Trent Stevenson

RHP Trent Stevenson, the club's seventh round pick of the 2009 draft, was signed on July 23rd.

Stevenson, 19, went 7-2 with a 3.91 ERA in 48-1/3 innings of work in high school this season, with two complete games, one shutout and 59 strikeouts for Brophy Jesuit Prep School in Phoenix, Arizona (he's from Scottsdale). He was headed to the University of Arizona Wildcats as the #1 rated high school pitcher in the state when the Pirates called.

They got Stevenson to sign for a reported $350K, about third-round money and $200K more than the slot for anyone selected after round five. He was ranked #197 by Baseball America.

Stevenson has a string bean physique: he's 6'6 and just 175 pounds. And he's not nearly as polished as some of the other guys are; Stevenson is "projectable."

His fastball is clocked at 88-93, which is expected to improve both in consistency and velocity as he fills out his frame, and he has a good slider for his age. But he'll need work on his command, mechanics, and being able to repeat his motion and release, none of which he could count on dependably as a high-schooler.

The young righty came to terms soon enough to get a little time in with the GCL Bradenton Pirates, where he went 0-1 with a 1.20 ERA in 15 innings, striking out eight and walking not a soul in four starts. His WHIP was 0.867.

Given his uncertain mechanics and age, we expect to see him at State College in 2010.

(Tomorrow: Brooks Pounders)