3 forgotten players the Pirates wish they hadn’t let go

Unfortunately, the Pittsburgh Pirates have let many players slip through the cracks in recent seasons. Some - like Tyler Glasnow, Clay Holmes, and Charlie Morton - have gone on to become All-Stars after unimpressive tenures in the big leagues for the Pirates. They represent some of the biggest names the Pirates let go.

Some players who've left us harboring recent regrets didn't have any sort of memorable tenure in Pittsburgh. In some cases, minor-league depth players the Pirates let go have ended up becoming decent MLB players for other teams (and the best may be yet to come for a few of these guys).

If the Pirates could go back and keep these players, they probably would.

3 players whose Pirates tenures have been forgotten (but who've been secretly missed)

3. Jose Soriano

You'd be forgiven if you don't remember Jose Soriano's tenure in the Pirates' organization. The Pirates drafted the right-hander in the 2020-2021 Rule 5 draft. Soriano was a top 15 prospect in the LA Angels' system in 2020, but had undergone Tommy John surgery in February of that year. He appeared in just two games for Bradenton before undergoing a second Tommy John procedure in June, eliminating him for the rest of the year, along with most of 2022.

At that point, the Pirates decided Soriano wasn't worth the 40-man roster spot. After all, he had now undergone two Tommy John surgeries in less than two years. They ended up returning him back to the Angels in November. The right-hander would barely pitch in 2022, only accumulating 17.2 innings while still recovering from the second procedure.

But, against the odds, Soriano proved to be a solid reliever for the Angels in his '23 rookie season, pitching to a 3.64 ERA, 3.97 FIP, and 1.33 WHIP across 42 innings. The hard-throwing right-hander had a strikeout rate of just over 30% at 30.3%, while carrying an 0.86 HR/9 rate. He did struggle to limit walks, with a 12.4% free pass percentage, but overall, it was a good first impression for Soriano upon his first extended look in the Major Leagues.

The Angels then made the bold decision to move Soriano back into the rotation, and it worked out well for them in 2024. Soriano pitched 113 innings, making 20 starts in 22 games, and working to a 3.42 ERA, 3.80 FIP, and 1.20 WHIP. While his strikeout rate dipped by about 10% to 20.7%, his walk rate moved in the right direction to 9.4%, as did his HR/9 to 0.64. Unlike many relievers moving to the rotation, Soriao gained velocity, sitting 98.6 MPH in 2023 and rising to 99.1 MPH last season as he got another year further away from his elbow surgery.

While the Pirates probably would have liked to have Soriano at the back of their rotation right now, it was also an understandable decision not to keep him. Two major elbow surgeries in less than two years is very concerning, and he went three seasons without reaching at least 20 innings. We know why they moved on, but it still stings that he's breaking out now in Anaheim.