Prospect Protection Deadline: Do Pirates Add Anyone to 40-Man Roster?

The deadline to protect prospects eligible for the Rule 5 Draft is Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET and the Pittsburgh Pirates have some decisions to make.

Players who signed at 18 years old or younger — whether through the draft or international free agency — must be added to the 40-man roster within five seasons of signing or else they risk exposure to the Rule 5 Draft. Players who signed at 19 years or older must be added within four years of putting pen to paper.

If a player is selected in the Rule 5 draft, he must remain on the 26-man roster for a full season or else he will be offered back to his former organization for cash.

Last season, the Pirates added right-handed pitcher Braxton Ashcraft and infielder Tsung-Che Cheng to their 40-man roster to protect them from being picked up by another organization.

While the Pirates don’t have anyone of Ashcraft or Cheng’s notoriety from this time a year ago, there are a couple of players worth considering.

The first is catcher/first baseman Omar Alfonzo, the lone prospect on MLB Pipeline’s top 30 list for the Pirates. Alfonzo, who is ranked No. 20 (No. 19 on Pittsburgh Baseball Now’s top 30), wrapped up a fine season split between Bradenton and Greensboro.

Combined between the two levels, the 21-year-old played in 110 games and slashed .252/.357/.403 with 17 doubles, 13 home runs and 46 RBIs.

But with only 24 games played in High-A and no experience yet in Double-A, the Pirates will probably be able to keep Alfonzo in the organization even if he’s not added to the 40-man roster.

Another Pirates’ prospect who deserves consideration is outfielder Sammy Siani, who was drafted with the 37th pick in 2019. Though his prospect status has dipped over the years, Siani just finished a terrific showing in the Arizona Fall League.

In 22 games during the AFL’s regular season, Siani slashed a whopping .375/.457/.550 and was one of three players on the Scottsdale Scorpions with an OPS of over 1.000. The 23-year-old hit five doubles, three home runs, drove in 18 runs and stole six bases.

During the 2024 regular season, Sinai got off to a fast start with Greensboro and hit .324 with a .966 OPS before a midseason promotion to Altoona. Though his performance fell off some during his time with the Curve, Siani was a league-average player with a 101 wRC+.

Between a solid season in the minor leagues and a great performance in the AFL, Siani is the prospect most likely to get added to the Pirates’ 40-man roster before Tuesday’s deadline. It’s no guarantee that he will, but Ben Cherington and his staff will at least have to consider protecting him.

The Pirates’ 40-man roster currently sits at 38 players, so no corresponding roster move would be needed to add Siani — or anyone else for that matter.