Pirates claim rookie reliever off waivers from Rockies with unfortunate red flag

While we wait for the World Series to conclude to see what the Pirates have in store through free agency, they are still active on the waiver front. They just claimed right-handed pitcher Dugan Darnell off of waivers from the Rockies.

At first glance, Rockies? DFA? What could Pittsburgh possibily take from Colorado? And if he were decent, why would the Rockies want to get rid of him? Darnell actually found success in his short rookie season, posting a 3.86 ERA across 11.2 innings, but it ended early due to a season-ending hip surgery.

He tore the labrum in his hip, resulting in surgery last September. The timeline appears to have him back on the mound in June of 2026. For a 28-year-old rookie that found some positives on the mound, that'll hurt a lot, resulting in the Rockies moving on rather than continuing to use a roster spot on him during his rehab.

Nonetheless, the Pirates saw him and scooped him up. They quickly put him on the 60-day injured list, so he will not take a 40-man spot.

Pirates claim Dugan Darnell off waivers from Rockies and place him on the injured list.

Pitchers always struggle in Colorado, so maybe the Pirates and new pitching coach Bill Murphy can unlock him when he is healthy. Last spring, the Pirates claimed Justin Lawrence off waivers from the Rockies and, when healthy, he posted an 0.51 ERA. Getting Darnell out of that ballpark may help them find another diamond in the rough.

Their bullpen is full of those guys, too, with Lawrence, Dennis Santana, and Isaac Mattson. It can never hurt to take chances on these guys in the bullpen. Finding cheap relievers and turning them into arms that can handle high-leverage situations is great for a team like Pittsburgh. They have done well with that pursuit in the past, and they have another opportunity to do it again ... late next summer.

While this isn't the big bat fans are expecting, it is still a move worth noting. Darnell was in a poor situation with Colorado, and now gets the chance to rebound in the Pirates' pitching lab. We'll get to see what he has to offer next summer.