Pirates claim OF Ryan Vilade from Rockies, filling out 40-man roster
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Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington filled the final spot on the 40-man roster on the eve of the start of free agency by claiming outfielder Ryan Vilade off waivers Wednesday from the Colorado Rockies.
A converted infielder, the 6-foot-2, 226-pound Vilade was a second-round pick (No. 48 overall) by the Rockies in 2017 who was ranked their No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline in 2021.
Vilade, 23, slashed .284/.339/.410 with 28 doubles, five triples, seven homers and 44 RBIs in 117 games at Triple-A Albuquerque in 2021. He made his MLB debut for the Rockies in September 2021 but was 0 for 6 with one walk and one strikeout in seven plate appearances in three games. He played in the Arizona Fall League and was selected for the Fall Stars Game.
But Vilade never flashed the power potential that was expected by the Rockies. Instead, he returned to Albuquerque and slashed .249/.345/352 with 15 doubles, four triples, five home runs and 38 RBIs in 99 games in his second season at Triple-A.
The son of former University of Dallas and University of Texas-Tyler coach James Vilade, now a scout with the Miami Marlins, Ryan Vilade started his career as a shortstop before switching to third base. He shifted to the outfield and played primarily in left field, though he could be a candidate to play first base.
The addition of Vilade puts the Pirates’ 40-man roster at 40, although they have five players who finished the season on the 60-day injured list: right-handed pitchers Blake Cederlind, Yerry De Los Santos, Colin Holderman and Max Kranick and outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba.