Wednesday’s acquisition of Cam Devanney by the Pittsburgh Pirates raises questions while serving as a harbinger of things to come. Devanney, an infielder who played primarily at shortstop this season, was picked up from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Adam Frazier. Devanney was immediately optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.
When general manager Ben Cherington signed the 33-year-old Frazier last January, the deal was a headscratcher in that it didn’t seem to fill a pressing need, as the Pirates were already loaded with middle infield prospects in their system. But none of those prospects banged down the door in spring training. Then, second baseman Nick Gonzales went down with an injury on Opening Day. Frazier filled in admirably in his absence. When Gonzales returned in early June, Frazier then saw action in the outfield when Tommy Pham struggled.
That said, the timing was right to move on from Frazier. His .255/.318/.336 slash line came with a low 20.1 percent hard-hit rate. He’s made a career of hot-hitting spells despite soft contact, but they never continue for long. They can’t.
We have acquired INF Cam Devanney from the Royals in exchange for INF/OF Adam Frazier.
Devanney has been optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. pic.twitter.com/wbWnxZwDkb
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 16, 2025
Fallout of Cam Devanney Deal for Pirates
Meanwhile, Cherington, who collects middle infield prospects the way Elly May Clampett collects “critters,” adds another to the Pirates’ mix. The Pirates now have eight major-league-ready – or at least close-to-major-league-ready – middle infielders at Indianapolis once Devanney arrives. Of the eight, only Devanney has never played in a major league game. However, the Royals called him up to the big time on July 8 and probably would have let him see some game action if not for the trade.
Getting back to the present, the Pirates will need to add another player, presumably an infielder, to the active roster in time for Friday’s home game against the Chicago White Sox. It should be somebody who can handle shortstop, but not necessarily. Note that the 1979 World Series champion Pirates went almost the whole summer without a true backup shortstop. When Tim Foli was given time off, second baseman Phil Garner played shortstop. Outfielder/pinch-running specialist Matt Alexander also finished a game there when the Pirates were on the wrong side of a blowout. (This writer has long held the belief that what was good for the 1979 Pirates should be good for any team.) In any event, Gonzales has played the position in the majors and can slide over there when needed.
Then, the roster will change again when the Pirates deal shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa before the trade deadline. That “IKF” will be traded seems inevitable. Although he’s one of the most fundamentally sound players on the team, it seems that no overtures have been made to sign him to an extension. A trade of Kiner-Falefa might be when the Pirates give Devanney an opportunity. Let’s take a look at the middle infield depth.
The Players
| Name | Age | Positions | Bats | 2025 Triple-A Stats |
| Ji Hwan Bae | 25 | 2B/OF | L | .288/.361/.397, 1 HR,14 RBI, 12 SB, 4 CS |
| Tsung-Che Cheng | 23 | SS/2B/3B | L | .218/.333/.285, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 11 SB, 6 CS |
| Cam Devanney | 28 | SS/2B/3B | R | .272/.366/.565, 18 HR, 55 RBI, 24.3 K% |
| Liover Peguero | 24 | SS/2B/3B | R | .251/.312/.373, 5 HR, 36 RBI, 8 SB, 3 CS |
| Ronny Simón | 25 | OF/SS/2B | L/R | .299/.395/.497, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 19 SB, 4 CS |
| Jared Triolo | 27 | 2B/SS/3B | R | 4-for-14, 1 HR, 2 RBI |
| Alika Williams | 26 | SS/2B/3B | R | .262/.312/.332, 2 HR, 19 RBI |
| Nick Yorke | 23 | 2B/OF | R | .266/.336/.396, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 24.4 K% |
Who’s On Second? Or Shortstop? Or Third? (A-P Edition)
The speedy Bae plays second base well and makes highlight-reel catches in center field. He’s flashed good on-base skills in the minors, with a career .383 OBP. Somehow, those skills vanish when he reaches the majors, and he chases pitches. He had two brief trials with the Pirates this season and struck out five times in 12 plate appearances. He seems unlikely to get the call this time around because he’s no more than an average shortstop. Additionally, maybe he’s enticed the Pirates with his minor league performance one too many times.
Cheng, primarily a shortstop, is the Pirates’ No. 17 prospect. The Pirates called him up in April, but he looked overmatched, going 0-for-7 with three strikeouts. He’s not tearing up Triple-A, either. The Pirates Prospects page predicted he’d debut in 2025, and he did, but we’re not likely to see him back in the black and gold this season unless he steps up his game in a hurry.
Now we get to Devanney. He’s old for a prospect, and indeed, he’s never been a ranked prospect. But the Royals thought he was ready for the majors, and his 18 home runs would lead Indianapolis. Maybe Devanney is a late bloomer and will find a fit with the Pirates.
If it seems like Peguero has been around forever, it’s because he damn near has. He was the key piece in Cherington’s first trade as Pirates GM on January 27, 2020. He was the shortstop of the future until the Pirates promoted Oneil Cruz. When Cruz moved from shortstop to center field, Peguero still wasn’t the shortstop of the future. It was telling when the Pirates bypassed him in favor of Cheng in April. Peguero doesn’t seem to fit their plans anymore, other than as organizational depth.
Who’s on Second? Or Shortstop? Or Third? (Q-Z Edition)
Simón was an intriguing June waiver pickup from the Miami Marlins. He has speed and power and was primarily a second baseman in Miami’s system. But forget about seeing him now. At Indy, he’s been used strictly as an outfielder. Maybe we see him in Pittsburgh if and when Pham is traded.
Triolo, a 2023 Gold Glove Award winner in the utility category, never got on track with the bat this year and was optioned to Triple-A last Thursday. By rule, he must stay there for 10 days unless a player goes on the injured list. Thus, we won’t see him on Friday, but we may see him soon thereafter. The Pirates under Cherington have shown patience with struggling players before and promoted them when they got hot in the minors, even when the sample size was small.
Williams has had major league trials before. He’s a classic, good-field, no-hit shortstop and might be the best defensive shortstop of this group. Like Peguero, however, it seems the Pirates view him as nothing more than minor league depth.
Finally, there’s Yorke, the Pirates’ No. 6 prospect, obtained in a 2024 deadline deal from the Boston Red Sox. After a slow start, he began to hit the ball in May. He’s just 7-for-35 in July, but still sports a respectable stat line, as reflected above.
The Last Word
Having stuck with this article for some 1,100 words, it wouldn’t be fair to leave the reader hanging without a prediction. Because they are natural shortstops, I expect either Peguero or Williams to get the call by Friday. Whoever it is will be on the usual short leash. Once Kiner-Falefa is traded, I think the Pirates will ultimately want Devanney on the big-league roster. I feel that eventually Yorke will get a look and Triolo will return. The fans might be tired of Triolo, but the Pirates brass isn’t, and his defense at several positions is valuable.
Photo Credit: © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
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