The hard-throwing lefty signed a major league deal on Thursday and pitched on Friday.
The Pittsburgh Pirates added a needed left-handed arm out of the bullpen with Ryan Borucki on the 15-day IL, and General Manager Ben Cherington was able to grab a free agent with experience and upside. Genesis Cabrera, a familiar foe in the NL Central who had success in parts of five seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals (2019-2023), signed with Pittsburgh on Thursday, his third team in 2025. Cabrera elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs last Saturday.
In corresponding moves to make immediate room on the 26-man roster, the Pirates sent down recently acquired Michael Darrell-Hicks to Triple-A Indianapolis, and Hunter Stratton, who showed promise last season and worked tremendously hard to come back from a gruesome leg injury, was designated for assignment after struggling with the Indianapolis Indians and the Pirates thus far in 2025.
After things went sideways for Genesis Cabrera at the end of his St. Louis tenure, he was serviceable for the Toronto Blue Jays after being traded there in July of 2023. Cabrera stayed with Toronto in 2024 after a strong second half of 2023 and posted a 3.59 ERA in 69 appearances last season. However, his 1.47 WHIP represented a common theme throughout his career: inconsistent command.
Cabrera signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets this winter and started the regular season in Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets called him up on May 1 and posted a 3.52 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP in 7.2 IP before being DFA’d on May 24. After clearing waivers, Cabrera elected free agency and signed a deal with the Cubs. His tenure with Chicago also ended quickly, although this time his performance on the mound warranted being let go.
Cabrera is only 28 years old and has high-end stuff. His pitch arsenal primarily features a mid-to-upper 90s four-seamer and sinker, along with a low 90s cutter and a low 80s curveball. Pirates Manager Don Kelly reportedly may have pushed for this move, as he’s always been impressed with Cabrera since his first year as a scout in 2017 with the Detroit Tigers, where he saw him pitch as a starter in Single-A Charlotte (Tampa Bay Rays affiliate).
Cabrera certainly impressed in his first appearance in a Bucco uniform on Friday night, getting four outs and stranding an inherited runner. Weirdly enough, he is the first Pirate ever to wear the number 92. He was also the first player to wear the number 92 for the Cubs and Mets. Hopefully, Cabrera can have a more extended stint with the Pirates than he did with those contending clubs.