WATCH LIST: FIVE MAJOR LEAGUERS

Edward Olivares • OF

Acquired from the Kansas City Royals in December, Olivares is coming off a season regularly playing in MLB. He set career highs across the board and produced a solid .769 OPS, thanks in part to his 12 home runs and 23 doubles. Olivares joins a crowded group of outfielders that already has established starters in Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski. Olivares will likely be competing with Joshua Palacios and Connor Joe for time in right field.

Henry Davis • C/OF

A planned omission in the right-field debate was the former No. 1 overall pick, who played there for all but two of his defensive innings last season. His catching reps were sparse in 2023, but that figures to not be the case this season with Endy Rodriguez out because of reconstructive surgery on his right UCL. Jason Delay will be in the mix, but this is a prime opportunity for Davis to establish himself as an MLB catcher. He can show as much this spring.

Roansy Contreras • RHP

After giving up a two home runs to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 5 to balloon his ERA to 6.59, Contreras was never to be seen again on the Pirates’ roster in 2023. He went to the Florida Complex League to work on his mechanics and then made a handful of appearances for Triple-A Indianapolis. This spring will be critical to determining whether the 24-year-old Contreras’ velocity has improved and if, in turn, he can be an effective starter.

Jared Triolo • IF

A natural third baseman, a versatile Triolo could become quite the utility man. Most of his rookie starts came at third while Ke’Bryan Hayes was hurt, but he also got extended looks at second and first. He has prior experience as an outfielder, too, which can only aid his cause. It doesn’t hurt that he finished his first MLB season with a .785 OPS and a batting average just below .300. The story of his spring, though, will be where he’s stationed in the field.

Quinn Priester • RHP

It would be difficult to garner much good from the former first-rounder’s rookie campaign — a 7.74 ERA in eight starts and 10 appearances. Still, at just 23, Priester remains a viable prospect and option in the rotation. Priester was able to induce ground balls quite frequently in his last three MLB starts, which is critical to his success. If Priester can consistently pitch to soft contact in spring training, he’s got a clear path to a spot in the rotation.