Bucs On Deck

This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts

This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts

Originally signed out of Venezuela by the Boston Red Sox, Jesus Travieso was the secondary piece that was sent to the Pittsburgh Pirates, along with Jhostynxon Garcia, in the Johan Oviedo trade. After spending the 2024 season in the Dominican Summer League, Travieso made the jump Stateside last year, splitting time between the FCL and Low-A Salem. In total, Travieso struck out 90 batters, walking 36, over 64.2 innings pitched, posting a 3.06 ERA (3.16 xFIP).

The last major event of the Winter Meetings, the Rule 5 draft, took place on Wednesday afternoon. Teams had the opportunity to select eligible players from other organizations in both the major league and minor league portions of the draft. If taken in the major league portion, that player would have to stay on the active roster for the entire 2026 season or else be offered back to their original team.

After coming up short in signing Kyle Schwarber, the Pittsburgh Pirates shifted focus and addressed the bullpen, signing left-handed pitcher Gregory Soto to a one-year, $7.75 million contract, according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN. Soto, 30, went 1-5 with a save in 70 appearances for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets in 2025. He posted a 4.18 ERA with 70 strikeouts in 60.1 innings pitched. Soto is credited with five pitches according to Statcast, mainly throwing a sinker and slider.

One of the biggest offseason spectacles, the Winter Meetings, is now upon us, with all 30 major league teams converged upon Orlando, Florida, to meet and hopefully lead to some big free-agent signings and trades. Even if there aren’t any big deals, there’s a good chance that the groundwork for a trade/signing that happens later on started there. Two offseason landmarks take place during the meetings: the draft lottery and the Rule 5 draft.

The Pittsburgh Pirates officially got their offseason underway with a five-player trade involving the Boston Red Sox. It was widely assumed that the Pirates would trade from their upper-level pitching depth this offseason in hopes of adding some much-needed offense. They’ve hopefully added that with the addition of Jhostynxon “The Password” Garcia from the Red Sox.

Before he even made it Stateside, David Matoma was making waves in the Dominican Summer League with a fastball that reached triple-digits. He pitched about as well as you could hope his first two years in pro ball, playing in the DSL in 2023 and then the FCL in 2024. In 24 total games, Matoma allowed just two earned runs, walking 16 and striking out 42 over 38.2 innings pitched. He made the jump to full-season ball in 2025, pitching out of the bullpen for the Bradenton Marauders.

Things took a turn in the Pirates’ organization this past season. Known for their deep pitching staff, a lot of their top arms broke in at the major league level in 2025, and while they have some more depth on the way, that allowed the hitting to emerge a bit. The Pirates got big seasons from Esmerlyn Valdez (system-leading 26 home runs) and Edward Florentino (16 home runs and 35 stolen bases as an 18-year-old).

FanGraphs released their ZiPS Projections for the 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates earlier in the week. For those keeping score, these same projections had the Pirates as a potential , though with less upside than any other team in the division. That record didn’t come to fruition, as the Pirates ended up winning 71 games. ZiPS weighs recent seasons but still accounts for the previous three years in its projections, aiming to provide a rough estimate of what a player may do in 2026 and beyond.