Pirates Bench Full of Versatile Players in 2016

The Pittsburgh Pirates have many different options for their bench in 2016. They have plenty of versatile options and plenty of straight up position players to choose from.

Opening Day is one week away, and one of the questions the Pirates have to resolve is who will be the five players on the Pirates bench this season. It is up to manager Clint Hurdle and his staff as to whether or not they want to go with versatile players at multiple positions or players who are skilled at one or two positions to help the Pirates off the bench. The Pirates have good players in both scenarios that could help them succeed in 2016.

The Pirates look to have a bench full of versatile players this year who can give everyday players multiple breaks. I can see the bench being Chris Stewart, Sean Rodriguez, Michael Morse, Jason Rodgers, and Pedro Florimon. Each of these players have versatility, which could be a key aspect to the 2016 Pirates.

The main stays from last years Pirates bench are Chris Stewart and Sean Rodriguez. Both of these players have proved successful for the Pirates in past years. Stewart is one of the best back-up catchers in the league. He served as Gerrit Cole's personal catcher towards the end of the season and had 14 wins with Cole. This season he will be back and will serve as the back-up catcher/Cole's personal catcher. 

Rodriguez will serve as the super utility man on the bench in either combination. The role was previously played by Josh Harrison, who is currently the starting second baseman. With Harrison in more than a solidified role, the job will now fall on Rodriguez's shoulders. Last season, Rodriguez appeared all over the field for the Pirates playing at first base, second base, short stop, third base, right field, and left field. He has shown the ability to hold his own at all of these positions comitting a total of three errors between the six positions.

The other players in this combination are wild-card options. First we have Pedro Floriomon, a natural short stop who has seen time at second base and the outfield throughout his career. The former Minnesota Twin saw time with the Pirates last season and played mostly second base and short stop. His big hit with the Pirates was his walk-off triple against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Florimon has been most noted for his defense throughout his professional career with a batting average that has been lacking. Florimon has had a pretty good spring with the bat however hitting .242 with one home run and a team high 12 RBI. If the Pirates go this option, it will be a battle between Cole Figueroa, another utility infielder, and Pedro Florimon. Both would provide strong defense to the team.

In this option Jason Rodgers, acquired from the Brewers in the off-season, would also make the team. Rodgers was a late-season call-up for the Brewers last season and performed well in a small sample size. Rodgers hit .296 with four home runs and 16 RBI in 152 at-bats. Rodgers has experience at first base, third base, right field, and left field.

While not as versatile as Rodriguez, Rodgers has shown the ability to play multiple positions throughout his career. In his minor league career, he has a .991 fielding percentage at first base, his primary position, committing 23 errors in 2270.2 innings. Rodgers is still a young player with some minor league options ahead of him. He has some experience in the outfield which could be useful to the Pirates as well.

Rodgers is a swing guy who could go either to the majors or the minors and succeed for the Pirates. Rodgers is a guy I am really excited for. Whether it be now or in the future, he can bring a lot of skills to the Pirates and will be an intriguing option either now or in the years to come.

The final addition to this versatile bench is Michael Morse. Morse could make an appearance on either bench as well simply for the power bat that he brings to the lineup. He can also play first base and both corner outfield position if he is needed there. Morse is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career but has turned it around this spring hitting .345 with three RBI.

Morse could be a very productive bat off of the Pirates bench in 2016, providing some much needed pop late in the game. I feel that Morse's role will change as the season goes on, and he will eventually be used as a platoon in right field for the Pirates. This will help Morse's chances of making the team immensely because it gives the Pirates a back-up option in case of injury to an outfielder.

The bench will be relied on a lot this season not only for days off, but for offense and speed at the end of the game. These five players will provide excellent defense and can handle any position on the field. However, we will probably see more than these guys throughout the season as it always takes more than 25 players to have a successful season. The Pirates have many players that will be helping them on the bench as the 2016 season progresses.