Pirates make their first move at the MLB trade deadline

The Pittsburgh Pirates kicked off their MLB trade deadline with a minor league trade by sending outfielder Gilberto Celestino to the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations.

Celestino was acquired by the Pirates last offseason from the Minnesota Twins. He had a solid spring training, but was ultimately optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. He has spent the season playing all three outfield positions and has been a decent hitter at the plate.

This season with Indianapolis, Celestino had a batting average of .271 with three home runs and 25 runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .704, which incldues an on-base percentage of .348 and a slugging percentage of .356. His wRC+ sits at 88 and his walk percentage is impressive at 10.2%.

The Pirates did not really have a spot for Celestino, but the Cubs showed interest so they got whatever they could out of him. The return was cash, of which the amount is unknown, but depending on how much it is, there is a possibility that it could be used towards absorbing a player's contract at the deadline. Every little bit helps.

The Pittsburgh Pirates sign a minor league replacement for Celestino with the signing of Jose Rojas.

After losing outfield depth in the trade of Celestino, the Pirates quickly signed 31-year-old utility man Jose Rojas to a minor league contract. Rojas has played almost every position in his minor league career, but has barely played in MLB.

Along with playing lots of defensive positions, Rojas has a big time power bat. This season in Triple-A, Rojas has a batting average of .250 with 18 home runs and 57 runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .906, which includes an on-base percentage of .354 and a slugging percentage of .552. His wRC+ is at 129 and his walk percentage is very high at 13.9%.

Adding Rojas is just a deal to provide some pop at Triple-A and add to the Buccos' depth. Rojas has not played in the majors league since 2022, but still has an opportunity to do well with Indianapolis.

The deadline has just started, and there could be a lot more deals to be made within the Pirates organization. It is likely that the Pirates add to the big league roster with trades, but similar trades to a small-scale Celestino sell-off could also happen.