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Tristan Gray Tristan Gray Booted from 40-man roster
Mon, Jan 20, 2025, 7:25 PM
Gray was designated for assignment by Pittsburgh on Monday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Gray will vacate the 40-man roster to make room for Andrew McCutchen, who was officially added to the roster Monday after putting pen to paper on a one-year deal in December. Gray found little success at the big-league level in 2024 during stops with the Marlins and Athletics, going 3-for-28 with one double and three walks over 15 games. |
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Ryder Ryan Ryder Ryan Back with Pittsburgh as NRI
Mon, Jan 20, 2025, 12:47 PM
The Pirates re-signed Ryan to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Analysis: Ryan, 29, put up a 5.95 ERA and 17:9 K:BB over 20.2 innings out of the Pirates' bullpen in 2024. He'll compete for a relief role in spring training but will probably begin the year at Triple-A Indianapolis. |
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Chase Shugart Chase Shugart Lands in Pittsburgh
Fri, Jan 17, 2025, 1:03 PM
The Pirates acquired Shugart from the Red Sox on Friday in exchange for Matt McShane, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Analysis: Shugart had been designated for assignment. The 28-year-old reached the big leagues for the first time this past season, yielding four runs over 8.2 relief innings. Shugart will compete for a spot in the Pirates' bullpen. |
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Hunter Stratton Hunter Stratton Expected to begin spring training
Thu, Jan 16, 2025, 9:17 PM
Stratton (knee) is expected to be ready to pitch at the start of spring training, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Analysis: Stratton posted a video of him throwing off of a mound Thursday, around a month before pitchers report to spring training. He ruptured his patella tendon in late August but appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery. Though Stratton will be in camp on a minor-league deal, he was effective in 2024 and should contribute out of the bullpen again in 2025. |
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DJ Stewart DJ Stewart Inks MiLB deal with Pittsburgh
Thu, Jan 16, 2025, 1:17 PM
The Pirates signed Stewart to a minor-league contract Thursday, Michael Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com reports.
Analysis: Stewart managed an .840 OPS over 58 games with the Mets in 2023 but fell off to a .622 OPS across 74 regular-season contests in 2024. The 31-year-old is right at league average with a career 100 OPS+, so he's not a bad depth option on a minors pact. |
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Brett de Geus Brett de Geus Dealt to Pittsburgh
Wed, Jan 15, 2025, 2:45 PM
The Pirates acquired de Geus from the Blue Jays on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Analysis: De Geus had been designated for assignment but will now join a new 40-man roster. The 27-year-old owns a 7.48 ERA and 1.71 WHIP over 61.1 career big-league innings. He'll compete for a bullpen job this spring but does have minor-league options remaining. |
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Burch Smith Burch Smith Gets NRI deal from Pittsburgh
Mon, Jan 13, 2025, 9:34 AM
The Pirates signed Smith to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training.
Analysis: Smith, 34, collected a 4.95 ERA and 46:12 K:BB across 56.1 innings between the Marlins and Orioles this past season. The veteran right-hander will compete for a bullpen job in spring training. |
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Bryce Johnson Bryce Johnson Links up with Pittsburgh as NRI
Mon, Jan 13, 2025, 9:31 AM
The Pirates signed Johnson to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training.
Analysis: Johnson, 29, is a career .177/.248/.226 hitter over 140 plate appearances across three brief stints in the majors. He will compete for a reserve outfielder job but is likely to be assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis to begin the 2025 season. |
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Colin Holderman Colin Holderman Avoids arbitration
Thu, Jan 9, 2025, 12:48 PM
Holderman signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Pirates on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Despite missing several weeks in August with a wrist injury, 2024 marked the best season of Holderman's three-year career. He finished the year with a 3.16 ERA and 1.31 WHIP alongside a 56:25 K:BB over 51.1 innings and is likely to reprise his role as a setup man in 2025. |
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David Bednar David Bednar Settles with Pittsburgh
Thu, Jan 9, 2025, 12:26 PM
The Pirates and Bednar avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $5.9 million contract Thursday, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Analysis: Bednar had a rough 2024 campaign, losing his closer job while collecting a 5.77 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 58:28 K:BB across 57.2 innings of work. He could get another shot in the ninth inning in 2025 but won't be handed the job. |
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Joey Bart Joey Bart Earning $1.75M in 2025
Thu, Jan 9, 2025, 11:43 AM
Bart and the Pirates avoided arbitration Thursday by agreeing to a one-year, $1.75 million deal, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Analysis: The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft was unable to establish himself as the Giants' long-term answer at catcher over parts of four seasons in the big leagues, but the 28-year-old benefited from a change of scenery after he was shipped to Pittsburgh in April. He ended the 2024 campaign as the Pirates' top catcher, having slashed .265/.337/.462 with 13 home runs, 45 RBI and 38 runs across 282 plate appearances. The Pirates have 2021 No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis and 24-year-old Endy Rodriguez on hand as intriguing young options at catcher, but based on his performance last season, Bart will enter spring training as the favorite to open the 2025 campaign as the Bucs' top backstop. |
