Talent headed to Indianapolis this spring at Victory Field

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WLFI) - The Pittsburgh Pirates announced their next set of roster moves this week as right-handers Brooks Brown, Gerrit Cole and Kyle Waldrop, left-hander Kris Johnson and catcher Ali Solis have all been reassigned to minor league camp.

Of the five players reassigned, four are former first round MLB Draft picks: Cole (No. 1, 2011 by Pittsburgh), Waldrop (No. 25, 2004 by Minnesota), Brown (No. 34, 2006 by Arizona) and Johnson (No. 40, 2006 by Boston).

Each former first round pick also time in the International League last season, with Cole and Johnson suiting up for the Indianapolis Indians during the Tribe’s IL West title run.

Headlining the group of reassignments is Baseball America’s No. 7 overall prospect Gerrit Cole. The right-hander, who has ranked as the Buc’s top farmhand since being selected No. 1 overall in the 2011 MLB Draft, went 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA (4 ER in 10.0 IP) through three spring appearances (two starts) for the Pirates prior to his reassignment. In perhaps his most dominant performance of camp, he struck out the first six batters he faced during an exhibition game against Team Spain on March 5. Cole now has the potential to begin the season in Indianapolis, where he made starts against the Toledo Mud Hens and Charlotte Knights near the conclusion of the Tribe’s 2012 campaign.

Kris Johnson, another pitcher from Indianapolis’ 2012 top-ranked pitching staff, appeared in 20 IL contests last season. The southpaw signed with Pittsburgh as a free agent on Dec. 14, 2011, and through his first stint in the Pirates organization, pitched over 100 innings between the Tribe and Double-A Altoona, highlighted by 22.1 consecutive scoreless frames from Aug. 15-30. His efforts led to a second straight invitation to the Bucs Major League camp, where he allowed two earned runs in 5.2 innings (3.18 ERA).

Indianapolis fans also witnessed lefty Brooks Brown last season, when Toledo’s southpaw held the visiting Tribe scoreless through his 5.0 innings of work on July 20. The scoreless outing epitomized Brown’s minor league career, where the hurler has factored into 11 total shutouts through eight professional seasons, including two complete-game shutouts for Double-A Erie in 2010. Following his signing as a free agent on Nov. 12, 2012, the left-hander posted a 2.57 ERA through seven spring training games with Pittsburgh.

Right-hander Waldrop is entering his first season with the Pirates after spending nine years in Minnesota’s organization. During his tenure with the Twins, the hurler posted a 2.13 ERA (6 ER in 25.1 IP) through five spring training stints, before tossing 3.1 scoreless innings at big league camp for the Bucs. Prior to signing with Pittsburgh as a free agent on Jan. 28, 2013, Waldrop made over 100 relief appearances with IL rival Rochester Red Wings and pitched in 24 games for the Twins.

A new face for Tribe fans is catcher Ali Solis, who Pittsburgh claimed off of waivers from San Diego on Oct. 25, 2012. The backstop has hit .242 with 104 extra-base hits and 161 RBI since making his professional debut in 2005, and most recently earned selections to both the Texas League Midseason and Postseason 2012 All-Star squads. Following his invite to the Bucs spring training, Solis appeared in just one game before being reassigned to minor league camp.