4 players Pirates could claim off waivers by the end of August

Another trade deadline has come and gone, but this time, the Pittsburgh Pirates were buyers. They made moves that improve their roster now, including Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Bryan De La Cruz, as well as adding to the farm system, bringing in Nick Yorke and Billy Cook. While the opportunity to make an impact addition via trade has now passed, there could still be a chance later in August for the Pirates to add a last-minute reinforcement.

Last year, the Los Angeles Angels placed eight players on waivers in the last days of August. The Angels weren't the only team to put any players on waivers at the time, as the New York Yankees put outfielder Harrison Bader on waivers, the Chicago White Sox placed Mike Clevinger on the market, and the Mets and Tigers followed suit with Carlos Carrasco and Jose Cisneros. Most of these players were rentals whose teams fell out of the playoff race, with those clubs looking to save some money at the last minute.

It's possible we'll see some players hit waivers at the end of this month, just like last year. There might not be a team that does what the Angels did, placing over 30% of their roster on waivers, but we definitely could see some teams fall out of the race and put some of their players on expiring contracts on waivers to try and save a few bucks. If so, the Pirates should keep an eye out. But who are some players that could potentially hit waivers in August who the Pirates might have an opportunity to claim?

Scott Alexander

One left-handed reliever who could hit waivers at the end of August is Oakland Athletics lefty Scott Alexander. He's spent the last seven seasons with West Coast teams, but if the A's decide to shed some salary late into the season, he could find himself on another team before the end of the 2024 campaign.

Alexander has tossed 24 innings this year with a 3.00 ERA, 4.13 FIP, and 1.13 WHIP. The veteran has never struck out many batters, but his 14% strikeout rate entering the weekend would rank as the lowest single-season rate of his career (he upped it to 15.5% in Saturday's action). He has limited walks at an above average rate of 8.2%, as well as home runs with an 0.75 HR/9. 

Alexander has been hit uncharacteristically hard. He has a career 88.2 MPH exit velocity and 4.6 % barrel rate, but this season, he has an 88.5 MPH exit velo and 16.4% barrel rate. He still has a healthy 57.7% ground ball rate with a sub-30% flyball rate, despite his poor exit velocity.

2024 is another lost year for the Oakland Athletics, who are soon to be the Las Vegas Athletics. It would be in character for the A's to shed as much salary as possible before the end of this season. Alexander has been a solid middle reliever and one that could hit waivers late into August.