News & Notes: Willy To Cubs, Organizational News, Historic Debuts

And this week...

• Ke'Bryan Hayes is #9 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects, joined by 2B Nick Gonzales (#43), RHP Quinn Priester (#52) and SS Oneil Cruz (#64). More on Oneil: he cracked Jonathan Mayo's MLB Pipeline Top 10 Shortstop Prospects list at #9. He was cited with the contrasting recognitions of having the best arm/the player with the most to prove in the group, and it was duly noted that he may have to move off the position. Still, a pretty high ceiling...

Oneil Cruz; a work in progress - 2020 Bowman Prospect

• Jim Callas of MLB.com has lots of love for RHP prospect Quinn Priester.
• OF Troy Stokes Jr. cleared waivers and was outrighted to Indy. He was removed from the 40-man checklist after the Jamo trade and will get a non-roster camp invite. 
• RHP Trevor Williams, 28, agreed to a one-year MLB contract (guesstimated value: $2.5M) with the Chicago Cubs, pending a physical. The Pirates non-tendered/DFA'ed him earlier after he slashed 2-8/6.18 during this past season.
• Adam Berry, on his way to the Tampa Bay beat, left us a parting gift on MLB.com by citing the five best debut seasons by a Pirate, with five more performances that just missed the cut.
• Not much of a surprise, but Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com has anointed the NL Central as baseball's worst division. Even so, he has the Pirates as the only non-contender in the Central pack.
• Kevin Newman and his bride Shayne welcomed daughter Addison Marie into the world last week.
• MLB just hired Joe Martinez and Rajai Davis for its Baseball Operations Department. Martinez tossed for the Bucs briefly in 2010 as part of the return of the Javy Lopez deal with the Giants and Rajai carved out a 14-year career after starting out with the Pirates in 2006-07, leaving town for The Bay in the Matt Morris trade.