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Caleb Ferguson Caleb Ferguson Signs on with Pittsburgh
Thu, Jan 9, 2025, 10:49 AM
Ferguson agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract with the Pirates on Thursday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Ferguson put up a disappointing 4.64 ERA over 62 appearances in 2024 between the Yankees and Astros but did record 67 strikeouts across 54.1 innings out of the bullpen. He could end up being the left-handed setup man in Pittsburgh, though Stumpf relays that the Pirates intend to let Ferguson get stretched out over the winter before potentially placing him on a starter's schedule in spring training. |
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Bailey Falter Bailey Falter Gets $2.22 million for 2025
Thu, Jan 9, 2025, 9:34 AM
Falter and the Pirates avoided arbitration by agreeing Thursday to a one-year, $2.22 million contract, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Falter was arbitration-eligible for the first time, coming off a 2024 campaign in which he covered a career-high 142.1 innings over 28 starts for the Pirates. The southpaw was decent enough as a back-end rotation arm with a 4.43 ERA and 1.29 WHIP, but a career-worst 16.5 percent strikeout rate doesn't inspire much confidence in his ability to take any sort of major step forward. Even though he should be in good shape to retain a rotation spot heading into 2025, Falter's fantasy utility will likely be limited to deeper mixed leagues or NL-only leagues. |
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Darick Hall Darick Hall Inks minors deal with Pittsburgh
Thu, Dec 26, 2024, 8:43 AM
The Pirates signed Hall to a minor-league contract on Dec. 21, MiLB Central reports.
Analysis: Hall spent the entirety of the 2024 season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the Phillies organization, hitting .236/.320/.387 with 16 homers in 114 games. The Pirates don't have much first base depth, so while Hall is likely to begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Indianapolis, it's possible he'll eventually get another shot at the major-league level. |
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Andrew McCutchen Andrew McCutchen Re-ups with Pittsburgh
Mon, Dec 23, 2024, 9:06 AM
The Pirates signed McCutchen to a one-year, $5 million contract Monday, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Analysis: It's the same contract terms that McCutchen inked last offseason. The 38-year-old collected a .739 OPS with 20 home runs in 2024 as the Pirates' full-time designated hitter. He should have the same role for Pittsburgh in 2025. |
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Joey Bart Joey Bart Top of depth chart at catcher
Mon, Dec 16, 2024, 8:42 AM
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said on Dec. 10 in an interview on MLB Network that Bart will enter 2025 as the favorite to start at catcher, The Bucco Beat reports.
Analysis: The Pirates acquired Bart shortly after Opening Day and he eventually emerged as the team's primary catcher, slashing .265/.337/.462 with 13 home runs over 280 plate appearances. Endy Rodriguez will be back from elbow surgery and Henry Davis is still around, so Bart will have competition for playing time behind the plate, but he'll enter the season with a leg up for the starting job. |
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Enmanuel Valdez Enmanuel Valdez Shipped to Pittsburgh
Sun, Dec 15, 2024, 10:42 AM
The Red Sox traded Valdez to the Pirates on Sunday in exchange for minor-league pitcher Joe Vogatsky.
Analysis: Valdez was DFA'd by Boston on Wednesday, but he'll get a fresh start in the Pirates organization. Valdez slashed .214/.270/.363 with six home runs in 223 plate appearances in 2024 while primarily playing second base. |
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Carson Fulmer Carson Fulmer Invited to Pirates' camp
Fri, Dec 13, 2024, 7:01 PM
Fulmer signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates on Friday and received an invitation to spring training, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Analysis: Over a career-high 86.2 innings with the Angels last season, Fulmer logged a 4.15 ERA and 1.40 WHIP across 37 appearances (eight starts). If the right-hander is able to offer similar production during spring training, he could have a decent shot at making the Pirates' Opening Day roster, though it's unclear if Pittsburgh will prefer to use him as a starter or out of the bullpen. |
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Tanner Rainey Tanner Rainey Receives NRI from Pittsburgh
Thu, Dec 12, 2024, 8:13 AM
The Pirates signed Rainey to a minor-league contract Dec. 6 that includes an invitation to spring training.
Analysis: Rainey was non-tendered by the Nationals in November after posting a 4.76 ERA and 44:29 K:BB over 51 frames in 2024 in his first year back from Tommy John surgery. The reliever's stuff hasn't looked the same post-op, but he's a fine gamble on a non-roster deal in hopes that he can rediscover it. |
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Nick Solak Nick Solak Nets MiLB deal from Pittsburgh
Wed, Dec 11, 2024, 2:12 PM
The Pirates signed Solak to a minor-league contract Dec. 6.
Analysis: Solak, who turns 30 in January, slashed .311/.406/.446 with nine home runs and 10 stolen bases over 90 games at Triple-A Tacoma in the Mariners organization in 2024. He has a career .252/.327/.372 batting line in parts of five major-league seasons. |
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