The Pirates designated outfielder Johnathan Rodríguez for assignment on August 17, according to MLB Trade Rumors. The move opens a 40-man roster spot for Oneil Cruz, who's being reinstated from the 60-day injured list as Pittsburgh reshapes its roster down the stretch.
It's a rough stretch for Rodríguez, who's now been DFA'd 3 times since March. Cleveland cut him loose first, Baltimore picked him up and designated him again, and Pittsburgh grabbed him off waivers for cash considerations just last month. He never got into a game for the Bucs.
The frustrating part for Pittsburgh's front office is the gap between his numbers at Triple-A and the majors. Rodríguez hit.351/.424/.509 in 15 games with Indianapolis, but at the big league level he's a.177/.288/.301 hitter with a 31.8% strikeout rate over 132 plate appearances. Baseball America has pegged him with what scouts call a Pedro Cerrano profile — huge raw power, but he can't handle spin, and MLB arms have made him pay for it.
There's added urgency here too. Rodríguez is in his final minor league option year, meaning he'll be out of options entirely next season. Since he's now on waivers, any of the other 29 teams can claim him and take a shot at unlocking that power in a different organization — or he clears and heads back to Triple-A on a new deal.
For the Pirates, this is standard roster math as the stretch run approaches — Cruz's return gives Pittsburgh back a legitimate everyday piece, and Rodríguez, who never got a real shot in black and gold, becomes the corresponding cut. Worth tracking whether he sticks anywhere or keeps bouncing.