The Pittsburgh Pirates began their offseason with a minor move on Monday.
Pittsburgh claimed outfielder Will Robertson off waivers from the Chicago White Sox, per MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf. They cleared a roster spot for Robertson by designating utility player Ryan Kreidler for assignment.
A fourth-round pick in 2019, Robertson made his MLB debut for the Toronto Blue Jays in June. The left-hander recorded one hit in three games before getting demoted and later traded to the White Sox for cash considerations the following month.
Chicago gave Robertson a longer look, but he didn’t make much of the opportunity. The former Creighton University slugger batted an anemic .129/.173/.143 with two walks, 27 strikeouts and zero home runs through his first 75 big league plate appearances.
Robertson has registered a .792 OPS through 528 career minor league games, but he batted .289/.387/.571 in Triple-A this season. Although the 27-year-old likely represents organizational depth for the Pirates, he could eventually receive another opportunity with a club that posted baseball’s worst team OPS (.655) in 2025.
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The Pirates should look to bolster their lineup this offseason, regardless of whether veteran free agents Andrew McCutchen and Tommy Pham stay or go.
Meanwhile, Kreidler’s short stint with the Pirates organization could be over if he’s claimed, traded or released. Pittsburgh claimed the 27-year-old after the Detroit Tigers DFA’d him in late August. Kreidler went 4-for-44 with no extra-base hits in 17 games and is now a .138/.208/.176 hitter through 211 career plate appearances.
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