The Pittsburgh Pirates have cut the following players from Major League camp, sending each player to the minors.
John Holdzkom – Optioned to Triple-A
Rob Scahill – Optioned to Triple-A
Blake Wood – Reassigned to Minor League Camp
The only one that might be a surprise here was Holdzkom. He looked good last year in his limited time in the majors, and probably has some of the best stuff in the bullpen. However, he has options remaining, and the Pirates have a shortage of roster spots. With Holdzkom going down, they can create a spot for Arquimedes Caminero, who seems like a lock to make the team now.
“I knew it was a possibility, so I was ready for it,” Holdzkom said, noting that he was aware of the option situation. “I’ve just got to keep working hard, and hopefully they’ll need me sometime.”
The Pirates will absolutely need Holdzkom at some point this season, and probably sooner, rather than later.
As for Scahill, he showed good stuff in camp, but since he had options remaining, he had no shot of making the team. The same could be said of Blake Wood, who wasn’t on the 40-man roster, and could easily be assigned to minor league camp. All three relievers will give the Pirates some strong bullpen depth out of Triple-A this year, which is something they didn’t have for most of last year.
