Rosters for the 2023 World Baseball Classic were announced Thursday. The Pittsburgh Pirates are well-represented on the mound and accounted for by a handful of Minor League players.
2022 All-Star closer and former Mars right-handed reliever David Bednar will pitch for Team USA. Righty reliever Duane Underwood Jr. will represent Puerto Rico, while righty starter Roansy Contreras and newly-signed lefty reliever Jarlin Garcia will pitch for the Dominican Republic.
Also representing the Pirates are left-handed reliever Rob Zastryzny (Canada), right-handed starter/reliever Santiago Florez (Columbia), shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng (Chinese Taipei), right-handed starter Alessandro Ercolani (Italy), righty reliever Jeffrey Passantino (Italy), righty reliever Antwone Kelly (Netherlands), outfielder Joshua Palacios (Netherlands), right-handed reliever Tahnaj Thomas (Great Britain), and outfielder Chavez Young (Great Britain).