Camp Starts: Roster, Broadcast Schedule, Pirates & MLB Notes

Camp is just around the corner. The equipment truck convoy left on Tuesday to get ready for the pitchers and catchers, who will report on February 13th and start workouts on the 14th with the first full-squad workout will be on February 19th. The Grapefruit League opener is February 24th at the Twins and the home opener is scheduled for February 25th against the Orioles. 

In addition to the returning 40-man roster camp invitees, others who will start out in the major league camp are:

• Free agent/via trade (40-Man): LHP Aroldis Chapman, C Yasmani Grandal, LHP Marcos Gonzales, DH/OF Andrew McCutchen, 3B/OF Edward Olivares, LHP Martin Perez, C Ali Sanchez & 1B/DH Rowdy Tellez.
• Injured: SS Oneil Cruz is back, RHP JT Brubaker is expected to return to the hill around the All-Star break and RHP Johan Oviedo & C Endy Rodriguez are out for the year. RHP Vince Velasquez, who had UCL surgery last June, became a free agent at the end of the year and is unsigned. LHP Jarlin Garcia missed all of 2023 with nerve damage and is also a FA.
• Free agent NRIs: INF Sergio Alcantara, OF Gilberto Celestino, RHP Ben Heller, RHP Brent Honeywell Jr, UT Jake Lamb, OF Billy McKinney, RHP Wily Peralta, LHP Michael Plassmeyer, RHP Ryder Ryan & RHP Hunter Stratton.
• Organizational NRIs: IF Andrés Alvarez, C Carter Bins, IF Jack Brannigan, RHP Bubba Chandler, OF Matt Gorski, C Abrahan Gutierrez, RHP Tom Harrington, 2BTermarr Johnson, RHP Jared Jones, UT Joe Perez, RHP Paul Skenes, LHP Antony Solometo & RHP Sean Sullivan. Five of the players – Chandler, Johnson, Jones, Skenes & Solometo – are Top 100 Prospects per MLB Pipeline.

Spring broadcast schedule

• C Yasmani Grandal agreed to a one-year/$2.5M plus incentives deal with the Bucs. For the 35-year-old, Pittsburgh was his fifth team as he entered his 13th year in the show. He hit .237 for Chicago last year and hasn’t reached the .250 BA line since his rookie campaign, but he has some power and is still a solid pitch framer. The Pirates were rumored to be after Gary Sanchez, but Milwaukee beat them to the punch and signed him for $7M. 
• LHP Aroldis Chapman’s one-year/$10.5M signing was made official on the 31st. OF Canaan Smith-Njigba was DFA’ed to clear a 40-man spot and was claimed by Seattle.
• Bryan Reynolds was ranked fourth among MLB Network’s pick of the Top 10 Left Fielders.
• There will be no reunion with 1B Carlos Santana; he signed with the Twins. The other ’23 first sacker, Alfonso Rivas, was claimed by St. Louis last week. There should be some interesting battles on the right side of the infield this year…
• The season opener is against the Marlins at 4:10 PM on March 28th at loanDepot Park. Pittsburgh’s home opener is on April 5th vs. the Orioles at PNC Park, with a 4:12 PM starting time. 
• Ex-Bucco C Russ Martin was named to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame last week. His induction ceremony will be June 15th.
• Busy six weeks: since late December, IF Diego Castillo has been on the rosters of the Diamondbacks, the Mets, the Yankees and now the Phils.
• IF Josh Harrison has signed a NRI contract with the Reds. It’s a homecoming; J-Hey is a Cincinnati native and played ball for the U of Cincinnati Bearcats.