Morning Rundown: Pirates sign DJ Stewart to a minor league deal, Orioles DFA Roansy Contreras
Pirates sign an outfielder, Orioles DFA former Pirate
The Pittsburgh Pirates addressed their outfield situation, signing DJ Stewart to a minor-league contract on Thursday, according to Mike Mayer of Metsmerized and Mets Minors. The deal also comes with an invite to Spring Training.
Stewart, 31, was the 25th overall pick by the Baltimore Orioles back in 2015 out of Florida State. In 327 games in the majors, Stewart has hit .212/.328/.401 with 42 home runs and 118 RBI, posting a slightly above-average wRC+ of 102.
He’s played primarily in right field in the majors, which is a position the Pirates are still looking for answers at.
FanGraphs has Joshua Palacios penciled in as the starting right fielder currently, who has a career wRC+ of 75. Stewart will compete with Palacios and Jack Suwinski for a major league spot as the potential left-handed side of a platoon in right field.
Ji-Hwan Bae, another left-handed hitter, also spent some time there for the first time in his career in 2024.
Former Pirate Roansy Contreras was designated for assignment by the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, ending his brief time with that organization.
Contreras has now spent time with five different organizations since the start of the 2024 season. After beginning the year with the Pirates, Contreras was traded to the Angels, where he spent the rest of the season.
Since the season ended, things have gotten interesting. The Angels put him on waivers, and has since bounced from the Rangers, Reds, and now Orioles.
According to the transaction log, the Pirates have released a few minor leaguers over the past couple of days.
Andres Alvarez posted the first 20/20 season in Altoona Curve history in 2022 but has struggled to refind that success. He repeated Double-A in 2023, and his wRC+ went from 111 to 73.
Alvarez was solid in playing about half of the games for the Indianapolis Indians last year. The Pirates selected him in the 22nd round in 2019.
Adrian Florencio and Johan Montero, who haven’t pitched since 2022, were also released recently. Florencio was a key member of the Marauders’ team that won the division in 2021, going 6-4 with a 2.46 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 95 innings pitched.
Montero pitched out of the bullpen for Bradenton in 2022, striking out 50 batters in 47.2 innings.
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Griffin got an invite to spring training with the big club.
J-Ro addresses his laundry situation by opening the hamper and tossing one sock in the direction of the washing machine.