Pirates DFA pair of major offseason signings in end-of-year white flag

As yet another lost season comes to a close, the Pittsburgh Pirates have made a handful of roster moves Tuesday ahead of their series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The club announced Tuesday that infielder Liover Peguero and outfielder Joshua Palacios had been recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis, while first baseman Rowdy Tellez and outfielder Michael A. Taylor have been designated for assignment.

Tellez, who signed a one-year, $3.2 million deal with the Pirates last offseason, got off to a horrendous start in Pittsburgh, slashing .177/.239/.233 through the first two months of the season. He turned a corner in June, however, hitting .333 with three home runs. He went on to belt a season-high five homers and post a .297 batting average in July, followed by a .300 batting average in August. Tellez’s struggles returned in September, however, as he hit just .116 over his last 15 games.

Taylor was also designated for assignment after being placed on waivers earlier this summer; he signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Pirates in March. A Gold Glove winner at center field for the Kansas City Royals in 2021, Taylor slashed just .193/.253/.290 with five home runs, 21 RBI and 12 stolen bases across 113 appearances for Pittsburgh this season.

Taylor still graded out as an excellent defensive player, ranking in the 96th percentile in Baseball Savant's Outs Above Average metric, but ultimately lost his starting role in August when the Pirates made the decision to move Oneil Cruz from shortstop to center field. The Pirates placed Taylor on outright waivers as a result, though he went unclaimed and ultimately remained with the team.

Liover Peguero and Joshua Palacios return to Pittsburgh amid another failed Pirates season

Both Peguero and Palacios were already on the Pirates' 40-man roster, which is now down to 38. Peguero has batted .257/.319/.410 with 13 home runs and 79 RBI in 128 games with Triple-A Indianapolis this season. He owns a .657 OPS with seven homers over 60 career games in the Major Leagues, last appearing with the Pirates in 2023.

Palacios has appeared in 20 games for Pittsburgh this year and hit .230/.319/.344 across 61 at-bats. He was ultimately optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis in August following successful completion of his rehab assignment there for a hamstring strain.

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