2 Pirates who will be off the 40-man roster by the 2026 trade deadline

The Pittsburgh Pirates have already started trimming the fat from their roster ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Dennis Santana was designated for assignment Thursday to make room for newly acquired reliever Ron Marinaccio, and José Urquidy was jettisoned off the 40-man roster Friday when Pittsburgh selected the contract of Shawn Ross. They likely won't be the last players headed out.

The Pirates' 40-man roster is full, and that's an important detail for a team that should still be looking to add multiple pieces before the deadline. Every acquisition creates another roster decision, and there are a few players whose spots are becoming increasingly difficult to justify.

Here are two who may not survive the deadline.

2 Pirates likely to be squeezed off the 40-man roster by the 2026 trade deadline

Marcell Ozuna

Marcell Ozuna is the most recognizable name here, but probably also the most obvious.

The Pirates gave him a one-year, $12 million contract during the offseason because they desperately needed another impact bat. Instead, they've gotten a .623 OPS from a player who provides essentially no value outside the batter's box.

Pittsburgh has more offensive options now than it did when Ozuna signed. Ryan O'Hearn can receive DH at-bats. Spencer Horwitz will eventually return from the injured list. Esmerlyn Valdez has forced his way into the lineup. And if the Pirates acquire another hitter before the deadline, Ozuna's role becomes even harder to find.

Unfortunately, the Pirates seem dogged in their refusal to admit defeat on this one. Eating salary and moving on wouldn't be ideal, but neither is allowing the sunk cost to dictate playing time in a playoff race.

Brandan Bidois

Brandan Bidois represents exactly the type of player who often gets caught in a deadline roster crunch.

The 25-year-old right-hander has a 6.32 ERA and 1.98 WHIP in 15 major-league appearances this season, and there's an argument to be made that he was rushed to the big leagues before he was ready. But his Triple-A numbers haven't provided much reason for optimism, either: a 7.11 ERA and 1.84 WHIP across 19 innings. Over his last seven appearances, those numbers have ballooned to a 9.53 ERA and 3.18 WHIP.

Bidois does have intriguing stuff and was good enough in the minors previously to earn a 40-man spot last winter instead of being exposed in the Rule 5 Draft. But Pittsburgh's circumstances have changed.

The Pirates aren't protecting roster depth for some hypothetical future opportunity anymore. They're trying to win now. If another reliever arrives, Bidois is among the easiest pitchers to expose to waivers.

The Pirates are approaching the Aug. 3 deadline as buyers. If Ben Cherington does what he should and continues adding to this roster, some familiar names are going to disappear. Ozuna and Bidois look like two of the most vulnerable.

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