Pirates announce non-roster invitees
The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced the following 28 players will attend Major League camp as non-roster invitees.
Cam Alldred (LHP) – Went 4-0 with a 2.18 ERA (66.0ip/16er), 59 strikeouts and .192 batting average against in 33 combined appearances between Altoona and Indianapolis last season…Has gone 8-3 with six saves, a 2.88 ERA (156.0ip/50er), 154 strikeouts and .222 batting average against in 92 relief appearances in his minor league career since being selected by the Pirates in the 24th round of the 2018 draft.
Ji-hwan Bae (INF) – Enters 2022 rated as Pittsburgh’s 11th-best prospect according to FanGraphs…Hit a combined .281 (92-for-327) with 12 doubles, five triples, eight home runs, 33 RBI and 20 stolen bases between Altoona and on rehab with Pittsburgh’s two Florida Complex League teams last season…Finished tied for fifth among all Pirates minor leaguers last year in stolen bases.
Carter Bins (C) – Enters 2022 listed as the “Best Defensive Catcher” in the Pirates minor league system according to Baseball America…Hit a combined .234 (55-for-235) with 12 doubles, eight home runs and 41 RBI in 67 games last year between Everett (Mariners’ High-A), Arkansas (Mariners’ Double-A) and Altoona…Was acquired by the Pirates along with pitcher Joaquin Tejada from the Mariners organization last season on July 28 in exchange for pitcher Tyler Anderson.
Cody Bolton (RHP) – Missed the entire 2021 season after undergoing right knee surgery last May…Entered the 2021 campaign rated by MLB Pipeline as Pittsburgh’s fourth-best pitching prospect…Has gone 11-11 with a 3.36 ERA (171.2ip/64er) and 169 strikeouts in 39 career starts in the minors…Was selected by the Pirates in the sixth round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft.
Mike Burrows (RHP) – Enters 2022 listed by Baseball America as having the “Best Curveball” in Pittsburgh’s minor league system and as the 12th-best prospect in the Pirates organization according to FanGraphs…Spent all of 2021 with Greensboro, where he allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his 13 starts…Was selected by the Pirates in the 11th round of the 2018 draft.
Henry Davis (C) – Enters this season rated as Pittsburgh’s No. 1 prospect according to Baseball America (41st among the publication’s top 100 in the game)…Was selected by Pittsburgh with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 First-Year Player Draft…Hit a combined .308 (8-for-26) with two doubles, a triple, three homers and seven RBI in eight games last season between the Florida Complex League and Greensboro…Also ranks 22nd= among the 100 prospects in the game according to The Athletic’s Keith Law, 18th among _Baseball Prospectus_’ top 101 prospects and 39th among the top 100 prospects according to ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel.
Taylor Davis (C) – Was acquired by the Pirates last year on June 15 from the Orioles organization…Hit a combined .248 (39-for-157) with six doubles, two home runs and 22 RBI in 51 games last year between Triple-A Norfolk and Indianapolis…Has played in 22 games in the big leagues between the Cubs (2017-19) and Pirates (2021).
Yerry De Los Santos (RHP) – Has gone 9-9 with 15 saves, a 2.76 ERA (159.2ip/49er), six home runs allowed and 154 strikeouts in 84 appearances (14 starts) in his minor league career with the Pirates…Went a combined 3- 2 with two saves, a 1.52 ERA (23.2ip/4er), 25 strikeouts, .160 batting average against and 0.85 WHIP in 16 appearances last year between Altoona and Indianapolis…Missed part of the 2021 campaign due to a forearm injury…Was signed as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2014.
Jerad Eickhoff (RHP) – Has gone 21-32 with one save, a 4.35 ERA (459.2ip/222er) and 409 strikeouts in 85 appearances (80 starts) in the big leagues with Philadelphia (2015-19) and the New York Mets (2021)…Attended spring training as a non-roster invitee with the Mets last year before spending a majority of the season with Triple- A Syracuse…Won a career-high 11 games with the Phillies in 2016.
