening Day, though, so who will take over at first base in his absence?

Matt Gorski leads the team in home runs (four) and RBIs (13) this spring, and there is obvious appeal for having another right-handed bat in the mix since Horwitz had just a .522 OPS against lefties last year. DJ Stewart has made solid strides defensively at first base and has a career 100 OPS+ over 1,001 Major League plate appearances. Each would need to be added to the 40-man roster, but there¡¯s some upside to both.

Of course, the Pirates could just go with someone who is already on the 40-man roster, such as Jared Triolo, Nick Yorke or Billy Cook. Triolo is a Gold Glove-winning utility player and could handle the job, while Yorke and Cook are trying to crack their first Opening Day roster.

First base is Horwitz¡¯s job as soon as he gets back, which is why the Pirates have remained focused on internal options to fill the gap. But even a couple weeks in the everyday lineup could be a huge opportunity for any of these young players.