Two Players Pirates Should Add to Expanded September Roster
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have intriguing prospects looking for the next opportunity at the major league level and can reward them with that chance.
The Pirates and the other 29 MLB teams have expanded rosters in September, adding two extra players to the major league roster, from 26 players to 28 players.
Pittsburgh will add a pitcher and a position player and has those two extra roster spots for the final 24 games of the regular season.
The Pirates have a few options for who they can add, and two players stand out amongst the rest, as both should join the team ahead of their next homestand at PNC Park on Sept. 1.
Khristian Curtis Ready For Longer Role with Pirates Pitching Staff
The Pirates have eight pitchers on the 40-man roster they can bring up, including a few rookies who have impressed this season.
Right-handed pitcher Khristian Curtis is the best choice for the Pirates and most deserving of that extra roster spot.
Curtis has dominated in both outings for the Pirates this season, throwing eight scoreless innings combined and allowing just two hits and three walks.
He made his MLB debut against the Cleveland Guardians on July 18 in the second game of a doubleheader at Progressive Field, throwing five scoreless innings and keeping the Pirates up 3-0 in the sixth inning, before the bullpen blew the lead in the 5-3 defeat.
Curtis then pitched against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 23 and threw three scoreless innings at the end of the 4-0 shutout defeat.
Both games were impressive from the 24-year-old, who showed poise and confidence that rookies rarely do.
Curtis also has a solid pitch mix, with a four-seam fastball and cutter as his main choices and then a curveball, changeup and slider as his offspeed options.
He also induces weak contact and gets ahead of batters quickly with first-pitch strikes, both indicators of future success in the major leagues.
The Pirates also don't have a fifth starter and have been going with a bullpen game, using right-handed pitchers Carmen Mlodzinski and Lake Bachar as their starters.
Curtis could provide the Pirates more length in those games and give them an idea of whether he can succeed against MLB hitters going forward.
He's shown so far that he's well-deserving of this opportunity, and the Pirates should have him as their first-choice pitcher addition
It's Time to See Whether Jack Brannigan has it
The Pirates have fewer options for the position player they bring up in September, with just four players in the minor leagues on the 40-man roster.
Infielder Jack Brannigan is one of those players and has played in two games for the Pirates this season, but just one at-bat, a strikeout.
The Pirates selected Brannigan in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft, and he made his way onto the 40-man roster this past offseason, protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft.
Brannigan mostly plays the left side of the infield, third base and shortstop, but could also play second base, and is a strong fielder with a "70" grade arm from MLB Pipeline.
He hasn't hit as well as the Pirates would've hoped for, .218/.312/.370 for an OPS of .682 in 34 games with Triple-A Indianapolis, but he did hit eight home runs with Double-A Altoona early on, earning his promotion on June 30.
Brannigan is also healthy, something he's struggled with the past few seasons, and at 25 years old, the Pirates should see if he can bring something at the major league level and if he's a part of their plans.
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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.