The Pirates will be sending seven of their top 30 prospects to the Arizona Fall League this year, Major League Baseball announced Wednesday.
Making the trip west are infielders Nick Gonzales (No. 4 on Baseball America’s midseason update) and Ji-Hwan Bae (no. 19), outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba (No. 29) and right-handed pitchers Roansy Conteras (No. 6), Carmen Mlodzinski (No. 8), Michael Burrows (No. 10) and Miguel Yajure (No. 16).
Gonzales is the only one of the Pirates’ top 100 prospects who will appear in the league. He is currently ranked at No. 64.
All seven will play for Peoria Javelinas, whose roster will also consist of Mariners, Padres and Phillies prospects.
Also joining them are Class High-A Greensboro manager Kieran Mattison and athletic trainer Tyler Brooks.
All seven players missed time this season with injuries. The Pirates wanted to find opportunities for pitchers who were sidelined at one point to find more innings in particular before the end of the season.
Contreras and Yajure got cups of coffee in the majors this year, and Mlodznski was called up to Class AAA Indianapolis for the final week of their season. Burrows and Gonzales spent the entire season with Greensboro, and Bae with Class AA Altoona. Smith-Njigba and Contreras spent almost the entire season with Altoona before being promoted to Indianapolis after the AA season concluded.
The Arizona Fall League will have several rule changes this year, including banning shifts, instituting a pitch clock, using an automated strike zone and expanding the size of bases from 15 to 18 inches.
Games will start Oct. 13 and will continue through the championship on Nov. 20.
Additionally, infielder Maikol Escotto (no. 18) will play for the Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League, that club announced. Mason Martin is expected to play winter ball as well, although a deal has not been announced yet.
