The Pittsburgh Pirates opted to protect outfielder/first baseman Esmerlyn Valdez (No. 15 on MLB Pipeline’s list of the top Pirates prospects), infielder Jack Brannigan (No. 21), left-hander Tyler Samaniego and right-handers Wilber Dotel (No. 28), Antwone Kelly and Brandan Bidois from the Rule 5 draft.
To make room on the roster, right-handers Dauri Moreta and Colin Holderman, utilityman Ronny Simon and outfielder Alexander Canario have been designated for assignment. Infielder Cam Devanney, acquired from Kansas City in the Adam Frazier trade, was released and will play for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Hanshin Tigers.
kAm’2=56K H2D @?6 @7 E96 E@A 9:EE6CD 😕 E96 !:C2E6D’ 72C> DJDE6> E9:D J62C[ 9:EE:?8 ]age H:E9 2 ]bfe @?\32D6 A6C46?E286 2?5 ]da_ D=F88:?8 A6C46?E286 E@ 8@ H:E9 ae 9@>6 CF?D 2?5 ad 5@F3=6D 36EH66? w:89\p vC66?D3@C@ 2?5 s@F3=6\p p=E@@?2] %96 a`\J62C\@=5 D=F886C H2D ?2>65 E96 @C82?:K2E:@?’D (:==:6 $E2C86== >:?@C =628F6 D=F886C @7 E96 J62C[ 2?5 H2D ?2>65 2D pC:K@?2 u2== {628F6VD @776?D:G6 A=2J6C @7 E96 J62C]k^Am
kAmqC2??:82?[ ac[ H2D =:>:E65 E@ ;FDE dh 82>6D 27E6C DF776C:?8 2 C:89E D9@F=56C :?;FCJ 😕 yF?6] w6 F?56CH6?E DFC86CJ E@ C6A2:C 2 E@C? =23CF> 😕 yF=J[ 4FEE:?8 E96 a_aa E9:C5\C@F?5 A:4<’D D62D@? D9@CE] %96 }@EC6 s2>6 AC@5F4E 92D 9:E ca 9@>6 CF?D H:E9 cd DE@=6? 32D6D @G6C aab >:?@C =628F6 82>6D E96 A2DE E9C66 J62CD]k^Am
kAmz6==J[ aa[ C@D6 7C@> vC66?D3@C@ E@ p=E@@?2 H9:=6 A@DE:?8 2 b]_a t#p 2?5 “e DEC:<6@FED @G6C `_f `^b :??:?8D] %96 pCF32 AC@5F4E 2=D@ D2H 2? FAE:4< 😕 G6=@4:EJ 27E6C H@C<:?8 2E !:EED3FC89VD 32D632== 724:=:E:6D 😕 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 E9:D A2DE @77D62D@?[ E@F49:?8 EC:A=6 5:8:ED 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 😕 9:D 42C66C] k^Am
kAms@E6=[ ab[ 2=D@ 6?;@J65 2 3C62<@FE 42>A2:8? H:E9 p=E@@?2] w6 25565 2 DA=:EE6C 2?5 2 4FEE6C E@ 9:D C6A6CE@:C6 E92E A2:C65 H6== H:E9 9:D >:5\h_D 72DE32== 2?5 962GJ D=:56C[ C6DF=E:?8 😕 9:> 8@:?8 f\h H:E9 2 c]`d t#p 2?5 `b` DEC:<6@FED @G6C `ad a^b :??:?8D]k^Am
kAmq:5@:D[ ac[ H2D E96 @C82?:K2E:@?’D z6?E %6:?@C =628F6 C6=:6G6C @7 E96 J62C 27E6C C64@C5:?8 2 _]fc t#p H9:=6 C:D:?8 7C@> {@H\p qC256?E@? E@ %C:A=6\p x?5:2?2A@=:D] w6 DECF4< @FE eh @G6C e` :??:?8D[ AC:>2C:=J =62?:?8 @? 2 >:5\h_D 72DE32== 2?5 2 9:89\DA:? D=:56C] w6 2=D@ H:== >:I 😕 2 492?86FA 2?5 4FCG632==]k^Am
kAm$2>2?:68@[ ae[ 2AA62C65 E@ 36 @? 2 >2;@C =628F6 EC2;64E@CJ 2 76H J62CD 28@ 367@C6 :?;FC:6D 2?5 2 5@H? J62C 😕 a_ab AC6D6?E65 @3DE24=6D] w6 925 2 ?:46 3@F?46324< H:E9 p=E@@?2 😕 E96 D64@?5 92=7 @7 E96 a_ad D62D@?[ DEC:<:?8 @FE b_ @G6C ae `^b :??:?8D H:E9 2 b]_g t#p] k^Am
