The San Miranese pitcher Alessandro Ercolani has signed a professional contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Italian baseball federation has reported on its website. He had attracted interest from a number of MLB organizations, but Pirates scout Tom Gillespie managed to get the soon-to-be 17-year-old’s signature on a contract.
Tom Gillespie, scout of the Europe/Africa section of the Pirates: “We liked his motivation, his stubbornness, his way of facing and overcoming challenges. The next step is to mentally grow and improve his throwing repertoire.”
The right-handed Ercolani checks in at 6-2 (1.88 m), 185 pounds (83.9 kg). He will report to Pittsburgh’s Florida Complex League this summer.