The Pittsburgh Pirates have made some notable roster adjustments as they prepare for the upcoming season. Among the moves, they decided to send several promising players back to their minor league camp, trimming their big league roster down to 46 players. The headliner in this group is Termarr Johnson, a top infield prospect who was once a first-round draft pick.
Johnson, who joined the Pirates after being selected fourth overall in the 2022 draft, was initially hailed as a rising star. However, despite his impressive skills, he has slipped out of the preseason top-100 rankings this year.
Over his minor league career, Johnson has posted a .250/.381/.398 slash line, along with 43 home runs and 58 stolen bases over 371 games. Last season at Double-A Altoona, he maintained a solid .745 OPS, hitting nine home runs in 119 games.
Standing at 5-foot-7, Johnson is known for his sharp batting eye, drawing walks in 16.4 percent of his plate appearances in the minors. This spring, he continued to showcase his ability to get on base, reaching safely in half of his 24 plate appearances with seven hits and five walks.
Despite his strong spring performance, Johnson was not expected to make the Opening Day roster. While he may not currently be the most talked-about prospect in the Pirates' system-one that includes talents like Konnor Griffin, Edward Florentino, and 2025 first-rounder Seth Hernandez-Johnson still has time to carve out his place in Pittsburgh's future plans.
In addition to Johnson, the Pirates reassigned several other players: catcher Derek Berg, infielders Nick Cimillo, Duce Gourson, and Davis Wendzel, outfielder Ronny Simon, and pitchers Nick Dombkowski and Oddanier Mosqueda. As these players head back to the minors, they’ll continue to hone their skills, aiming to make their mark in the big leagues soon.