Four Pirates That Are Out of Minor League Options
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a little more than three weeks until they need their 26-man roster finalized and have to make difficult decisions with minor league options in mind.
MLB teams can't send players without minor league options to the minor leagues without first putting them on waivers, which they have to clear. Other MLB teams can take a chance on those players and put them on their 40-man rosters as well, which makes it a tough choice for the parent team to make.
This is why some teams might keep a player without minor league options on the Opening Day roster, instead of a player that performed better in Spring Training, but teams generally want the best playres on their roster.
Players without minor league options that go on waivers are also the source of trades, so that's another option.
The Pirates have four players without four minor league options, which will play into whether they do or don't make the Opening Day roster.
Center Fielder Oneil Cruz
Oneil Cruz is one player that doesn't have any minor league options, but the Pirates have no intention of sending him down or leaving him off the plane to New York for their first series vs. the Mets at Citi Field.
Cruz is heading into his second full season in center field, after transitioning there late in 2024 from shortstop, and will serve a big role in the lineup and outfield overall.
The Pirates will rely less on Cruz for his power, with new additions they made this offseason, but will need him to improve defensively and get on base more to provide runs.
Cruz had the worst batting average of any qualified hitter in the major leagues last year at .200, but still tied for the National League lead with 38 stolen bases.
He's had better success in Spring Training, thanks to his time training against left-handed pitchers and also defensively after spending time working with four-time Gold Glove Award winner Kevin Kiermaier this offseason.
If Cruz has the season the Pirates are hoping for, he'll play a big role in them pushing for a spot in the playoffs.
Right-Handed Reliever Justin Lawrence
Right-handed relief pitcher Justin Lawrence had a great season in 2025 — when he was on the mound of course.
Lawrence had just an 0.79 ERA in 11 appearances and 11.1 innings pitched, allowing just five hits and six walks, while posting 15 strikeouts and a batting average allowed (BAA) of .139.
He also missed almost five months away from the team with right elbow inflammation, that required a long rehab journey and rehab assignments.
Lawrence has a great sweeper, that works almost like a frisbee, as his main pitch, but also combines it with a sinker and sometimes with a four-seam fastball.
He should feature into the Opening Day roster, as long as he has a solid Spring Training, and the Pirates will hope he can stay healthy this season.
Catcher Joey Bart
Joey Bart is in an interesting position, as he should serve as the backup catcher to Henry Davis and split a decent amount of time behind the plate.
Bart also struggled both at the plate and defensively last season, putting his future with the franchise in doubt, especially after he was reportedly used as a part of trade discussions for Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes.
His play from behind the plate wasn't great, falling from -4 DRS in 2024 to -6 DRS in 2025. The Pirates also had a 39-35 record with Davis behind the plate and a 26-50 record with Bart at catcher.
Bart also struggled hitting in 2025, going from a .462 slugging percentage and a .799 OPS in 2024 to .340 slugging percentage and .695 OPS in 2025, as he hit 13 home runs in 2024 and just four home runs in 2025.
He will have to hit much better in 2026, as Endy Rodríguez is back healthy and Rafael Flores Jr. is looking to prove he belongs at the major league level as well.
Bart will maintain his role if he performs at the plate and does better behind it, but if not, there are other options the Pirates have.
Right-Handed Relief Pitcher Yohan Ramírez
Ramírez has had a few stints with the Pirates and is back on an $825,000 contract for the 2026 season.
The Pirates not putting Ramírez on the Opening Day roster is less of a burden, as he makes jsut $45,000 more than the minimum salary for a MLB player.
He signed a minor league contract with the Pirates on Oct. 24, 2024, but didn't make it on the roster until July 11, spending the rest of the season there, serving as a middle reliever.
He posted a 3-3 record over 24 outings, a 5.40 ERA over 33.1 innings pitched, 45 strikeouts to 16 walks, a .246 opposing batting average and a 1.47 WHIP.
The Pirates have a great deal of right-handed relief pitchers like Lawrence, Isaac Mattson, Carmen Mlodzinski, Dennis Santana and prospects like Brandon Bidois that are all looking for a spot in th major league bullpen.
Ramírez has put up good outings for the Pirates in the middle relief role, but he also gave up at least one run in 10 outings and must show better consistency in Spring Training, if he is going to make the rsoter.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.