Pirates set 40-man roster

The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced they have added the following five players to the 40-man roster:

Victor Black (RHP) – Pittsburgh’s supplemental selection (49th pick overall) in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft...Spent entire 2012 season with Double-A Altoona and posted a 1.65 ERA (60.0ip/11er), 85 strikeouts and 13 saves in a league- leading 51 appearances...Was named to the Eastern League mid-season All-Star team...Held opponents to a league-low .189 batting average, which included a .082 average in his 21 games after the All-Star break...Participated in the 2012 Ari- zona Fall League and was named to the league’s Rising Stars Game.

Ramon Cabrera (C) – Rated by Baseball America as the organization’s second-best catching prospect prior to the 2012 season...Spent full season with Double-A Altoona and was named to the Eastern League mid-season All-Star Game...Hit .276 (106-for-384) with 22 doubles, three homers and 50 RBI in 112 games with the Curve, which included a .326 mark after July 1 and a .346 average after the All-Star break...Was promoted to Indianapolis on 9/2 and went 2-for-5 with a double in one game...Threw out 20 of the 99 runners attempting to steal against him (21%)...Won the Florida State League batting title and was named to the mid-season All-Star team while hitting .343 in 92 games with Bradenton in 2011. ...Was also a South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star while playing with West Virginia in 2010...Venezuelan native was signed by the Pirates as a non-drafted free agent on 4/11/08...Was a non-roster invitee with the Pirates this past spring.

Phil Irwin (RHP) – Went 8-7 with a 2.83 ERA (130.1ip/41er) in 23 minor league games (21 starts) in 2012...Was Altoona’s Pitcher-of-the-Year after posting a 2.93 ERA in 18 games with the Curve...His 1.24 ERA from June 29 to August 11 was the lowest in Double-A during that time; also had three consecutive complete games in that stretch...Was promoted to Triple-A on August 16 and went 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in four starts with Indianapolis...Tossed 7.0 scoreless innings and struck out 11 batters while winning Game Three of the International League playoff series against Charlotte on 9/7...Was Pitts- burgh’s 21st round selection in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft...Led all Bucco farmhands with 13 wins in 2011, while rank- ing fourth with a 3.14 ERA...Participated in the 2011 Arizona Fall League.

Tony Sanchez (C) – Pittsburgh’s top catching prospect...Was Pittsburgh’s first-round selection (fourth pick overall) in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft...Hit .251 (87-for-347) with 26 doubles, eight home runs and 43 RBI in 102 games between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis in 2012...Threw out 13 of the 49 runners attempting to steal against him at Altoona (27%) and 18-of-58 at Indianapolis (31%)...Rated by Baseball America as the “Best Defensive Catcher” in the sys- tem in 2011 and again in 2012...Was a Florida State League mid-season All-Star with Bradenton in 2010 and hit .314 in 59 games with the Marauders that season...Participated in the 2010 Arizona Fall League.

Hunter Strickland (RHP) – Went 4-4 with two saves and a 3.70 ERA (87.2ip/36er) in 33 games (nine starts) between Class-A Bradenton and Double-A Altoona in 2012...Picked up both saves with Altoona after being promoted there on June 15...Was acquired from Boston, along with infielder Argenis Diaz, in exchange for first baseman Adam LaRoche on 7/22/09. ...Missed entire 2011 season due to shoulder injury; had rotator cuff surgery in August of that season.

Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster now contains 39 players (20 pitchers, 3 catchers, 11 infielders and 5 outfielders).