PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates began tweaking their offseason roster by sending three players to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.
Infielder Pedro Florimón was assigned outright to Triple-A and elected free agency. Catcher Jacob Stallings and left-hander Zach Phillips were also removed from the Bucs' 40-man roster and sent outright to Indianapolis.
In the coming days, the Pirates will see their 40-man roster undergo a few more changes. Neftalí Feliz, Ivan Nova, Ryan Vogelsong, Sean Rodríguez and Matt Joyce became free agents Thursday, clearing five more roster spots, but those slots will be filled when the Bucs have to activate Gerrit Cole, A.J. Schugel, Elias Díaz, Chris Stewart and Josh Harrison from the 60-day disabled list.
Florimon joined the Pirates in September and hit .208 with a .573 OPS in 25 plate appearances over 18 games. The 29-year-old, primarily a shortstop, hit .255 with a .700 OPS in 107 games for Indianapolis. He is a career .200 hitter in 256 Major League games over six seasons.
Stallings made his big league debut this season and joined the club again in September for further depth following season-ending injuries to Stewart and Diaz. The 26-year-old went 6-for-15 with a double in five games. If he remains in the organization, Stallings should have a role in Indianapolis next season.
The Bucs acquired Phillips, 30, in an Aug. 31 trade for left-hander Kyle Lobstein. Phillips, a lefty reliever, gave up two runs on eight hits and struck out six in 6 2/3 innings for the Pirates over eight appearances.