Overview
- Derek Curiel, who signed Sunday, agreed to a $6.2 million underslot contract with the Pirates after being selected fifth overall in the 2026 MLB draft.
- The club formally introduced Curiel at a PNC Park news conference with general manager Ben Cherington, assistant GM Kevan Graves, agent Scott Boras and family present and he will take batting practice before departing for Florida.
- Curiel arrives from LSU with a decorated two‑year college record that includes a national championship, D1Baseball National Freshman of the Year honors and an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove while also overcoming a broken ankle he played through last season.
- Analysts immediately treated him as a top prospect with Keith Law placing Curiel at No. 65 overall and evaluators projecting he will start in center field but likely move to left over time.
- The signing moves the Pirates to 16 of 21 signed draft picks and preserves roughly $2.1 million in bonus‑pool space that the team is using to complete overslot deals before the Monday 5 p.m. ET signing deadline.