BRADENTON, Fla. -- Aaron Slegers is hard to miss as he makes his way around Pirate City.
He's the only player who must consistently duck underneath the doorways. After all, the right-hander is the only 6-foot-10 player in camp.
How Slegers, who the Pirates claimed off waivers from the Twins on Jan. 11, reached that height and became a major-league pitcher is a rather unconventional story.
Slegers grew eight inches during his senior year of high school in 2009-10 at Notre Dame Prep in Scottsdale, Ariz. Almost overnight, he went from being a somewhat above-average 6-2 to giant-like.
However, the ramifications of the growth spurt went beyond the continually tired question of “what’s the weather like up there?”, and the stares he would get from curious bystanders.
“There was a lot of physical pain involved,” Slegers said.
Slegers’ bones became brittle because they could not keep up with the rest of his body. And the growth spurt nearly sabotaged his baseball career while still an amateur.
Due to a growth-plate issue in his forearm, Slegers was limited to only one appearance during his final season at Notre Dame Prep. Slegers did not receive any scholarship offers and opted to attend Indiana University as a walk-on, a rare instance of a kid from the West deciding to play college ball in the Midwest.
“They offered me a spot on the team, so the decision was pretty easy,” Slegers said, who along with the rest of the pitchers and catchers underwent physical examinations Tuesday in advance of the first workout of spring training tomorrow.
“My (college) opportunities were limited. I didn’t generate any interest from schools on the West Coast or in Arizona,”
The side effects of growing eight inches in less than a year carried over to college. The growth-plate issue sidelined Slegers as a freshman and a stress fracture below his right knee limited him to just five relief appearances in his second year in Bloomington.
“It was tough because not only was it a situation where I couldn’t help the team, but I was battling sickness and adjusting to college life, too,” Slegers said. “It was a lot to handle, but I had great teammates and other people who really helped me through.
“It was a never a case of people acting like I wasn’t pulling my weight. Everyone understood the situation and was very supportive.”
Finally healthy as a redshirt sophomore in 2013, Slegers pitched well enough to draw the interest of professional scouts. The Twins selected him in the fifth round of the amateur draft.
Slegers then made up for some of his lost developmental time while in the Twins’ organization. He reached the major leagues in August of 2017, making three starts in a pennant race as Minnesota won the second American League wild card.
“It was everything I ever dreamed of,” Slegers said. “And to get a chance to pitch in very important games made it more special. To know the Twins had the faith in me to have me pitch in a pennant race did a lot for my confidence.”
That same season, Slegers was named the Twins’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year after going 15-4 with a 3.40 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 24 starts for Triple-A Rochester. However, Slegers spent most of last season back at Rochester after making just two starts and two relief appearances for the Twins.
Slegers’ star had fallen so much that the Twins designated him for assignment in early January and the Pirates claimed him.
Like most of his amateur career, the way Slegers learned of his DFA was also an interesting story. He was participating in charity youth clinics in the Dominican Republic and could not be reached by phone.
It wasn’t until he arrived back home in Scottsdale that he found out he was in DFA limbo and that the Twins were in a 10-day window to trade him, outright him to the minor leagues or release him if he cleared waivers.
“It was a surprise, to say the least,” Slegers said. “But you understand that things happen in professional baseball.”
Slegers is 1-2 with a 5.90 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and just 15 strikeouts in 29 major-league innings. However, the Pirates are intrigued by his size and a sinker that induced ground balls at a high rate in the minor leagues.
The only player taller than Slegers in major-league history was Jon Rauch, who stood 6-feet-11 and pitched for five teams in an 11-year career that ended in 2013. There have been six other 6-10 pitchers.
Despite his size, Slegers isn’t exactly the right-handed Randy Johnson. His fastball has averaged 90.3 mph in the major leagues. He also throws a slider and changeup.
Slegers is a longshot to make the team. However, he has two minor-league options remaining and figures to provide starting pitching depth at Triple-A Indianapolis, along with fellow righties Mitch Keller, Clay Holmes and J.T. Brubaker.
Two scouts I talked to who have watched Slegers pitch in the past are mixed on his potential.
“He keeps the ball on the ground, which is important in today’s home run-happy environment,” one scout said. “He’s an interesting guy because he has an idea of how to pitch and he throws a lot of strikes because his mechanics are really clean for a tall pitcher. He needs to leverage his size more, though, and make the hitter feel like the ball is right on top of him ... He’s got to find a way to strike more guys out, though, if he wants to be a regular in someone’s rotation.”
Said another scout: “He’s a 4-A pitcher, too good for Triple-A and not good enough for the major leagues. He’s a fringe-y guy, someone worth stocking away for depth in the minor leagues but not a guy you want to count on for 30 starts a year. His stuff just isn’t good enough to be a full-time starter.”
MORE FROM DAY 2
• The first official workout will begin at 10 a.m. and is expected to last approximately one hour and 45 minutes.
• Chad Kuhl and Edgar Santana both said they felt good Tuesday, a day after playing catch for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. Both are expected to miss the season.
• Francisco Cervelli said he has no lingering effects from the concussion that sidelined him for 2 1/2 weeks last season. The 32-year-old catcher also appeared to be in excellent shape and said he feels like he is 22. He been on the disabled list five times in his 11-year career because of concussions.
• Cervelli is opposed to the potential rule change by Major League Baseball that would require a pitcher to face the minimum of three batters unless he completes an inning. "Bringing in a lefty to face a left-handed hitter is part of baseball, part of the game I grew up with," he said. "When you start taking the strategy out of the game, you're taking some of the beauty away from it."
• Infielders and outfielders are not required to report until Sunday. However, a number of them are already working out informally at Pirate City, including Jung Ho Kang, Kevin Newman, Corey Dickerson, Gregory Polanco and Lonnie Chisenhall.
• Clint Hurdle made a quick pass through the clubhouse for the first time since pitchers and catchers reported Monday. He and the coaching staff held pre-camp meetings Tuesday morning.
