ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays claimed Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from the Pirates on Thursday, adding some needed middle-infield depth to their 40-man roster.
The Pirates designated Cheng for assignment on Dec. 19 to make room on their 40-man roster for the three players they acquired from the Rays in a three-team deal involving the Astros: Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery. Tampa Bay landed Houston prospects Jacob Melton and Anderson Brito in that swap.
Cheng, 24, signed with the Pirates out of Taiwan in 2019 for $380,000 but didn’t begin his professional career until 2021. He moved quickly through the Minors in 2022-23 and spent most of last season with Triple-A Indianapolis.
He posted a .209/.307/.271 slash line with 18 steals in 107 games for Indianapolis last year, and he is a career .251/.350/.385 hitter in the Minors. Offensively, Cheng has displayed some patience and speed but little power, and his batting average dipped from .278 in 2023 to .225 in ’24 to .209 last year.
His real strength is his defense and versatility, as he is regarded as a solid defender at either middle-infield spot. Cheng played 363 games at shortstop in the Minors and 109 at second base, and he even bounced over to third for 38 games.
Cheng has a Minor League option remaining, so he can be sent to Triple-A. But the Rays’ unsettled middle-infield situation could give him a path to playing time, barring further additions.
The Rays seem poised to lean on light-hitting defensive specialist Taylor Walls at shortstop to start the season unless top prospect Carson Williams, who struggled at the plate in his debut last year, earns the job in camp. If nothing else, Cheng gives the Rays another player capable of manning shortstop in the Majors.
With Lowe traded, Richie Palacios is the Rays’ top internal candidate to handle second base, but he has been limited by injuries the past two years. Tampa Bay doesn’t have much depth at second, either, so Cheng could serve as a backup there unless the Rays add a more experienced infielder.
