The Pirates had to clear room on the 40-man roster yesterday for 2019 first round pick Quinn Priester to make his MLB debut. The move they made was designating 2018 first rounder Travis Swaggerty for assignment.
The move to part with the 25-year-old outfield prospect was a surprising one. Swaggerty has missed a lot of development time through his career, including this year as he deals with migraines and vertigo issues. His wife has also dealt with a rare blood disease after being attacked by a rabid raccoon.
It’s been a tough year for Swaggerty, who only has 72 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. He spent the 2022 season in Indianapolis, hitting for a .254/.348/.399 line in 458 plate appearances. In 2019, Swaggerty had 524 plate appearances in High-A, with similar results. He dealt with the pandemic season and injuries in the years in between.
Swaggerty, who turns 26 next month, made his MLB debut last year, getting nine plate appearances in five games off the bench. He could clear waivers and stick with the organization. He wouldn’t have been ready to join the other top prospects who arrived yesterday. The Pirates designated him after promoting the 2019-2021 first rounders over the last month, showing they didn’t have him in the long-term plans.
The Pirates also optioned Jason Delay, Josh Palacios, and Cody Bolton yesterday to make room for Priester, Endy Rodriguez, and Liover Peguero.
