Pirates submit roster, expect to add to it

The Pirates released their roster for spring training 2.0 Sunday, but it is far from a final product. They expect to add to it, and soon.

Here is what that roster currently looks like:



For those of you who are counting, there are 58 players listed. 39 are headed to Pittsburgh. The 19 on the "taxi squad" to Altoona. Teams are allowed to have up to 60 between their two camps.

There was supposed to be another player headed to Pittsburgh, but Edgar Santana was suspended for performance enhancing drugs Sunday, meaning he will not pitch in 2020.

Those open spots can go to another player in the Pirates' farm system or potentially a free agent, now that MLB's transaction freeze was lifted Friday.

"We fully expect to add at least one to get to 60," Ben Cherington said during a Zoom call Sunday. "We got the news on Santana, so we decided rather than rush through that today, we’ll take a little time and consider the options, internally and perhaps externally, for that spot."

Teams will be allowed to add to that 60-man group throughout the season.



The highest profile free agent still on the market is Yasiel Puig. The Pirates are a bit thin in the outfield -- bringing just five outfielders to Pittsburgh -- and they will use a designated hitter in 2020 as part of the league's safety protocols, making him seem like a potential fit. However, he has already turned down a $10 million offer, meaning he could be too expensive for the Pirates, especially after they have operated for months without income. Plus, Puig...