After the news on the signing of sixth-rounder Dan Gamache Sunday, the Pirates have signed four more draft picks: 24th-rounder Brian Sharp, 29th-rounder Kirk Singer, 30th-rounder Matthew Benedict, and 31st-rounder Derek Trent. All four have been assigned to State College.
Of those, the one who looks most likely to be a prospect is Trent, a catcher. The other three will likely be organizational players, which means they will be expected to fill spots in the minor leagues, and if they turn out to be more interesting than that, great. It’s no surprise that these kinds of players would be among the first to sign, since there isn’t much haggling about bonus amounts to be done. Also, Benedict (a pitcher) and Trent were college seniors, and therefore had very little leverage – they could not threaten the Pirates with the possibility of going back to college for a year.
Sharp and Singer are shortstops and will vie for playing time in the State College infield with Jorge Bishop and Walker Gourley.