Pirates Designated Recently Acquired Outfielder for Assignment
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates made a big time trade, which required them to make corresponding roster moves.
The Pirates traded right-handed starting pitcher Mike Burrows to the Houston Astros and landed second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery from the Tampa Bay Rays, who landed prospects from the Astros.
Pittsburgh added three players to their 40-man roster, which put them at 42 players total, two too many.
One player they designated for assignment was outfielder Marco Luciano, according to the transactions log.
Luciano's Short Tenure with the Pirates
The Pirates claimed Luciano off of waivers from the San Francisco Giants on Dec. 5, making it just two weeks between the roster moves.
Pittsburgh placed Luciano on the 40-man roster and designated outfielder Will Robertson for assignment as the corresponding move.
Luciano looked like he would get a shot at fighting for a spot on the 26-man roster for the Pirates after the move, but Magnum joining the franchise in the trade makes him the favorite.
There is still a chance that Luciano will rejoin the Pirates in the minors and could get a spot later on in the season, but another team could also land him as well.
A Look at the Pirates Outfield for 2026
The Pirates will have both Oneil Cruz in center field and Bryan Reynolds in right field, but they didn't have a clear-cut starter in left field.
Mangum finally made his debut last season as a 29-year old rookie and featured mostly in left field, with 46 starts in 63 games played. He also started 30 out of 41 games played in center field and started 26 of 32 games in right field, making him a versatile outfield addition.
The Pirates also made another trade on Dec. 4, where they landed top 100 prospect in outfielder Jhostynxon García from the Boston Red Sox for right-handed starting pitcher Johan Oviedo, amongst the five-player trade.
García has little MLB experience, but showed great power in Triple-A and will reportedly get a shot on the major league roster for Opening Day, as long as he performs well in Spring Training.
The Pirates have just one remaining player from last season aside from Cruz and Reynolds in Jack Suwinski.
Suwinski can play all three outfield positions, but struggled massively from the plate, slashing .147/.281/.253 for an OPS of .534 in 59 games.
Pittsburgh also has both prospects in Billy Cook and Esmerlyn Valdez, rounding out the outfield on the 40-man roster.
The Pirates added Valdez to their 40-man roster as a part of those protected from the Rule 5 Draft, after he dominated at High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona, then the Arizona Fall League.
The MLB Pipeline ranks Valdez as the Pirates' 16th best prospect and he has a strong future, but he hasn't played at Triple-A yet.
Cook has played just 19 games at the major league level and turns 27 years old heading into next season.
The Pirates could still make additions and find better depth or their true starting left fielder, but Magnum and García look like the best chances there.
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.