Each weekday until pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Bradenton, Fla., Post-Gazette baseball writers Bill Brink and Stephen J. Nesbitt will deliver a primer on a player or two on the Pirates’ 40-man roster. The countdown will rank players in order of impact and importance to the Pirates’ chances in 2017, plus their on-field abilities, off-field concerns and the likelihood of their inclusion on the active roster on opening day April 3 in Boston and beyond.
Elias Diaz, C
Bats/throws: R/R
Height/weight: 6-foot, 210 pounds
Age: 26
How acquired: Signed with the Pirates as an international free agent in 2008.