Pirates Send Two Players to Minor League Camp
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates made more moves during Spring Training, as they cut down their roster.
The Pirates announced that they reassigned right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler and left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco to minor leageu camp, cutting the big-league camp down to 62 players.
We have reassigned RHP Bubba Chandler and LHP Hunter Barco to minor league camp.
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 7, 2025
There are now 62 players remaining in big-league camp.
Chandler pitched in three games and 2.1 innings, allowing three hits, four walk and five earned runs, while posting two strikeouts for a 19.29 ERA in Spring Training.
Barco made two appearances, going 2.2 innings, allowing two hits, two home runs, four walks and four earned runs, while positng four strikeouts for a 13.50 ERA.
Chandler played for North Oconee High School in Bogart, Ga., 60 miles east of Atlanta. He starred in multiple sports, including basketball, golf, football and baseball. He originally committed to Georgia to play baseball, but then decommitted and committed to Clemson to play both football and baseball.
He had a fantastic senior season for North Oconee, going 8-1 with just a 1.25 ERA, plus 96 strikeouts in 44.2 innings pitched, while hitting .411 with eight home runs, 12 doubles and 35 RBI.
The Pirates would select Chandler with the No, 72 overall pick in the Third Round of the 2021 MLB Draft and signed him for $3 millon signing bonus, an over slot signing.
He pitched and also played shortstop for the Rookie-Level Florida Complex Pirates in 2021 and 2022 and then earned promotion to the Bradenton Marauders in the Single-A Florida State League.
Chandler chose to focus on pitching heading into the 2023 season, which would show his best talents. He started 24 games for the Greensboro Grasshoppers in High-A, with a 9-4 record, 4.75 ERA in 106.0 innings pitched, making 120 strikeouts to 51 walks and holding hitters to a .265 batting average.
He made it up to Altoona for just one game in 2023, allowing just one hit in five innings of work and getting the win.
Chandler played most of 2024 in Double-A with the Altoona Curve, starting 16 of 19 games, a 6-7 record, one save, one shutout. He also had a 3.70 ERA in 80.1 innings pitched, allowing 55 hits, 33 earned runs and 26 walks, while making 94 strikeouts and holding hitters to a .192 batting average, along with having a 1.01 WHIP.
Chandler earned a promotion to Triple-A with the Indianapolis Indians on Aug. 8 and pitched even better than he did in Double-A.
He finished with 4-0 record in seven starts, a 1.83 ERA in 39.1 innings pitched, allowing just 26 hits, eight earned runs, two home runs and 15 walks to 54 strikeouts. He held opposing hitters to a .183 batting average and a 1.04 WHIP.
Chandler is the top rated prospect in the Pirates system from MLB Pipeline and No. 15 across the entire minor leagues.
Barco starred for the The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla. positng with a 35-4 record, 336 strikeouts and a 1.53 ERA.
He played for Florida in college, pitching there for three years, 2020-22. He finished with a 17-5 record, 3.18 ERA in 152.2 innings pitched, 189 strikeouts and held opposing hitters to a .213 batting average.
The Pirates took Barco in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft with the No. 44 overall pick. Barco signed with the team for a $1.5 million deal.
He pitched with the Florida Complex League Pirates and then the Bradenton Marauders at Single-A in 2023.
Barco would pitch most of 2024 with Greensboro at High-A, with 14 start in 15 appearances, a 4-1 record, a 3.34 ERA in 62.0 innings pitched, 77 strikeouts to 22 walks and a .207 opposing batting average.
He earned a promotion to Altoona in Double-A for two games towards the end of last season and will likely start there for the beginning of this season.
Barco is the No. 7 rated player in the Pirates minor league system, according to MLB Pipeline.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.