The Pirates’ bullpen overhaul at the trade deadline cost Ron Marinaccio his roster spot.
Pittsburgh brought in Luke Weaver, Camilo Doval and Lake Bachar to help a relief corps that had been struggling to finish games, and the moves pushed Marinaccio off the active roster, the team announced.
Marinaccio’s time in Pittsburgh was brief. He arrived in late July from the Padres in a cash deal after being designated for assignment, and now he’s headed back into the DFA process after making just four appearances for the Pirates.
The 31-year-old has had a rough season overall, posting a 4.99 ERA in 37 appearances between San Diego and Pittsburgh. That mark stands out as the worst of his big-league career. Marinaccio was much more reliable with the Yankees from 2022 through 2024, and he also turned in a sub-1.00 ERA in seven games for the Padres last year.
The underlying numbers have slipped, too. Marinaccio has a career-low 18.4% strikeout rate over 52 1/3 innings in 2026, along with a Stuff+ that has dropped to 94 and a 24.5% called+swinging strike rate that isn’t doing him any favors.
His fastball velocity hasn’t cratered - he’s sitting at 93.8 mph, right around his usual level - but the pitch is playing differently. Marinaccio’s four-seamer has only 13 inches of induced vertical break this season, down from 15-17 inches during his Yankees run. Opponents have taken advantage, slugging .483 with five home runs against the pitch.
That change in fastball shape may be spilling over into the rest of his mix, especially the changeup. It’s been a real trouble spot, with a -5 Run Value that ranks in the 5th percentile.
Still, Marinaccio’s track record as a useful major league reliever could draw attention on waivers. Another club might see a fixable arm and try to get his stuff back where it was. If he clears waivers, he’ll need to accept a minor league assignment, since he hasn’t been outrighted in his career.
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