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.

2. Edwin Uceta

Another player you probably don't remember the Pirates having in their system was Edwin Uceta. He was a Pirate for less than a week, lasting from April 2, 2023, when the Pirates claimed him off waivers from the Detroit Tigers, up through April 6, 2023, when the New York Mets claimed him off waivers from the Pirates. Up to this point in his career, Uceta was an up-and-down depth reliever, having pitched 37.1 innings in 2021 and 2022 with the LA Dodgers and Arizona D-Backs, allowing 26 earned runs, 19 walks, and five home runs.

Uceta's time with the Mets was also unremarkable. He appeared in just a single game in the big leagues for them before once again getting claimed off waivers, this time from the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 18. He'd last less than a month with the Cubs before they released him on Sept. 12, and it wouldn't be until Dec. 12 that the Tampa Bay Rays picked him up.

The Rays, known for their ability to take depth players like Uceta and turn them into quality MLB players, did just that. Last season, Uceta pitched 41.2 innings, working to a 1.51 ERA, 1.70 FIP, and 0.82 WHIP. The right-hander struck out 35.8% of his opponents with a walk rate of just 5%. He was also not prone to home runs or hard contact, with an 0.43 HR/9 ratio, 87.3 MPH exit velocity, and 4.3% barrel percentage. Uceta had just a 95 Stuff+ from 2021 through 2023, but that skyrocketed to 107 in 2024 with the Rays.

The Pirates are far from the only team wishing they gave Uceta a longer look. He was a part of five MLB organizations (including the Bucs) and four in the span of four months. None of those organizations gave him even 15 games to prove himself before he landed in Tampa Bay's lap (and lab). We'll see if Uceta can have another strong season in 2025, but I'm sure the D-Backs, Dodgers, Tigers, Pirates, Mets, and Cubs would like to have him in their bullpen.

1. Osvaldo Bido

Osvaldo Bido is likely the most recognizable name only because he is the most recent former Pirate on this list. Originally an international signee by the Pirates in 2017, Bido made his MLB debut in 2023, working to a 5.86 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP (but a 4.10 FIP) in 50.2 innings spent in a swingman role. Neither his 20.3% K%, nor his 8.9% walk rate, were anything to write home about, but he was great at limiting hard contact, with an 87.5 MPH exit velocity and 4.4% barrel percentage. This helped him put up a 0.71 HR/9.

Bido was never a top prospect in the Pirates system. Both Soriano and Uceta (who was the Dodgers' 25th-best prospect, per MLB Pipeline in 2020) appeared on a top 30 prospect list at least once. While Bido showed flashes of potential, with a respectable 101 Stuff+, he still had a poor 4.63 SIERA and 4.94 xFIP (113 xFIP-). The Pirates ultimately non-tendered Bido, but he would go on tosign a minor-league contract with the Oakland Athletics to revive his career.

Bido once again undertook a swingman role for the A's, pitching 60.2 innings but putting up a 3.41 ERA, 3.36 FIP, and 1.09 WHIP. The right-hander's walk rate rose to 10%, but he saw his K% also rise to 24.3%. His ability to limit hard contact also improved. Bido had a near-identical 4.3% barrel percentage in Oakland as he did with Pittsburgh, but opponents had a meager 85.6 MPH exit velocity against him. His sinker and changeup both gained horizontal movement, which helped his Stuff+ rise to 105.

Bido did not have great underlying numbers. He had a SIERA of just 4.23 and an identical 113 xFIP- (4.63). However, he did improve in the former stat by a fair margin and also saw an uptick in pitch quality. We'll see how he does in 2025. The A's will likely give Bido more innings to work with, given he earned the playing time after a solid performance last year. While he is still far from a guarantee to succeed, the Pirates could probably use him as a long reliever right about now.