The Pittsburgh Pirates are severing ties with tenured outfielder Jake Suwinski as they officially designate him for assignment.
Suwinski has been a member of the Pirates since July 2021, when he was acquired in the trade that sent second baseman Adam Frazier to the San Diego Padres. Suwinski is now DFA eligible and will have the opportunity to receive waivers from 29 other MLB organizations. If Suwinski is not claimed off waivers, he will return to the Pirates’ minor league system and potentially elect to enter free agency.
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With Suwinski DFA, the Pirates made room on the 40-man roster to officially sign newly acquired designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. The Buccaneers signed Suwinski to a one-year contract extension this offseason to avoid arbitration.
Suwinski’s time with the Pirates was characterized by his power at the plate and insane inconsistency. The 27-year-old slugger made his MLB debut in 2022 and played 106 games for the Pirates that season. Suwinski had a breakout season in 2023, ranking 20th in the National League with 26 home runs. Suwinski’s primary sin is that while he possesses incredible power at the plate, he’s also notorious for having a high swing and miss rate. He enters the 2023 season ranked 20th in homers and sixth in strikeouts with 172.
While Suwinski showed greatness and potential as a power hitter in Pittsburgh’s lineup, he was never able to replicate the popularity he showed during the 2023 season. In 2024, Suwinski played in 88 games and hit just nine homers.
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2025 appears to be the real turning point in Suwinski’s life in Pittsburgh. He only played in 59 games as he was inconsistent at the plate and had a handful of stints with Triple-A Indianapolis. Suwinski finished the season with a .147/.281/.534 slash line with 57 strikeouts and a career-low T3 home run.
Suwinski’s departure opens the door for Jake Mangum, Joe Stinkson-Garcia and Esmelyn Valdez to get more playing time in a smaller Pittsburgh outfield group.
