Tahnaj Thomas

Shipped from the Indians to the Pirates in last offseason's spare parts for spare parts deal that included Erik Gonzalez and Jordan Luplow, Thomas had a breakout year in the Appalachian League. A 6-foot-4 Bahamian righty, Thomas always had a special arm (fastball sits in upper-90s, touches 101 mph), but he improved his delivery and control last year and now has a chance to develop into a big-league starter. He struck out 27 in 19.2 innings in the AZL in 2018, but also issued 10 walks. Thomas continued to miss bats last year (29.5 K%), but cut his walk rate from 12.5% to 7.0%. His above-average slider is his best secondary pitch, and it could be a plus pitch in time. However, his changeup has a long way to go. He needs a viable third pitch, but has a few years to work on that deficiency. With good health, he has a high-leverage reliever floor.