The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed right-handed pitcher Parker Brahms out of Sacramento State as a non-drafted free agent.
Congrats to @PBrahms for signing with the @Pirates as a free agent.
Good luck Parker!#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/bwwwRKdra5
— Sac State Baseball (@SacStBaseball) June 16, 2020
Last year the Pirates drafted right-handed pitcher Austin Roberts in the eighth round out of Sacramento State, so they probably got some good looks at Brahms at the same time. The 6’3″, 209 pound Brahms started for four years at Sacramento State. He turned 22 years old back in December. Before play shut down this year, he had a 1.14 ERA in 23.2 innings, with 32 strikeouts and no walks.
As a junior, he had a 4.70 ERA in 76.2 innings, with an 87:29 SO/BB ratio. It was his worst year for stats, though he was still drafted in the 27th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had a 3.13 ERA in 97.2 innings as a freshman, followed by a 2.41 ERA in 93.1 innings, with 113 strikeouts in 2018.
Brahms received a $20,000 bonus according to Jonathan Mayo. He throws 88-90 MPH, touching slightly higher. He mixes it with a curveball and a changeup. He’s the first NDFA signing for the Pirates that we have heard so far, though there could be more. Teams can sign an unlimited amount of NDFA players for a bonus up to $20,000. If there are any more NDFA signings today, I’ll add them here and change the title.