PITTSBURGH — The Pirates pitching staff this season again ranked among the bottom third in the majors in practically every category. Despite the grim statistics, Derek Shelton believes there are some positives.
“We’re starting to see growth, which is really important,” Shelton said.
Shelton is only beginning a roster overhaul for 2023, but he already knows that he has three solid starters (Roansy contreras. Mitch Keller. JT Brubaker. And a dominant back-end reliever (David Bednar).
Beyond that, there are still many questions.
The Pirates had 39 players in their 40-man roster at the end of this season, with six more on the 60-day injured waiting list. Here’s the second of a two-part breakdown of the roster and which pitchers might either stay or go heading into next season.
Related: The Roster Breakdown of Position Players
Manny Bañuelos, LHP
2022: 31 Games, 4.96 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, 9.37K/9, 0.2 fWAR
Manny Bañuelos experienced a lot between April 12 (when he made a ho-hum relief outing for the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate) and Oct. 5 (when he threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings and was the winning pitcher in the Pirates’ season finale). Then again, that’s par for the course for a journeyman who’s pitched for five big-league organizations, plus clubs in Mexico and Taiwan. Kudos to Bañuelos for regrouping after an awful Pirates debut (five runs in one-third of an inning) against the Yankees in July. Grade: C.
2023 Contract Status: Not yet eligible in salary arbitration
Age 32 on the 2023 Opening Day
Outlook: There are a lot of miles on Bañuelos’ arm. The Pirates need lefty bullpen help elsewhere.
