It won’t be the flashiest move that happens before Monday’s Major League Baseball trade deadline, as the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles agreed to a notable trade with international ties on Monday night.
The Pirates announced that outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez was acquired from the Orioles in exchange for cash considerations. Baltimore had recently designated the 26-year-old for assignment.
In parts of three seasons in the Majors, Rodriguez doesn’t have standout numbers. In 132 trips to the plate with the Cleveland Guardians and Orioles, he owns a .177/.288/.301 slash line with a 66 OPS+.
However, the Bayamon, Puerto Rico, native has had much better success at Triple-A and in the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rico’s top professional baseball league.
During the 2025-26 winter league season with the LBPRC’s Gigantes de Carolina, Rodriguez hit .265 and drove in 23 RBIs, which led all hitters. His season at the plate led to MVP honors.
Across his career, Rodriguez has played parts of five seasons with the Gigantes during the MLB offseason. He did not suit up for Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
That was his second MVP Award in professional baseball, as he previously won the 2024 International League MVP Award at the Triple-A level with the Guardians organization. Rodriguez owns a .295/.386/.508 line in four seasons at the highest level of the minors.
For the Pirates, there’s no harm in taking a chance on Rodriguez and seeing if he can at least hit at a replacement level. He’s still just 26 and won’t reach free agency until after the 2031 season.
Pittsburgh can call him up this year, and he has options remaining. That gives the NL Central club flexibility to send him to the minors without exposing him to waivers.
Tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the third and final NL Wild Card, the Pirates will attempt to make their first postseason appearance since 2015.
Photo: Baltimore Orioles’ Johnathan Rodríguez watches the flight of his RBI double in the first inning during the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox, Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
