The Pirates announced that they have designated four players for assignment. That list includes outfielders Alexander Canario and Ronny Simón, as well as right-handers Colin Holderman and Dauri Moreta. Additionally, Cam Devanney was released to pursue opportunities overseas. It was reported a few days ago that Devanney would be signing with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.
The Bucs already had one open 40-man spot and those moves opened five more. That allowed them to select six players to the roster ahead of today’s Rule 5 deadline. Those six are first baseman/outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez, infielder Jack Brannigan, left-hander Tyler Samaniego and right-handers Wilber Dotel, Antwone Kelly and Brandan Bidois.
Canario, 26 in May, was once a notable prospect with the Cubs thanks to his huge power in the minors. However, that power also came with notable strikeout concerns. For instance, he hit 37 minor league home runs in 2022 but was punched out at a 27.5% clip. Going into 2025, he still wasn’t established in the majors but had exhausted his option years. He bounced to the Mets and then the Pirates via waivers. He received 234 plate appearances with the Bucs this year but was punched out in 34.2% of those while posting a .218/.274/.338 line.
Now that he’s in DFA limbo, the Bucs can try to explore trade interest but it should be minimal after that poor season. Perhaps a rebuilding club will give him a shot since he’s still young and controllable, but this theoretical club will probably wait for Canario to be on waivers or non-tendered.
Simón, 26 in April, was just claimed off waivers from the Marlins in June. He finished the season on the 60-day injured list due to a dislocated left shoulder. He has a .234/.299/.273 line in a small sample of 88 big league plate appearances. He has some speed and defensive versatility, as well as good offensive numbers in the minors, but his current health status is unknown.
Holderman, 30, lived up to his surname for the Bucs in recent years. He notched 27 holds in 2023 and another 21 in 2024. He posted a 3.52 earned run average over those two seasons. He struck out 24.6% of batters faced, gave out walks at a 9.7% rate and kept 45.8% of balls in play on the ground.
2025 was a nightmare, however. He made separate trips to the injured list due to a right knee sprain and right thumb inflammation. Around those IL stints, he tossed 25 2/3 innings with a 7.01 ERA, 14.4% strikeout rate and 12.8% walk rate. He is eligible for arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $1.7MM salary next year. This move is effectively an early non-tender.
Perhaps there’s a club out there who thinks there’s a way to get Holderman back on track, and he is still optionable, so maybe the Bucs will get some trade calls. But he also might be non-tendered on Friday, which will make him a free agent.
Moreta, 30 in April, has shown some strikeout stuff in the big leagues but without strong control. He has 116 2/3 innings under his belt with a 4.17 ERA, 28.7% strikeout rate and 9.4% walk rate. He qualified for arbitration and his $800K projection is barely above next year’s $780K minimum salary but he is out of options and would have had a hard time hanging onto a roster spot going forward, regardless of his salary. If he lands somewhere else, he is controllable for three more seasons.
Valdez, 22 in January, was an international signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2021. He has since been climbing the ladder, showcasing a nice blend of power and on-base ability. Here in 2025, he got into 123 games between High-A and Double-A. In his 529 plate appearances, his 24.6% strikeout rate was a bit high but he also drew walks at a 10.6% clip and hit 26 home runs. His .286/.376/.520 combined line translated to a 156 wRC+. He then went to the Arizona Fall League for some extra work and hit eight homers in 19 games, leading to a ridiculous .368/.513/.842 line.
Defensively, Valdez isn’t considered especially strong. But for the Pirates, who have struggled to develop hitters, they have to be intrigued by his offensive numbers. Baseball America recently ranked him the #10 prospect in the system. He should be in Triple-A in 2026 and in the mix for a big league promotion. The Bucs currently project to have Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds in two outfield spots but with one spot fairly wide open, at least for now.
Brannigan, 25 in March, was a third-round pick in the 2022 draft. He has put up some good numbers but injuries have cut into the volume of his playing time, as he hasn’t appeared in more than 87 games in any year of his professional career. As a hitter, he has drawn a lot of walks but also been punched out quite a bit. Since being drafted, he has 1,071 plate appearances with a 12.5% walk rate, 27.4% strikeout rate, .245/.356/.454 line and 125 wRC+. That included a .225/.329/.358 line and 103 wRC+ in 59 Double-A games this year.
He likely needs some more time in the minors, on account of how much he has missed. But the Bucs didn’t want to take the chance of some other club grabbing him. He has spent time at all three infield positions to the left of first base. He has three option years and can be kept on the farm until he works his way into the club’s infield depth picture.
Samaniego, 27 in January, was a 15th-round pick back in 2021. He spent time at four different levels in 2025, working as a lefty reliever. Combined, he logged 38 1/3 innings with a 3.99 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, 7% walk rate and 48.4% ground ball rate. He hasn’t yet reached the Triple-A level but the Bucs didn’t want another club to grab him. Now that he’s on the roster, he can push for his major league debut in 2026. But since he has a full slate of options, he could be shuttled to the minors and back with some regularity, ever after he makes it to the show.
