The Pirates have designated outfielder Johnathan Rodríguez for assignment, clearing a 40-man roster spot for Oneil Cruz to come off the 60-day injured list, a move that had already been reported.
Rodríguez, 26, never got into a big league game with Pittsburgh. The Pirates picked him up from the Orioles in a cash deal last month and kept him on optional assignment, where he hit .351/.424/.509 in 15 Triple-A games.
His track record in the minors is loud. Rodríguez now owns 1,403 Triple-A plate appearances, with 62 home runs, a 12.5% walk rate, a .298/.388/.508 line and a 135 wRC+. The big-league results have looked very different: in 132 plate appearances, he’s hit .177/.288/.301 with a 31.8% strikeout rate.
That gap has been there for a while, and Baseball America’s scouting report points to a clear reason. It describes him as having the Pedro Cerrano profile, with huge power but an inability to hit spin. In other words, pitchers can work around the fastball and let his swing miss against better breaking stuff, which big league arms are better equipped to do.
Rodríguez is also in his final option season, meaning he’ll be out of options next year. That may have helped fuel some of the movement around him already. Cleveland designated him for assignment in March, the Orioles traded for him, and then he went through the DFA-and-trade process again last month.
With the trade deadline now passed, he can’t be dealt again. Pittsburgh will have to put him on waivers, and another club could decide the minor league production is worth a look, especially with the ability to stash him in the minors for the rest of the season.
In Other News...
Pirates Make A Quiet Catching Move That Could Suddenly Matter
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Bethancourt had been at Triple-A this season after last appearing in the majors in 2024, so Pittsburgh is getting a player with recent pro experience and some familiarity with the grind of a long season. For the Pirates, the real question is how quickly this extra layer of depth might become relevant, because catching can turn from a background concern into an urgent one almost overnight. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Outfield Crunch Just Put A Productive Bat In Limbo
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Fletcher has done enough at Triple-A to keep himself in the conversation, but Pittsburghs outfield picture has left little obvious room for him to force his way onto the major league roster. For now, his strong work in the minors is stuck in limbo, with the next move now depending on whether another club sees an opening the Pirates could not provide. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Infield Shuffle Puts New Pressure On A Lineup Still Searching
The Pirates are tinkering again as they try to stabilize an infield that has been shaped by both injuries and uneven production. Oneil Cruz is back in the lineup and already helped by launching a two-run homer, but the bigger lineup story has been the way Pittsburgh is trying to slot everyone into place without losing more ground offensively. Spencer Horwitz is still holding down first base, while the left side of the diamond remains anchored by Jared Triolo and Jacob Gonzalez.
One of the quieter changes carries real weight for the lineups balance. Nick Gonzales is sliding to second base after spending most of the season at third, and Brandon Lowe is headed to designated hitter, another reminder that the Pirates are still searching for the best way to deploy their pieces. The arrangement gives the club a cleaner defensive look in the middle, but it also puts more pressure on the bats to justify a shuffle that is as much about finding answers as it is about filling holes. [Read more 🡒]