Pirates add 4 players to 40-man roster to protect from Rule 5 Draft, cut Michael Perez
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The Pittsburgh Pirates opted to add a top-five infield prospect and three top-30 outfielders to their 40-man roster before Friday’s 6 p.m. deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 Draft.
The Pirates selected shortstop Liover Peguero and outfielders Canaan Smith-Njigba, Jack Suwinski and Travis Swaggerty. To clear roster space, they designated backup catcher Michael Perez for assignment.
“We feel really good about the progress that the four players we added have made, feel like they were at a point where the right decision was to add them,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said. “Then there were also other players we did not add who we really like and believe can be good major-league players and will be good major-league players. But there are 40 spots. We’re balancing a lot of things.”
Peguero, 20, is ranked the Pirates’ No. 5 prospect by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline and batted .270 with a .776 OPS, 19 doubles, 14 home runs and 45 RBIs at High-A Greensboro.
Swaggerty, 24, was the Pirates’ first-round pick in 2018 and played 12 games at Triple-A Indianapolis before undergoing season-ending surgery on his right (non-throwing) shoulder in June.
Smith-Njigba, 22, was acquired from the New York Yankees in the Jameson Taillon trade last January and had a .274/.398/.406 slash line at Double-A Altoona before being promoted to Indianapolis in late September. He is ranked their No. 27 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
Suwinski, 23, was acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Adam Frazier trade in July. He slashed .252/.359/.391 with nine doubles, four home runs and 21 RBIs at Altoona. MLB Pipeline ranks Suwinski the Pirates’ No. 29 prospect.
The most prominent prospect the Pirates left unprotected is 22-year-old first baseman Mason Martin. Their Minor League Player of the Year in 2019 and No. 17 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Martin hit 22 home runs this past season at Double-A Altoona and three at Triple-A Indianapolis but batted only .241.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is outfielder Cal Mitchell was left available. A 2017 second-round pick who is ranked their No. 18 prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 20 by Baseball America, the 22-year-old Mitchell batted .280 with 19 doubles, 12 homers and 61 RBIs at Altoona this past season.
The Pirates also left several top-30 pitching prospects unprotected, though right-handers Tahnaj Thomas and Eddy Yean and lefty Omar Cruz all pitched at Single-A level this past season and aren’t considered major-league ready. Players selected in the Rule 5 Draft must spend the season on the major league roster or be returned to their original team. Cody Bolton, a former top-10 prospect now ranked No. 15 by Baseball America, missed most of the season after undergoing right knee surgery in May.
“In terms of anyone who was not added, it’s really not about something in a player that we don’t see or don’t like,” Cherington said. “It’s just that we can only add so many guys, and we have to make some decisions and bets on what’s the best way to keep as much talent in the organization as possible. It’s not good. Of course, it’s not just the Rule 5 eligibles we’re trying to keep in the organization, but other guys that are already on the roster, too.”
Players are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft if they were signed at age 18 or younger and have played professionally for five seasons or more, or if they were signed at 19 or older and played professionally for four seasons or more. The Rule 5 Draft will be Dec. 8 at the winter meetings in Orlando, Fla.
Cutting ties with Perez leaves the Pirates short on catchers behind Gold Glove winner Jacob Stallings. Earlier this week, the Pirates reduced their roster to 37 players by releasing right-handed pitcher Tanner Anderson, catcher Taylor Davis and infielder/outfielder Phillip Evans. They also released Double-A catcher Arden Pabst, and Christian Bethancourt and Andrew Susac elected free agency.
“Ultimately felt like designating Michael was the right choice for us,” Cherington said. “Wouldn’t necessarily mean that we wouldn’t have interest in him being part of what we’re doing with the Pirates next year. He did some good things this past season. Certainly there’s plenty of time between now and spring training to figure out what the rest of our catching mix looks like.”