FORT MYERS, Fla. ¨C Thomas Harrington may have gotten the nod for the Pirates¡¯ Spring Training finale Monday, but the Pirates¡¯ No. 3 prospect will not be breaking camp with the team. Instead, Carmen Mlodzinski will be the fifth starter in Pittsburgh's rotation to start the season.
This will be Mlodzinski¡¯s first turn as a starter at the Major League level (though he has made five starts as an opener before). The 26-year-old right-hander recorded a 3.38 ERA over 50 2/3 innings last season, striking out 46.
A starter for most of his journey through the Pirates¡¯ organization after being a Competitive Balance Round A pick in 2020, Mlodzinski had used appropriate avenues like exit interviews to express his desire to be a starter again. The Pirates gave him an opportunity this spring to prove he can pitch in the role, and he allowed four earned runs over 9 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts compared to three walks.
¡°He was pretty consistent all spring,¡± manager Derek Shelton said. ¡°His velocity held. I think the way he took care of himself this winter, we¡¯ve seen the breaking ball continue to get better, and he earned that spot.¡±
Mlodzinski should be in a position where he can make starts without a piggyback pitcher to bridge innings behind him. In his most recent outing at Pirate City on March 21, Mlodzinski threw 60 pitches over four innings.
Harrington only made four outings this spring, throwing on the backfields mostly. Ranked as the No. 79 overall prospect in the game, according to MLB Pipeline, Harrington struck out seven and allowed six earned runs over his 9 2/3 innings this spring, but he flashed a mid-90s fastball and quality slider that has made him one of the top pitching prospects in the system.
While he didn¡¯t make the team, he made a very good impression.
¡°Really impressed with the spring he¡¯s had, and we think that he¡¯s very close to being a big league pitcher,¡± Shelton said.
"It was really cool being able to stick around and be around these guys in the clubhouse,¡± Harrington said. ¡°It gives me a world of confidence going into the season."
There¡¯s an opening in the rotation because Jared Jones will almost certainly start the season on the injured list with right elbow discomfort. The Pirates are still awaiting another opinion on Jones to learn more about the injury, though there¡¯s hope for some clarity in the coming days.
With the fifth starter job set, and Endy Rodr¨ªguez being named the backup catcher and a part of the team¡¯s first-base mix early in the season while Spencer Horwitz is on the injured list, most of the major jobs that were up for grabs this spring have been decided. The team doesn¡¯t have a set roster in place yet, though, and likely won¡¯t until Wednesday, the day before the Pirates open their season in Miami against the Marlins.
But as the final bullpen and bench jobs are being set, there is some clarity about how the roster will shake out.
Per sources, left-handed reliever Ryan Borucki is expected to be with the team in Miami, while outfielder/first baseman DJ Stewart is not. Stewart has an opt-out on his Minor League deal Monday, while Borucki has passed on an opt-out he had on Friday. Shelton said before Monday¡¯s 5-1 loss to the Twins that no decision has been made on either player yet.
Borucki was one of the Pirates¡¯ top bullpen arms in 2023, but injuries limited him to just 11 Major League frames in 2024. He¡¯s been strong this spring, allowing just one earned run with 14 strikeouts over 9 2/3 innings while flashing a new splitter. He would need to be added back to the 40-man roster after signing a Minor League deal this winter.
Stewart started strong this spring and made strides defensively at first base, which was a relatively new position for the traditional outfielder, but he saw his OPS dip to .798 while striking out 16 times in 46 plate appearances.