Pirates invite 28 Minor League prospects to Spring Training

With players reporting to Spring Training as early as today, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced their list of non-roster invitees earlier this afternoon. In total, 14 pitchers were invited, as well as six catchers and a slew of infielders and outfielders.

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Some notable names attending Major League camp are former top draft picks Quinn Priester, Nick Gonzales and Henry Davis, who will look to make a splash given that all three are projected to join the Pirates’ main roster in the coming years. All three made it as far as High-A Greensboro, with Davis joining the Grasshoppers just after two games played with the club’s FCL-Gold team.

Also joining the Major League camp are Mason Martin and Tahnaj Thomas, two players whom the team feared losing to the Rule 5 Draft, but retained after it was canceled.

Martin, 22, went on a power surge for Altoona last season, mashing 25 home runs with 81 runs batted in. Strikeouts were his weakness as he racked up a career-high 171 offensive punch-outs.

Meanwhile, Thomas, 22, went 3-3 with a 5.19 ERA with Greensboro last year.

In addition to the notable prospects, some players will look to use camp as a way to kick-off a redemption year. Some include RHP Cody Bolton, who hasn’t seen in-game action since 2020, and Jerad Eickhoff, who struggled last season with the New York Mets.

Bolton was predicted to join the Pirates’ 40-man roster last season, but a torn meniscus in Spring Training left him on the shelf all year. On the other hand, Eickhoff struggled in a short period of time with the New York Mets last season, but was signed by Pittsburgh prior to the lockout.

While talks continue of when Spring Training games get started, games are expected to start sometime next week.