Pirates Could Unlock Robert Hassell's Potential After Trade
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates aren't afraid of taking chances on players who haven't reached their full potential and they've done it once again with a recent move.
The Pirates landed Washington Nationals outfielder Robert Hassell III in a minor league trade, which will require them to send back cash or a player to be named later (PTBNL) on July 16.
Hassell won't join the Pirates' 40-man roster, as the Nationals had outrighted him, and he'll start with the Florida Complex League (FCL) Pirates at rookie-level ball.
It's a low-risk, high-reward addition for the Pirates if Hassell pans out, and a new team might give him the chance to do that.
Why Hassell Could Excel with Pirates
Hassell was the eighth overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, with the San Diego Padres taking him out of Independence High School in Franklin, Tenn.
The Padres took him one pick after the Pirates selected Nick Gonzales with the seventh overall pick out of New Mexico State, who is now the team's starting third baseman and is batting .308, third-best in the National League and fifth-best in baseball at the All-Star break.
Hassell hasn't come close to reaching that potential and was once seen as the best part of the Juan Soto trade between the Nationals and the Padres, which also netted them six players, including 2026 All-Stars in outfielder James Wood, infielder CJ Abrams and 2025 All-Star left-handed pitcher Mackenzie Gore.
The Nationals gave Hassell his MLB debut in 2025 and he struggled, batting .223/.257/.315 for an OPS of .572 in 70 games, with nine doubles, three home runs, 18 RBI and eight walks to 62 strikeouts.
Washington designated Hassell for assignment after he struggled again in 2026 with Triple-A Rochester, slashing .215/.304/.289 for an OPS of .593 in 63 games.
The Pirates have the opportunity now to find what Hassell hasn't done well and build his confidence back up into that top prospect he once was.
Hassell has shown throughout the minors that he can hit, with his best showing coming in 2025 at Triple-A, batting .310/.383/.456 for an OPS of .839 in 76 games.
He isn't a big-time home run hitter, but like Gonzales, he can hit and has the potential to do that at the major league level.
Hassell had a lower strikeout rate, 17.5% and an average walk rate, 10.4%, but his best attribute was making contact with the ball around the plate, with an 84.52% z-swing, which is contact with pitches in the zone.
Gonzales has a 74.3% z-contact this season and that ranks tied-14th highest in baseball, so good company for Hassell to be in.
Hassell starting at rookie level ball is also a good opportunity for him to work on his mechanics and improve in different areas to get back to his best hitting.
Why Did the Pirates Add Hassell?
The Pirates lack outfield options in Triple-A and ones they could potentially add to the 40-man roster if needed.
Pittsburgh currently has just one outfielder on the 40-man roster that isn't on the major league roster, which is Jhostynxon Garcia, currently with Triple-A Indianapolis.
The Pirates also signed former outfielder Joshua Palacios to a minor league deal back on July 7, as they have just two other outfielders in P.J. Hilson and Ronny Simon on Indianapolis.
Both Mitch Jebb and utility man Nick Yorke are working back from injuries, so Indianapolis is quite short on outfield depth.
This gives Hassell the perfect chance to break through and take advantage of this opportunity, especially if he can hit well and produce when called upon.
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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.