LAS VEGAS -- The Pirates added another outfielder to their stable of options Wednesday, claiming Ryan Vilade off waivers from the Rockies.
Vilade, 23, was a second round pick by the Rockies in 2017 and was a plus hitter his first three years in their system. However, he's not done as well at the dish the last two years, slashing .249/.345/.352 with five home runs over 430 plate appearances last year for hitter-friendly Class AAA Albuquerque.
Despite those recent struggles, he's still graded as a potential plus hitter by FanGraphs.
Vilade got a brief cup of coffee in the majors with the Rockies in 2021, appearing in three games.
He'll join a Pirates team that has plenty of young outfielders already vying for playing time next year. Jack Suwinski, Cal Mitchell, Canaan Smith-Njigba, Travis Swaggerty and Ji Hwan Bae all made their major-league debuts last season.
The activate roster is now at 40 players, but the Pirates will have to make several cuts Thursday. At 5 p.m. Eastern, free agency officially opens to all 30 teams and rosters must be trimmed to at most 40 players, not including the 60-day injured list. Including that IL, the Pirates have 45 rostered players, so at least five cuts are coming by Thursday.