Pirates take chance on Astros outfield prospect with latest waiver claim

The start of the MLB offseason has been full of transactions. Free agency just began on Monday, but there have been a ton of trades and waiver claims.

Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington has not wasted any time and has already made his third acquisition of the offseason. It started off with the minor league signing of Yohan Ramirez, then the waiver claim of Tristan Gray, and now he has claimed Trey Cabbage off of waivers from the Houston Astros.

Pirates claim outfielder Trey Cabbage off waivers from Astros

Similarly to Gray, the claim of Cabbage is nothing more than a depth move for the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis, which was an issue in 2024. Adding extra guys to be available when injuries occur is important for every team and for every position.

Cabbage has not had a very productive major league career. He has appeared in two seasons with Houston and each of has not been great. In his Major League career, Cabbage has a batting average of .209 with an OPS of .576 and a wRC+ of 58. His strikeout percentage is high at 40.8% and he rarely walks at 4.1% rate.

However, Cabbage has shown some upside at the Triple-A level. In 2023, he had an OPS of .975, which came from an impressive slugging percentage of .596. His 30 home runs, 25 doubles, and three triples generated that. He had a big 128 wRC+ and an on-base percentage of .379. He also struck out at a 30% rate, which has been an issue his entire career.

His power upside could be very beneficial if he makes improvements with consistent contact with the ball. In 2024, his average exit velocity in Triple-A was at 94.8 mph, ranking second among Triple-A batters.

Cabbage also brings solid defense in the outfield. He saved two defensive runs in right field in 2024. With his lack of time in the majors, that's about all that his defensive numbers show, but that is still a significant showing.

Overall, Cabbage has some upside, but he is not a candidate to consider to make the Opening Day roster. He will be a nice pickup for the Indianapolis Indians, but that is where he will be within the Pirates organization.

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