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P2Daily: Getting to Know the Newest Members of the Pirates 40-Man Roster

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The Pittsburgh Pirates set their 40-man roster today, protecting four prospects from the upcoming Rule 5 draft. Two of those players — Endy Rodriguez and Mike Burrows — were universally expected to be protected.

From that point, I don’t know if I saw a consensus of who the Pirates would end up protecting. They ended up protecting Jared Triolo and Colin Selby.

You can read about each player below, and what you can expect going forward — along with what the additions might say about how the Pirates view Triolo and Selby.

ENDY RODRIGUEZ, C

It’s not a surprise that Rodriguez was added to the roster. He’s probably going to enter the 2023 season as a consensus top 100 prospect, possibly trending inside the top 50. In my book, he’s the best prospect in the system.

Endy Rodriguez is Looking Like the Best Prospect in the Pirates System

Rodriguez finished the season in Triple-A, and didn’t look like he had much to work on in Double-A from his time in Altoona. I could see Rodriguez taking over the starting catching job in Pittsburgh by the middle of 2023.

MIKE BURROWS, RHP

In addition to Quinn Priester — who isn’t Rule 5 eligible yet and isn’t on the 40-man — I think Mike Burrows can help to provide the Pirates with a rotation boost from the farm system.

Mike Burrows Worked Through a Challenge in Triple-A

The fact that Burrows has more time in Triple-A, and is now on the 40-man, will probably put him higher on the 2023 depth chart. I think he ends up in the MLB rotation by the middle of the season.

JARED TRIOLO, 3B

I’m not surprised that the Pirates added Triolo. He’s an amazing defender at third base, and is one of the top option from the farm system if Ke’Bryan Hayes goes down. The fact that the Pirates can replace an MLB Gold Glove candidate with a minor league Gold Glove winner is a huge plus for their defensive depth. Triolo can also play other positions, giving him a chance to break into the majors as a super utility guy. This also would have made it more likely for him to stick in the majors as a Rule 5 selection.

First Pitch: Jared Triolo is a Positive Emerging From the Pirates Farm System

Triolo is an on-base machine at the plate, with a .376 OBP this year in Double-A, including a .395 over the final two months. That was huge, as he saw a power boost down the stretch, without sacrificing his plus plate patience. I could see Triolo breaking into the majors as a bench option in 2023, which will be his age 25 season. He played third, short, and center field in 2022, and at the least would be an interesting super utility backup at those prime spots.

COLIN SELBY, RHP

I won’t say that it’s a surprise that Selby was taken, especially with the stuff he possesses. Rylan Domingues from Tread Athletics had a breakdown earlier on Tuesday.

Tim Williams
Tim Williams
Tim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.

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