Adrian Florencio (RHP) – Was named the Pirates organization’s Bob Friend Pitcher-of-the-Year in 2021…Was also named the Low-A Southeast League 2021 Pitcher-of-the-Year and a post-season All-Star…Spent all of 2021 with Bradenton, where he ranked first in the Southeast League in strikeouts (117)…Also ranked first in the Southeast League in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (11.08), strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.90), home runs allowed per 9.0 innings (0.47), strikeout percentage (29.8) and WHIP (1.05)…Was signed by the Pirates as a non-drafted free agent on February 20, 2019.
Matt Fraizer (OF) – Was named Pittsburgh’s 2021 Honus Wagner Player-of-the-Year…Was also named the 2021 High-A East League’s Most Valauble Player and the Pirates organization’s Player-of-the-Year by Baseball America…Led all Pirates farmhands with at least 350 plate appearances in batting average (.306), OBP (.388), slugging (.552), OPS (.939), hits (133), total bases (240) and runs scored (84) last year while splitting the season between Greensboro and Altoona.
Nick Gonzales (INF) – Enters the 2022 season rated as Pittsburgh’s third-best prospect according to Baseball America (49th among the top 100 in the game according to the same publication)…Hit .302 with 23 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs and 54 RBI in 80 games while spending the entire 2021 season with Greensboro…Ranked second in the High-A East League in OBP (.385), slugging (.565) and OPS (.950) while being named to the league’s post-season All-Star team…Was selected seventh overall by the Pirates in the 2020 draft.
Bligh Madris (OF) – Hit .267 (96-for-360) with 25 doubles, nine home runs and 56 RBI in 114 combined games last year between Altoona and Indianapolis…Was named the Pirates organization’s Manny Sanguillen Teammate- of-the-Year for Indianapolis last year…Ranked third among all Pirates minor leaguers in games played and tied for fourth in doubles last year…Was selected by Pittsburgh in the ninth round of the 2017 draft.
Mason Martin (INF) – His 60 home runs since the beginning of the 2019 season are the second-most in all of Minor League Baseball, trailing only Matt Davidson (61); he leads all of MiLB in that time period with 210 RBI…Led Pittsburgh’s minor league system in home runs (25) and RBI (81) while playing in a combined 120 games between Altoona and Indianapolis last season…Ranked second in the Double-A Northeast League in RBI (75) and total bases (199) while being named to the league’s post-season All-Star team.
Enmanuel Mejia (RHP) – Was named Pittsburgh’s Kent Tekulve Minor League Reliever-of-the-Year in 2021 after posting a combined 0.42 ERA (42.2ip/2er) in 32 relief appearances between Bradenton and Greensboro last season…Was also named to the Low-A Southeast League post-season All-Star team in 2021…Has gone 7-3 with an 0.85 ERA (63.1ip/6er) and 90 strikeouts in 50 relief appearances in the minors since being signed by the Pirates as a non-drafted free agent on February 20, 2019.
Cal Mitchell (OF) – Entered last year rated by MLB Pipeline as Pittsburgh’s 17th-best prospect…Hit .279 (112-for- 402) with 20 doubles, 12 home runs and 62 RBI in 115 games last season between Altoona and Indianapolis…Ranked second among all Pirates minor leaguers in games, third in hits (112) and eighth in RBI in 2021…Was selected by the Pirates in the second round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft.
Carmen Mlodzinski (RHP) – Went 2-3 with a 3.93 ERA (50.1ip/22er) and 64 strikeouts while making 14 starts last year for Greensboro; also made final start with Indianapolis to end the season…Enters 2022 rated as Pittsburgh’s 10th-best prospect according to _Baseball America_…Was selected by the Pirates in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft with the Competitive Balance A round selection (31st pick overall).
Kyle Nicolas (RHP) – Was one of three players acquired from the Marlins organization on November 29 in exchange for catcher Jacob Stallings…Led all Marlins farmhands in strikeouts (136) last year, which also ranked 13th among all pitchers in Minor League Baseball 22-years-old or younger…Was selected by Miami in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft (61st pick overall – Competitive Balance B round selection).
