PIRATES SELECT TWO PLAYERS IN DRAFT, RELEASE MINOR LEAGUERS

The Pirates selected New Mexico State middle infielder Nick Gonzales seventh overall in the MLB draft last night.  With the 31^st selection, the competitive balance pick, the Bucs chose South Carolina right-handed pitcher Carmen Miodzinski.

Gonzalez hit .448 with a .610 on-base percentage this year for the Aggies before the coronavirus suspended the season.  He was also the Cape Cod League MVP last summer using a wooden bat, hitting .351 with seven homers in 153 at-bats.  He was undrafted out of high school and had to walk-on at New Mexico State.

The question with Gonzalez is where the Pirates will play him.  They already have Kevin Newman and Cole Tucker, two former number-one picks, at shortstop, along with highly-rated prospect O’Neil Cruz and Liover Peguero, who came over in the Starling Marte trade.

Carmen Miodzinski was primarily a shortstop in high school but developed into a top-rated pitcher.  He was not highly-recruited after suffering a finger injury, and his draft stock fell after he broke his foot last year, but like Gonzalez, he impressed last summer in the Cape Cod League.  His fastball clocked at 99 miles per hour.  Miodzinski was 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA and 22 strikouts in 25.1 innings in his four starts this season before the college season was halted.

The Tigers made Arizona State slugger Spencer Torkelson the No.1 pick in the Major League Baseball amateur draft. Detroit plans to move Torkelson to third base from first base, where he played in college. Arkansas outfielder Heston Kjerstad went No. 2 overall to Baltimore and Miami took Minnesota right-hander Max Meyer third.

The Reds took West Allegheny High outfielder Austin Hendrick 12^th overall in the MLB Draft.
The Pirates released 39 players from their minor league contracts. They included pitcher Luis Escobar, who made his MLB debut in 2019, and utility player Jake Elmore, who spent time with Pittsburgh last year.  A lot of the released players have spent time with the Altoona Curve.

Here’s the complete list of released players:

Andres Arrieta, Edgar Barrios, Wily Basil, CJ Dandeneau, Saul Delacruz, Lizardy Dicent, Matt Eardensohn, Nicholas Economos, Jake Elmore, Luis Escobar,  Jean Eusebio, Kaleb Foster, Ryan Haug, Logan Hill, Samuel Inoa, Sherman Johnson, Orsen Josephina, Sean Keselica, Brett Kinneman, Germin Lopez, Lucas Mangieri, Tilsiamy Melfor, Raul Mora, Kyle Mottice, Jordy Ortega, Juan Pie, Eddison Polonia, Brett Pope, Eduar Ramirez, Braham Rosario, Yordi Rosario, Daniel Ross, Enrique Santana, Bladimir Susana, Lucas Tancas, Charlie Tilson, Mitchell Tolman, Conner Uselton and Pedro Vasquez.