BRADENTON, Fla. — Non-roster lefty Cory Luebke will make the Pirates’ opening-day roster, general manager Neal Huntington said this morning, and the Pirates’ bullpen appears set.
Luebke, who had an opt-out clause in his contract, now has the opportunity to pitch in the majors for the first time since April 27, 2012. Two Tommy John ligament replacement surgeries interrupted a promising career with the San Diego Padres.
“It’s a left-hander with a quality arm, quality stuff,” Huntington said. “Still a little bit of rust there, but we believe we can knock it off early and put him in a position to play a meaningful role with us out of that bullpen.