MIAMI — Class AAA Indianapolis suddenly got even more interesting, with the Pirates expected to make several promotions after every other minor league season ended on Sunday.
The top level of MiLB will run concurrently with the MLB schedule.
With Pittsburgh looking to get additional work for several of its top prospects, sources told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sunday that the Pirates were expected to promote eight players: shortstop Oneil Cruz; infielder Rodolfo Castro; pitchers Roansy Contreras, Yerry De Los Santos and Osvaldo Bido; first baseman Mason Martin; and outfielders Cal Mitchell and Canaan Smith-Njigba.
The headliner, of course, is Cruz, the 6-foot-7 shortstop and potential outfielder. Cruz is the organization’s third-best prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and considered the 53rd-best prospect in the game by that service. Baseball America has Cruz in the top 20.
In 62 games with the Curve this season, Cruz hit .292 and had an .882 OPS. Three of his 12 home runs went at least 460 feet, a testament to his massive power. Cruz also had five triples and possesses an incredible arm.
The biggest thing with him has been defensive consistency, which the Pirates hope will translate into fewer errors. The Pirates have pumped the brakes on experimenting with Cruz in the outfield after a right forearm strain shut him down for about two months.
Contreras is Cruz’s equal on the pitching side. He’s the Pirates’ second-best pitching prospect behind Quinn Priester and also returned recently from a right forearm strain. Contreras is ranked No. 6 in the Pirates’ system by MLB Pipeline.
The right-hander made 12 starts in Class AA this season, pitching to a 2.65 ERA with 76 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 54⅓ innings. Opposing hitters batted just .185 against Contreras this season.
Martin is also intriguing. Although he struck out 161 times in 471 plate appearances this season, Martin hit .242, had a .799 OPS, slugged 22 home runs and drove in 75 runs.
He’s right there with Cruz in terms of power projection and might well be the organization’s first baseman of the future.
Mitchell and Smith-Njigba are a pair of athletic outfielders who have enjoyed fine seasons, with Smith-Njigba recently returning from a thigh injury. Mitchell was second behind Martin in RBIs for Class AA Altoona with 61 while hitting .280 with a .760 OPS in 108 games.
Smith-Njigba has played only 66 games but has fared well, hitting .274 with an .805 OPS that was third on the team behind Cruz and Matthew Fraizer.
Castro has struggled since the Pirates optioned him back to Class AA Altoona on Aug. 23. In 18 games before Sunday, Castro was hitting just .082, with 25 strikeouts in 78 plate appearances.
De Los Santos has some terrific stuff out of the bullpen and last year dominated during his first year of full-season ball, pitching to a 1.44 ERA in 50 innings with Greensboro, striking out 73 and walking 12.
Forearm issues have limited De Los Santos to just 12 games this season, although he’s struck out 19 in 17⅔ innings during that time, walking just six and pitching to a 2.04 ERA.
A lanky, 25-year-old right-hander with plenty of velocity, Bido had a 5.09 ERA in 21 games (19 starts), with 91 strikeouts and 33 walks in 93 2/3 innings.
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG
First Published: September 19, 2021, 11:34 p.m.