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Pirates have a surplus of southpaws in ‘pen
- Updated: December 6, 2016
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Pittsburgh general manager Neal Huntington often brings up manager Clint Hurdle’s annual request for three left-handed relievers. As the Pirates’ roster currently stands, Hurdle is in line to open the season with four lefties.
Tony Watson, Felipe Rivero and Antonio Bastardo are all under control for next season, and the Bucs on Friday retained Wade LeBlanc by signing him to a one-year deal with an option for 2018. Pittsburgh may choose to deal from that surplus, with the most likely move being Bastardo or even Watson, as both are free agents after next season.
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But on the first day of the Winter Meetings on Monday, Huntington said those southpaws are different enough to avoid overlapping. LeBlanc would be a long man and spot starter, Bastardo a middle reliever, Rivero a setup man and Watson the closer.
“Watson, Rivero and Bastardo all get right-handers out really effectively, so it’s not like we’ve …
