GASTONIA, N.C. – The Gastonia Ghost Peppers have signed LHP Justus Sheffield and RHP Duane Underwood Jr. for 2025, announced by general manager Brady Salisbury on Friday.
Both are former big-league pitchers, with Sheffield pitching for the Yankees and Mariners and Underwood Jr. for the Cubs and Pirates.
Sheffield, 28, was drafted by Cleveland in the first round in 2014. The southpaw was traded to the Yankees in a package for LHP Andrew Miller in 2016. Two years later, Sheffield was shipped to the Mariners along with others for LHP James Paxton. The Tullahoma, Tennessee, native made 48 appearances in the majors, with 33 of them being starts. He went 12-12 with a 5.47 ERA between New York and Seattle. Sheffield spent the 2024 season in the Reds organization, pitching for Triple-A Louisville.
Underwood Jr., 30, was selected by the Cubs in the second round of the 2012 draft. The right-hander pitched in the majors for the Cubs from 2018-2020, striking out 43 batters in 36.1 innings. The Atlanta native then pitched for the Pirates from 2021-2023. His best season was in 2021, posting a 4.33 ERA and recording 65 strikeouts in 43 relief appearances. Underwood Jr. pitched for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees system last season, going 3-1 with a 3.26 ERA in 32 outings.
With the addition of these two former major-league arms, the Ghost Peppers have now signed 23 players for the 2025 season.
The players who have signed so far are:
RHP Jimmie Sherfy
RHP Parker Kruglewicz
RHP Ryne Inman
RHP Matt Hartman
RHP Nick Snyder
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.
LHP Nick Horvath
LHP Ryan Hennen
LHP Kevin Smith
LHP Adam Scott
LHP Justus Sheffield
C Gavin Stupienski
C Luis Aviles
INF Jake Hoover
INF Alan Alonso
INF Ethan Skender
INF Braxton Davidson
INF Jack Reinheimer
INF Richie Martin
OF Eric De La Rosa
OF Kevin Watson Jr.
OF Narciso Crook
OF Dalton Guthrie
The team will complete the player signing announcements over the next week.