Bubba Chandler, 3 other Top 100 prospects among latest batch of Bucs' NRIs
The Pirates announced another batch of non-roster invites to Major League Spring Training Tuesday, including all four of their Top 100 prospects.
Right-handers Bubba Chandler (No. 15 overall per MLB Pipeline, Pirates No. 1) and Thomas Harrington (No. 80 overall, Bucs No. 5), as well as infielders Konnor Griffin (No. 43, No. 2) and Termarr Johnson (No. 83, No. 3) headline the latest group of 14 players who will be in Pirate City this Spring Training.
The Pirates also have four additional players who rank within their Top 30 prospects: left-handers Anthony Solometo (No. 7) and Hunter Barco (No. 8), infielder Jack Brannigan (No. 14) and catcher Omar Alfonzo (No. 24). Outfielder Matt Gorski, catcher Aaron McKeithan and right-hander Sean Sullivan, three unranked Minor Leaguers, were also invited to big league camp.
Three veterans round out the group: Lefty Ryan Borucki, right-hander Ryder Ryan and outfielder DJ Stewart.
The top 100 prospects are undoubtedly the headliners, though the position players don¡¯t stand much chance of making the team. Griffin was the Pirates¡¯ first-round pick this past Draft, and Johnson was their 2022 first-round selection. Johnson has advanced to Double-A Altoona, but neither is on the Major League radar yet. The same goes for the other prospects the Pirates are inviting to camp, with the exceptions perhaps being Chandler and Harrington.
Chandler wowed at Triple-A Indianapolis last season, striking out 54 across his seven starts, en route to a 1.83 ERA over 39 1/3 innings. Harrington also did well after his midseason promotion to Indianapolis, recording a 3.52 ERA over his eight starts. Both could make their Major League debuts this year, and while it would seem like an uphill climb, one can¡¯t rule out the possibility of one earning a spot on the 40-man roster and the Opening Day team. After all, Jared Jones did just that a year ago.
Borucki and Ryan were familiar faces in the Pirates¡¯ bullpen last season. Ryan earned a spot on the Opening Day team and then bounced between the Majors and the Minors, finishing with a 5.66 ERA over 15 Major League games. Borucki battled forearm and elbow issues for most of last season, but excelled as an opener and lefty specialist in 2023.
Stewart, a seven-year Major League vet, played 4 games for the Mets last season, slashing .177/.325/.297 with five home runs and 19 RBIs. That was a down year offensively for the left-hand hitting outfielder, who has a career 100 OPS+. McKeithan was selected in the Minor League portion of the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 11.
The Pirates have now invited 27 non-roster players to Spring Training. Pitchers and catchers will have their first workout on Feb. 12, with the first full squad workout set for Feb. 17.