Pirates acquire Daulton Jefferies in a trade with the Giants

The Pittsburgh Pirates have made another trade! Another small move at that. The team is set to acquire right-handed pitcher Daulton Jefferies from the San Francisco Giants. The Giants designated Jefferies for assignment earlier this week. No corresponding move has been announced, but one could speculate that one (if not both) Marco Gonzales or Ryan Borucki could be heading to the 60-day Injured List.

In a way, Jefferies is an interesting pickup. A few years back there were trade rumors connecting the Oakland Athletics to then Pirates second baseman Adam Frazier. Jefferies was one of the names that was often brought up in speculation as part of a potential return at the time. Obviously, that did not happen, but it is still interesting to see him wind up here after all.

Which brings me to my next point. Jefferies was a first-round pick, #37 overall by the Oakland Athletics. By the end of the 2021 season, he was ranked as Oakland's #3 overall prospect according to FanGraphs. They actually had him ranked ahead of AJ Puk, a former 6th overall selection. So obviously there was believed to be some upside there, with FanGraphs giving him a 45 FV at that time.

Jefferies, now age 28, made a notable comeback to Major League Baseball after enduring a rigorous two-year rehab process following Tommy John and thoracic outlet surgeries. His return to the big leagues with the Giants marked his first appearance since 2022. He did have an impressive showing in spring training this year, posting a 2.57 ERA, striking out 16 io in 14 innings. At Triple-A this year he pitched to a 3.44 ERA and struck out 22.7% of opponents in 18 1/3 innings with Sacramento.

In two appearances, Jefferies has yielded 13 runs (nine earned) over 4 2/3 innings, not exactly inspiring but yet understandable after missing so much time. His minor league achievements contrast starkly with his major league performance and previous rankings. With that being said, he very well could still be just getting back into the swing of things after missing so much time. On the other hand, there is a chance that he might not exactly have the makeup he once did.

This marks the second minor trade the Pirates have made with the Giants this season.

Earlier this year the Pirates sent minor league pitcher Austin Strickland to the Giants for catcher Joey Bart. Bart has played well for the Bucs so far, so hopefully this deal works out too. Rodolfo Nolasco was a once-promising outfield prospect who has sputtered as he has moved up the minor league ladder. A fresh start may also do him well as he leaves the Organization batting .167 through 21 games.