Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Bill Brink, the Pirates cleared a roster spot for the newly re-signed Ivan Nova on Saturday, designating outfielder and top prospect Willy Garcia for assignment.
Garcia, 24, was ranked 15th-best in the Pirates’ system during MLB.com’s 2016 midseason rankings. He slashed .245/.293/.366 with six home runs in his first full season with Triple-A Indianapolis. The power potential that kept Garcia on the cusp of his first major league assignment seemed to fade from 2015 to 2016, however, though his strong arm in right field could garner interest from another club before the offseason is up.