Pirates’ Signing of Former Tigers First-Rounder Could Hint at Bubba Chandler Promotion
The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed former Tigers first-round pick Beau Burrows to a minor league deal—a move that might signal changes coming soon to the organization’s pitching hierarchy, possibly even a promotion for top prospect Bubba Chandler.
Pitching depth has been a strength for the Pirates so far this season, especially in Triple-A Indianapolis, where four of their top seven prospects are starting pitchers. With that much talent on the verge of breaking through, the addition of Burrows could be a way to prepare for some expected movement, particularly if Chandler gets the call-up to the majors.
Burrows, who has experience both as a starter and reliever, is likely to be used out of the bullpen given how Indianapolis’ roster is currently set up—unless a promotion creates a vacancy. His role seems more about providing innings in the minors rather than serving as a potential MLB bullpen solution. Burrows has struggled in the majors, posting a 5.40 ERA in his 2020 debut and an even rougher 13.91 ERA in 2021 after joining the Twins.
Since then, he’s bounced between teams and most recently posted a 6.45 ERA with the Phillies’ organization in 2024. Once ranked as the Tigers’ second-best prospect, Burrows has yet to live up to that early hype. His signing might be linked to Don Kelly, now with the Pirates, who was part of the Tigers’ player development staff when Burrows was drafted.
While Burrows likely won’t be a game-changer on the field, the intrigue around his signing centers on what it could mean next. A possible promotion for Bubba Chandler—or another top pitching prospect—might be just around the corner.
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