The Pittsburgh Pirates have designated outfielder Jack Suwinski for assignment to make room for Marcell Ozuna on the 40-man roster. Once the Ozuna signing became official, a corresponding move was necessary. Robert Murray of FanSided was the first to break the news. The Pirates have since officially announced the move.

Sources: The Pirates are designating Jack Suwinski for assignment.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) February 16, 2026

Pirates Designate Jack Suwinski for Assignment

The Pirates acquired the left-handed-hitting Suwinski in a 2021 trade deadline deal that sent Adam Frazier to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Suwinski, Tucupita Marcano, and Michell Miliano. Suwinski made the Pirates team out of spring training in 2022, making a surprising jump from Double-A. He showed promise, hitting .202/.298/.411, 19 HR, and 38 RBI that season. In 2023, he led the team in home runs with 26, while hitting .224/.339/.454 with 74 RBI. However, he fell on hard times after that. Across 2024 and 2025, he hit .169/.271/.297, 12 HR, and 36 RBI in 147 games, striking out 136 times, with several trips to the minors in between.

Suwinski became arbitration-eligible in 2026, and in November, the Pirates signed him to a $1.25 million contract. At the time, this writer believed he was signed merely as insurance in case general manager Ben Cherington came up short in his search for a power hitter this offseason. It was a low-risk move, as the deal wasn’t for much more than the major league minimum. Once Cherington landed several hitters this offseason, Suwinski faced long odds to make the team.

The move puts Suwinski in a seven-day limbo during which the Pirates can try to trade him or place him on release waivers. A team that claims him must add him to its 40-man roster. If he clears waivers, he can be released or assigned to one of the Pirates’ minor league clubs. As Suwinski has accrued just 2.17 years of major league service time, he’d be unable to reject such an assignment. If he is indeed lost on a waiver claim, that closes on the books on the Frazier trade. Miliano is no longer part of the Pirates organization, and Marcano is no longer part of baseball.

The Last Word

A former major leaguer told me in a private conversation that Suwinski can still be a good hitter with a change of scenery. Given that Suwinski is just 27 years old and not expensive, the guess here is that another team will take a low-risk chance on him.

Mandatory Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports