The Pirates outrighted Steve Baron, Corban Joseph and Jake Elmore off the 40 man roster Friday, according to the International League transactions page.
All three were added to the roster in September and saw playing time in the final weeks of the season. Since they are veterans, all three are eligible to elect free agency instead of a minor league assignment.
Baron, 28, was brought to the majors to serve as an emergency catcher. He ended up playing more than expected after Jacob Stallings and Elias Diaz missed time with injuries in the final month of the season.
Baron's season came to an end on Sept. 28 when he was hit in the jaw by a pickoff throw. He underwent surgery on Sept. 29 to repair a fractured lower mandible. He is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for spring training in 2020.
Elmore, 32, spent two stints with the Pirates in 2019: one in May and one in September. While he slashed an anemic .213/.245/.234 in 49 major league plate appearances, he had an .842 OPS in Triple-A.
Joseph, 30, played for three different teams in 2019. The Pirates claimed him off waivers on Sept. 16 and he appeared in nine games for them, mostly as a pinch-hitter. He finished with a .441 OPS in 68 plate appearances in the majors, but fared much better in the minors, where he had a 1.006 OPS in 425 plate appearances.
The Pirates currently have 46 players on the 40 man roster. They will need to cut that total to 40 within five days of the end of the World Series.
