Jared

Oliva

Oliva hasn’t been back to the big leagues since getting into 26 games for the Pirates from 2020-2021 and spent all of last year in Seattle’s system at Double-A Arkansas, batting .294/.378/.463 with seven homers and 37 steals in 248 plate appearances. He’s merely an organizational depth addition for the Brewers and will likely open next season at Triple-A Nashville.

Oliva got into 26 games over a two-year span with the Pirates before spending all of last season in the minors. The 27-year-old outfielder gives the Angels some extra organizational depth heading into the 2023 season.

Oliva cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week and will report to Triple-A Indianapolis. The 26-year-old outfielder holds a lackluster .179/.220/.214 triple-slash line across 59 plate appearances at the major-league level since 2020.

It clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Josh VanMeter, who was traded to Pittsburgh on Thursday. Oliva, 26, has struggled with the bat, but has shown the ability to go get it in the outfield and make an impact as a baserunner. Those skills could see another organization take a chance on him.

Oliva and Smith-Njigba are the lone members of the Pirates’ 40-man roster included in their latest batch of spring training cuts. Oliva has appeared in 26 games at the major-league level over the last two seasons, hitting .179/.220/.214 with three stolen bases in 59 plate appearances during that span.

Oliva is sent down to make room for Hoy Jun Park. The speedy outfielder should be back as an option off the bench at some point.

Oliva replaces Colin Moran. The outfielder has struggled so far in Triple-A with a .167 average and .460 OPS, but he’s a strong outfielder and also has speed that can help off the bench. Neither of those will help fantasy managers even if the 25-year-old gets enough playing time for fantasy consideration.

Oliva is currently stationed at the Pirates’ alternate training site and presumably suffered the injury during a workout or an intrasaquad game. He won’t be an option for Pittsburgh until probably late May or early June.

It sounds like a day-to-day situation. The 25-year-old Oliva made his major league debut with the Pirates last season after slashing .277/.352/.398 with six home runs and 36 stolen bases in 123 games last season in Double-A. He should see some time with the big club this season as they evaluate their future.

Olivia was called up on Monday and went 0-for-1 with a strikeout. The 24-year-old batted .277/.352/.398 with six home runs and 36 stolen bases in 123 games last season in Double-A. He should see a couple of starts down the stretch as the Pirates evaluate their options for the future.