Hanrahan named Bucs closer

The Pirates and Manager Clint Hurdle announced on Wednesday afternoon that right-hander Joel Hanrahan will open the season as the Bucs closer.

Hanrahan has 20 career saves, including six last year for the Pirates. He went 4-1 with a 3.62 ERA, striking out 100 in 69.2 innings.

“We had a lot of internal discussion,” Hurdle said. “I don’t think there was a bad choice. But based on some experience that Joel has had in the past, just for the makeup of our ballclub, the continuity that was showed late last season with them piggybacking each other, that’s the way we’re going to start the season.”

“It was a decision they had to make,” Hanrahan said. “I didn’t sit there and talk to my mom, like, ‘I want to be the closer so bad.’ Everybody wants to be the closer. It’s not something you discuss with each other. We were waiting to see what was going to happen.”

“Those last three outs are the most important outs in the game,” Hanrahan said. “You’ve got to go out there with the mindset of, ‘Let’s get it done and go home.’ I’m going to try to take the same approach I had when I pitched in the seventh and eighth innings.”

Evan Meek will be the Pirates primary eighth-inning setup man. He will also be the first choice to close games on days when Hanrahan is unavailable.

“In a perfect world, obviously, I would love to [close],” Meek said. “But more power to him. He’s going to do a great job, and he’s the right guy to be there.

“We both knew that it was going to be between us. They knew that they had two guys who could take care of that. We’re going to have a real strong back end of that bullpen. Whatever role I have, it’s going to be getting him that ball.”

“In a perfect world, obviously, I would love to [close],” Meek said. “But more power to him. He’s going to do a great job, and he’s the right guy to be there.

“We both knew that it was going to be between us. They knew that they had two guys who could take care of that. We’re going to have a real strong back end of that bullpen. Whatever role I have, it’s going to be getting him that ball.”

“They both have the desire to do the best thing for the team,” Hurdle said. “Individually, they’re very complimentary of each other. It was never one against another. They’re going to do what’s best for the ballclub.”

The Pirates also announced that Joe Beimel (who was a spring training non-roster invitee) will become the Pirates lefty specialist for this season.

Hanrahan addressing the media after being named the Pirates closer (photo via @BucsInsider)