BRADENTON, Fla. -- Once packed to the point that a couple of young players were sharing lockers, the Pirates' clubhouse at LECOM Park is now dotted with blank nameplates and empty chairs. That means the competition for spots on the Opening Day roster is about to heat up.
The first few weeks of Spring Training were a reminder of how quickly those position battles can change. When camp opened, the Pirates didn't have one obvious candidate to start every day in left field. For a few days last month, they had too many outfielders to form just one platoon.