The Pittsburgh Pirates have optioned right-handed pitcher Brandon Cumpton to Indianapolis. Cumpton had a good Spring, working out of the starting rotation. However, he never really had a shot to make the Pirates’ Opening Day roster, since their rotation looked set heading into camp. He will provide the team with strong early season depth in the event of an injury, or if Edinson Volquez struggles in the rotation.
Cumpton would probably start for at least a third of the teams in baseball right now, especially after the small sample of success he had during the 2013 season. He profiles as a number four or five starter down the line, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him making starts in the majors at some point this year.
The Pirates are now down to 30 players on their roster, including Chris Stewart, who is expected to start the year on the disabled list. That means they have four more cuts to make. One cut will be taken care of when they eventually trade a reliever. Jeff Locke, Andy Oliver, and Nevin Ashley are the other expected cuts to be made.
