Pittsburgh Pirates News: Chasen Shreve Elects Free Agency

The Pittsburgh Pirates have outrighted six players with the seventh player electing free agency. It makes it interesting that they didn’t trade that player at the deadline.

As the beginning of free agency looms the Pittsburgh Pirates had to get their 40-man roster to 40. They did so by outrighted playings to Triple-A Indianapolis, with none of the players being all that notable. However, the last player they outrighted to Indianapolis elected free agency. That player was left-handed relief pitcher Chasen Shreve, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

Shreve signed a deal with the Pirates back in February and would have been entering his final year of arbitration. For the Pirates in 2021 he pitched in 56.1 innings over 57 games. In those 57 games he had a 3.20 ERA and was an effective relief pitcher for the club. Now he will enter the open market instead of remaining in the organization as the team looks to improve their roster.

What makes this move more interesting is the Pirates kept Shreve through the deadline. A left-handed relief pitcher who was performing as he was should have generated some interest, as we have seen how valuable left-handed relievers are in the past. While the return wouldn’t have been an impact prospect, the team could have taken a flier on a player like they did when acquiring Michael Chavis for Austin Davis.

Further, this likely means Sam Howard will be the left-handed relief pitcher for the club next season pending a future signing, as the team might look to do what they did with Shreve and sign a veteran lefty as spring training starts. The Pirates 40-man roster now is down to 40 and they’re preparing to start their free agent process. Since the club will still have to add players ahead of the rule five draft, more roster turnover will be occur.