The Pirates made a handful of moves to the roster ahead of Thursday’s 5 p.m. ET free-agency deadline, including selecting the contract of one of their hardest-throwing relievers, right-hander Ryan Harbin.
Among the flurry of moves, right-hander Jack Little and outfielder Ji Hwan Bae were claimed off waivers by the Tigers and Mets, respectively, while infielder Liover Peguero cleared waivers and became a Minor League free agent.
Right-handers Jared Jones and Dugan Darnell, catcher/first baseman Endy Rodríguez, outfielder Ronny Simon and infielder Enmanuel Valdez were all reinstated from the 60-day injured list, while Darnell and Michael Darrell-Hicks were designated for assignment.
The Pirates currently have 39 players on their roster.
Harbin, 24, rose from High-A Greensboro to Triple-A Indianapolis this season, finishing with a 4.69 ERA and 92 strikeouts over 63 1/3 innings, picking up seven saves in 50 games pitched. His 31.9 percent strikeout rate was the highest of all Pirates prospects this year (min. 40 innings), though it came with a 16 percent walk rate. He mixes a high-90s fastball with a high-spin slider and a splitter that averaged about 35 inches of drop with Indianapolis.
Harbin was due to become a Minor League free agent, which is why the Pirates had to select his contract now or risk losing him. The tender deadline is Nov. 21, which applies to prospects who are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, such as outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez or catcher Omar Alfonzo.
Bae and Peguero were once considered top prospects in the Pirates’ system but failed to hit Major League pitching and spent most of the season with Indianapolis. While the Pirates are in need of help in both the outfield and left side of the infield, it was hard to envision either being a factor in 2026, especially since Peguero was out of Minor League options.
Little and Darnell were both waiver claims who did not appear with the Pirates. Darrell-Hicks pitched two innings with the Pirates on June 24. Darnell was claimed last week from the Rockies and immediately placed on the 60-day injured list, but the IL does not carry over to the offseason, hence the other injured players being reinstated.
Free agency opened at 5 p.m. Thursday.