Pittsburgh Pirates DFA Former A's Infielder to Make Room for Franchise Icon

The Pittsburgh Pirates had agreed to a deal with Andrew McCutchen in December, but he wasn't officially added to the roster until this week. This meant that the team needed to clear space for McCutchen on the 40-man roster, and it turns out that former Oakland A's infielder Tristan Gray was the odd-man out.
Gray, 28, didn't spend a lot of time with the A's in the big leagues, getting into a total of eight games to begin September, right after the team had claimed him off waivers from the Miami Marlins at the end of August. By the end of October, Gray had been claimed by the Pirates.
In his eight games with the A's, Gray saw most of his playing time over at first base. While he held a nice 12.5% walk rate in a small sample (24 plate appearances), he also had an outrageously high strikeout rate of 54.2%, striking out 13 times in 21 at-bats. He went 3-for-21 with two singles and a double as a member of the green and gold.
In his limited time in the big leagues with Miami he also struck out at a high clip, 42.9%, while going 0-for-7.
Gray was originally selected by the Pirates in the 13th round of the 2017 MLB Draft, and was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays along with Daniel Hudson in exchange for Corey Dickerson in February of 2018. He made his MLB debut with Tampa Bay in 2023, getting into a total of two games, before ultimately becoming a minor-league free agent following the season.
Last offseason he signed on with the Marlins, who placed him on waivers at the end of August, which is how he ended up in Oakland for a brief stint.
Gray will turn 29 on March 22, so right around Opening Day, and with this designation for assignment, his next steps are unknown at the moment.
Over the course of the '24 season in the Marlins system, he hit .245 with a .318 OBP and 17 home runs, walking nine percent of the time, and striking out at a 26.9% clip. This was over a span of 100 games.
In a much smaller stint with the A's affiliate in Las Vegas, Gray hit .296 with a .350 on-base, two homers, and struck out at a much more impressive 18.3% rate over the span of 12 games (60 plate appearances).
In his limited exposure in the big leagues, Gray has split time at both corner infield spots, while in the minors this past season he also got a few games at second with Jacksonville, and 39 games (38 starts) at shortstop. As a member of the Rays' system, Gray was predominantly playing shortstop, so he has plenty of experience at the position.
Where he ends up playing on the diamond will likely depend upon the needs of the team he ends up playing for in 2025. He's shown off a bit of versatility in his time in the minors. Now he's looking for a team that can give him a little more of a shot at the next level.