When the MLB Draft ended Tuesday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Pirates had selected 11 pitchers and 10 position players in a near-even split that wasn’t as intentional as the strategy to select top talent.
After taking Louisville catcher Henry Davis with the first overall pick and receiving rave reviews for picking top-32 prospects with their first three picks on the second day, the Pirates added six pitchers, three shortstops and an outfielder in rounds 11-20.
“The way it set out, each pick you make sets up the next one or allows you to certain things off the next one,” Pirates senior director of amateur scouting Joe DelliCarri said. “I think the way it presented itself with our first selection allowed us to keep going after the highest talent on the board, not knowing exactly always if you’re going to have something done but, at the same point in time, keep taking shots and opportunities at the most abilities.
“In those cases, as we saw and heard leading into the draft, the high school players, pitching and position players, we thought going in were the highest players, and as we lined up the board, that’s the way it fell this year and felt strongly about it off that first selection, keep taking the highest ability. That’s what happened. That’s the way it presented itself.”
The Pirates drafted six college pitchers: right-handers Jack Carey of Duke (11th round), Owen Sharts of Nevada (13th), Carlos Lomeli of St. Mary’s College (17th) and Drew Irvine of Iowa (19th) and lefties Chazz Martinez of Orange Coast College (12th) and Tyler Samaniego of South Alabama (15th).
They also added three high school prospects in outfielder Braylon Bishop from Arkansas and shortstops Daniel Corona of The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn., and A.J. Graham of Gaither, Fla., as well as junior college shortstop Brandon Dixon from Weatherford, Texas.
Pirates assistant general manager Steve Sanders credited the scouting department for “staying light on their feet” during the three-day draft that covered 20 rounds. The Pirates picked 13 college players and seven high school prospects.
“Joe and the entire group did an incredible job of remaining open, remaining agile, continuing to seek information and learn about opportunities and each one of those turns, so to speak, through those first couple picks, some we thought might happen, some we thought might not,” Sanders said. “We were in good position to make some quick decisions, thanks to the work of our scouts.”
Whether the Pirates will be able to sign all 21 players they drafted is another story.
Bishop, an Arkansas recruit, tweeted “See you soon” to the Razorbacks’ baseball account with emojis laughing and in tears before deleting it. Bishop later posted a tweet thanking the Pirates “for making the only dream I had as a kid come true.”
It’s not uncommon for a 14th-round pick to bypass the pros to attend college, and DelliCarri emphasized that it’s why he instructs to be relentless in contacting prospects until the end of the draft process.
“You’re only as good as your last conversation, whenever that last conversation was,” DelliCarri said. “Then things can change.”
Even so, Sanders expressed optimism the Pirates are positioned to “make a lot, if not all, of these guys Pirates.”
“We wouldn’t have taken them,” Sanders said, “if we didn’t feel that way.”
Craig signs with KBO
Just two years after playing in the Futures Game, former Pirates first-round pick Will Craig ended his tenure with the team by signing with the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korean Baseball Organization.
Jeeho Yoo of Yonhop News in Seoul reported the signing and tweeted that Craig will earn $371,000 for the remainder of the season.
Drafted No. 22 overall as a third baseman out of Wake Forest in 2016, Craig was converted to play first base, where he earned a gold glove in the minors but was stuck behind an All-Star in Josh Bell in 2019.
Craig batted .217 (13 for 60) with two doubles, a home run and three RBIs in 18 games with the Pirates this season, and he received national notoriety when he chased Chicago Cubs shortstop Javier Baez back toward home plate instead of touching first on a routine grounder.
The Pirates designated Craig for assignment twice in the past year, and he cleared waivers both times. They also passed on promoting him after Colin Moran and Erik Gonzalez went on the injured list, instead selecting Wilmer Difo and trading for John Nogowski.
Howard to IL
The Pirates placed lefty reliever Sam Howard on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to July 10) with a right oblique strain.
Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Kevin by email at kgorman@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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