The Pirates designated right-hander Cam Sanders for assignment on July 11, 2026, one day after they optioned him to Triple-A for the maximum fifth time this season. The move cleared another spot on the roster after the club brought in Jacob Gonzalez and Brandon Eisert from the White Sox.
For Sanders, the timing matters because this was the first time he had been designated for assignment, which means he is now off the 40-man roster and exposed to waivers. If he clears, the Pirates can try to keep him in the organization, but another club could also claim him before that happens.
The question is whether any team sees enough to bet on the arm and live with the rest. Sanders has a 27.1% strikeout rate in 2026, a better miss rate than he showed a year ago, but the rest of the line still looks shaky: an 8.68 ERA over 9 1/3 innings in nine appearances and a 20.8% walk rate. He posted an 8.10 ERA in his MLB debut in 2025, when he worked 6 2/3 innings, and his career Triple-A numbers tell a similar story of strikeouts without enough strike-throwing, with a 5.04 ERA over 223 innings and a 29.35K% strikeout rate against an 18.18BB% walk rate.
That is why the Pirates were willing to move on quickly. Sanders had been optioned to Triple-A for the fifth time this season on July 10, and the next day he lost his roster spot entirely. He has spent eight seasons in the Cubs' and Pirates' farm systems, but improved swing-and-miss numbers in the majors have not been enough to cover for the control problems that have followed him through the minors and into Pittsburgh.
The Pirates also moved shortstop Konnor Griffin from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on July 11 because of a torn finger tendon, a step that had been expected given the estimate that he will miss 8-10 weeks. The 60-day move makes clear he will not be back before the first week of September at the absolute earliest, so the roster shuffle that sent Sanders out also reflects a longer injury absence that the club had already been forced to plan around.
What happens next is straightforward even if the outcome is not: Sanders will either be claimed by another team or clear waivers and have the chance to accept an assignment to Triple-A. If no club wants to take on the risk, the Pirates may still keep a pitcher whose strikeouts hint at something more, even as the walks keep getting in the way.
