With Starling Marte's future with the club still up in the air, the Pirates added some much-needed outfield depth to their roster Thursday by signing Guillermo Heredia to a major league contract.
The signing was first reported by Francys Romero, who writes for MLB's Spanish site.
Sources: OF Guillermo Heredia agreed a deal with Pittsburgh Pirates. Heredia become the first cuban in the Pirates system. Great opportunity to play in PNC Park. pic.twitter.com/aU6kqC48NX
— Francys Romero (@FrancysRomero10) January 9, 2020
To make room on the roster, the Pirates designated Pablo Reyes for assignment.
Heredia, 28, was non-tendered by the Rays in December after slashing .225/.306/.363 with 5 home runs and 20 RBI over 231 PAs. He was worth with 0.3 WAR, per Baseball-Reference, and played all three outfield positions.
Heredia originally signed out of Cuba with the Mariners and played there from 2016-2018 before being traded to the Rays prior to the 2019 campaign. He has been used mostly as a bench player and a defensive replacement throughout his career.
Per Baseball-Reference, Heredia has three years of team control remaining. He bats right-handed and throws left-handed.
Reyes burst on to the major-league scene with a head-turning September in 2018, but struggled in 2019, slashing .203/.274/.322 with 2 home runs and 19 RBI. However, his versatility and option years make this a bit of a surprise, especially since Reyes was also outfield depth.
If Marte were to be traded, Bryan Reynolds would move to center field, creating a hole in left. At the moment, the only other players on the 40-man roster who could potentially play left field for an extended period of time are Jose Osuna and the rehabbing Jason Martin.
Also joining Heredia in the outfield depth mix is Socrates Brito, the former Blue Jays farmhand and Dominican League hits leader who signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates in December.
