Pirates Option Four Pitchers, Outfielder Valdez to Triple-A Indianapolis
Pittsburgh Pirates optioned four right-handed pitchers and outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez to Triple-A Indianapolis, trimming major-league camp to 54 players.
The Pittsburgh Pirates made a wave of spring training cuts, optioning right-handed pitchers Brandan Bidois, Wilber Dotel, Thomas Harrington and Antwone Kelly, along with outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez, to Class AAA Indianapolis as the organization continues shaping its major-league roster.
Three additional players were moved out of big-league camp in the same round of cuts. Catcher Omar Alfonzo, right-handed pitcher Khristian Curtis and outfielder/infielder Mitch Jebb were reassigned to minor-league camp. With all eight moves processed, 54 players, 53 of them active, remain in major-league camp.
The distinction between the two types of moves carries organizational weight. Bidois, Dotel, Harrington, Kelly and Valdez were optioned, a designation that places them at Indianapolis while keeping them within the Pirates' 40-man roster structure. Alfonzo, Curtis and Jebb, by contrast, were reassigned to minor-league camp, a separate category that reflects their standing outside the protected roster.
Indianapolis will now absorb four right-handers as the Pirates' spring training pitching competition narrows. The club's reporting from Bradenton, Fla., where it holds spring training, has been active this week, with insider Jason Mackey tracking the moves as they were announced.
Pittsburgh still has significant roster decisions ahead before Opening Day, and with 54 players remaining in camp, further cuts are certain to follow in the coming days.
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