Pittsburgh Pirates Welcome Back Canaan Smith-Njigba, Claim Outfielder Off Waivers

Not long after designating him for assignment, the Pittsburgh Pirates were able to win outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba off waivers from the Seattle Mariners.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have claimed outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba off waivers from the Seattle Mariners, the team announced Monday.

In order to make room for Smith-Njigba on their 40-man roster, the Pirates placed right-handed pitcher JT Brubaker on the 60-day injured list. Pittsburgh also announced it had signed right-handed pitcher Chase Anderson to a minor league contract and invited him to Spring Training, as was previously reported on Saturday.

Smith-Njigba spent just 20 days outside of the Pirates' organization, as they designated him for assignment back on Jan. 31. The Mariners claimed Smith-Njigba off waivers on Feb. 7, bringing him a whole lot closer to his younger brother, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba.

The 24-year-old outfielder didn't last long in Seattle, however, as the Mariners wound up designating him for assignment on Saturday when they claimed right-handed pitcher Levi Stoudt off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds.

The New York Yankees initially selected Smith-Njigba in the fourth round of the 2017 MLB Draft before trading him to Pittsburgh in January 2021.

Smith-Njigba made his MLB debut in 2022, playing in three games for the Pirates before a fractured wrist sidelined him. He returned to the big league club in 2023, drawing the start in right field on Opening Day.

The left-handed hitter only made 15 big league appearances in two stints over the course of the season, however.

In his limited time in Pittsburgh, Smith-Njigba has gone 5-for-37 with two doubles, a triple, five RBI and a stolen base. Smith-Njigba spent the rest of 2022 and 2023 with Triple-A Indianapolis, where he hit .279 with 16 home runs, 93 RBI, 29 stolen bases and an .825 OPS in 157 games.

The Pirates now have another option to rotate into the two corner outfield spots, in addition to Bryan Reynolds, Joshua Palacios, Henry Davis, Edward Olivares. Reynolds appears to be the only one with a solid grasp on a starting job entering 2024, so there could be at-bats up for grabs between Smith-Njigba and the others.

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