Bucs agree with Sacramento State RHP Brahms
Adam Berry
@adamdberryPITTSBURGH -- After finishing last week¡¯s five-round MLB Draft, the Pirates went to work on further whittling down their list of Draft-eligible prospects. They¡¯re wading into the pool of non-drafted free agents with specific players in mind, and they matched up with one of their targets on Tuesday.
The Pirates agreed to terms with Sacramento State University right-hander Parker Brahms. Brahms, who returned for his senior season after being selected by the Dodgers in the 27th round of last year¡¯s Draft, will receive a $20,000 signing bonus, a source told MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, the maximum value allowed under this year¡¯s rules.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year¡¯s Draft was reduced to five rounds. That left a large group of available players who might have been drafted in previous years free to sign for up to $20,000 beginning Sunday morning. Brahms is the Pirates¡¯ first reported non-drafted free-agent signing.
The 6-foot-3, 209-pound Brahms was off to an excellent start in his senior season at Sacramento State. The right-hander went 2-1 with a 1.14 ERA, 32 strikeouts and no walks over 23 2/3 innings in his first four starts before the season was shut down.
It was a return to form for the native of Calabasas, Calif. He put together a 3.13 ERA in 17 outings as a freshman and a 2.41 ERA in 18 appearances as a sophomore before taking a step back with a 4.70 ERA during his junior season. The Dodgers still liked him enough to draft him last year, but Brahms returned to school to finish his degree.
Sacramento State coach Reggie Christiansen told The State Hornet that Brahms¡¯ struggles as a junior were related to mechanical difficulties that came about after Brahms spent the offseason adding muscle to his frame. After adjusting his delivery, Brahms thrived -- albeit in a short season -- as a senior.
Brahms pitches with a deceptive, cross-fire delivery. His fastball sits between 88-90 mph, touching 92 this spring, with late life and below-average spin. He was a starter in college, relying on his fastball and curveball, but there is a chance his velocity could tick up if he moves to the bullpen. Last month, he was named a second-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball News, which also named Pirates first-round pick Nick Gonzales its national player of the year.
The Pirates are expected to pursue more non-drafted free agents, though general manager Ben Cherington said they will be mindful of the opportunities available as they add prospects to their system.
¡°Any non-drafted player we sign and bring in is in some way in competition with a player who¡¯s already here,¡± Cherington said last week. ¡°So I think we¡¯ll target guys that we feel honestly have opportunity with the Pirates and who we feel we can help in some way. That probably ends up meaning it¡¯s a bit more targeted list. ¡ It will continue to be players we just have interest in and who we believe there might be a good development match with.¡±
Worth noting
The Pirates have agreed to terms with second-round pick Jared Jones, a high school right-hander committed to the University of Texas. The deal is not complete, however, as Jones has not yet completed a pre-signing physical examination. Nor is it necessarily a surprise that Jones intends to sign, as Cherington previously expressed confidence that the Pirates would complete deals with each of their six Draft picks.