Dotel, 23, is a fairly obvious addition. Baseball America currently lists him as the #9 prospect in the system. An international signing out of the Dominican Republic, he has been stretched out as a starter in recent years. He made 27 Double-A starts in 2025, logging 125 2/3 innings with a 4.15 ERA, 24.5% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate. The Pirates have a strong rotation but he can be in Triple-A, providing them with depth in the event of an injury while simultaneously continuing his development.
Kelly, 22, is in a similar situation. Baseball America ranks him the #6 prospect in the system. An international signing out of Aruba, he made 25 starts this year, split between Single-A and Double-A. Combined, he tossed 107 1/3 innings with a 3.02 ERA, 27.2% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate.
Bidois, 24, is a straight reliever who happens to be from Australia. He threw 61 innings this year across four different levels with a 0.74 ERA. Some of that is due to a tiny .164 batting average on balls in play but he also struck out 30% of batters faced. There’s some wildness in there, as he walked 11.7% of batters faced this year, but the numbers are obviously appealing. He’ll give the club some immediate bullpen depth as he pushes for his big league debut.
Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images
José Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports reported the Valdez move prior to the official announcement. Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reported the other five additions. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the guys being designated for assignment.
Jack has 9 lives
It’s because he’s my favorite player and they don’t want to make me sad
so you must like hitters who have failed to live up to his expectations?
What a fall from grace for Holderman. Moreta, too, to a much lesser extent.
Was surprised by holderman and moreta thought other pitchers deserved to be released before those two but call it on canario and Simon though
Canario is one of the worst players I’ve ever seen get regular playing time, and I’ve been watching this terrible team for decades now. Bye!!
Regular playing time? He had 1 month where he got more than 32 at bats 86 and he hit 279 .326 .407 .733
Jack Suwinski would like to challenge that observation
They seemed to have no faith in Moreta when he came back. He’d do ok then get demoted after a single bad game. I think he lost a few mph off his fastball.
Holderman went down the toilet quickly. I honestly kept expecting a season ending injury but he was just bludgeoned all season long. Can’t keep trying the same thing.
Both Holderman and Moreta will get camp invites from someone. I’d say trade one to Twins for Kyler Fedko, who remains unprotected.
They might get mlb deals
After he came back this year, Moreta was continuously tossing the cement mixer slider
You cannot convince me Moreta deserves a roster spot less than Cam Sanders, Chase Shugart, or Yohan Ramirez.
Moreta’s out of options – maybe they’re hoping this is a good time to try to clear him through waivers.
Shugart is better than Holderman and Moreta.
I disagree, I think Moreta’s stuff is way better and he has plenty more potential than Shugart.
I definitely didn’t see Ramirez staying. UGH!!
I remember when Holderman for Vogelbach looked like it was going to haunt the Mets for years
I’m like 90% certian another team is gonna figure Holderman out. His stuff is still so good for him not to become at least a solid reliever.
I am afraid of him being the next Clay Holmes.
I think that Moreta and Canario could be losses to regret.
Time to move on for the other three.
I don’t think Canario is much of a loss. He had a whiff rate of almost 40% in 2025 and doesn’t hit the ball hard.
Doesn’t hit the ball hard? He hit it over 110 mph 6 times how much harder do you want him to hit it?
Okay, well he doesn’t consistently hit the ball hard, because he doesn’t consistently hit the ball in the 1st place. 87.4 exit velocity isn’t much to brag about.
I don’t think they will be loses. Easily replaced. Both could be above average but so could the random guy they claim on waivers.
Well with a 40 percent difference rate he struggles immensely to hit the ball so obviously when he does hit it a large portion of those hits aren’t going to be great contact sweet spot. Not hitting the ball hard is not his problem. Hitting the ball is his problem. The average exit velocity is irrelevant.
They need to keep going and get rid of some more players that are just taking up space and contribute very little. I would have kept Moreta.
And Jack is still here? SMH
As a Marlins fan, I’m surprised to see Moreta DFA’d. I mean, his numbers this year were solid, and for the minimum wage, that’s a good deal.
Is he injured or something? Calling Bucs fans here.
Holderman is also kind of surprising, but at least the $1.7 million salary make sense to let him go.
Tommy John surgery in March 2024, long rehab in 2025, didn’t pitch much in the Major Leagues this season. So I kinda get it, but there’s still no way he’s less valuable to the current roster than at least 3 different relievers.
They both have mlb stuff and shown to be well above average guys you would gladly use in 6th 7th innings to close out the game. Both haven’t shown that in awhile. You can try to fix them or you can try to fix someone with just as good stuff who you haven’t tried to fix yet. Maybe someone cheaper and or higher upside.
Moreta lost some velocity to Tommy John, guess they didn’t think he would get it back. The backward slider needs a good fastball to complement – Ramirez is probably a better option now. Love Moreta’s brash attitude but you gotta be able to back it up. Canario has one of the fastest swings but no ability to hit spin – makes a good breeze on a hot day. Sometimes misses by at least a foot.
Jack is eligible for arbitration for the first time in his career this winter. I am disappointed that they didn’t release him because he’s not worth the money he’s about to be awarded