Pittsburgh Pirates: Intriguing Non-Roster Invitees to Watch

PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 22: Ji-hwan Bae #72 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in action during the exhibition game against the Cleveland Indians at PNC Park on July 22, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 22: Ji-hwan Bae #72 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in action during the exhibition game against the Cleveland Indians at PNC Park on July 22, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
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PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 28: Manager Derek Shelton of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on during the game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on September 28, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 28: Manager Derek Shelton of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on during the game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on September 28, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /

With camp now underway in Bradenton the Pittsburgh Pirates have announced their non-roster invitees to spring training and the list includes some intriguing players to watch

Every year in spring training the group of non-roster invitees that a team brings to major league camp is always an intriguing group to watch. From veterans looking to land a roster spot to prospects looking show a glimpse into the organization’s future, the latter of these two is what will make this year’s spring training fun to watch for fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The entire list of non-roster invitees for the Pittsburgh Pirates is below:

This group is headline by some of the best prospects in the organization. Some of which could make an impact for the Pirates this season. Today, we will delve into taking a look at some of the more intriguing non-roster invitees to camp by breaking it up on a position by position basis.

PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 18: Catcher Henry Davis, who was selected first overall in the 2021 MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates takes batting practice on the field after signing a contract with the Pirates at PNC Park on July 18, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 18: Catcher Henry Davis, who was selected first overall in the 2021 MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates takes batting practice on the field after signing a contract with the Pirates at PNC Park on July 18, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

Catchers to watch

Catchers is the one position in camp where there will be highly touted prospects to watch, as well as players who could crack the Opening Day roster. The Pittsburgh Pirates are still in need of a backup catcher and if they do not add a catcher before Opening Day, odds are, the backup catcher will be one of Taylor Davis and Michael Pérez.

Davis and Pérez both saw time with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, with Pérez spending the entirety of the season on the active roster. While it would be presented as a competition between the two, odds are, Pérez will find himself as the catching tandem with Roberto Pérez if the Pirates do not add catching help.

The two catchers everyone will want to see in camp, however, are Henry Davis and Endy Rodriguez. Davis was the no. 1 overall pick in last summer’s draft and was 3-for-7 with a home run in the Florida Complex League. This led to the Pittsburgh Pirates having him skip Low-A and jumping straight to High-A where he posted an OPS over 1.000 in 6 games before injury ended his season.

Davis is arguably the best offensive catching prospect in baseball. He could reach the majors as early as next season. Pirate fans and brass alike are going to want to get a look at Davis in MLB camp this spring.

Rodriguez is one of the top hitting prospects in the loaded Pirate farm system. While he is still listed as a catcher, due to his athleticism and the addition of Davis to the organization the belief is he will play all over the field this season. It will be interesting to see what positions Rodriguez, who likely start the season with High-A Greensboro, is working at this spring.

NMSU junior Nick Gonzales takes a swing at the plate as the New Mexico State Men’s Baseball team faces off against Purdue Fort Wayne in the first game of a double header at Presley Askew Field in Las Cruces on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020.Nick Gonzales 3
NMSU junior Nick Gonzales takes a swing at the plate as the New Mexico State Men’s Baseball team faces off against Purdue Fort Wayne in the first game of a double header at Presley Askew Field in Las Cruces on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020.Nick Gonzales 3 /

Infielders to watch

The group of infielders the Pittsburgh Pirates will have in camp as non-roster invitees will give some glimpse into the future of the day. Leading the way will be 2020 first-round pick Nick Gonzales.

Gonzales hit for a .303/.385/.565 slash line at High-A last season, he followed this up by hitting for a .380/.483/.549 slash line in 87 plate appearances across 19 games in the Arizona Fall League.

Despite what he showed last season there will always be questions about Gonzales’s power at the plate. However, he is such a good natural hitter that he has a very high floor as a prospect and should be a productive hitter when he reaches the majors. Gonzales should start the season at Double-A Altoona and could reach the majors late in the season.

