Pirates reportedly cut ties with Drew Maggi

After making his long-awaited debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in late April, fans questioned whether Drew Maggi would get one more look at the majors before season’s end.

That question was answered on Sunday and, unfortunately, it didn’t have the storybook ending fans hoped for.

According to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, the Pirates released the 34-year-old journeyman Sunday evening, bringing an end to his second stint with the organization. No reason was given for his release.

The Pirates initially drafted Maggi in the 15th round of the 2010 MLB Draft, then reacquainted with him last August after the Philadelphia Phillies traded him for cash. Then, he signed a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training in December.

Maggi hit .346 in 26 games during the spring and was assigned to Double-A Altoona prior to the regular season. A few weeks into the regular season, he made his way to Pittsburgh as an emergency call-up after Bryan Reynolds went on the bereavement list.

Three days later, Maggi made his long-awaited MLB debut.

His first career hit and RBI came against the Washington Nationals on April 29.

He was outrighted following the game and re-assigned to Altoona after clearing waivers, where he slashed .181/.257/.477 with 10 RBI until he was placed on the development list on July 14.

Fun fact: Maggi has the third most stolen bases in a single season for Altoona, swiping 37 bags in 2014.

Maggi told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he plans on playing baseball again, but if he goes unsigned, it’s worth mentioning that his road to the show is inspirational.