Hunter Owen (OF/INF) – Led Indianapolis in home runs (20) while finishing second in total bases (148) and third in RBI (53) during the 2021 season…Began the 2021 season at Pittsburgh’s alternate training site…Made his MLB debut last year with the Pirates on May 5…Was selected by Pittsburgh in the 25th round of the 2016 First- Year Player Draft.
Michael Perez (C) – Spent the entire 2021 season with the Pirates, where he set career highs in games played, homers and RBI…Made 58 appearances (57 starts) behind the plate last season…Was designated for assignment by the Pirates on November 19 before being outrighted to Indianapolis on November 24.
Quinn Priester (RHP) – Enters this season rated as Pittsburgh’s sixth-best prospect according to Baseball America (88th among the publication’s top 100 prospects in the game)…Was named the High-A East League’s Pitcher-of- the-Year in 2021 while spending the entire season with Greensboro…Led the High-A East League last season in ERA (3.04), batting average against (.225), home runs allowed per 9.0 innings (0.74), WHIP (1.24) and winning percentage (.636)…Was selected by Pittsburgh in the first round (18th overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft.
Jamie Ritchie (C) – Hit .317 (90-for-284) with 18 doubles, one triple, four home runs and 43 RBI while spending the 2021 season with Triple-A Reno…Was originally selected by Houston in the 13th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft…Attended big league camp as a non-roster invitee for three straight years (2018-20) with the Astros.
Endy Rodriguez (C) – Was named the 2021 Low-A Southeat League Most Valuable Player and to the league’s post-season All-Star team while spending the entire year with Bradenton…Ranked first in the Southeast League last season in extra base hits (46), total bases (193) and runs scored (73) while finishing second in doubles (25), RBI (73), slugging (.512), OPS (.873) and hits (111)…Enters the 2022 season rated as Pittsburgh’s seventh-best prospect according to Baseball America.
Hunter Stratton (RHP) – Went a combined 2-2 with a 2.39 ERA (49.0ip/13er), 70 strikeouts and .182 batting average against in 38 appearances between Altoona and Indianapolis last season…Finished fifth among all Pirates minor league relievers in strikeouts last season…Was selected by the Pirates in the 16th round of the 2017 draft.
Beau Sulser (RHP) – Spent the entire 2021 season with Indianapolis, where he finished tied for the Triple-A East League in starts (24) while ranking fifth in innings pitched (122.2)…Was a 2019 Eastern League mid-season All- Star was also being named Double-A Altoona’s co-Pitcher-of-the-Year…Was selected by Pittsburgh in the 10th round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft.
Tahnaj Thomas (RHP) – Was rated by FanGraphs as the 90th-best prospect in all of baseball at the conclusion of the 2021 season…Spent the entire 2021 season with Greensboro, where he established career highs in starts (16), innings pitched (60.2) and strikeouts (62)…Entered 2020 rated as Pittsburgh’s fifth-best prospect and as having the “Best Fastball” in the Pirates minor league system according to Baseball America.
Jared Triolo (INF) – Spent all of last season with Greensboro, where he was recognized as the Pirates organization’s Bill Mazeroski Defender-of-the-Year…Was also named the 2021 Rawling Minor League Gold Glove Award winner for third basemen…Was named a 2021 High-A East League post-season All-Star…Led the High-A East League in hits (128) and doubles (29) while tying for the league lead in total bases (202)…Was selected by the Pirates in the 2019 draft (Competitive Balance B round).
Blake Weiman (LHP) – Went 5-0 with a 4.76 ERA (45.1ip/24er), 45 strikeouts and .218 batting average against in 35 relief appearances last year with Indianapolis…Was a non-roster invitee with the Pirates last season…Has gone 14-7 with a 3.36 ERA (176.2ip/66er) in 119 relief appearances during his minor league career…Was Pittsburgh’s eighth round selection in the 2017 Draft.