Pittsburgh Pirates: Non-Roster Invitees Who Could Make the Team

The Pittsburgh Pirates recently announced their list of non-roster invitees, and these three players could secure an Opening Day roster spot despite being in camp as non-roster invitees

The Pittsburgh Pirates recently announced their list of non-roster invitees as they head into camp. Marty recently looked at some names to keep an eye on during Spring Training, but most are top prospects who need more seasoning in the minors. Guys like Quinn Priester, Nick Gonzales, Henry Davis, Ji-Hwan Bae, or Carmen Mlodzinski are very talented but are pretty much guaranteed options to the minor leagues to at least start the season.

However, a few names are MLB-ready and might make a run for a 26-man roster spot. Although the Pittsburgh Pirates have their fair share of talent that should arrive as the season goes on, the roster will be at its weakest in April. With many roster spots non-guaranteed, there is a chance we see some of the non-roster invitees break camp with the team.

Today, I want to look at a few of those potential non-roster invitees who might make the Opening Day roster of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are all major league ready based on age or minor league performance.

RHP Cody Bolton

Cody Bolton’s future is entirely up in the air. Bolton struggled down the line after a blazing hot start to the 2019 season, both in terms of health and performance. With no 2020 minor league season, Bolton looked to redeem himself in 2021. But his plans were put on hold after he tore his meniscus.

Now going into his age-24 campaign, Bolton is two full years removed from playing professionally. While he hasn’t pitched in a while, there’s still the chance he breaks camp with the team. He still has experience in the upper minor leagues and could start the year out in the bullpen.

The last time Bolton pitched, he had a 3.28 ERA, 3.03 FIP, and 1.04 WHIP between High-A and Double-A. But it was a tale of two stories for Bolton. After starting the year with a 1.61 ERA, 1.96 FIP, and .86 WHIP, he would go on to post a 5.85 ERA, 4.76 FIP, and 1.35 WHIP at Altoona.

Everything went in the wrong direction for Bolton. His strikeout rate plummeted from 28.9% to just 19.8%. Meanwhile, his walk rate shot up from 5.9% to 9.6%. But the biggest culprit to his struggles was home runs. After posting just a .15 HR/9 and allowing a single home run at High-A, he would see his HR/9 skyrocket to 1.35 and give up six more long balls.

Bolton has tinkered with his stuff this off-season, re-adding his slider to his arsenal. It was a pitch he dropped as “It really wasn’t my say. [It] was the old pitching staff” (per Alex Strumpf). He also throws a fastball and changeup, so it’ll be interesting what next season brings.

But Bolton looks like he’s fully healthy and ready for what 2022 brings him. Could we see him start the year in the Major Leagues? Well, the Pittsburgh Pirates already had the idea of moving him to the bullpen at Indianapolis to at least start the 2021 season before his injury. It might be a bit quick to bring him to the majors, but hey. The new regime hasn’t shied away from bumping prospects to the next level.

Catcher Jamie Ritchie

Jamie Ritchie is currently in the running with Michael Pérez for the second catcher spot. Ritchie is a very interesting player who deserves a look in the majors. In November, the Pirates acquired the backstop/left fielder/first baseman by signing him to a minor league contract. His numbers at Triple-A in 2021 deserve at least a glance at the game’s highest level.

After spending most of his career as a Houston Astro farmhand, Ritchie spent the 2021 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate. In 336 trips to the plate, Ritchie batted .317/.418/.430 with a .378 wOBA and 120 wRC+. Now Ritchie didn’t hit for much power, but he was an on-base king. He walked at an insane 12.8% rate, all while striking out just 15.5% of the time. He had the second-best OBP and third-best BB/K ratio among all Triple-A West batters with 300 or more plate appearances.

Getting on base is Ritchie’s calling card. His minor league career OBP is higher than his minor league career slugging percentage, .404 to .400. Drawing walks is something Ritchie does a lot of, owning a career 14.9% walk rate since his professional debut in 2014. Not even Juan Soto walked that much during his time in the minor leagues.

The only downside to Ritchie’s offensive game is his power. He’s only had 28 home runs across 563 minor league games. Last year, he had an isolated slugging percentage of .113. But it’s a small price to pay for how often he makes contact and, even more impressively, how often he walks.

Look, I get it. He’s a 28-year-old and has never been hailed as a noteworthy prospect. But come on, how can you at least not give this guy a chance? That kind of patience at the plate can’t be taught. He posted a 120 wRC+ at the minor league’s highest level in 2021. Even if he bats .200 in the majors, he’d still have an OBP around .350 because he walks that often.

The Pittbsurgh Pirates already gave Pérez a shot at the second catcher role last season. At the very least, Ritchie provides more versatility as not only can he catch, but he has played his fair share of games at first base and logged 140 innings in left field last season. It’s time to give an underdog a chance to shine.