The Pirates continued to shuffle their bench players Monday, claiming utility player Ildemaro Vargas off waivers from the Cubs.
To make room for him on the roster, outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. has been designated for assignment.
The 29-year-old Vargas has played parts of five seasons with the majors with the Diamondbacks, Twins and Cubs. He has a career .246/.280/.380 slash line with eight home runs, 46 RBIs and 0.2 WAR.
In nine games with the Cubs this year, he batted .143 (3-for-21) with two doubles and three walks.
Over the past two seasons, Vargas has played all four infield positions. He also has played five innings in the outfield.
Vargas will report to the Pirates. He has no minor-league options remaining.
Before this move, the Pirates had five outfielders, two catchers and five infielders on their shortened bench. This move evens out the roster a bit and adds some depth while Colin Moran, Phillip Evans and Ke’Bryan Hayes are on the injured list.
During his radio show on 93.7 The Fan Sunday, general manager Ben Cherington expressed optimism that Moran and Evans could return to the lineup without needing to make a rehab assignment. The club and Hayes are mapping out his rehab plan for his return.
This is the second time the 25-year-old Stokes has been designated for assignment by the Pirates this year, the other time coming in January, and the fourth time in his career. He was also DFA’d by the Brewers in September, 2019 and the Tigers this January.
Stokes received his first major-league game action this month after having his contract selected on May 9. He went 2-for-18 over eight games with a pair of RBIs and a stolen base.
The Pirates are off Monday and will start a six-game road trip in St. Louis Tuesday.
