Notes: Players Claimed/Inked; NRI's, International Signings Announced; Camp Report Date 2/12; Ex-Bucs/MLB News

Gathering up some bodies for camp…

Pirates Stuff: 

• Free agent OF DJ Stewart was inked to a minor league contract by the Bucs. In seven seasons/327 games with the O’s & Mets, he’s banged 42 HR but hit just .212, with a .328 OPS during that span.
• The Pirates signed RHP Burch Smith, 35, and OF Bryce Johnson, 29, to minor league contracts. Smith has pitched for seven teams in six MLB campaigns; last year, he was 4-1/4.95 for Miami and Baltimore. Johnson was with the Giants before moving on to San Diego last year. In 88 big league games, he’s hit .177, but is coming off a strong year at AAA El Paso. Both were invited to camp. 
• The Bucs bought the contract of RHP Brett de Geus from the Toronto Blue Jays who had recently DFA’ed him. He’s tossed 60 MLB outings for five teams in two seasons with a line of 3-4/7.48.
• Pittsburgh Pirates traded for DFA’ed RHP Chase Shugart with the Boston Red Sox for RHP Matt McShane. Shugart doesn’t have a very shiny resume while McShane was a 2024 13th rounder from St. Joseph’s who hasn’t pitched pro ball yet.
• Pitchers and catchers will have their first workout at Pirate City on February 12. The first full-squad workout will be on the 17th.

Paul Skenes is ready to add to the load – 2024 MLB image

• An estimated 20,000 fans braved the brrrs and attended the weekend PiratesFest, most to hobnob and some to toss brickbats at the suits. One notable vibe that emerged from it was that both Cutch and Paul Skenes seem ready to step up and claim locker room leadership roles in 2025.

NRI’s To Camp:

• The first batch of non-rostered players who will be competing at Bucco camp are the baker’s dozen of RHPs Carson Fulmer, Isaac Mattson, Tanner Rainey, Yohan Ramírez, Yerry Rodríguez, Burch Smith, Hunter Stratton and Eddy Yean; IFs Darick Hall, Malcolm Nuñez and Nick Solak; OF Bryce Johnson and C Abrahan Gutierrez, with more sure to come.
• The Pirates #1 2025 pick SS/OF Konnor Griffin has been been invited to big league camp at Spring Training.

International Signings:

• Dominican SS Johan De Los Santos, MLB Pipeline’s No. 23-ranked prospect, agreed to a deal worth $2.25M. His brother Yordany, an IF, signed with the Pirates for $1.2M in 2022 and spent last year at Class A Bradenton.

• Darrell Morel, another Dominican shortstop who Baseball America ranks as the #20 International Prospect, landed a $1,778,600 bonus. He was the dude the Dodgers had in their pocket but who the Bucs reeled in as the Roki Sasaki bidding made LA uncertain as to how much international money they’d have in their pool, dependent on whether or not they signed Sasaki.
• Gabriel Rodriguez, a Venezuelan OF, inked a $900K agreement.
• Other signees: Yoslaniel Hernandez (Cuban LHP/$400,000); Robinson Smith (Australian RHP/$400,000); Limanol Payero (Dominican OF/$200,000) & Armstrong Muhoozi (Ugandan IF/$40,000). There were 16 other players signed whose bonus was not disclosed. In all, the Pirates had $6,908,600 in International Pool Money for this year’s class and spent it all.