Pirates invite 13 prospects to camp, what to expect?

Pirates add 13 prospects to the Non-Roster Invites list on Tuesday

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Not too far from now, pitchers and catchers will be reporting, marking the beginning of Spring Training.

Before that, the Pirates invited 13 prospects to major league camp as Non-Roster Invites.

Here’s a look at each player, a little on them, and what to watch for in camp.

Andres Alvarez

Some talented players have come through Altoona to play for the Curve, but Alvarez was the first to post a 20/20 season in the franchise’s history.

He couldn’t repeat that success when he repeated Double-A, hitting just eight home runs and stealing four bases. Alvarez is more of a depth piece at this point, although versatile, seeing time at second, third, short, and even left field in his career.

Carter Bins

Initially acquired in the Tyler Anderson trade, Bins has struggled at the plate since coming over to the Pirates organization. He missed a good chunk of the 2023 season with an injury but put in a good showing during the Arizona Fall League, albeit in limited playing time.

Teams usually bring as many catchers to big league camp as possible, but with Endy Rodriguez out for the season, this will be an excellent opportunity to make a name for yourself to be considered at some point in 2024.

The offense hasn’t come around, but if he can make a good impression defensively, a strong camp can put him on a path to make his big league debut this year.

Jack Brannigan

Another AFL participant, Brannigan’s defense, is his highlighting tool, and he has a chance to shine playing shortstop in a crowded middle infield picture that doesn’t have a clear-cut answer at the position outside of Oneil Cruz (who even then has questions defensively).

The main question for Brannigan will be contact, as he had some swing-and-miss issues last year but has some impressive speed and a little pop in his bat.

He’s a guy that you can probably write down to having a few highlight reel plays in spring, but the attention will be on the bat.

Bubba Chandler

Maybe no one pitched better down the stretch in the system than Bubba Chandler, capping off his 2023 campaign with one final start in Altoona.

This is just an opportunity for Chandler to get used to how things work at the major league level, maybe squeezing him into a game or two before heading off to minor league camp.

In what will undoubtedly be a small sample size, it will be hard to look for anything too specific, but while the attention goes to his fastball (for just cause), the change-up is a potential weapon, so that will be something to watch.

Matt Gorski

If there is any player in the system that has the tools to platoon center field with Jack Suwinski in the majors, it’s probably Gorski, unfortunately he’s struggled to stay healthy and make consistent contact.

Now 26-years-old, Gorski has always the loud tools to play a very strong center field, he’s just never been able to put it all together. Could that still happen? Absolutely.

Depending on how much playing time he gets, I can see him launching a home run or two that will give some hope, but the issue with Gorski remains doing it in longer stints.

Abrahan Gutierrez

He’s one of the better defensive catchers in the system for the Pirates, and while he put some hits together in Altoona before getting hurt, the only year he reached double-digit home runs was in Greensboro.

Still, depending on how things go, there may be some opportunities throughout the season with Rodriguez out for the season, and this is an excellent chance to get noticed.

Thomas Harrington

When you have the pitching prospects do, it’s easy to get overlooked. MLB Pipeline had four Pirates pitching prospects in their initial Top 100 rankings, and while Harrington wasn’t one of them, he’s closer to them than some may realize.

He finished in a tie with Jared Jones for most strikeouts in the minors for the Pirates in 2023 and will be making the jump to Double-A this year.

Like Chandler, it may not be the biggest sample size we see of Harrington, but he brings three potentially above-average or better pitches and, with the right start, could end up in Triple-A by the end of the season.

Termarr Johnson

He was invited to big league camp at 18 years old, but an injury ended things early, and in turn, Johnson was a little slow out the gate to start the season.

Johnson was rated as the best second base prospect in the game by Pipeline, and while there were some concerns raised in his first full season, he also hit 18 home runs and drew over 100 walks.

He doesn’t have the biggest frame, but he can send it a long way out when he gets ahold of the ball. It may not be flashy and not the best way place to evaluate, but it would be nice to see him using the entire field and not trying to force it out.

Jared Jones

A big league invite last year, Jones came in against the New York Yankees and pumped out near triple digits in his inning of relief.

He’s as electric of a pitcher as the Pirates have in the minors, leading the system in strikeouts since making his pro debut.

The biggest question with Jones is if he is a starter long-term, and that won’t be answered in spring training, but what can be is seeing how much he’s trying to incorporate his secondary pitches outside of his fastball and slider.

Joe Perez

Do you want a sleeper prospect in camp? Perez is probably that guy. He was one of the Astros’ top prospects and made his major league debut before eventually getting released.

The Pirates signed him, and he tore the cover off the ball the rest of the season, both in Altoona and Indianapolis. He hit 10 home runs in 34 games after signing with the Pirates, and the exit velocity numbers were quite impressive once he got to Triple-A.

If he’s limited to a 1B/RF type of role, it will be hard to find a spot for him early on, but if Perez cuts down on the strikeouts, he could be a guy who gets a look this season.

There usually is a guy in camp who really pushes the issue and hangs around longer than expected. Perez seems like he can be that guy.

Paul Skenes

I have a very straightforward prediction on what we can expect from the first overall pick in the most recent draft.

He will throw the ball hard and strike out some hitters, and Pirates fans will clamor for him to make the Opening Day roster.

Then, when he gets sent to minor league camp, the ‘they are unserious’ remarks will come.

Skenes will turn some heads and may even get the best of some established players, but I can also see a scenario where he strikes out the side against a bunch of hitters wearing 80s and 90s for their jersey numbers.

Anthony Solometo

If there is a pitcher here I want to see face established big league hitters, it’s Solometo. Mainly to see how they interact with the delivery. Solometo has also answered every challenge the Pirates have given him so far; it almost wouldn’t surprise me if he looked the best out of this bunch.

Also, I want to see the change-up. Seeing the change-up would be huge in my books. Then again, we may not see that if he’s only throwing an inning or two (at most) in big league games.

Sean Sullivan

For those who have read my work going back to P2, you know I’ve talked about Sullivan a lot. He has great fastball command and really sequences his secondary pitches off of it well.

He got lit up in Greensboro in 2022 and predictably got better in Altoona in a much pitcher-friendly environment.

While he isn’t a big swing-and-miss guy, he gets the job done and finished strong last year.

If he gets some looks against major league hitters, it will be interesting to see if he looks overmatched.