Pirates left-handed pitching prospect Cam Alldred randomly released

In 2018, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected a left-handed pitcher out of the University of Cincinnati in the 24th round. The pitcher was Cam Alldred. The Bucs signed Alldred to a bonus of $100,000, which was the maximum allotment allowed before going into the signing bonus pool. So while he was a 24th-round selection, the team signed him aggressively.

Alldred would make his Major League debut in 2022, pitching a scoreless inning and striking out one batter for the Pirates. However, the team was quick to move on, as the lefty was designated for assignment. The team was able to sneak him through waivers, so he stuck with the organization.

Alldred has not received another chance since 2022. He has pitched for the Pirates' Triple-A team the last two seasons but has not been able to put it together. In 2023, he posted an ERA over 5.00, while this year, his ERA is over 6.00. So, it should come as no surprise that the Pirates did not see much of a future for him in the Big Leagues.

Alldred was officially released by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, May 28th. However, the reason goes beyond his struggles over the last two seasons. In fact, the Pirates let him go to explore another opportunity, according to Triple-A Indianapolis' X account:

Yes, the Pirates released Alldred so he could play for a team in the KBO.

This has become a somewhat more of a common move, as players can earn more playing time, a better salary, and a chance to figure things out. The Pirates did this with pitcher Andre Jackson this past offseason as well. Time will tell if this works out or not for Alldred, but at this stage of his career, he was looking like he was going to be stuck in Triple-A purgatory.