Liover Peguero is a name that Pirates fans don’t hear that much about anymore. Once considered a decent option in Pittsburgh’s farm system, he has since faded away into a mainstay at Triple-A Indianapolis.

Like many prospects who have played major league games for the Pirates in recent years, Peguero was not originally developed in Pittsburgh’s organization.

Peugero was actually one of general manager Ben Cherington’s first acquisitions on the job. In January of 2020, Peguero and Brennan Malone were sent to the Pirates in exchange for Starling Marte.

That trade, among many others, has not worked out for the Pirates. The 24-year-old Malone, by the way, has a 6.46 ERA and 1.957 WHIP in 15.1 innings for Low-A Bradenton this season.

Peguero, though, was once seen as a potential important piece of the Pirates’ future. He saw considerable playing time with the Pirates in 2023. Called up in mid-July, just a few games before the trade deadline, Peguero played 59 games down the stretch for the club, splitting his time between shortstop and second base.

He slashed .237/.280/.374 with seven home runs and 26 RBI in 213 total plate appearances. Strikeouts were an issue for him, with Peguero striking out at a 31% rate, as opposed to just 5.2% for walks.

But getting a major league job in 2024 wasn’t easy. With Oneil Cruz still taking up shortstop to early the year, Peguero competed with Jared Triolo, Nick Gonzales, and Ji Hwan Bae for the second base job in last year’s spring training.