Photo provided by Matt Lynch
This is one in a series breaking down players on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster.
Last offseason, the Pirates swung a trade with the Boston Red Sox to land infielder Enmanuel Valdez from the Boston Red Sox for minor-league pitcher Joe Vogatsky.
Prior to the trade, Valdez totaled 125 games with the Red Sox in which he slashed .235/.286/.400 with 20 doubles, 12 home runs and 47 RBI.
Despite the limited success, Valdez had a solid track record in the minor leagues and showed plenty of power despite a 5-foot-9, 190-pound frame. In 594 games in the minor leagues across parts of eight seasons, Valdez had 250 extra-base hits including 100 home runs. 38 of those home runs came with Triple-A, and he had a .473 career slugging percentage with Boston’s top minor-league affiliate.
Valdez didn’t break camp as part of the Pirates’ active roster but quickly joined the big-league club after Opening Day when Nick Gonzales landed on the injured list with a fractured ankle.
The 26-year-old (27 later this month) quickly carved out a regular role as the Pirates’ starting first baseman. He appeared in 31 games over the next several weeks and slashed .209/.294/.363 with four doubles, two triples, two home runs and 12 RBI.
But Valdez’s season was cut after requiring surgery on a dislocated left shoulder in May.
Valdez will enter the 2026 season in a different situation. Spencer Horwitz, who was out with an injury while Valdez got the bulk of his playing time, has taken the reigns as the starting first baseman and emerged as the Pirates’ top hitter last season.
But while Valdez played primarily first base for Pittsburgh before he got hurt, the majority of his career has been spent at second base. Given the current roster construction, Valdez could find himself in competition for the starting second base job or a spot on the bench when the Pirates break camp to start the regular season.
If he does not land a spot on the 26-man roster at the start of the season, Valdez has a minor-league option remaining and can be stashed away at Triple-A Indianapolis as a depth option.
Mentioned in this article: Enmanuel Valdez Pittsburgh Pirates
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