Pitcher Brennan Malone hopes to provide Pirates good return in Starling Marte trade

Brennan Malone was at a developmental camp with Arizona in January when he heard rumors swirling that the Diamondbacks had acquired Starling Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates for two minor leaguers.

Then Malone saw on social media he was one of them.

The No. 33 overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft, the right-handed pitcher was soon called into an office, along with infielder Liover Peguero, where they were informed they were dealt to the Pirates.

“You’re not expecting to get traded in your first year,” Malone said Wednesday by phone from Bradenton, Fla. “It was a little bit of a shock, but I was really excited to go to the Pirates — especially when I found out who I got traded for. It’s definitely a little bit of a boost and holds us accountable. I’m sure Peguero is like me and thinks about it every day. We have big shoes to fill.

“It’s a good move for me, opens up another chapter.”

That is only part of Malone’s motivation. He wasn’t included in the Pirates’ 60-man roster this season, so he spent the summer training in Charlotte. Now, he is in the process of building his arm back up and preparing to pitch a simulated game Friday at Pirate City, where the Pirates have 55 prospects participating in an instructional league.

“It definitely was a challenge,” Malone said. “Mentally, at this point in my career, I just want to play, play, play all the time. It’s hard not to be out there and not be part of a team. It’s harder because I just got traded to a team where I don’t know everybody yet, so to make those connections would have been valuable.

“Spring training, I was really excited to get going. But it was a time to get better, too. I was training really hard during all of that, getting my arm going. It’s been going really good. I feel like it’s been a very productive camp for me.”

The fall instructional camp has given Malone a chance to play alongside the Pirates’ top right-handed pitching prospects, from 2019 first-rounder Quinn Priester and fourth-rounder JC Flowers to Tahnaj Thomas, acquired from Cleveland in the Erik Gonzalez trade.

“I’ve gotten the pleasure to watch them pitch, and I hope to be up in the big leagues with them some day,” Malone said. “That’s probably everybody’s dream, being in the majors with everybody they came up with. It definitely gives you that extra oomph when you’re practicing because you see that guy next to you and know that he wants it as bad as you do.”

A 6-foot-4, 215-pound power pitcher, Malone is working on the command of his fastball that touches the mid-90s, adding a toe tap to allow his arm better timing and consistency with his back leg. Where the Diamondbacks gave him freedom with his mechanics, Malone said the Pirates are providing more structure.

Malone’s focus this fall has been more on spin than velocity, and on tunneling his fastball and curveball so they appear similar in the strike zone. He also is working on a changeup and a slider, which he calls “a natural pitch for me” because of his three-quarter arm slot.

Returning to Bradenton is something of a homecoming for Malone, who attended nearby IMG Academy as a senior. After pitching in three games for the U.S. national team at the 2019 18-under Pan-American Championships, where Malone was 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA in 8 1/3 innings, he was 11-0 with a 0.27 ERA, a .132 batting average against and 69 strikeouts and 14 walks in 51 innings at IMG Academy.

The Diamondbacks used a compensatory selection (for losing Patrick Corbin to the Washington Nationals in free agency) on Malone, who was chosen 15 spots after the Pirates picked Priester and four before they took outfielder Sammy Siani.

Malone and Peguero ranked among the Diamondbacks’ top 10 prospects at the time of the late January trade — Peguero is ranked No. 5 and Malone No. 7 for the Pirates by MLB.com — and were teammates with the Single-A short-season Hillsboro Hops when they won the Northwest League championship in 2019. Malone believes the Pirates got a good one in the 19-year-old shortstop who has been described as a quick-twitch player.

“He’s awesome,” Malone said. “He’s a high-energy player, always chirping, always talking and making sure everybody’s knows what they’re doing. He’s a blast to play with.”

Malone is looking forward to proving the Pirates got a good return for Marte, despite the delay this summer caused his development. The ball feels good coming out of his hand, and he is working on improving his other pitches to the point where he can throw them in whatever count — and throw them for strikes.

“I rate myself as a power pitcher, given the things I have consistent right now,” Malone said. “Of course, looking down the road, I want to be the full package. I want to be that complete start-of-the-rotation pitcher.”