The Pirates lost two players to waivers Friday, as right-hander Miguel Yajure was claimed by the Giants and catcher Ali Sánchez was claimed by the Diamondbacks.
Yajure is the more notable of the two names, as the 24-year-old right-hander was once considered one of the Pirates' top pitching prospects. Acquired from the Yankees in the Jameson Taillon trade in January 2021, injuries limited Yajure to just 39 1/3 major-league innings in parts of two seasons with the Pirates.
He bounced between the majors and minors this year, posting an 8.88 ERA over 24 1/3 innings with the Pirates.
That was a far cry from the promise he flashed in 2021, though an elbow injury limited him to just four major-league appearances.
A back injury seemed to limit Yajure ahead of the 2022 season, throwing his mechanics out of sync. Trying to get his mechanics back was a recurring struggle all season.
Sánchez was claimed off of waivers from the Tigers in October. He never appeared in a game with the Pirates.
With Sánchez gone, prospect Endy Rodriguez is the only catcher on the Pirates' roster.
Additionally, first baseman Lewin Diaz, who was designated for assignment earlier this week to make room for Carlos Santana, was claimed by the Orioles.
The roster is now at 38 players entering the Winter Meetings.
Losing these two players does give the Pirates the option now to select a player in the Rule 5 draft, assuming they don't fill both spots before Wednesday's draft. The Winter Meetings will take place in San Diego starting Sunday and run through Wednesday.
