Pittsburgh Pirates add Polanco, Hanson, two others to 40-man roster
By Matt Shetler
The Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t been very active in the early goings of the offseason to this point, but on Wednesday they made some moves to set their 40-man roster.
Top prospect outfielder Gregory Polanco, shortstop Alen Hanson, left-handed pitcher Joely Rodriguez and right-handed pitcher Casey Sadler received spots on the Pirates’ roster before Wednesday’s deadline.
Nov 2, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Alen Hanson against the West during the Fall Stars Game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
All that means is they won’t be eligible to be selected in this year’s Rule 5 Draft.
It also means that the Bucs 40-man roster is full, meaning if they add any players this offseason, they will have to remove someone from the roster.
Polanco is rated by Baseball America as the Pirates’ No. 1 prospect. The 22-year-old climbed from Class A Bradenton to Class AAA Indianapolis this season, hitting .285 with 12 home runs, 30 doubles and 38 steals in the process. He will likely begin the season in Indianapolis and could make his major league debut next summer.
Hanson, 21, is now Pittsburgh No. 6 prospect, according to Baseball America. He broke out in 2012 when he hit .309 with 16 home runs and a .381 on-base percentage for low-A West Virginia. In 127 games between Class A Bradenton and Class AA Altoona this season, Hanson hit .274 with a .329 on-base percentage, eight home runs and 30 stolen bases.
His numbers dipped with Altoona and his defense needs to improve as he committed 32 errors this season, after 40 in 2012. However Hanson has all the tools to become a future MLB star with a little more seasoning.
Rodriguez had a 2.70 ERA with 101 strikeouts in 140 innings between West Virginia and Bradenton this season and Sadler posted an 11-7 record for Altoona this season with a 3.31 ERA.
In other roster moves, the Pirates announced the signing of five players to minor league deals, three of whom have big league experience. Right-handers Seth McClung, Josh Kinney and Collin Balester are all veterans of multiple seasons. The others — right-handers Jay Jackson and Jake Brigham — each split last season between Double-A and Triple-A.