Pirates All 40: What Does Trey Cabbage Bring to the Table?

This is one in a series of stories breaking down members of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster.

One of the first moves the Pittsburgh Pirates made this offseason was claiming outfielder Trey Cabbage off waivers from the Houston Astros.

Cabbage, 27, was a fourth-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins back in 2015. Cabbage was granted free agency in 2021 and signed a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Last offseason, he was dealt to the Houston Astros for a pitching prospect.

Across nine minor-league seasons, Cabbage has put together a healthy .259/.338/.473 batting line.

There are clearly some appealing attributes to his game, as evident by his season at Triple-A Salt Lake in the Angels organization in 2023. That year, Cabbage compiled a 30/30 season with 30 home runs and 32 steals in 107 games. He also hit .306 with a .975 OPS.

It was in 2023 that Cabbage made his MLB debut, though he has yet to find his footing in the big leagues. Through 67 games between the Angeles two seasons ago and Astros this past year, Cabbage hit .209 with a .576 OPS, 11 doubles, a pair of home runs and 15 RBIs.

Strikeouts have plagued Cabbage at the game’s highest level, as they have been throughout his professional career. He’s struck out in over 40% of his big-league plate appearances. His minor-league strikeout rate is only slightly better at 32.3%.

Defensively, most of Cabbage’s playing time has come in the outfield and at first base — two areas of need for the Pirates. Though the sample size in the Major Leagues is small, Cabbage has proved to be a capable defender at multiple spots.

For now, Cabbage provides the Pirates with depth at places they need it. Whether his role ever becomes more than that relies on his performance as well as if he sticks on the 40-man roster through the offseason.