OF Travis Swaggerty optioned, 3 other former 1st-rounders reassigned as Pirates make cuts

BRADENTON, Fla. — When the Pittsburgh Pirates made their first roster moves of spring training, it provided insight into why one of their former first-round draft picks didn’t play in any Grapefruit League games this spring.

Outfielder Travis Swaggerty, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis so that he could get at bats while dealing with left shoulder soreness that delayed his throwing progression.

Swaggerty missed the majority of the 2021 season after undergoing surgery on his right (non-throwing) shoulder surgery but was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason. Swaggerty is cleared to hit, and the Pirates plan to use him as a designated hitter.

“We needed to get him into games,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “That’s why we sent him out. With the shortened spring training, we just don’t have that many DH at bats – and he has the ability to DH. The big thing was getting him out and getting him healthy. He’s started a throwing program but to be able to get at bats just to ramp up because of the three-week spring training. It’s hard to get at bats for someone who is not able to play the field right now.”

The Pirates also reassigned a dozen players to their minor league camp at Pirate City, including three other former first-round picks in catcher Henry Davis (2021), second baseman Nick Gonzales (2020) and right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester (2019), all of whom played at High-A Greensboro last year.

Gonzales was 2 for 6 with an RBI and a run scored in four games. Priester pitched two scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, allowing two hits and two walks while facing nine batters. Davis went 0 for 2 against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.

The list of cuts includes their minor league player and pitcher of the year, outfielder Matt Fraizer and right-hander Adrian Florencio, as well as third baseman Jared Triolo, infielder Ji-hwan Bae and pitchers Cody Bolton, Mike Burrows, Kyle Nicolas, Carmen Mlodzinski and Tahnaj Thomas.

The Pirates made five more cuts after their Grapefruit League game against the Baltimore Orioles, optioning shortstop Liover Peguero, second baseman Tucupita Marcano and outfielder Jack Suwinski to Triple-A Indianapolis and reassigning catchers Carter Bins and Endy Rodriguez to the minor league camp.

There are 53 players left in major league camp, plus two on 60-day injured list in relievers Blake Cederlind and Nick Mears.