Pirates quietly release long-time Rangers prospect

The Pittsburgh Pirates designated former Texas Rangers infielder Davis Wendzel for assignment as a corresponding move to selecting right-hander Noah Murdock's contract on Sunday, according to MLB.com's transactions log. Pittsburgh released Wendzel the same day.

Wendzel, a first-round pick by Texas in the 2019 MLB Draft, has played for the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate for most of the season. He posted a solid .230/.349/.461 (112 wRC+) slash line with 10 home runs and 38 RBI over 65 games for Triple-A Indianapolis. The infielder appeared in just two games in the big leagues with the Pirates this year, going 0-for-4 at the plate.

Wendzel played in the minors for Texas from 2019-24, and ranked as high as the club's No. 10 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline in 2021. Unfortunately, his prospect stock began to plummet after 2021, dropping to the organization's No. 17 prospect in 2022 and completely falling out of the team's top 30 in 2023. Poor minor-league stats are the reason for that, as he hit just .207/.287/.398 (70 wRC+) in 85 games with Triple-A Round Rock in 2022. He did a bit better in 2023, slashing .236/.361/.477 (106 wRC+) over 124 games with the Express.

Davis Wendzel has mainly played in minors since making MLB debut with Rangers in 2024

The infielder finally reached the majors with Texas in 2024, slashing .128/.163/.234 (9 wRC+) with one home run and two RBI in 49 plate appearances across 27 games. The Rangers designated him for assignment on July 29, 2024, and then traded him to the Cincinnati Reds for cash a day later. The Reds designated Wendzel for assignment in late August 2024 and then outrighted him to Triple-A Louisville, where he had already been playing.

Wendzel hit a poor .247/.331/.340 (81 wRC+) over 42 games with Triple-A Louisville to finish the 2024 season. He also spent the 2025 season with the Bats, slashing .251/.346/.433 (108 wRC+) in 94 games. The infielder elected free agency this past offseason and signed a minor-league deal with the Pirates on Dec. 15.

If Wendzel clears waivers, he can decline an outright assignment with Pittsburgh because he has been outrighted in the past. A reunion between the Rangers and Wendzel is certainly possible if the infielder is willing to sign a minor-league deal with the club. The Rangers' bench has done a solid job keeping the team in contention in the wake of injuries to Corey Seager, Wyatt Langford and others, but adding more depth to the minor-league ranks couldn't hurt Texas.

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