Pirates’ Rule 5 puzzle gets easier after infielder signs overseas

After making his Major League debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, infielder Cam Devanney is signing with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball. Once the deal is finalized, Pittsburgh's 40-man roster will drop to 38.

Devanney’s decision to sign in Japan barely made a ripple nationally. But for the Pirates, it immediately simplifies one of the most stressful parts of their offseason: navigating an overstuffed 40-man roster ahead of Wednesday's Rule 5 protection deadline.

This isn’t about Devanney himself — it’s about the roster spot he no longer occupies, and how that changes the calculus for protecting top prospects. Now, the Pirates have exactly what they need as they embark on what has the potential to be a critical offseason for the franchise.

Cam Devanney's departure frees up 40-man roster spot for Pirates ahead of Rule 5 protection deadline

Subtracting Devanney from the mix gives Pittsburgh one free roster spot without having to non-tender someone, DFA someone or cut into their bullpen depth. This matters because the Rule 5 Draft doesn’t care about your roster crunch; you protect guys, or you risk losing them. One fewer body on the 40-man makes the puzzle materially easier.

The real headline here isn't that Devanney's departure frees up a roster spot; rather, it's that the Pirates should use that roster spot to protect Esmerlyn Valdez. Pittsburgh's No. 15 prospect (according to MLB Pipeline) will be Rule 5 eligible this offseason unless the Pirates add him to the 40-man roster prior to Wednesday's deadline.

At 21 years old, Valdez has a rare power/contact combination and is coming off real developmental gains during the 2025 season and in the Arizona Fall League. He's exactly the kind of tooled-up outfield bat rebuilding teams are desperate to swipe in the Rule 5 Draft –– and exactly the kind of player the Pirates need. Now, Devanney’s spot gives them an obvious lane to do what they were already trending toward: protect Valdez, and avoid an unnecessary controversy.

The Pirates still have multiple decisions to make, but Devanney's departure at least keeps them from having to make an early, forced mistake. Ben Cherington has gone out of his way to talk about “flexibility” this winter, and real flexibility starts with exactly this type of move –– an infielder leaving, a roster spot opening and a chance to protect a high-upside prospect without sacrificing MLB depth.

This is the same logic behind why the Pirates were never going to keep every arbitration-eligible guy, and why late-offseason minor-league signings are inevitable — they’re trying to preserve space for the players who matter. And right now, Valdez absolutely matters.