Pirates fan favorite's next landing spot after recent DFA is a major bummer

When the Pirates DFA’d Dauri Moreta in late November, Pittsburgh fans likely expected to be able to see the underdog reliever suiting up for another MLB team. Unfortunately, fans eager to follow Moreta’s career will need to be setting some early alarms, as the young reliever has signed with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan.

Moreta had gained a following among Pirates fans during his 2023 breakout season after being acquired in the Kevin Newman trade with Cincinnati. In his first year in Pittsburgh, he was among the best swing-and-miss pitchers in baseball. His baffling slider defied physics, and he became a key component on what seemed to be an up-and-coming bullpen. Then came Tommy John surgery.

Pirates fan favorite Dauri Moreta will attempt to revive his career in Japan.

Moreta missed all of the 2024 season and much of 2025, and when he returned, he wasn’t quite the same guy. The slider lost its horizontal bite, and his fastball dipped in velocity. In the small sample size of 18 games, he survived, but the underlying stats weren’t promising. For a Pirates team trying to build a legit contender, Moreta was too much of a question mark.

Moreta’s move to the NPB doesn’t have to be the death knell for his career. A cottage industry of relievers refining their stuff in Japan has sprung up in the last decade or so. Moreta’s former Reds teammate Nick Martinez is a prime example. He spent four seasons in the NPB before returning to the majors. The Hanshin Tigers, who are coming off an appearance in the Japan Series, helped launch Robert Suárez’s MLB career and revived Pierce Johnson’s.

Perhaps, with time, Moreta can rediscover the magic of his slider. Time is what the Tigers can offer him that the Pirates cannot. Even with the trade of Mike Burrows, Pittsburgh has a glut of pitchers, and there may be more bullpen help on the way. With prospects like Thomas Harrington, Jaden Woods, Brandan Bidois, and Hunter Barco in need of big-league innings, retaining Moreta is impossible. Now, he has a chance to make another improbable comeback overseas.