After making his Major League debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, infielder Cam Devanney is signing with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball. Once the deal is finalized, Pittsburgh's 40-man roster will drop to 38.
Devanney’s decision to sign in Japan barely made a ripple nationally. But for the Pirates, it immediately simplifies one of the most stressful parts of their offseason: navigating an overstuffed 40-man roster ahead of Wednesday's Rule 5 protection deadline.
This isn’t about Devanney himself — it’s about the roster spot he no longer occupies, and how that changes the calculus for protecting top prospects.