The Pirates and infielder Davis Wendzel have agreed to a minor league deal, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. The Boras Corporation client gets an invite to big league spring training and would make $850K if in the majors.
Wendzel, 29 in May, has a limited minor league track record to this point. He appeared in 27 games with the Rangers in 2024. He didn’t do much to impress in that time, putting up a .128/.163/.234 line in 49 plate appearances.
He’s been much better in a greater sample of playing time in the minors. Over the past three years, he has taken 1,240 trips to the plate on the farm, mostly at the Triple-A level. His 12.1% walk rate and 20% strikeout rate were both good figures and he hit 51 home runs. His combined .248/.355/.444 line in that time translated to a 105 wRC+. He also provides defensive versatility, having spent time at all four infield spots as well as left field.
The Rangers designated him for assignment in July of 2024. He was then sent to the Reds for cash. Cincinnati outrighted him a few weeks later. He spent 2025 at Triple-A Louisville as non-roster depth. He had a decent season but never got called up. He became a minor league free agent at season’s end, which allowed the Pirates to scoop him up.
The Pirates have very little settled in their infield, apart from Spencer Horwitz having first base spoken for. Prospect Konnor Griffin could take over the shortstop job in 2026 but still hasn’t played at the Triple-A level yet. Putting Griffin aside, the Pirates have a cluster of infielders including Jared Triolo, Nick Yorke, Nick Gonzales, Tsung-Che Cheng and Enmanuel Valdéz. Yorke and Cheng are still lacking in big league experience. The other three have a few seasons in the majors but have been light-hitting utility types thus far.
There’s still time to add and the Pirates have been connected to many free agents this winter but without getting anything done. Time will tell how that plays out but there’s no harm in adding some non-roster depth. If Wendzel can earn a roster spot, he has a couple of options and less than a season of service time, so he can provide roster flexibility and cheap control for multiple years.
Photo courtesy of Reggie Hildred, Imagn Images
Fire cherrington NOW
Silly goose comment. All teams need minor league depth.
Every team does this. Practically universal.
Hes total garbage.
It’s a minor league deal, and he kind of looks like Nic Cage in Con Air, so there’s really no reason to get upset
Even Jared Triolo needs a backup.
He’s going from his job at the mall at Wetzels Pretzels to a minor league deal with the Pirates. Definitely one of the odd balls jobs a player had before getting back into baseball.
“Wendzels Pretzels”
Touchè sir. Touchè.
Didn’t even think of that.
He was advised not to give up his offseason job.
Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Get your World Series tickets now & give everyone in the front offices long extensions!
This year’s guy who signs a minor-league deal but spends way more time on the 26-man roster than you’d like.
These are the kinds of guys you hope never to see on the ML roster, usually brought in to keep someone you REALLY don’t want to see on the roster from being brought up if there is an injury.
I imagine this signing will trigger many more calls to fire our GM, as if Cherington almost had Kyle Tucker signed for 5 years at $1 million per season, then told Kyle to scram because Davis Wendzel is available.
It’s hilarious at this point
Every year it’s the same BS, only this year, they got national figures like Passan and Olney to believe they were gonna open up the wallet.
Ah, but still tep months before Nutting’s annual “Losing is not acceptable” speech in Bradenton.
Maybe they’ll surprise us, but this is the kind of move they usually make
Pirates and Twins in a fierce competition over signing minor league free agents
Pirates sure do love those sub .200 hitters.
Minors deal with a spring invite. It’s a see what you got deal.