The Pittsburgh Pirates have shown solid pitching depth so far this season, especially in Triple-A, where four of their top seven prospects are starting pitchers for Indianapolis. With the potential for roster movement among that group, the team has brought in Beau Burrows.
Burrows has experience both as a starter and reliever, but given the current Triple-A roster, he’s expected to pitch out of the bullpen—unless there’s an imminent promotion that changes the situation. Bubba Chandler appears close to a call-up to the majors, and this move could be setting the stage for that.
While the exact reason for signing Burrows isn’t confirmed, his main role will likely be to provide innings in the minors. He hasn’t found success at the MLB level, so the Pirates probably don’t see him as a solution for their struggling big-league bullpen.
Burrows, once ranked as the Tigers’ No. 2 prospect, has struggled since his MLB debut in 2020. He posted a 5.40 ERA in limited action that year and performed even worse in 2021, with a 13.91 ERA between stints with Detroit and Minnesota. He’s since bounced between several organizations, including the Phillies in 2024, where he had a 6.45 ERA.
Though once a promising arm, Burrows has fallen significantly and is now just hanging on to opportunities. His signing might have ties to Don Kelly, who was involved in player development with the Tigers when Burrows was a top prospect.
Ultimately, any buzz around this signing revolves more around what it could mean—like a possible promotion for Chandler or another Triple-A arm—rather than Burrows himself.