Ji-Hwan Bae will be another infielder to keep an eye on. Bae had a strong year at Altoona last season and also played in the AFL. This should put Bae in line to start the season at Triple-A Indianapolis.

Like Rodriguez, Bae is a player who it will be interesting to see where he works at this spring. With Ke’Bryan Hayes having third base on lockdown for the foreseeable future and a glut of middle infield prospects, the Pittsburgh Pirates could give Bae more time in the outfield, something he started to do last season, as they look to turn him into a super utility player.

Altoona’s Cal Mitchell (5) reacts to a call as the Binghamton Rumble Ponies lost to the Altoona Curve, 5-0, at the Ponies home opener on Tuesday, May 11, 2021.
Altoona’s Cal Mitchell (5) reacts to a call as the Binghamton Rumble Ponies lost to the Altoona Curve, 5-0, at the Ponies home opener on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. /

Outfielders to watch

Few prospects made a more meteoric rise through the Pirate farm system last season than outfielder Matt Fraizer. Fraizer hit for a .314/.401/.578 slash line to go with a 158 wRC+ in 75 games played at Altoona. He was then promoted to Indianapolis where he hit for a .288/.356/.492 slash line to go with a 129 wRC+.

The season he had led to Fraizer climbing Pirate prospect boards. He is now the organization’s 8th ranked prospect according to FanGraphs. While Fraizer won’t make the Opening Day roster it certainly would not be a surprise to see him make his MLB debut at some point this season, potentially early in the season. Fraizer seems like a prospect who has a big showing in the spring and gets fans excited.

Cal Mitchell will be another outfielder in camp as a non-roster invitee who could make his MLB debut this season. Mitchell was once a borderline top 100 prospect whose career hit some road bumps thanks largely to the lack of a minor season in 2020.

Mitchell is a prospect the Pittsburgh Pirates left unprotected from the Rule 5 Draft. Had the draft not been cancelled there is a good chance a team would have selected Mitchell. Like Fraizer, Mitchell will start the season at Indianapolis but could make his MLB debut this season. Mitchell still has potential to be a very good MLB outfielder, especially in a fourth outfielder role.

DENVER, COLORADO – JULY 11: Quinn Priester #40 of the National League team throws against the American League team during the All-Star Futures Game at Coors Field on July 11, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO – JULY 11: Quinn Priester #40 of the National League team throws against the American League team during the All-Star Futures Game at Coors Field on July 11, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Pitchers to watch

The non-roster invitee pitcher that the Pittsburgh Pirates and their fans will be most intrigued by is 2019 first-round pick Quinn Priester. Coming off a strong 2021 season and ready to make the jump to Double-A, Priester is the potential future ace of the Pirates.

Priester should make at least one or two Grapefruit League starts for the Pirates before heading to minor league camp. These could be two of the most intriguing games of the Grapefruit League season for the Pirates.

Reliever Yerry De Los Santos will also be a name to watch in spring. Like Mitchell, he was left unprotected from the Rule 5 Draft and could have been selected had the draft not been cancelled. Now that De Los Santos will remain with the organization he could potentially be part of the Opening Day bullpen, even if he is not he should make his MLB debut this season.

Sticking with relievers prospect Kyle Nicolas is another intriguing arm to watch. Acquired in the Jacob Stallings trade the right-handed Nicolas has the potential to be an elite reliever in the majors. Watching his electric arm in Grapefruit League play should be fun.

Right-handed pitching prospects Carmen Mlodzinski and Mike Burrows will also be intriguing arms to watch. Burrows continues to climb prospect boards, thanks in large part to his pitches have elite spin rates. If Burrows develops a quality third pitch he’ll be a very good MLB starting pitcher. Worst case scenario he’ll be a hell of a reliever.

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Mlodzinski climbed as high as Indianapolis last season. While he will likely start the season back down at Double-A Altoona, Mlodzinski could be at Indianapolis knocking on the door of the majors by the end of the season.

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