Don’t expect to see this Pittsburgh Pirates prospect on the team by next year

One of the Pittsburgh Pirates' top draft picks from 2022 entered the 2025 season as one of their best prospects. Thomas Harrington was ranked as a top 100 prospect by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. However, after struggling badly this season, it seems likely he'll no longer be in the organization that drafted him by the start of next spring training.

Harrington pitched 96 innings at Triple-A Indianapolis this season, working to a 5.34 ERA, 5.55 FIP, and 1.31 WHIP. His 8% walk rate is about the only number in his portfolio that isn't poor. Harrington struck out 21.7% of opponents with a whiff rate of only 23.1%. He was hit hard and prone to long balls as well. His opponent exit velocity came in at 90.5 MPH with an 8% barrel rate, leading to a 1.88 HR/9 ratio.

The Pirates haven't done him any favors in the Major Leagues, either. He was called up in the first week of the season to make a start in the second series of the year. Then, after struggling in that start, he made an appearance out of the bullpen. The Pirates sent him back down to Triple-A, but have recalled him just once. That one time was to face the Colorado Rockies in Coors Field, and it went about as well as you'd expect from a pitcher who was not prepared to pitch in Coors Field.

At least Harrington hasn't pitched much in the Major Leagues yet. He still hasn't even reached nine innings of work, with 8.2 frames under his belt. It has been a poor first impression, though, as he's allowed 15 earned runs on 18 hits, including three home runs, along with seven Ks. His FanGraphs Stuff+ doesn't make his profile any better, coming in at just 93.

Pirates' Thomas Harrington could be moved this offseason after a poor 2025.

Simply put, the Pirates don't have space for him on their 26-man roster. The starting rotation is filled, with Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Johan Oviedo, Braxton Ashcraft, and Bubba Chandler likely filling out the unit. Moving Harrington to a multi-inning long relief role also doesn't give him a direct shot at playing time. Both Mike Burrows and Carmen Mlodzinski have done more than enough to earn a Major League roster spot next season. This isn't even factoring in Jared Jones, who should be back in action by midseason.

It's not as if the Pirates can wait another year for Harrington to develop, either. 2025 first-round draft pick Seth Hernandez could easily fly through the minor leagues like Konnor Griffin did this year. Both were similarly uber-talented high school draft picks. Hunter Barco performed better at Triple-A and was recently called up for his Major League debut. The Pirates still have Rule 5-eligible starting pitchers they'll need to add to the 40-man roster, namely Antwone Kelly and Wilber Dotel.

The Pirates have a few routes they can take. The first is that they can keep him around for 2026. They could send him to Triple-A and call him up when needed, or use him out of the bullpen as a multi-inning arm, alongside Burrows and Mlodzinski. After all, you can never have enough pitching.

The other option is to trade him as a change-of-scenery candidate. His value is definitely down, but he isn't the only prospect to see their value take a dip in 2025. The Pirates can flip him for a young player who needs a new team. The third option is to include him in a larger package. The Pirates need to make a move this year for a real bat. Another team would definitely like him as the second or third piece in a larger trade. Unfortunately, he no longer qualifies as a headliner.

The Pirates need to make a move this offseason, and trading Harrington seems more than just likely. He may not net something significant on his own, but the Pirates can use him in a larger deal to get something worthwhile. With the sort of pitching depth the Pirates have, Thomas Harrington seems like the odd man out, given his struggles and his relatively low ceiling.