The Pittsburgh Pirates had two players claimed off of waivers on Friday, losing Ali Sanchez and Miguel Yajure. It came as somewhat a shock, as we hadn’t even gotten word that the pair was placed on waivers, not getting official word until they were actually claimed.
Sanchez was a waiver claim of his own, and until Endy Rodriguez was added, was the only catcher on the 40-man roster. Yajure was a part of the Jameson Taillon trade that also landed them Roansy Contreras.
Ethan Hullihen brought up the point on Twitter that Wednesday, when the pair would have had to been posted, was the last day a team could put a player on waivers in order for free up space before next week’s Rule 5 draft.
Seriously though, I feel silly for not checking and putting that out there.
Wednesday was the last day to place a player on waivers and subsequently today was the last day to outright a player prior to the draft.
Which is why all the moves are being announced https://t.co/ciPWOdB5Kd pic.twitter.com/lXZIvlvfEv
— Ethan Hullihen (@EthanHullihen) December 2, 2022
To be able to select a player in the Rule 5, you need to have a 40-man roster spot open. The Pirates now have two open spots on the 40-man, which keeps the door open for them to select someone in the draft.
Who to select would be the question, as drafting for need isn’t something that you really want to do in the Rule 5. Things that stick out right now are catcher, left-handed pitching and maybe even help in the outfield of the right-handed variety. John Dreker covered a few potential options for the Pirates on Thursday.
With the Pirates having Rodriguez and eventually Henry Davis close to Pittsburgh, adding another catcher without the flexibility of being optioned doesn’t seem ideal. Taking a lefty reliever would currently give the Pirates two lefty relievers on the 40-man roster.
While the track record of any player sticking isn’t great, a right-handed outfielder does make sense as someone who would be easy to hide on the bench for the entire season. The Pirates do have Ryan Villade on the 40-man, picked up off of waivers from the Colorado Rockies.
Baseball America has done a great job of updating potential players teams could be looking to pick up, and that can be seen here.
The Pirates may not select anyone next week. It’s better to have that flexibility to be able to do so, than to not have the option.
Highlight of the Day
Oneil Cruz made this a double lmao pic.twitter.com/GybxYz7RUe
— Jim Rosati
Pirates Prospects Daily
By Tim Williams
**The Pirates lost three players on waivers on Friday. Lewin Diaz was lost to the Orioles, after being DFAd for Carlos Santana. The Pirates also lost Miguel Yajure and Ali Sanchez on waivers, clearing spaces for potential Rule 5 picks. I think the biggest loss here is Diaz. While not a huge loss — he’s a 26-year-old with no guarantee that he’ll find MLB success — I do think that Diaz had some upside.
I would imagine the 40-man roster to look different a week from today, potentially with a Rule 5 pick. Beyond that, it might have been difficult to carry Diaz on the 40-man the whole offseason with other expected moves. Right now, I would expect the Pirates to be busy.
**Jeff Reed wrote about how it’s a refreshing change of pace lately with the Pirates. Isolated, the additions of Santana and Ji-Man Choi don’t do a lot, but the early moves do indicate a shift in the approach from the Pirates. It seems like there’s more focus on the majors this offseason than in previous offseasons.
**The Pirates signed minor league shortstop Shawn Ross.
**Diego Castillo keeps hitting in winter ball, and Fabricio Macias joined in on the action. John Dreker has the latest Pirates winter league update.
**Missed yesterday? Anthony wrote about the 2023 ZiPS projections, which love Endy Rodriguez.
Song of the Day
Pirates Prospects Weekly
This week’s discussion topic from Jeff Reed looks at the change of pace in Pittsburgh this offseason.
John Dreker will have the latest Pirates Winter Report at noon on Saturday.
