What are Bucs' remaining position battles?

BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Pirates' 8-1 win over the Red Sox on Sunday afternoon very well may have been an Opening Day dress rehearsal, just with St. Patrick's Day-themed white and green caps instead of the more familiar Pittsburgh black and gold.

With Opening Day starter Jameson Taillon on the mound, the Pirates sent out a lineup that they could potentially use against the Reds on March 28.

Adam Frazier, 2B
Starling Marte, CF
Corey Dickerson, LF
Josh Bell, 1B
Francisco Cervelli, C
Lonnie Chisenhall, RF
Jung Ho Kang, 3B
Erik Gonzalez, SS
Jameson Taillon, RHP

But the Pirates reported to LECOM Park on Sunday morning with 49 active players in Major League camp, a few roster spots left to fill and a handful of starting jobs still officially unsettled. That means the front office and coaching staff have some work to do over the next week before breaking camp and leaving Florida.

While the Bucs begin paring down their roster, let’s revisit some of their most interesting position battles.

Shortstop

Neither candidate has a track record of success in the Majors, but Gonzalez appears to be the favorite considering how highly the Pirates have spoken of him. After a slow start to the spring, he has backed up their words over the past few days. Gonzalez went 3-for-3 on Friday then hit an RBI double, walked, stole two bases and played a clean game at shortstop on Sunday.

"He's a very athletic player," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He’s got a lot of skills. He needs to play. He's got big league time, but he hasn't played. I think that's the thing we're looking forward to, is just the opportunity to play."

Kevin Newman has also shown some promise this spring after a rough debut last season, making more hard contact at the plate while living up to his reputation as a solid defender at shortstop. The former first-round Draft pick is batting .276 with a .739 OPS this spring, and he has played error-free defense.

Third base

Kang or Colin Moran?

Kang has received plenty of attention this spring for showing up in great shape and mashing a team-leading five homers, his only hits thus far. Kang bobbled a ball and made a wild throw in the first inning on Sunday for his second error of the spring, but he made four excellent plays in his last start on Friday night and started two double plays on Sunday. Moran has committed four errors in 28 chances, but the Pirates believe he’ll be able to get to more balls this year by lining up deeper at third.

Only time will tell if Kang can get back to being the player he was for the Pirates in 2015-16. If he can, the job is likely his.

Bench

Jacob Stallings will make it as the backup catcher while Elias Diaz takes time to get back in game shape. The reserve third baseman, Kang or Moran, will also have a spot on the bench -- and will likely be asked to pick up another position to increase his versatility.

After that, it gets a little more complicated. Non-roster veteran Melky Cabrera has hit well this spring and should fit as a fourth outfielder. But considering Cabrera’s defensive limitations, the Pirates might need someone else to back up Marte in center field. Will that be super-utility man Pablo Reyes or non-roster invitee JB Shuck? Reyes is getting every chance to prove himself, and Shuck has also had a nice spring after adjusting his swing and approach at the plate last year.

If Reyes makes the team and looks capable at shortstop, do the Pirates need to have Newman (or Kevin Kramer) on the bench as another backup middle infielder? Or would that spot be better utilized on a bigger power threat like non-roster outfielder Patrick Kivlehan or corner infielder/outfielder Jose Osuna? Osuna has had an uncharacteristically quiet spring, while Kivlehan has shown why the Pirates moved quickly to sign him this offseason.

Fifth starter

The Pirates haven't shied away from saying that right-hander Jordan Lyles entered Spring Training with the inside track for the final spot in their rotation, and general manager Neal Huntington said last week that Lyles hasn't done anything to fall off that track. Lyles will pitch four innings in a simulated game on Monday, ensuring he gets his work in after leaving his most recent outing early due to right side cramping.

Pittsburgh is still intrigued by the changes Lyles made last season, and Lyles feels he has benefited from working with Cervelli this spring. Nick Kingham and Steven Brault, the other two candidates, have each put together strong starts and ugly outings -- with little in between. They should begin the season as Pittsburgh’s sixth and seventh starting options, even if they break camp in the bullpen.

Bullpen

Four spots are set: closer Felipe Vazquez, setup man Keone Kela and high-leverage right-handers Kyle Crick and Richard Rodriguez. It also seems clear now that the Pirates will begin the year with seven relievers, not eight like last season, because there’s less need for an extra arm with six off-days on the schedule before the end of April.

There are 13 pitchers in camp competing for those final three spots, then: Jake Barrett, Nick Burdi, Rookie Davis, Michael Feliz, Geoff Hartlieb, Clay Holmes, Francisco Liriano, Tyler Lyons, Brandon Maurer, Dovydas Neverauskas, Brandon Waddell, Brault and Kingham. From that group, they will likely want at least one left-hander and at least one pitcher who can work multiple innings.

Kingham is out of Minor League options, so if he’s not on the roster, another team will likely claim him on waivers. Burdi, a 2017 Rule 5 Draft pick enjoying a strong spring, must stay on the roster for the first 60 days of the season or be offered back to the Twins.