Pirates Announce Spring Training Camp Non-Roster Invitees
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a little less than two months before they start Spring Training, but are already gearing up for next season.
The Pirates announced their list of seven players who are non-roster invitees for Spring Training major league camp in February.
This includes three position players in outfielders, Ronny Simon and Dominic Fletcher, and infielder Davis Wendzel. It also features pitchers in right-handers, Beau Burrows and Noah Murdock, plus left-handers in Joe La Sorsa and Oddanier Mosqueda.
All of these players are on minor league deals, but have the chance to impress in camp and potentially earn a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Overview of Non-Roster Invitees Position Players
The Pirates claimed Simon off of waivers from the Miami Marlins on June 2, as they designated him for assignment the day prior.
He played with Indianapolis before his first call up, slashing .291/.386/.447 for an OPS of .833 in 52 games, 60 hits in 206 at-bats, nine doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 30 RBIs, 32 walks to 40 strikeouts and 24 stolen bases on 30 attempts.
The Pirates recalled Simon on Aug. 13 after they placed Oneil Cruz on the seven-day concussion list.
He slashed .233/.250/.267 for an OPS of .517 in those seven games, with seven hits in 30 at-bats, one double, two RBIs and one walk to eight strikeouts.
Simon also suffered an dislocated shoulder in his last outing vs. the Boston Red Sox in the series opener at Fenway Park on Aug. 29. He had to undergo season-ending surgery on his torn labrum, a four-to-sixth month healing period, which should have him return February-April 2026.
The Pirates designated Simon for assignment when they protected players from the Rule 5 Draft, but he'll have a shot to make the team again next season on a minor league deal.
Fletcher spent the past two seasons with the Chicago White Sox and his first with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023, with 112 MLB games of experience. He has slashed .233/.280/.325 for an OPS of .605, with 81 hits, 18 doubles, four home runs, 33 RBI and 20 walks to 82 strikeouts.
Fletcher can play all three outfield spots and has a strong arm, along with a good glove as well.
Wendzel has minimal MLB experience, playing just 27 games for the Texas Rangers in the 2024 season. These took place over two stints from April 9 to May 12 and June 8 to June 30.
He slashed .128/.163/.234 for an OPS of .397, with just six hits in 47 at-bats, two doubles, one home run, two RBI and one walk to 12 strikeouts.
Wendzel has shown power before, with 30 home runs in Triple-A in 2023 and the Pirates will try to see if they can get that.
Overview of Non-Roster Invitees Pitchers
Pittsburgh signed Burrows to a minor league contract on May 7 and assigned him to the Rookie-Level Florida Complex League (FCL) Pirates.
The Pirates moved Burrows up to Single-A Bradenton on May 20, where he posted a 2.45 ERA over 3.2 innings pitched.
He then went up to High-A Greensboro on May 27 and threw 4.1 scoreless innings over three innings before then earning promotion to Double-A Altoona on June 6.
Burrows performed well with Altoona, allowing just one earned run over 20.2 innings pitched and 15 appearances for a 0.44 ERA, with a .106 opposing batting average and a 0.58 WHIP.
He then made it up to Triple-A Indianapolis on July 29, but struggled compared to his recent stops in the Pirates minor league system.
Burrows posted a 6.20 ERA with 14 runs allowed over 20.1 innings pitched in 16 outings, a 1-2 record, 19 strikeouts to nine walks, a .218 opposing batting average and a 1.28 WHIP.
He finished his 2025 campaign for the Pirates with a 3-3 record in 37 bullpen appearances, a 2.94 ERA over 49.0 innings pitched, 49 strikeouts to 17 walks, a .158 opposing batting average and a 0.90 WHIP.
La Sorsa has a few years of MLB experience, pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals.
He has a 5.21 ERA over 46 relief appearances, with 44 strikeouts to 16 walks, a .273 batting average allowed and a 1.37 WHIP.
The Athletics decided they would take Murdock in the Rule 5 Draft after that season and he made the 2025 Opening Day roster after spending his previous six years in the Kansas City Royals minor league system.
Murdock struggled during his time with the Athletics, posting a 13.24 ERA over 14 bullpen outings and 17.0 innings pitched, with a .347 opposing batting average and a 2.71 WHIP.
The Athletics designated him for assignment on May 9 and he returned to the Royals, who kept him at Triple-A the rest of the season, where he posted a 6.00 ERA over 16 outings and 21.0 innings pitched.
Mosqueda is a minor league veteran, with nine seasons spent outside of his ultimate goal of making an MLB roster.
He posted a 5-5 record in 55 appearances with Triple-A Memphis (St. Louis Cardinals), a 4.52 ERA over 65.2 innings pitched, a .215 opposing batting average and a 1.25 WHIP.
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.