Notes: Bucs In Camp, Signings & News; Prospects; Oldies On the Move; Minors Get Names Back

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Notes: 

• The Pirates signed 1B Dan Vogelbach, 29, (one year/$800K and bonuses with a $1.5M option/$200K buyout) and 33-year-old RHP Heath Hembree (one year/$2.125M). Vogelbach is a DH-type lefty, with a lifetime .209 BA/.336 OBP and some power over his six-year MLB career. Hembree was an effective set-up pitcher for Boston and is a strikeout-per-inning guy. Homers have hurt him recently, but a solid stint with the Mets last year suggests that he may have been a victim of stadium effect by working in Cincy's GABP and Phlly's Citizen's Park. To clear roster space, the club placed RHPs Blake Cederlind and Nick Mears on the 60-day IL. Cederlind underwent TJ surgery on his right elbow last year while Mears had a 'scope done on his right elbow in February to clean out scar tissue.
• Something to watch: Mitch Keller, who the Bucs are hoping will break out this year, was taken out of his first exhibition game Saturday after being zapped on the thigh by a liner. Hopefully it's a minor thing - the Bucs called it a bruise - and he was walking around w/o a limp the next day. 
• BTW, the outfield experiment with Cole Tucker continues; he's taken reps at both short and in the pasture.
• Players on the 40-man who are out of options: Ps Anthony Banda, Dillon Peters & Duane Underwood Jr, along with OFs Anthony Alford & Greg Allen. It's a make-or-break camp for them.

The spring broadcast schedule via MLB.com

• The Pirates have re-signed RHP Chase De Jong, 28, to a minor league deal. He went 1-4/5.77 for the Bucs in '21. They also added RHP Austin Brice, 29, via minor-league contract. He's spent six years with Miami, Cincinnati and Boston, spinning a 4-4/5.17 line from the pen. Digging deeper, they claimed RHP Adonis Medina, 25, off waivers from the Phillies. He's a starter with five MLB games on his resume, and was well-regarded until the pandemic-induced minor league slowdown cost him development time. RHP Eric Hanhold, claimed from the Orioles before the lockout, was DFA'ed to clear a roster space.
• MLB.com picked their Top Ten Prospects by position - Nick Gonzales was chosen #1 among 2B, Henry Davis #4 among C, and Oneil Cruz #9 among SS. Pittsburgh was shut out in pitching (both lefty and righty), outfield and corner Top Ten prospects. As for its recently released Top 100 Prospect list, the site includes: #20. Nick Gonzales, 2B; #24. Henry Davis, C; #26. Oneil Cruz, SS; #54. Quinn Priester, RHP; #71. Roansy Contreras, RHP, and #79. Liover Peguera, SS, a now familiar roster of Pittsburgh hopefuls. 
• The Pirates were awarded competitive balance selection #4, #34 overall, tucked between the first and second rounds of the draft. This year's 20-round MLB Draft will be held during All-Star Week between July 17th - 19th in LA.
• RHP Tyler Anderson agreed to a contract with the LA Dodgers for one year/$8M. RHP Chad Kuhl has signed a major league deal with the Colorado Rockies; they intend to return him to a starting role. The deal was for one year/$3M plus bonuses. 1B/3B Colin Moran signed a one year/$1M deal with the Reds. With the corners taken, it appears he's headed to a DH-spare corner-bench bat role in Cincy.

Captain Redbeard is officially a Red - 2020 Topps Heritage

• IF Phil Evans, who spent 2020-21 with the Bucs, agreed to a minor league deal with the Yankees. Also, the Mets inked LHP Chasen Shreve to a minor league deal; he made 50 appearances for the Pirates last year, putting up a 3-3/3.20 line. IF Wilmer Difo inked a minor league deal with Arizona; he hit .269 in 116 games for the Buccos last season and played six positions.
• Cutch has signed a one-year/$8.5M deal with the Brewers. The 35-year-old will join an outfield rotation and fill in as a DH; he's become a lefty killer in his old age.Fo those with a long memory, former Buc utility guy Brock Holt has inked an NRI deal with the Braves. He started his 10-year MLB journey with the Pirates in 2012, spending most of his time with Boston. Jung Ho Kang, 36, has signed with his original Korean team, Kiwoom, but still has to serve out a one year suspension. Seattle RHP Casey Sadler, who had TJ surgery as a Pirate before leaving after the 2018 campaign, is facing should surgery. In the three years since he's left, he's tossed a line of 5-3-1/2.12 from the pen for four clubs.
• The Cleveland Guardians hired Neal Huntington as a special assistant for baseball projects.
• MiLB returned the historical names for the 11 minor leagues that they dubbed with regional  names (Triple-A East is again the International League, etc.) The move to geographical descriptions was just to create a holding pattern until MLB obtained the rights to the league names, which they have now done.