(Featured photo from MLB.com)

With the Pirates just hours away from having to finalize their major league roster, many of the decisions and who will start the year on the major league roster for the Pirates are already known.

Aside from the semi-shocking details like Endy Rodriguez, who in addition to being the backup catcher will also be the backup first baseman to start the year, as the position is still mostly in flux with Spencer Horwitz out to start the year.

But one of the biggest surprises was the demotion of Kyle Nicolas, a right-handed reliever who will start the year in Triple-A with the Indianapolis Indians after spending nearly all of 2024 with the Pirates, where he threw 54.2 innings and posted a 3.95 ERA, 1.500 WHIP, and 55 strikeouts.

In a double byline I did with The Pitt News on Monday, I mentioned that for somebody like Nicolas, this demotion will allow him to get closer’s experience with Indianapolis, which I believe he has the talent to become at the major league level down the line.

I also mentioned that there will definitely be chances for players who didn’t make the major league roster to come up and make an impact later in the year. So today, I wanted to take a look at all the players who were on the Opening Day roster in Indianapolis who eventually played games for the Pirates.

Some names had nothing more than a cup of coffee with the Pirates, but some ended up playing major roles for the club.