2 Pittsburgh Pirates depth pickups who are exceeding expectations

MLB teams regularly pick up depth pieces throughout the year. In most cases, these moves never rise above that extremely low expectation. The only hope attached is that these players will fill a roster spot in the minor leagues. However, sometimes depth pieces can go beyond the call of duty, and have a surprising season, one that forces a team’s hand to give them some sort of chance in the major leagues. 

Earlier this season, the Pittsburgh Pirates made two of these moves. One was a waiver claim, and the other was a minor-league signee. Both players are likely far exceeding the Pirates’ expectations with the sort of performances they’ve put up in the minors thus far.

2 Pittsburgh Pirates depth pickups who might be becoming much more

Ronny Simon

Ronny Simon joined the Pirates when they claimed him off waivers from the Miami Marlins. His tenure in Miami ended on a dour note. In just his 19th Major League game, Simon committed three errors in four innings and was seen crying as he left the field at the end of the inning. Days later, the Marlins designated him for assignment, and he was then picked up by the Pirates.

But Simon seems to be back in good spirits, at least based on how he’s doing for Indianapolis. The infielder is slashing .284/.394/.500 throughout 105 plate appearances. He already has five home runs with a 12.7% barrel rate and a .216 isolated slugging percentage. Simon has also drawn 16 walks, which is good for a 15.2% walk rate. His K% sits at 16.7%. Overall, he has a .397 wOBA and 138 wRC+.

While Simon may have had a nightmare-ish scenario with the glove earlier this season, and only put up a .604 OPS across 56 plate appearances during his first taste of Major League action, there were definitely some positives under the hood. Simon had an above-average .347 xwOBA and .277 xBA. His 15.7% whiff rate was elite, and he paired that with a solid 25.9% chase rate.

Simon has done a great deal to earn a chance at redemption. It would be nice if he could show some promise at the Major League level for the Pirates after the trade deadline, once they've dealt rentals like Tommy Pham and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Simon can play second and third base, as well as shortstop and left field.

Beau Burrows

Beau Burrows was once a top prospect for the Detroit Tigers. The right-hander was their 2015 first-round pick and gained prospect notoriety in the late 2010s. However, the right-hander struggled in the upper levels of the minor leagues. While Burrows would eventually make the Major Leagues, he has only appeared in 11 games between 2020 and 2021 for the Tigers and the Minnesota Twins.

Since 2021, Burrows has bounced around in the minor leagues with the Atlanta Braves, LA Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies. He also had a stint in independent ball in the American Association last season, and was in the Mexican League this year before the Pirates scooped him up on a minor league contract.

The right-hander has only pitched 20.1 innings between Bradenton, Greensboro, and Altoona. Although it’s a small sample size, the results are undeniable. He has a nanoscopic 0.44 ERA, with a strong 2.96 FIP and 0.64 WHIP. He’s struck out 30.7% of batters he’s faced, and has an 8% walk rate. Only one of the seven hits Burrows has allowed was a home run.

Burrows has surprisingly been used primarily as a closing pitcher. He has recorded six saves this season, five of which were at Altoona. Burrows hasn’t had a sub-4.50 ERA since 2018, when he was still considered a top prospect. While it’s hard to believe in only a 20-inning sample size at Double-A, it doesn’t seem like you can rule anything out completely with how often the Pirates have been able to turn scrapheap pickups into reliable relievers.