Pirates finalize Brandon Lowe trade by parting with 2 former top prospects

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ roster crunch finally claimed a couple of familiar — and once-intriguing — names.

In order to clear two spots on the 40-man roster following Wednesday morning’s three-team trade that brought Brandon Lowe, Mason Montgomery and Jake Mangum to Pittsburgh, the Pirates designated outfielder Marco Luciano and infielder Tsung-Che Cheng for assignment, as first reflected on the MLB.com transaction log.

It’s a move that says a lot about where the organization is right now — and where two former “what-ifs” now stand.

Luciano’s time in Pittsburgh barely lasted long enough to unpack. Once viewed as the shortstop of the future in San Francisco, the former Giants top prospect was claimed off waivers by the Pirates just two weeks ago –– a low-risk flyer on pedigree and upside. Luciano’s raw power has never been in question, but his bat stalled out in Triple-A and he failed to stick at the Major League level.

Luciano's alarmingly high strikeout rate, defensive questions and limited positional flexibility made it tough to see a long-term fit in Pittsburgh, especially with the Pirates already carrying several right-handed bats with similar offensive profiles. In the end, Luciano became exactly what the waiver claim suggested: a short-term gamble that didn’t survive the roster math.

Cheng’s DFA stings more for Pirates fans who have followed his development over the years. Signed out of Taiwan in 2019 and once ranked among the organization’s top-10 prospects, Cheng finally made his MLB debut with Pittsburgh in 2025 — but the results were underwhelming. He failed to get on base in just seven Major League at-bats before ultimately getting sent back to Triple-A Indianapolis after just three games.

While Cheng’s glove remained solid across second base, shortstop and third, the bat never caught up. His minor-league résumé told a similar story: high contact, limited impact and little margin for error offensively. As the Pirates continue to prioritize adding power and middle-of-the-order threats, a glove-first utility profile without offensive upside became increasingly expendable.

Tsung-Che Cheng, Marco Luciano DFAs reflect positive big-picture outlook for Pirates

If there’s a silver lining here, it’s that the Pirates are making decisions that reflect progress. Their 40-man roster spots are finally valuable again.

Two years ago, players like Luciano and Cheng might’ve stuck simply because the organization lacked depth. Now, after a headline-grabbing Lowe trade and continued roster turnover, the Pirates are choosing certainty and fit over name recognition or prospect nostalgia. That doesn’t mean these decisions were easy — or painless — but they’re necessary.

Luciano will likely draw interest elsewhere based on pedigree alone, while Cheng could resurface as a depth infielder with defensive versatility. For Pittsburgh, though, the message is clear: roster spots matter again, and that’s a sign of a franchise that’s finally trying to move forward instead of treading water.