Infielder Tristan Gray has been claimed off waivers by the Pirates, per an announcement from the Athletics. The A’s also announced that right-hander Austin Adams and infielder Armando Alvarez have been outrighted off the 40-man roster. There was no previous reporting about the three being removed from the roster but it’s a time of year where clubs regularly try to clear roster spots. The A’s tried with these three but the Pirates swooped in to grab Gray.
Gray, 28, was only on the Athletics’ roster for a couple of months, as they claimed him from the Marlins at the end of August. Between those two clubs and the Rays, he has a tiny amount of major league experience, having stepped to the plate 36 times in 17 games. He has a dismal line of .152/.222/.273 though it’s obviously a tiny sample size.
The Bucs are undoubtedly more interested in Gray’s prospect pedigree and minor league numbers. It was actually Pittsburgh that drafted him, selecting him with a 13th-round pick in 2017. His initial stint with the Bucs was short-lived, as he was traded to the Rays in the February 2018 trade that brought Corey Dickerson to Pittsburgh.
He was with the Rays through 2023 but reached free agency after that season and secured a minor league deal with the Marlins. To this point, between his various organizations, he has hit .238/.311/.454 in his minor league career for a 104 wRC+. He is capable of playing all four infield positions.
Gray’s previous tenure in the Pirates’ system predated Ben Cherington being hired as the general manager, but the appeal of grabbing him now is understandable. Gray’s minor league offense has been passable and he can provide the club with depth all around the infield. He is still optionable and doesn’t need to be guaranteed a spot on the active roster.
The Pirates have uncertainty at essentially every infield position. Shortstop Oneil Cruz was recently moved to center field. Third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes has ongoing back problems. First baseman Rowdy Tellez was released late in the 2024 season. Second base was a revolving door this year.
For Adams, this move is effectively an early non-tender. He could have been retained for 2025 via arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a salary of $1.7MM. This move suggests the A’s weren’t keen at bringing him back at that price.
Adams has regularly posted strong strikeout numbers but often with poor control. He throws his frisbee slider the majority of the time, often missing bats but also missing the strike zone and hitting batters.
He tossed 41 1/3 innings for the A’s this year, allowing 3.92 earned runs per nine. He struck out 27.7% of batters faced but also gave out 23 walks for a 12% clip and hit 13 batters.
Players with at least three years of service time or a previous career outright have the right to elect free agency rather than accept another outright assignment. Adams qualifies on both counts and will likely be officially a free agent soon.
Alvarez, 30, just made his major league debut this year. He was selected by the A’s in June and hit .243/.282/.270 in 39 plate appearances.
His minor league numbers have been better in recent years, as he hit .301/.369/.551 over the 2022-24 seasons for a 127 wRC+. But as a 30-year-old journeyman who just made his MLB debut, the A’s likely didn’t view him as a key building block and bumped him off the roster.
Alvarez doesn’t have three years of service or a previous career outright, but he does have seven years in the minors, so he’ll soon be able to elect minor league free agency.
Hopefully, Adams and Alvarez com stay with Oakland. More than just fillers they do bring value to a promising young team like the A’s…
Looks terrible, gotta pick him up!!!
Coincidentally Gray was traded to the Rays by the Pirates along with Daniel Hudson, who announced his retirement within the last 24 hours or so.
Great, another utility player that can’t hit.
This years Josh VanMeter
signing players who can’t hit is one of Cherington’s best attributes
Doesn’t know anything about hitting. Maybe they got him to be the hitting coach.
My contacts tell me that Andy Haines is coming back as hitting coach.
He needed a job and told Nutting that he would work for half pay.
Nutting said 40% is tops.
Andy said yes.
With the 3 stooges, Shelton, Haines and Cherington, except another last place finish next season
It’s a AAA move. Pirates will also waive him. It’s probably a case of whoever waives him last can keep him in the minors, and off the 40 man roster.
My issue with this has nothing to do with Tristan Gray as a player. He’s serviceable minor league depth. If you’re counting on him to produce above average play for long stretches you’re probably screwed but he can fill in multiple spots in a pinch if the injury bug hits the team and you just need to stay afloat for a week or two. My issue is why are the Pirates hitting the waiver wire already? No rosters are really going to be set for five months or so and all other moves made today by other teams are clearing payroll to figure out what they can do this offseason. You can get a guy like Tristan within three phone calls the day before you need him to play a game. No point to making this move.
Tristan Gray? Who cancelled? Was Bobby Crosby unavailable? Did Dean Anna say no?
Mike Benjamin and Jeff Reboulet both have unlisted numbers, apparently.
A+ He hits the ball hard the few times he actually hits it. Look forward to a A+ dfa when he hits the waiver wire.
So the Pirates claimed a career sub .240 hitter in the minors who is almost 30?
This team good lord.
Should have passed on Gray. There has to be better options out there.
He’s a cheap pickup for a cheap franchise
The writer said 2nd base was a revolving door. He’s dead wrong. It’s nick Gonzalez job. These guys write crap without doing their homework
It was though, until Gonzalez came along.
Sadly will probably the best pickup of the off season
safe pickup. costs about nothing and worth having as an outlier with hope but not expecting much.
Players picked up this early in this fashion often don’t make it through the winter
unless your team is run by Ben Cherington