The Pittsburgh Pirates have finalized their Opening Day roster, and their final bullpen decision raised quite a few eyebrows.
Right-hander Jose Urquidy has made the club and will open the 2026 season in a long relief role, according to a report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Colin Beazley. Urquidy, who signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with Pittsburgh this offseason, earned the final spot in the bullpen despite a challenging spring.
On paper, Urquidy’s Grapefruit League performance didn’t necessarily stand out. The 29-year-old posted a 9.28 ERA and 1.69 WHIP across 10 2/3 innings, striking out eight batters while continuing to build up his workload.