One Pirates roster decision seemed especially disrespectful before 40-man deadline

The deadline to finalize 40-man rosters came to a close on Nov. 18, and, as expected, the Pittsburgh Pirates made plenty of roster moves leading up to the deadline. They added prospects Esmerlyn Valdez, Antwone Kelly, Wilber Dotel, Jack Brannigan, Tyler Samaniego, and Brandan Bidois to the roster. To make room, they DFA’d players that not many fans are going to miss, including Alexander Canario, Ronny Simon, and Colin Holderman. However, one choice that should have fans up in arms was Pittsburgh DFA’ing Dauri Moreta.

The obvious reason they're upset by his departure is that Moreta is a solid reliever. After the Pirates acquired him in the 2022-2023 offseason trade with the Cincinnati Reds for Kevin Newman, the right-hander went on to post a 3.72 ERA, 2.93 FIP, and 1.09 WHIP over 58 innings of work. Moreta got strikeouts at an outstanding 31.8% rate and did well at limiting home runs. He held batters to an 86.7 MPH exit velocity, 8.1% barrel percentage, and 0.61 HR/9 ratio. His 10% walk rate wasn’t great, but it was about the only thing to criticize about his 2023 breakout.

Moreta was projected to play a significant role in the Pirates’ bullpen in 2024, but Tommy John surgery in March ended his season before it even began. While he was able to return to the major leagues in 2025, he ended up pitching only 16.2 innings, but it was a promising return after missing an entire year. He only allowed six earned runs, while inducing 19 Ks and piling up a 32.1% whiff rate. Moreta allowed two home runs and seven walks, but for a pitcher who had such major arm surgery and only pitched a limited amount in MLB, it was a big step in the right direction.

Pirates' Dauri Moreta DFA is questionable at best...

The Pirates needed the added bullpen depth that Moreta's return provided after waiting out his entire rehab. They traded All-Star closer David Bednar at the deadline, which left a gaping hole in the depth chart. Even though Isaac Mattson and Dennis Santana stepped up as the setup man and closer down the line, the Pirates still could use the added innings Moreta could have given them in 2026. Bednar is one of only 12 relievers with at least 300 innings pitched since the start of the 2021 season. In terms of volume alone, that’s a lot to lose.

When Moreta is at 100%, he has some nasty stuff. In 2023, he had a Stuff+ of 105. His slider stood out for its arm-side movement rather than glove-side. That caused him to induce a whiff 40.8% of the time. Only 34 pitchers in 2023 threw a slider at least 300 times and had a whiff rate of at least 40% on the pitch. While his four-seam fastball did not induce good results, it had solid velocity and above-average movement.

It’s not as if Moreta was the last reliever on the 40-man roster, either. The Pirates have plenty of relievers who are still in DFA limbo, and should have been considered long before Moreta was. Cam Sanders, Yohan Ramirez, Evan Sisk, and Chase Shugart all survived the roster crunch. If the choice came down to Moreta, or any of Harbin, Bidois, or Samaniego, the Pirates should have chosen Moreta.

Choosing to DFA Moreta over any of the bottom-rung relievers currently on the roster, choosing Moreta over an unproven relief prospect (who may not even get taken in the Rule 5 draft), and doing it when the Pirates need bullpen depth is yet another predictably questionable roster move by Ben Cherington. Even if Moreta passes through waivers, it’s highly disrespectful for Cherington to choose to subtract a reliever who could be integral to the Pirates’ bullpen in 2026.