Pirates Claim Brewers Outfielder Off Waivers
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PITTSBURGH — The offseason just started and the Pittsburgh Pirates are making moves already.
The Pirates claimed Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Akil Baddoo off waivers and added him to their 40-man roster on Nov. 2.
Pittsburgh also reinstated both catcher Endy Rodríguez and right-handed starting pitcher Mitch Keller from the 60-day injured list and back to the 40-man roster, as there is no 60-day injured list at the start of the offseason.
The Pirates are now at 38 players on their 40-man roster and have added some outfield depth for 2027.
What the Pirates Get in Akil Baddoo
Baddoo didn't feature for the Brewers last season, but previously spent the past five seasons with the Detroit Tigers, who took him third overall in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft from the Minnesota Twins.
He played in 347 games with the Tigers, hitting .224/.305/.369 for an OPS of .674, with 228 hits, 39 doubles, 28 home runs and 104 RBI.
Baddoo had full seasons in 2021 and 2023, with the former his best campaign, slashing .259/.330/.436 for an OPS of .766 in 124 games as a rookie, and then hitting .218/.310/.372 for an OPS of .682 in 112 games in the latter campaign.
He has only played in 38 MLB games over the past three seasons and seven over the last two, batting .133/.210/.278 for an OPS of .488.
Baddoo is a solid left fielder, posting +16 defensive runs saved (DRS), +5 outs above average (OAA) and +1 fielding run value (FRV).
He has also played in center field, but been much worse there, with -8 DRS, -4 OAA and -4 FRV.
Baddoo dealt with injuries in 2026, that kept him out of action for two to three months, but he now has a new chance to rebuild his career with the Pirates.
If he can perform better at the plate and provide strong defense in left field, there's a chance he can play for the Pirates in 2027.
Pirates Outfield Outlook for 2027
The Pirates have a solid outfield, and it's their best position player group heading into next season, one where they have postseason ambitions.
Veteran Bryan Reynolds will man left field, Oneil Cruz will look to have a healthy season and remain in center field, while Esmerlyn Valdez will try and build off of his great rookie campaign and stay in right field for 2027.
The Pirates also have Jake Mangum, who can play all three outfield spots, plus Billy Cook, a great defensive replacement in center field and a pinch-runner.
Ronny Simon also occupies a similar role to Cook, but plays corner outfield and is less strong defensively.
Jhostynxon Garcia and Tyler Callihan are two other options that the Pirates can turn to in 2027, but both need to perform much better at the plate.
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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.