Pirates finally make the move frustrated fans have begged for in latest DFA

After two seasons of diminishing returns and growing frustration in the stands at PNC Park, the Pittsburgh Pirates finally did what a large portion of the fanbase has been calling for and designated Jack Suwinski for assignment.

It’s not a flashy transaction. It’s not a headline-grabber nationally. But in Pittsburgh? It feels like a long-delayed acknowledgment of reality.

There was a time when Suwinski looked like a steal. He's a left-handed bat with legitimate power who hit 45 home runs across his first two seasons, showing flashes of a player who could change a game with one swing. Over the last two seasons, however, his contact completely disappeared.

During that span, Suwinski has posted a .169/.271/.297 slash line to pair with a nearly 30% strikeout rate. Every time he stepped up to the plate, you knew the at-bat was ending before it started.

Every rebuilding team talks about patience, development, and letting guys figure it out. But at some point, “potential” becomes a memory instead of a projection. And for a Pirates team that keeps preaching accountability and internal competition, Suwinski’s roster spot started to feel like a contradiction.

Suwinski's DFA comes as Pittsburgh clears a 40-man spot for Marcell Ozuna, who was already taking reps in camp. You can debate Ozuna’s fit. You can debate the optics. Fans certainly have.

But from a pure roster standpoint? The Pirates simply could not justify carrying Suwinski any longer, especially without minor-league options remaining.

Pirates finally pull the plug on Jack Suwinski to clear roster space for Marcell Ozuna

The Pirates wanted Suwinski to succeed, and goodness knows they gave him every opportunity to. They kept pointing to 2022 and 2023 as proof the breakout was coming back.

But baseball is brutal, and Pittsburgh can’t afford roster spots on nostalgia (just ask Andrew McCutchen). With younger, more dynamic options pushing through the system — and with a front office insisting this team is ready to take a step forward — the leash had to end somewhere.

At 27, Suwinski will likely draw waiver interest. Power still plays. Someone will convince themselves they can fix the swing-and-miss. And maybe they will.

But for the Pirates, this move signals something bigger than one DFA. It signals that production matters. It signals that past flashes don’t guarantee future patience. It signals that the organization — at least in this instance — listened to what fans have been shouting for two years.

In the grand scheme of things, it's a small move. But for a fanbase starving for signs of urgency, it feels like a big one.