kAm%96 !:C2E6D H:== 36 9:C:?8 zC:DE@A96C }68C@? 2D E96:C ?6H 36?49 4@249 2?5 %@?J q62D=6J 2D E96 E9:C5 32D6 4@249] }68C@? 92D 366? @? E96 $62EE=6 |2C:?6CD’ 4@249:?8 DE277 7@C E96 A2DE 7@FC D62D@?D[ H9:=6 q62D=6J C6EFC?D E@ E96 !:C2E6D @C82?:K2E:@? 27E6C DA6?5:?8 @G6C 2 564256 H:E9 E96 #2?86CD]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 4@?4=F5:?8 9:D D:I\J62C |{q A=2J:?8 42C66C[ }68C@? E@@< @? 2? 2DD:DE2?E C@=6 😕 $62EE=6’D A=2J6C 56G6=@A>6?E 56A2CE>6?E 😕 a_a_ 2?5 E96? H2D E96 >2?286C 2E %C:A=6\p %24@>2 😕 a_a`] w6 H2D E96? AC@>@E65 E@ E96 3:8 =628F6 DE277 2D E96 7:CDE 32D6 4@249 367@C6 24E:?8 2D E96 |2C:?6CD’ E9:C5 32D6 4@249 😕 a_ad]k^Am
kAmz6==J H2D !:EED3FC89’D 36?49 4@249 9:>D6=7 H96? 96 H2D AC@>@E65 E@ E96 >2?286C’D ;@3 😕 |2J H96? s6C6< $96=E@? H2D 7:C65[ 2?5 E9@F89 v6?6 {2>@?E 6DD6?E:2==J 7:==65 E96 36?49 4@249 C@=6 😕 2 42A24:EJ 2D 2? 25G:D@C E@ z6==J[ E96 A@D:E:@? H2D?’E @77:4:2==J 7:==65 F?E:= ?@H]k^Am
kAmq62D=6J 😀 2 72>:=:2C 7246 😕 !:EED3FC89[ 92G:?8 DA6?E D:I D62D@?D H:E9 E96 !:C2E6D 2D 2 >:?@C =628F6 A=2J6C 2?5 E96? D6G6C2= D62D@?D 2D 2 >2?286C WH:E9 E96 p=E@@?2 rFCG6X[ 4@249[ 2?5 :?DECF4E@C 2E 3@E9 E96 >:?@C 2?5 >2;@C =628F6 =6G6=D] q62D=6J’D AC6G:@FD DE:?E @? !:EED3FC89’D |{q DE277 42>6 😕 a__g\`_[ H96? 96 H2D E96 4=F3’D E9:C5 32D6 4@249]k^Am
kAm~?46 E92E DE:?E 6?565[ q62D=6J >@G65 @? E@ 7@FC J62CD 😕 E96 (2D9:?8E@? }2E:@?2=D’ 72C> DJDE6> 2D 2 >2?286C 2?5 :?DECF4E@C 367@C6 96 ;@:?65 E96 #2?86CD 2D E96:C E9:C5 32D6 4@249 AC:@C E@ E96 a_`d D62D@?] q62D=6J’D E:>6 😕 %6I2D :?4=F565 2 (@C=5 $6C:6D C:?8 H:E9 E96 a_ab E62> 2?5 2 cg\82>6 DE:?E 2D :?E6C:> >2?286C 😕 a_aa 27E6C r9C:D (@@5H2C5 H2D 7:C65]k^Am
kAm%96 !:C2E6D 9:C65 7@C>6C w@FDE@? pDEC@D 4@\A:E49:?8 4@249 q:== |FCA9J 2D A:E49:?8 4@249] !:EED3FC89 925 2 G242?4J 27E6C 7@C>6C A:E49:?8 4@249 ~D42C |2C:? 5:5 ?@E 92G6 9:D 4@?EC24E C6?6H65] pDD:DE2?E A:E49:?8 4@249 qC6?E $EC@> 😀 2=D@ ?@E C6EFC?:?8 E@ E96 E62>] |2C:? H2D 9:C65 2D r:?4:??2E:VD 3F==A6? 4@249]k^Am
kAm|FCA9J 92D 366? 2 4@249 😕 w@FDE@?’D @C82?:K2E:@? D:?46 a_`e] w6 H2D 7:CDE 9:C65 2D 2 A:E49:?8 4@249 7@C #@@<:6\=6G6= vC66?6G:==6] |FCA9J >@G65 FA E@ {@H\p %C:\r:EJ 😕 a_`f[ E96? E@ s@F3=6\p r@CAFD r9C:DE: E96 7@==@H:?8 D62D@?] w6 3642>6 2? 2DD:DE2?E A:E49:?8 4@249 H:E9 E96 3:8 =628F6 4=F3 😕 a_a`[ 4@:?4:56?E2==J H@C<:?8 F?56C?62E9 $EC@> WE96? w@FDE@?’D A:E49:?8 4@249X 😕 9:D 7:CDE D62D@?] $EC@> DE6AA65 5@H? 2E E96 6?5 @7 E92E J62C[ D@ w@FDE@? 6=6G2E65 |FCA9J 2?5 y@D9 |:==6C E@ 4@\A:E49:?8 4@249 A@D:E:@?D]k^Am
kAmw@FDE@?’D A:E49:?8 DE277 925?’E >:DD65 2 362E 27E6C $EC@>’D 56A2CEFC6] %96J =625 |{q H:E9 2 b]e` 62C?65 CF? 2G6C286 @G6C E96 A2DE 7@FC D62D@?D] ~?=J E96 pE=2?E2 qC2G6D 92G6 2 9:896C DEC:<6@FE C2E6 @G6C E92E DEC6E49] %96J 5C@AA65 E@ “E9 😕 t#p E9:D J62C[ 3FE =65 |{q H:E9 2 ac]hT DEC:<6@FE A6C46?E286] }@ E62> 8@E >@C6 DH:?8:?8 DEC:<6D]k^Am