The Pirates released 23 minor leaguers Thursday, most of whom were in the lower levels of the organization.
Minor league releases are common this time of year, but this batch is larger than what the Pirates have done recently. Last year, they released 17 players at this stage of the offseason.
The most highly touted of the departures was right-handed pitcher Yeudy Garcia. Garcia was signed out of the Dominican Republic in February 2013 and carved up batters during his first three years in Rookie and A-level ball. That performance made most outlets consider him a fringe top 10 prospect within the organization, including being ranked No.