OnlyBucs

My congrats to Alford for winning the competition to start in CF, and to Evans for making the team.



Both showed a few flashes of promise last year, but injuries ended their respective seasons before they really even got underway (even in a much shortened season).



While neither may experience long careers, it is good to see them get a chance.



Also hoping that Fowler can prove to be a useful player in Pittsburgh.

These are my two primary thoughts heading into the regular season:



1. I can't believe we're willing to start a season with this group of starting pitchers. It's going to be dreadful. Our offense had better be REALLY good (FYI it's not) if we're going to have a chance to win any games.



2. I can't believe what Newman and Frazier did this spring and I'd bet anything they'll both go into deep, prolonged slumps starting Thursday.

Frazier and Newman are both 0 for 2 in today's game. Frazier will soon be hitting less than .500. The slump has already kicked in.



I fully agree with respect to the starting pitching. Come May, Brubaker may be the staff leader with an ERA of less than 5.00.

I feel like the starting 8 and the bullpen are at least competent. Maybe not MLB average, but at least respectable.



Unfortunately the starting pitching is going to be so horrific this team is going to blow past 100 losses.



In any game, we'll be lucky if the starter goes 5 IP with 3 R. And that's the ceiling. The majority of games will be much worse than that. Get ready for a lot of 3.1 IP, 6H, 4R, 2BB.



Every member of the bullpen will have his arm fall off by mid-July.

Two more cuts after today’s game DeJong and Shreve. I am wondering if Clay Holmes will make the team?

It was either Shelton or Cherington today during the game who said that not being on the 40-man roster was a factor in decisions. The most recent cuts of Difo, Goodwin, Shreve and DeJong were all NRIs. Adding any of them means waiving a like number off the 40-man and hoping they slip thru to keep in AAA but possibly losing them on a waiver claim. I guess it's possible that they may try to make a minor trade of 1 or 2 players on the 40-man in lieu of waiving them to open up a slot for an NRI they would rather have on the 26 man roster. Right now they're looking at a 9-man BP with only 1 LHP after cutting Shreve, who's had a pretty good spring. So that move makes little sense. Especially if they are keeping the always problematic Feliz as an 8th RHP instead of Shreve as a 2nd LHP in the BP.

BC said that by later today they woud finish interviews and finalize the roster. If Holmes is kept, then who leaves the 40 man? If he's not kept, does he become a free agent?

221403030804310813001504610 wrote: BC said that by later today they woud finish interviews and finalize the roster.  If Holmes is kept, then who leaves the 40 man?  If he's not kept, does he become a free agent?
No, Holmes has a minor league contract with the Pirates. If he isn't added to the 40-man roster he just stays in AAA.