After Friday night’s game in Montreal, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced that Tyler Glasnow has won the fifth starter spot. They also announced that Trevor Williams and Wade LeBlanc will be in the bullpen along with Tony Watson, Felipe Rivero, Daniel Hudson, Juan Nicasio and Antonio Bastardo. Tyler Webb has been offered back to the Yankees as part of the Rule 5 process.
Glasnow ranks as the #3 prospect for the Pirates coming into this season. He didn’t have the best outings this spring, though he impressed with 23 strikeouts over 14.1 innings. He had a 5.65 ERA, a 1.78 WHIP and a .306 BAA in his three starts and two relief outings. He also took the loss in the exhibition game against the Dominican Republic, allowing six runs over 2.1 innings, which isn’t included in his spring stats. Glasnow made his Major League debut last year with the Pirates and made four starts and three relief appearances, posting a 4.24 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP, with 24 strikeouts in 23.1 innings.
LeBlanc and Williams will be the long-men in the bullpen. Williams made his Major League debut last year and had a 7.82 ERA in 12.2 innings over seven appearances. He was a starter in the minors, but the Pirates used him six times out of the bullpen, so he does have minimal experience in that role. He had a very strong spring, posting a 2.04 ERA, with an 0.91 WHIP, a .222 BAA and 18 strikeouts in 17.2 innings.
LeBlanc had a solid spring, topped off by a shutout inning on Friday night. He had a 3.60 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in 15 innings. The Pirates got a look at LeBlanc late last year after acquiring him from the Seattle Mariners. He allowed just one earned run over 12 innings, which was enough for the Pirates to keep him around during the off-season and sign him to a one-year deal, with an option for 2018.
UPDATE: The Yankees have taken back Tyler Webb and assigned him to Triple-A. The Pirates will receive back half of their $100,000 cost to select Webb in the Rule 5 draft.