The Mets signed Olivares to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Olivares slashed only .224/.291/.333 with five home runs in 55 contests with the Pirates in 2024, but he had a 108 OPS+ as a part-timer with the Royals over the previous two seasons. Slated to turn 29 in March, Olivares will compete for a reserve outfielder role with the Mets but will likely start next season at Triple-A Syracuse.
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Edward Olivares: Elects free agency
Rotowire
Olivares became a free agent Oct. 2.
Olivares was designated for assignment in August and was sent outright to Triple-A Indianapolis a few days later, and he's since decided to test out the open market. He appeared in 55 games for the Pirates in 2024 and slashed .224/.291/.333 with five home runs, 23 RBI, one stolen base and 22 runs scored.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Outrighted to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Pirates outrighted Olivares to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday.
Olivares lost his spot on the 40-man roster this past Thursday, when the Pirates called up reliever Ben Heller from Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move. Before he was designated for assignment, Olivares had been optioned to Triple-A shortly before the All-Star break after slashing .224/.291/.333 across 196 plate appearances with the big club. He hasn't fared much better during his time in Indianapolis this season, producing a .656 OPS through 63 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Booted off 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Pirates designated Olivares for assignment Thursday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Olivares was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis a month ago after producing a .624 OPS in 55 contests, and he didn't do much better in the International League with a .657 OPS in 15 games. Given his $1.35 million salary, the 28-year-old seems likely to pass through waivers unclaimed.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Moving into short-side platoon role
Rotowire
Olivares is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mets.
Olivares has now taken a seat in three consecutive matchups with right-handed pitchers, signaling that the Pirates now longer view him as their primary option in right field. The lefty-hitting Joshua Palacios has started in right field in the last two of those matchups with righties and looks to have emerged as the strong-side platoon option at the position. Olivares should still play fairly regularly against left-handed pitching.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Sitting again Saturday
Rotowire
Olivares is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Mets.
Saturday marks the fourth time in five games that Olivares is absent from the starting lineup, with the Pirates going with Bryan Reynolds, Michael Taylor and Joshua Palacios in the outfield. Since June 1, Olivares is slashing .211/.294/.211 with six RBI over 57 at-bats.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Idle again Friday
Rotowire
Olivares is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Mets.
Olivares is on the bench for the third time in four games as Jack Suwinski, Michael Taylor and Joshua Palacios fill the outfield from left to right. Olivares is 0-for-6 at the plate in July.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Sitting after four straight starts
Rotowire
Olivares is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Olivares will take a seat after he had started each of the Pirates' last four games while going 6-for-15 with a walk, two runs and two RBI. Each of those starts came against right-handed pitching, so for the moment, Olivares appears to have supplanted Connor Joe as the Pirates' preferred option in right field.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Getting more work against RHPs
Rotowire
Olivares will start in right field and bat seventh in Monday's game against the Reds.
Olivares has operated as a short-side platoon player for the Pirates for much of the season, but he'll stick in the lineup against a right-hander (Carson Spiers) for the third matchup in a row. Though Olivares mustered a lowly .470 OPS thus far in June, that's still better than what Connor Joe (.447) has provided over that same stretch of action. Pittsburgh should have room for both Joe and Olivares in its lineup versus lefties, but Olivares looks to be the preferred option against righties at the moment.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Scores three times
Rotowire
Olivares went 2-for-2 with two walks, an RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base Wednesday against the Dodgers.
Olivares rarely starts against right-handed pitching, and he took advantage of a chance against lefty James Paxton on Wednesday. The effort marked his fourth multi-hit performance of the past month, during which he's hit .298/.352/.489. However, he's also appeared in only 16 games and earned 54 plate appearances in that span, and that sporadic playing time makes it difficult to roster him in most fantasy formats.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Absent from lineup
Rotowire
Olivares is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Blue Jays.
It's his second straight game on the bench after he had started the previous four contests in right field. Connor Joe will occupy right field again Friday while Rowdy Tellez covers first base.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Playing time picking up
Rotowire
Olivares will start in right field and bat cleanup in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Tigers.
Olivares looks to be the primary beneficiary from a playing-time standpoint after the Pirates optioned Jack Suwinski to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday. In the ensuing five games, Olivares has now drawn four starts (three versus lefties, one versus a right-hander).
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Big performance against Atlanta
Rotowire
Olivares went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored Friday against Atlanta.
Olivares got the start in right field with lefty Ray Kerr on the mound and occupied the cleanup spot. He took advantage of the opportunity by delivering RBI knocks in the third and sixth innings. Olivares is a candidate to see more playing time after the Pirates optioned Jack Suwinski to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, especially as he has no clear platoon partner now in right field.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Clubs two-run homer
Rotowire
Olivares went 2-for-4 in Thursday's win over the Cubs with a double, a two-run homer and two runs scored.
Olivares put the Pirates on the board with a two-run blast off Justin Steele in the top of the first and later added a double in the sixth before coming around to score on a sacrifice fly from Yasmani Grandal. The home run was Olivares' fifth of the season and he's now hit safely in three straight games. It also marked only the second time this season he scored two runs in a contest.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Grand in win
Rotowire
Olivares went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a double in Monday's win over the Angels.
Olivares generated all the offense Pittsburgh needed to defeat the Angels on Monday night, blasting a 424-foot grand slam in the third inning. The 28-year-old is the short-side of a platoon currently with Jack Suwinski, which limits his overall fantasy value. Olivares is hitting .218/.282/.397 with four homers, 12 RBI and 10 runs scored in 85 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Retreats to bench Sunday
Rotowire
Olivares is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Olivares had started each of the past four games -- two against right-handed starting pitchers and two against lefties -- while going 5-for-15 with a pair of solo home runs and an additional run. The 28-year-old still looks like the Pirates' fourth outfielder/backup designated hitter, but he's playing regularly versus lefties and often enough against righties to warrant consideration for a roster spot in deeper mixed leagues.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Occupying right field Monday
Rotowire
Olivares will start in right field and bat fifth in Monday's game versus the Nationals.
Most of Olivares' playing time this season will likely come against left-handers, and luckily for him, the Pirates have faced five southpaw starters in as many games to open the campaign. Olivares has been in the lineup four times, reaching base five times and hitting a home run in the first three of those contests.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Gets start versus southpaw
Rotowire
Olivares is starting in right field and batting fifth in Friday's game in Miami, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Olivares didn't start Opening Day against a lefty, but he gets the nod in the second game with southpaw A.J. Puk on the hill. The left-handed hitting Jack Suwinski has been on the bench for both games.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Sluggish start to spring
Rotowire
Olivares is 2-for-18 with four strikeouts in Grapefruit League action.
The Pirates acquired Olivares this winter, and he should have a role in right field with the team in 2024. Exactly how much he'll play is unclear, as the Pirates also have Josh Palacios (leg) and Connor Joe as potential fits at the position. Olivares's spring performance isn't ideal given the competition for playing time, though his adequate 22.2 percent strikeout rate suggests a few more hits could start falling in soon.
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Pirates' Edward Olivares: Settles at $1.35 million
Rotowire
Olivares signed a $1.35 million contract with the Pirates on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
After slashing .263/.317/.452 with 36 RBI across 385 plate appearances last season with Kansas City, Olivares was traded to Pittsburgh in December. The 27-year-old outfielder boasts an .800 OPS against southpaws since 2021 and figures to be a regular part of Pittsburgh's lineup in 2024.
