The Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to terms with 27 players off their 40-man roster for the upcoming 2023 season.
All the players negotiated with are in the pre-arbitration eligibility state of their contracts, with one exception.
That one exception is none other than star shortstop of the future, Oneil Cruz. The 24-year-old has already had some electric moments at the Major League level, braking records on both sides of the game.
The surprising part of the contract renewal is that it’s at league minimum ($720,000), which gives Cruz two years in a row making league minimum.
Yes, Cruz didn’t perform absurdly great last season. He slashed a mediocre .233/.294/.450 with 17 homers and 54 RBIs. If the projections and expectations of the star talent he has pan out for the 2023 season, it’ll be a severe underpay and bargain for the front office.
All-star closer David Bednar, young frontline starter Roansy Contreras, second baseman Rodolfo Castro, outfielder Jack Suwinski, and top prospect Endy Rodriguez were among the others who had their contracts negotiated. All of which are expected to play a big role for the team this upcoming season.
The rest of the players are as follows: pitchers Mike Burrows, Wil Crowe, Chase De Jong, Yerry De Los Santos, Jose Hernandez, Colin Holderman, Max Kranick, Mark Mathias, Dauri Moreta, Luis Ortiz, Johan Oviedo, Yohan Ramirez, and Colin Selby; position players Ji Hwan Bae, Connor Joe, Tucupita Marcano, Cal Mitchell, Liover Peguero, Canaan Smith-Njigba, Travis Swaggerty, and Ryan Vilade.