Predicting the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2016 Opening Day roster

Aug 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates teammates celebrate after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 10-5 at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates teammates celebrate after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 10-5 at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
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Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a clear mission in the 2016 season: launch a deeper postseason run than last year, when their 98-win squad fell to the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card game. The best way to achieve that would be winning the NL Central, but that’s much easier said than done given the intense competition housed in the division.

The Bucs will need to fend off the arguable World Series favorites in the Cubs, as well as the ever-formidable St. Louis Cardinals. Fortunately, they seem to have the ingredients for another successful campaign. Here is a potential 25-man roster that could come out of Pirates Spring Training this year.

Next: Bench