Pittsburgh Pirates News: Infield Prospect Released

The Pittsburgh Pirates have released infield prospect Robbie Glendinning

The Pittsburgh Pirates have released infield prospect Robbie Glendinning.

Although Glendinning has faced hurdle after hurdle the last few years, it was still a bit of a surpriser to see the Pittsburgh Pirates release the Australian infielder.

Glendinning was trending upward after a strong 2019 season. Glendinning hit .297/.368/.488 with a .388 wOBA, and 152 wRC+ through 391 plate appearances. While he was a 26th round pick, Glendinning had reached Double-A that season. Most of the damage he did was at Bradenton, but he still had a solid .737 OPS, .336 wOBA, and 118 wRC+.

Although the infielder had a solid 9.7% walk rate, he also struck out 29.8% of the time. It also didn’t help that he had so-so batted ball rates. Glendinning only had a 16.5% line drive rate and 45.5% fly ball rate. However, these would prove to be small challenges for Glendinning.

Glendinning didn’t play any games in 2020 because of COVID-19 canceling the minor league season. Last February, he then underwent Tommy John surgery, eliminating him from the 2021 season.

Not only did Glendinning suffer a significant injury, but he’s been pushed back in terms of organizational depth. Over the past year, the Pirates have added a ton of middle infielders to the organization, including but not limited to Hoy Park, Diego Castillo, Jackson Glenn, Mike Jarvis, and Tucupita Marcano. Not to mention Jared Triolo’s breakout or Liover Peguero’s ascension up rankings have made things even harder for Glendinning.

A combination of abysmal timing and a massive influx of infielders led to Robbie Glendinning’s release. It’s an understandable transaction for the Pirates. Glendinning was never a high-end prospect and was made expendable with the new additions made to the organization. He’ll now get a shot with the Kansas City Royals.