Pirates' first offseason waiver addition from Brewers comes with one major red flag

The Pittsburgh Pirates have made their first offseason addition to the 40-man roster, but their newest acquisition comes with a familiar offensive concern — and a roster complication that could make his stay in Pittsburgh surprisingly short.

The Pirates claimed outfielder Akil Baddoo off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, adding the 28-year-old to their 40-man roster without needing a corresponding move. Baddoo hasn't appeared in a major league game since 2025, but he put together a respectable season at Triple-A Nashville in 2026.

After missing the beginning of the season with a left quad strain, Baddoo appeared in 64 games for Nashville, hitting .252/.342/.469 with 11 home runs, seven stolen bases and a 113 wRC+. He also posted an encouraging 12.2% walk rate while seeing time at all three outfield positions.

On the surface, it's a reasonable low-risk addition for a Pirates team looking to improve its organizational depth. But a closer look at Baddoo's offensive production reveals a potentially troubling fit.

Akil Baddoo's offensive splits highlight a familiar Pirates problem

The Pirates finished 2026 with one of baseball's worst offenses against left-handed starting pitchers, going 18-33 in those matchups while batting just .229 with a .300 on-base percentage and .359 slugging percentage. All three figures ranked last in Major League Baseball, as did their 3.82 runs per game.

Unfortunately, Baddoo doesn't appear particularly well-equipped to address that weakness. In 2026, he batted .292/.387/.552 with a .939 OPS against right-handed pitchers. Against lefties, however, those numbers plummeted to .138/.231/.259 with a .490 OPS.

Granted, the latter numbers came in just 67 plate appearances, hardly enough to make definitive judgments about his abilities. Still, the disparity is difficult to ignore, particularly given Pittsburgh's existing struggles against southpaws.

Baddoo's offensive profile suggests he could provide value in favorable matchups, but it also raises questions about whether Pittsburgh is adding another player with the same limitations that plagued its lineup throughout 2026.

Akil Baddoo waiver claim could create a difficult roster decision for Pirates

Baddoo's lack of minor league options only complicates matters. He exhausted his final option during the 2026 season, meaning Pittsburgh can't simply send him to Triple-A Indianapolis next year without first exposing him to outright waivers.

If he survives the offseason on the 40-man roster, Baddoo will need to earn a spot on the Pirates' Opening Day roster or face the possibility of being removed from the 40-man roster altogether. Because he has previously been outrighted and has more than three years of major league service time, Baddoo would also have the right to elect free agency if outrighted again. That makes his path to a meaningful role in Pittsburgh considerably more complicated.

Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds are expected to occupy two starting outfield spots in 2027, while Esmerlyn Valdez, Jake Mangum and Jhostynxon García figure to compete for opportunities elsewhere.

Baddoo could certainly make that competition more interesting, particularly if he can rediscover some of the promise he demonstrated during his rookie season with Detroit in 2021. But the Pirates already have several outfielders competing for limited playing time, and adding another player with significant platoon concerns doesn't necessarily make the roster better.

None of this means claiming Baddoo was a mistake. There's little downside to taking a chance on an experienced outfielder who has demonstrated legitimate offensive potential in the minors. But there's a significant difference between adding inexpensive depth and addressing an identifiable weakness.

The Pirates can't afford to enter 2027 with the same offensive limitations that repeatedly undermined their progress in 2026. Baddoo might eventually prove to be a useful addition, but his arrival does little to suggest Pittsburgh has found an answer to one of its most persistent problems.

And with no minor league options remaining, the Pirates might not have much time to figure out whether he's worth keeping around.

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