Third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, the organization's minor league player of the year last season, was one of 13 Pirates' prospects invited to major league spring training Saturday on a non-roster basis.
The Pirates also announced that first baseman Will Craig; outfielder Bryan Reynolds; right-handers Tyler Eppler, Geoff Hartlieb, Alex McRae and Eduardo Vera; left-handers Elvis Escobar, Brandon Waddell and Blake Weiman; and catchers Jason Delay, Christian Kelley and Arden Pabst will be participating in big league camp in Bradenton, Fla.
Hayes, 21, batted .293/.375/.444 with seven home runs and 12 stolen bases with Double-A Altoona last season in 117 games while winning his second straight Gold Glove as the top defensive third baseman in the minor leagues. He had a .978 fielding percentage and hit a home run in the All-Star Futures Game at Nationals Park in Washington.
Craig, 24, was named the team MVP at Altoona after hitting .248/.321/.448 in 132 games with 20 homers and an Eastern League-leading 102 RBIs. He then hit .304/.378/.570 with six homers in 21 games with Surprise to make the All-Arizona Fall League team.
Reynolds, 23, batted .302/.381/.438 with seven home runs in 88 games with Altoona. Acquired from the Giants in the Andrew McCutchen trade last January, he sat out April 9-May 28 with a broken hamate bone in his left hand.
Eppler, who turned 26 on Saturday, was 13-6 with a 3.59 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 28 games, including 25 starts, with Triple-A Indianapolis. He had 118 strikeouts in 153 innings.
Hartlieb, 25, went 8-2 with 10 saves, a 3.24 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 47 relief appearances with Altoona. He struck out 56 in 58 1/3 innings.
McRae, 25, made his major league debut with the Pirates in 2018 and was 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA and 2.05 WHIP in two relief appearances. At Indianapolis, he had a 3-10 record, 4.77 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 26 games, 19 of which were starts, while recording 104 strikeouts in 117 innings.
Vera, 24, went a combined 11-5 with a 3.37 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in 26 starts with Altoona and high Class A Bradenton. He had 98 strikeouts in 155 innings.
Escobar, 24, was converted from an outfielder into a relief pitcher last season and was a combined 4-2 with one save, a 3.56 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 18 games with Altoona and Bradenton. He struck out 36 in 30 1/3 innings.
Waddell, 24, went a combined 7-9 with a 3.59 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 28 games, 23 starts, for Indianapolis and Altoona. He had 103 strikeouts in 135 1/3 innings.
Weiman, 23, was a combined 4-1 with five saves, a 2.42 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 39 games with Altoona, Bradenton and low Class A West Virginia (Charleston). He struck out 77 in 67 innings.
Delay, 23, batted .247/.325/.301 with two home runs in 67 games with Bradenton while throwing out 38 percent of runners attempting to steal.
Kelley, 25, hit .235/.308/.367 with eight homers in 90 games with Altoona while throwing out 34 percent of runners trying to steal.
Pabst, 23, played for Indianapolis, Altoona and Bradenton, batting a combined .264/.306/.472 with 10 home runs in 66 games. He threw out 46 percent of runners attempting to steal between the three levels.
