Pirates DFA fan favorite outfielder, option big names in latest roster shuffle

With Opening Day less than a week away, the Pirates' roster needed to dwindle down before the start of the regular season. Obviously, with the way the roster was constructed, a few young guys got the short end of the stick and were optioned down on Saturday (though that's perfectly normal).

The headline of all of Saturday's last-minute moves, though, was Joshua Palacios getting designated for assignment. The veteran had been competing with Jack Suwinski all spring for the fourth outfielder spot, but he was out of options and he struggled, which makes this move make sense. This spring, Palacios picked up four hits in 19 at-bats and struck out four times.

In response, right-hander Hunter Stratton's contract was selected, and he was added to the 40-man roster. Signed to a minor-league contract this offseason, the right-hander was coming off surgery on his leg and recovered well. He recently made his first outing of the spring, tossing a perfect inning and striking out two. Stratton has options to work with, so he could still be optioned.

The Pirates designated Joshua Palacios for assignment and selected Hunter Stratton, among cluster of roster moves.

Those two roster moves were predictable, but the options they made are tough to watch. First off is Nick Yorke getting sent down. He has impressed ever since being acquired from Boston, but is blocked off by Adam Frazier. Yorke did have his ups and downs this spring, but showed some strong tools, hitting two doubles and picking up five other hits.

Additionally, Billy Cook was optioned, another prospect added at the 2024 trade deadline. He was a solid option to try at first base, but it appears they may add DJ Stewart to fill in during Spencer Horwitz's absence instead. Cook picked up just four hits this spring (including a home run), so he didn't really earn himself a spot.

Lastly is Henry Davis, who lost the backup catching spot to Endy Rodriguez. This was the most expected option, given that Rodriguez has hit all spring and Davis had a lot to prove following the poor showing in 2024. Davis has historically thrived in Triple-A, so if he can find a groove there again, he will be up in Pittsburgh at some point, similarly to the other two.

There are definitely more moves to come, and this is just the start. Suwinski appears to have won the fourth outfielder spot, but Ji Hwan Bae still lurks. Along with that, Stewart also looks to have secured the first base job. There are still a few days to see what happens, but this is what the situation looks like following today's moves.