3 disappointing Pirates who should be on their last legs as youth movement takes hold

The Pittsburgh Pirates are doing something interesting. Amid injuries and some poor performances, they've shuffled in some of their top prospects, not with the intention of waving the white flag on the 2026 season, but instead with eyes on continuing to contend.

On the heels of No. 4 prospect Jhostynxon Garcia getting called up, No. 9 prospect Esmerlyn Valdez and fellow outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez joined him in Pittsburgh. Right now, it's been a balancing act to get both youngsters at-bats, but with Valdez's first big league hit going down as an oppo-taco homer, it's clear that finding a way to give them some run is worthwhile.

Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, Pittsburgh will have Ryan O'Hearn back in the fold. Once the slugging 1B/OF returns, even more pressure will be put on roster spots. At that point, it will make sense to move out some lower ceiling veterans in favor of the high-potential youngsters.

Marcell Ozuna should be the first victim of the Pirates' youth movement

Ben Cherington might promote Ozuna's value as a "vibes" guy, but when you're spending eight figures on a 35-year-old to clog the DH spot, you need a little more return on investment than just good feelings.

Cutting Ozuna is almost assuredly going to land the Pirates an offensive upgrade, as jettisoning him would free up considerable at-bats, but cutting ties also lands the club another advantage. Pittsburgh's outfield defense has been atrocious this season, and opening up DH would allow the club to rotate Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, and, eventually, O'Hearn through the open spot. It would also allow the athletic Garcia more opportunity to roam the grass.

This approach would simply kill two birds with one stone, even if it means swallowing some pride and eating a hefty chunk of change.

The Pirates may need to send Jake Mangum to Indianapolis

Jake Mangum was an intriguing part of the three-team trade that brought Brandon Lowe and Mason Montgomery with him to Pittsburgh. The 30-year-old outfielder seemed to provide two things that the club was sorely lacking: speed and defense.

Last year with the Tampa Bay Rays, Mangum showed off the kind of havoc his speed could create just by putting the ball in play, and then, once on base, how he could terrorize opposing pitchers and catchers. However, this season, he hasn't done that enough, and his limitations as a player stand out more in light of what Garcia and Valdez can provide with their more well-rounded potential.

Mangum still has options, so he can be sent to Indianapolis and be recalled down the line should the youngsters struggle, or another need arises, but right now, his complete lack of power and one-dimensional offensive game is too much for his glove to overcome. O'Hearn's return should be what triggers his demotion.

Jared Triolo's cratering bat means his time with the Pirates needs to come to an end

The Pirates like Jared Triolo. They like his versatility. They like his glove. They like his presence. All of those qualities have their merits. But anyone who tells you that they like Triolo's bat is lying.

There was a world where, if Triolo hit like he did last season, or maybe just a tick better, he could be a valuable player thanks to the defensive vulnerabilities that the Pirates have. Instead, his walk rate has cratered to 4.3%, down from 10.4% last year and 9.8% over his career, which proves he's lost in the batter's box and consistently swinging at junk. His 55 wRC+ through 23 games is the most egregious mark of his career.

If he could bring his bat within 10 points of league average and solidify the left side of the infield alongside Konnor Griffin every day, that would be one thing, but he hasn't been able to do that. Nick Gonzales, instead, has taken over the hot corner and performed admirably. Triolo might not have a direct impact on the call-ups of Garcia and Valdez, but he still hasn't done anything worthy of staving off a demotion.

The time has come to send Triolo down and figure out the super utility man role in a different way. Perhaps that answer could be Ronny Simon, whose offensive surge in Triple-A has folks wondering when he'll join Garcia and Valdez in Pittsburgh. That could be just the shot in the arm the bench gang needs.

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