Pirates add six prospects to 40-man roster; slugger Esmerlyn Valdez among them

PITTSBURGH — This article originally appeared on PGHBaseballNOW.com.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have protected six prospects from being selected in next month’s Rule 5 Draft by adding them to their 40-man roster.

The additions include:

OF/1B Esmerlyn Valdez
RHP Brandan Bidois
INF Jack Brannigan
RHP Wilber Dotel
RHP Antwone Kelly
LHP Tyler Samaniego

Valdez was named the Willie Stargell Slugger of the Year after a strong season split between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona. He led the Pirates’ system with 26 home runs and combined to slash .286/.376/.520 with 25 doubles, two triples and 86 RBI.

Click here to read more about the players from PGHBaseballNOW.com.

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