Look at the list of non-roster invitees for Pirates spring training, and a few certainly stand out.
There are recent first-round picks Travis Swaggerty (2018), Quinn Priester (2019) and Nick Gonzales (2020). Liover Peguero and Canaan Smith-Njigba represent athletic prospects acquired via trades. Mason Martin has one of the most powerful swings in the organization.
Aside from the names most know, there are a few more worth noting, a group of pitchers who could flip this opportunity into major-league work in 2021.
Who are those guys? Let’s take a look, examining them in alphabetical order along with a position player who just missed the cut.
Yerry De Los Santos
The likelihood of De Los Santos making the big-league bullpen is slim, but this represents an important audition.
De Los Santos isn't huge (6-foot-2, 160 pounds) but has a mid-to-upper-90s fastball that has touched 98 mph. FanGraphs gives it a current grade of 55 on the 20-to-80 scale and a future mark of 60. His slider is at 50/55.
No minor league season in 2020 hurt De Los Santos, who thrived with Low-A Greensboro. In 37 games (50 innings), the 23-year-old had a 1.44 ERA, 13 saves and 73 strikeouts. He allowed just three home runs and 12 walks.
De Los Santos also pitched well with Gigantes de Cibao in the Dominican Republic this winter, allowing no runs or walks while striking out seven over six innings.
After Tommy John surgery and shoulder issues slowed his development, De Los Santos could be making a late push.
Jandel Gustave
Once considered a future bullpen piece for the Astros and Giants, general manager Ben Cherington actually poached Gustave — whom the Pirates signed to a minor league deal last season — in the 2014 Rule 5 draft.
With Pittsburgh needing pitching depth, Gustave will again have a chance to make an impression. A 28-year-old from the Dominican Republic, Gustave’s four-seamer and sinker averaged 96.1 mph in 2019, and opponents hit .167 against his slider.
Like De Los Santos (and other relievers with strong stuff), control can be an issue. Gustave has a career ERA of 3.43 over 43 MLB appearances but a walks-per-nine of 4.0.
To his credit, it looked like Gustave found a rhythm with the Giants before they DFA’d him in an August 2020 roster crunch, pitching to a 2.96 ERA over 23 games.
Clay Holmes
Last year was supposed to be when Holmes finally figured it out, when he blended velocity/stuff with control and blossomed into a reliable reliever.
Foot and elbow injuries ruined those plans, with the right-hander appearing in just one game before the Pirates non-tendered him on Dec. 2 and signed him to a minor league deal two days later.
Holmes began 2020 wanting to throw his curveball more, and the strategy made sense. It has great spin (2,684 RPM) and generated a strikeout rate of 43.1% of 2019, yet he only threw it 23.9% of the time.
The new regime has found success playing to pitchers' strengths and accentuating pitches that work. A healthy Holmes fits the mold.
James Marvel
Interesting comparison to JT Brubaker here. Brubaker was the Pirates’ minor league pitcher of the year in 2018, incurred elbow issues in 2019 and joined the starting rotation in 2020.
Marvel was the Pirates’ minor league pitcher of the year in 2019, incurred elbow issues in 2020 and … we shall see.
It's easy to forget that Marvel was once a source of optimism for the Pirates after the right-hander went 16-5 with a 2.94 ERA in 28 starts (162 1/2 innings) across two minor league levels in 2019, striking out 136 and walking 46.
The 27-year-old’s major league starts (0-3, 8.31 ERA) in 2019 were mostly forgettable, but they should also come with asterisks.
They were long ago. They were the first four of his career. The team was mid-tailspin and Elias Diaz was catching. Marvel is once again healthy. He rebuilt himself via Driveline and will finally have a chance to show his progress.
Braeden Ogle
Injuries have been the story here. A knee issue cut short Ogle's 2017 season. He made just four starts in 2018 because of left-shoulder inflammation.
After converting to a relief role in 2019, Ogle finally found success — and health. His fastball touched 97 mph. In 27 games (43 innings), Ogle had a 3.56 ERA with 44 strikeouts and 13 walks, reaching High-A Bradenton.
Ogle should've taken more steps in 2020. Instead, he'll have a chance to prove himself in a couple weeks.
Honorable mention: Wilmer Difo
Difo could easily become Phillip Evans 2.0.
The latter used versatility and timely hitting to earn a bench job in 2020. Difo, who spent parts of six seasons with the Nationals, could see his role grow if the Pirates move Adam Frazier.
Though he's a utility guy, Difo's best season came in 2017 (124 games, 74 starts), when he hit .271, had a 1.5 WAR and was worth nine Defensive Runs Saved at shortstop.
Pittsburgh isn’t Washington. Difo won’t lose his job to Trea Turner or Brian Dozier. He’s also a solid veteran who might enliven a younger clubhouse.
Full list of non-roster invitees
Catchers (5) — Joe Hudson, Andrew Susac, Jason Delay, Christian Kelley, Arden Pabst,
Infielders (7) — Wilmer Difo, Ji-hwan Bae, Will Craig, Nick Gonzales, Kevin Kramer, Mason Martin, Liover Peguero
Outfielders (4) — Troy Stokes Jr., Cal Mitchell, Canaan Smith-Njigba, Travis Swaggerty
Pitchers (10) — Cody Bolton, Chase De Jong, Yerry De Los Santos, Jandel Gustave, Clay Holmes, James Marvel, Braeden Ogle, Quinn Priester, Shea Spitzbarth, Blake Weiman
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: February 3, 2021, 4:45 p.m.
