Pittsburgh Pirates: Potential Future For These Players

These five Pittsburgh Pirates players have an uncertain role in the team’s future, so what is the likliest role they could play?

Not every Pittsburgh Pirates player has a clear role in the organization’s future. That’s bound to happen when the Pirates have collected many prospects at many positions. But just because there isn’t a clear role in some players future doesn’t mean they don’t have a future with the Pirates.

Some players have already made their debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates or are approaching the major leagues in a crowded position. The Pirates could find a future on the major league team for each of these five players, so what kind of role could these players have soon?

Cody Bolton

It’s been a turbulent professional career for Cody Bolton. By the end of the 2019 campaign, Bolton was seen as one of the Pirates’ best pitching prospects. While that was before the additions of Jared Jones, Roansy Contreras, Miguel Yajure, Carmen Mlodzinski, Bubba Chandler, and Anthony Solometo, Bolton looked on his way to becoming a potential starter for the Bucs.

But after sitting out the 2020 campaign because of COVID-19 shutting down the minor leagues and 2021 being another waste year for Bolton as he was injured, 2022 was going to be a real question mark for the right-hander. But Bolton has responded with solid results as a swing-man for Triple-A Indianapolis.

In 58.1 innings, Bolton has a 2.93 ERA, 3.57 FIP, and 1.32 WHIP. Ten have been starts in the 22 total games he has appeared in. Bolton has a healthy 25.5% strikeout rate and a phenomenal 0.15 HR/9. However, he’s dished out walks to 13.9% of the batters he’s faced. Bolton has continued to display three solid offerings with a four-seam fastball, slider, and changeup.

Bolton may not be a guy with top-of-the-line stuff, but he consistently has gotten the job done. It would be nice to see Bolton in the same rotation as Roansy Contreras, Quinn Priester, Mike Burrows, and Mitch Keller in early-to-mid 2023. I do think he’ll get some starts, but he’s not the only starting capable player the Pittsburgh Pirates have. Bolton will have to overcome a handful of other starting pitchers, though. JT Brubaker has looked quite solid this year, and both Bryse Wilson and Zach Thompson have flashed some potential.

Bolton has a higher ceiling than Thompson and a higher floor than Wilson, even with the latter’s sinker usage increasing. But I do think he eventually moves to a swing-man role. There’s no such thing as enough pitching depth, and having a reliable sixth starter is always welcomed.

Jared Triolo

When you have young and highly talented infielders like Ke’Bryan Hayes, Oneil Cruz, Liover Peguero, Ji-Hwan Bae, and Nick Gonzales in the upper levels of the minor leagues, it’s easy to overlook Jared Triolo. Triolo has consistently been a quality hitter, posting a 110 wRC+ or greater since making his debut in 2019.

Triolo is currently slashing .277/.372/.401 with a .349 wOBA, and 115 wRC+. His 17.7% strikeout rate is great, and so is his 12.8% walk rate. The only downside is that his ISO clocks in at .125, a big drop-off from 2021 when he had a .176 mark. But to Triolo’s credit, he has been a lot better as of recently.

Since the start of June, Triolo has been batting .285/.386/.464 with an even better 14.4% walk rate and 15.8% strikeout rate. This leads to a .376 wOBA and 133 wRC+. After having a sub-.050 isolated slugging percentage in the first two months of the season, Triolo now has a .180 ISO, showing that he does have some power. If Triolo can get his ISO above .150 before the end of the 2022 campaign, it’ll be the third season in a row he’s had a wRC+ of 110 or greater and ISO of at least .150.

Triolo’s primary position is third base, where he is an excellent defender, but he has also seen time at shortstop and centerfield. The issue is that many of those positions have multiple players, both in the minor leagues and major leagues, blocking Triolo. He’s not going to push Ke’Bryan Hayes off third base, nor will he overtake any of Bryan Reynolds, Jack Suwinski, Travis Swaggerty, or possibly even Ji-Hwan Bae for playing time in center field. Shortstop has an overabundance of players as well.

But Triolo has the skills and athleticism to play wherever the Pirates need him. Triolo has time played in the grass, at the hot corner, and up the middle. He’s displayed pretty solid power, plus plate discipline, decent speed, and an outstanding glove. Personally, I like him at the keystone until Nick Gonzales is ready. But after that, I wouldn’t mind seeing Triolo in a utility role.

Cal Mitchell

Like Triolo, outfielder Cal Mitchell has consistently posted average or better numbers in the minor leagues. He has spent most of his season at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he has excelled. Mitchell has hit .324/.380/.512 with career-best power numbers. Mitchell has never posted a slugging percentage above .430 in the past but now sits at .512. It’s also the first time his ISO has peaked over .155.

Mitchell is hitting for more power but hasn’t sold out for it either. Despite the career-best power numbers, he also has a career-best 14.8% K-rate. He’s never walked much, and a 7% BB% is nothing out of the ordinary for Mitchell. But overall, he has a .389 wOBA and 136 wRC+.

Mitchell has already played a handful of games in the major leagues, appearing in 44 contests and stepping to the plate 146 times. He didn’t do all that great, though, having just a .577 OPS, .252 wOBA, and 60 wRC+. But there were a few positives. Mitchell showed off decent raw power with a 90 MPH exit velocity and 40% hard-hit rate, and a .245 batting average on balls in play did the young outfielder no favors.

The Pirates have a ton of young outfielders in the system and in the majors. Bryan Reynolds is up in the major leagues, but the aforementioned Travis Swaggerty and Ji-Hwan Bae are having solid campaigns at Triple-A. Jack Suwinski also did solid for the Bucs earlier this year with great outfield defense. Canaan Smith-Njigba will also return next season. Not to mention other outfield capable prospects like Tucupita Marcano, Endy Rodriguez, and even Jared Triolo.

Mitchell has shown talent at the major league level. He isn’t a great fielder but has the potential to be a solid platoon outfielder/DH option for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The team doesn’t have a permanent answer at designated hitter, so he could be an option there against RHP and occasionally give a corner outfielder a day off.

Abrahan Gutierrez

The Pirates added a ton of catching talent in the past few years. Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis were the biggest additions, but Carter Bins and Wyatt Hendrie were also brought into the organization in July 2021. Not to mention that Jason Delay’s performance in the majors has earned him a longer look. Another addition that was made in July 2021 was when the Pirates sent minor league LHP reliever Blake Weiman to the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher Abrahan Gutierrez.

Gutierrez has had a solid season for the High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers, slashing .261/.360/.419. He’s always drawn a ton of walks and has continued to do so, putting up an 11.6% BB%. Granted, his 24.3% K-rate is a career-worst, but his .357 wOBA and 114 wRC+ are well above average. Gutierrez has done pretty well since June, batting .266/.372/.457, posting a .376 wOBA and 121 wRC+. He’s hit for some pretty good power in this stretch with a .191 isolated slugging percentage.

Gutierrez is a pretty solid defender who receives well but has an arm on the weaker side. The Grasshoppers opened the season with all three of Gutierrez, Rodriguez, and Davis on their active roster, so Gutierrez got to see some playing time at first base, further expanding his versatility and giving the Pirates another way to utilize him.

The downside is Gutierrez is going to be Rule 5 eligible, but so is Endy Rodriguez. The Pirates could protect both, but I think there’s a real possibility that the Pirates will consider a trade involving Gutierrez. He could net the Bucs a pitcher with some control remaining beyond 2023.