As usual, no real surprises when the Pirates announced their first round of spring training cuts - even with top pitching prospect Mitch Keller among them.
After all, Keller himself has known all along that he could have not allowed a hit in Grapefruit League games and he was still going to start the season in Triple-A Indianapolis. Of course, as it turns out he allowed 10 runs in 4 inings and gave up 4 home runs so he still has plenty to learn. Keller seemed to take his "demotion" in stride and GM Neal Huntington and manage Clint Hurdle gave Keller a vote of confidence on the way.
I asked Huntington how players take it, most of them knowing they're ticketed for a trip back to the minors no matter what and he remembered a success story from 26 years ago involving a player that Colin Dunlap and I lovingly call "van riders," the non-roster players who come over from Pirate City to fill out the game day rosters and often get into the Grapefruit League games.
Such was the case some 26 years ago when Huntington was an aspring executive with the Montreal Expos and a minor league veteran took adavantage of his chance and kept getting more of them until he actually made the team.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/frazilo01.shtml
