Down On The Farm: First Basemen

Over the offseason I have decided to write a few posts briefly discussing the Pirates players who are down on the farm. My aim with this is for this to be more of a discussion point than informative so feel free to chime in with any thoughts you may have. I will start with the first basemen.
Top Prospects
Josh Bell - Little needs to be said about Bell as he has already made his presence felt in Pittsburgh but he retained his prospect eligibility by one at bat so it is indeed still proper to include him in such a post. Obviously the offensive ceiling is high with Bell as he has all the tools to become an impact bat. The defense both at 1B and in RF still require some work but in time I think he will become just fine (meaning slightly below average) at the position.
Jose Osuna - Just added to the 40 man roster Jose Osuna may be a name some Pirate fans are just starting to get familiar with. Way back in 2012 Osuna was part of a group of 4 international signed prospects enjoying breakout seasons in West Virginia but he quickly fell behind Polanco, Hanson and Garcia on the pecking order. In the years since 2012 it appeared Osuna was entrenching himself as an upper level depth corner bat but then last year in his first taste of AAA (at just 23) he put up an impressive line and put himself on the radar. Now Osuna looks as if he might have a future as a right handed 1B/OF off the bench and could even probably handle the small side of a platoon.
Edwin Espinal - It is not entirely accurate but I have always viewed Espinal as kind of a Pedro Alvarez light. Both are big guys with good power potential (Espinal hasn't ever shown much in game power) who were 3B with big arms but lacking range to a point where they moved over to 1B. Espinal has consistently held his own while being young for his level but hasn't really done anything more. He will be just 23 next year and possibly in AAA so there is still for him but he really needs to take a big step forward soon.
Upper Level Depth
Jason Rogers - Rogers of course is no longer a prospect but remains someone who is "down on the farm". Coming off a good year in Milwaukee the Pirates traded for Rogers last year to bolster their first base depth. Later moves proved to make Rogers largely irrelevant which forced him to spend much of the season in AAA where his numbers were a disappointment. Still Rogers has a bit of a major league track record which shows he can be successful and he is likely capable of holding down at least a bench job for some major league team.
Jerrick Suiter - Up until this year Suiter had split his time between 1B and the outfield corners but this past season he was the primary 1B for the Pirates Bradenton affiliate. He seems to be perfectly capable of handling RF defensively so the push down the defensive spectrum is likely due to how the Pirates currently view him. Suiter doesn't look like a player who will ever make the majors but he should be able to provide some depth for the upper levels of the organization.
Chase Simpson - Here we have another player similar to Suiter who has shown just enough to be interesting but probably not enough to be a real threat to reach the majors. Simpson is a 1B/3B who has hit decently at every stop along the way but has always struggled to find playing time as he has been behind more high profile guys. Overall he has just been adequate all around but there may be an opportunity for either him of Suiter to prove themselves as the regular 1B in Altoona next year so all is not lost yet. Still the most likely outcome is he like Suiter serves as upper level organizational depth.
Borderline Prospects
Carlos Munoz - Munoz created a little buzz about himself back in 2015 when he destroyed the Appalachian League but that success did not carry over to 2016. Munoz is a short stocky player who has excellent plate discipline but has rarely shown much power and is quite limited defensively to the point where 1B is a bit of a stretch. If he can re-find the power he showed in 2015 he can still become an interesting prospect but without that he is a just a bad defensive player who is willing to take a walk for you at the plate.
Daniel Arribas - Originally starting his career as a catcher the Pirates have shown a hesitation to let Arribas run with that position and it now appears those days are behind him as he didn't catch a single game in 2016. Still Arribas has consistently hit well and remains just barely on the prospect radar because of this despite always being old for his level. He has a little bit of power, good plate discipline and can handle third at least competently so there is stuff to like here. Still the Pirates have never seemed to be enamored with him and the numbers while good are not jump off the page good considering he has been consistently old for his level. He'll likely split time with Munoz at 1B in Bradenton next year.
