The Pittsburgh Pirates traded their starting catcher, Jacob Stallings, back in November, bringing back MLB starting pitcher Zach Thompson, along with prospects Kyle Nicolas and Connor Scott. I had a chance to talk with both prospects recently at Pirate City during minor league Spring Training.
Over at Baseball America, my feature this month was on right-handed pitcher Kyle Nicolas. My assignment was actually to focus on more of a sleeper, or someone making noise. Sure enough, on the first day of camp there were two people signing the praises of Nicolas in some of his first days in the organization. You can check out the BA article here.
Connor Scott, a power/speed outfielder, also joined the organization in that trade. I wrote about Scott today, discussing how he finished the 2021 season on a strong note in High-A. Scott will likely slot in behind all of the upper level outfielders who will likely get the first crack at the big league jobs. He’ll get time to develop in Altoona this year, and could emerge as an option for 2023.
Connor Scott Had a Strong Finish in 2021 Before Being Acquired by the Pirates
At the moment, I would put 40-45 grades on either player, not counting on either as a starter just yet, but not counting either one out. Ultimately, the Pirates are looking to sell high and buy low in these situations. There was a time when Jacob Stallings looked like a 40-45 future value player, generously, before emerging as an above-average starter. I’ll look forward to following how Scott and Nicolas develop this year.
And Thompson, if the MLB season is ever played.
Pirates Prospects Spotlight
Under the Radar: Three More Sleeper Prospects To Follow in the Pirates System in 2022
Daily Links
**Tim Williams: Connor Scott Had a Strong Finish in 2021 Before Being Acquired by the Pirates
**Tim Williams: What If Neal Huntington Had a Better Player Development System?
