In advance of the Rule 5 draft deadline, the Pirates have announced they’ve selected the contracts of Endy Rodriguez, Mike Burrows, Colin Selby and Jared Triolo to their 40-man roster. In corresponding moves, Tyler Heineman, Jeremy Beasley, Manny Banuelos and Junior Fernandez have all been designated for assignment. Their 40-man roster remains full.
Pittsburgh acquired Rodriguez from the Mets as part of the three-team trade centered around Joe Musgrove heading to San Diego. He’s powered through the minor leagues this past year, making it all the way to Triple-A by season’s end. Across three levels, he hit .323/.407/.590 with 25 home runs. He appeared mostly at catcher, but also logged some time in the corner outfield, and at first and second base in 2022. The 22-year-old was ranked in the top-100 prospects in the game by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, and given the Bucs’ lack of catching options on the major league depth chart, there appears a strong chance he makes it to the big leagues sometime in 2023.
Burrows landed fifth in Baseball America’s mid-season ranking of the Pittsburgh’s prospects. An eleventh round pick in 2018, Burrows spent half the year at Double-A before being promoted to Triple-A in June. In 12 starts at Double-A, Burrows had a 2.94 ERA, striking out batters 32.4% of the time and walking them 8.9% of the time. A big drop in strikeouts at Triple-A (down to 23.3%) largely accounted for his ERA spiking to 5.31 after his promotion, although his opponents BABIP also jumped about 40 points. Nonetheless, a couple of strong months at Triple-A to begin 2023 and it won’t be long before the 23-year-old finds his way to Pittsburgh.
Selby was a 16th round pick in 2018, and began his career as a starter before the Pirates shifted him to the bullpen last year. While the results weren’t particularly encouraging initially, he’s had a strong 2022 campaign at Double-A and made it to Triple-A briefly at the end of the season. In 32 2/3 innings at Double-A, Selby had a 29.7% strikeout rate against a 10.1% walk rate on the way to a 2.20 ERA. He only threw three innings at Triple-A, but should start there next season and could be a depth option for Pittsburgh’s bullpen next summer.
Triolo was picked up in the third round of the 2019 draft, and spent the entire 2022 campaign at Double-A. He hit a solid .282/.375/419, and as the line would suggest, posted a strong walk rate of 12.7% against a 17.6% strikeout rate. He’s predominantly a third baseman, but logged time at shortstop and center field in 2022. Given the presence of Ke’Bryan Hayes at third for the foreseeable future in Pittsburgh, it’s possible Triolo has a future as a utility man.
On the DFA side of things, only Heineman and Banuelos saw any meaningful time in the big leagues. Heineman appeared in 52 games at catcher, batting .211/.277/.254, while Banuelos threw 32 2/3 innings of 4.96 ERA ball after coming across from the Yankees mid-season. Fernandez only threw 3 1/3 innings for the Pirates, and Beasley only threw at their Triple-A affiliate.
Still think Junior could help a lot of bullpens.
Nice job Pirates, you did something good.
No real surprises for designates as the Pirates are running out of roster space.
I was not aware of Selby but it seems to me that Bolton could be selected in the Rule 5.
They will need spots for free agents and I think that Underwood will be non tendered and Park May have to be designated.Then they would have to start cutting some that they may want to keep but cannot.
I still see several that can go easily. Duane Underwood, Robert Stephenson, Miguel Yajure, Ali Sanchez, Hoy Park and Ryan Vilade.
I think that Stephenson has some promise and Yajure was acquired in the Taillon trade and I do not think that they want to give up on him yet.
It seems at this point that they want Sanchez to be the backup catcher to a veteran free agent with Heinaman and Delay in AAA.
I agree on the other three as they will need at least these spots for free agents.I see Kranick as the only player to be placed on the 60 day IL.
Kinda surprising for Selby had a strong season and a strong AFL run. Has upper 90s velocity plus really nasty stuff. Is a reliever so he would be of more use to a team looking to claim than Bolton who has had injury issues and just working himself back for the most part. Guessing that the BUcs think that Selby may get taken sooner than Bolton.
I was not aware of Selby but that does not mean that the Rays or Dodgers were not.He may be the type of player that surprises even in the ML’s.
The Pirates only have about 3 or 4 more before they will be cutting potential good players.They will be signing that many free agents.
It is a guessing game as to whether players like Bolton could stick in the ML’s for a year.
This is actually becoming a good problem for BC to have.
Yup. Been a fan since the 60s and can’t remember a time where our minor league system ever had this much good depth..That does not mean that they will all turn out but rather at least they have several options at some positions and enough depth to use as trade chips and not short they system when they do, As you say, a good problem doe BC to have.
Agreed. Park has to go, these others are replacable with anyone really. Bryse Wilson, Mears, Ramirez, and they’ll have to make a decision on Newman.. I think Newman can start in this league, barely, but not sure Pittsburgh is the best place with Cruz and Castro preferably. Unless they bite the bullet and move Cruz to the outfield.
Free agents? As in plural?
Maybe a catcher if he can be signed cheap but the only possible additions to this roster will come after spring training when Cherington goes on his annual dumpster diving for cheap players
They will sign Perez again and get another starter and hope BC works his magic for the third year in a row.I personally think that they need another veteran catcher as one of them will get hurt and by then Endy should be up.
I would like to see them sign Cutch as a part time DH and leftfielder.I think that they will go with what they have in the bullpen and hope that the young pitchers develop.
I too would like to sign Cutch but for a one year contract, he’s definitely on the downside of his career, and his presence might actually increase attendance, as he is definitely a fan favorite
Missing from this list, the manager, Derek Shelton
Paul- I noticed that Shelton did not get any Manager of the Year votes.
Ke’Bryan Hayes has been the staple of mediocre, maybe Triolo pushes him to do better, but Triolo is another of the same ilk speed/low power
Hayes is more than mediocre as far as his defense is concerned, his bat is another story.
It didn’t help that Shelton batted him lead off or clean up until they finally realized that it’s his bat that is mediocre
They will sign a C. They will sign a SP. Endy will be up after they think enough time has passed for him to miss super 2. They will non tender Newman underwood and Stephenson. “Shelty” will never be a major league manager after this season.
I really hope that they are not stupid enough to non tender Newman.He was one of the few good players that they had last year.They need him to play SS if they move Cruz to the outfield of if he gets hurt.
It would be a travesty to lose him and keep Hoy.
At the very least they should be able to get a reasonably good young player in a trade.
I agree, Mendoza, Newman, if nothing else, is a good backup in the event of an injury and should be viewed as a tangible asset for trading if the right situation presents itself
You really see them paying him 3 million? I don’t. He will be a good bench piece somewhere else.
The Pirates need to start realizing that even good bench pieces are worth $3M.That hardly is going to break the bank.He is easily the soundest of any of their infielders.
I see them paying him $3 million then using him as trade bait at the deadline
Otherwise they would have kept him off the 40 man roster
Edny might be the pirates catcher of the future. His bat is doing great and has better defensive presence than Davis (just from the little bit i’ve seen). Though it seems Davis works with the pitchers better.
Regardless it is a good problem to have 🙂
Man I really hope Jared can make the squad. Loved watching him play in college.