Mikell Granberry - The Pirates signed Granberry as a catcher during the 2013 international signing period and he appeared to be an interesting prospect there but the Pirates have been decreasing his time behind the dish which makes him a whole lot less interesting as he simply doesn't have the bat for 1B. If he isn't a catcher he really isn't a prospect but he still does get the occasional time back there so perhaps the Pirates haven't given up on him completely.
Johan De Jesus - Originally signed as a shortstop De Jesus quickly outgrew the position and was moved to 3B. That remained his primary position even this year but he started to receive some significant time at 1B. Much like Granberry De Jesus doesn't seem to have the bat for 1B but he at 19 years old and still playing primarily 3B he is not someone who can written off completely. The bat is going to play but there he is still young enough that there is time for that to happen.
The Rest
Jordan George posted some strong numbers in Bristol last year but was outshined by Carlos Munoz. This year he moved up to Morgantown and continued to hit well and he showed a little versatility playing some 3B and RF in addition to 1B. He is a solid hitter but has limited power and those types of corner players tend to fizzle out as they move up. Albert Baur was drafted as a 23 year old senior an immediate red flag to his prospect hopes and he has now spent the last two years in Morgantown where the results have been mixed. A 25 year old getting his first taste of full season ball cannot be considered a prospect. Jhoan Herrera was given a significant bonus back in 2012 as a 3B with a good deal of power potential. Fast forward to present and he has only shown a little bit of that potential and no longer appears to be a 3B as he hasn't played the position since 2014.
Huascar Fuentes didn't sign until he was 21 as his family wanted him to finish his education first. Last year in his first full year of professional ball he destroyed the DSL which earned him a promotion to the states this year. He didn't duplicate the results from 2015 and is now entering his age 25 season as a player who is still likely to be in short season ball. Sam Kennelly was signed as offensive oriented shortstop out of Australia and looked rather interesting early on but it became quickly apparent he wasn't long for the middle infield and is now a corner infielder getting most of his time at 1B. He hasn't really shown much with the bat since 2014 and is certainly no longer that interesting. Williams Calderon split 1B duties in the DSL with Ramy Perez (who is no longer in the system). He was signed as a middle infielder and has already been moved primarily to 1B. This may not be a sign that he can't handle the position but it’s at least a sign that the Pirates aren't viewing him as much of a prospect.
Non-1B To Watch
Will Craig, the Pirates 1st round pick in this past draft, will remain at 3B for as long as possible but most believe a move to 1B will eventually happen. Connor Joe (a 2014 1st round pick) spent 2015 as a 1B but with his back fully recovered moved over to 3B this season but didn't perform well there defensively. I have my doubts he will stick there long term and while I think he is headed for an outfield corner, first base is a possibility. Prior to this season it appeared that Eric Wood was likely to be moved off the 3B position which would make him a non-prospect but he made great strides both offensively and defensively and now looks like a candidate to be protected from the Rule V draft. He will hopefully stick at 3B and if he doesn't he likely won't last with the Pirates but I guess there is a possible scenario where he moves to 1B at some point. Logan Hill is a competent corner outfielder but he is a big guy with a lot power which at least makes a future move to 1B a possibility.
Kevin Krause is a power hitting catcher whom due to Tommy John surgery received time in RF last year. He has a chance to stick behind the plate and at the very least seems comfortable in the outfield but if his power returns and his defense remains questionable a move to 1B isn't out of the question. Julio de la Cruz was a high profile international signing by the Pirates and while he is a 3B his defense there isn't great and a move to 1B seems almost inevitable. Of course he hasn't hit at all so his defensive position doesn't really matter until that changes. Chris Harvey was signed as a undrafted free agent catcher but lately has been playing a fair amount of 1B and even has a couple pitching appearances on his resume. He is obviously not a prospect. Jonathan Schwind was a catcher a long time ago but those days are long gone. He has primarily played the outfield since moving off the catcher position but does have a handful of games at 1B. Schwind is also a very accomplished position player pitcher having pitched in 8 games and having yet to allow a run.