Pittsburgh Pirates: Former Players That Are Currently Free Agents

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 23: Chad Kuhl #39 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 23, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 23: Chad Kuhl #39 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 23, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
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Pittsburgh Pirates
PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 01: Justin Wilson #37 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants during the National League Wild Card game at PNC Park on October 1, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Relief Pitchers

Justin Wilson was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2012 through 2014. The team then traded him to the New York Yankees in the 2014-2015 offseason in a one-for-one swap for catcher Francisco Cervelli. Last season, Wilson only pitched three-and-two-thirds innings. He struck out seven batters and didn’t allow a single walk. However, after missing a good chunk of the year’s first half, Wilson underwent Tommy John surgery in early June.

The other southpaw free agent reliever and the only other free agent reliever to pitch at least one season in Pittsburgh is Chasen Shreve. Shreve only spent the 2021 season in Pittsburgh, and he was a solid left-hander for the team. Before pitching for the Pirates, he mostly pitched for the Yankees but made brief cameos with the Braves and Cardinals. The Mets picked up Shreve in the ’21-’22 off-season, where he only pitched 26.1 innings, allowing 19 earned runs on six home runs, ten walks, and 29 Ks. Shreve was released in early July, and while he re-signed with the Yankees, he did not make another major league appearance in 2022.

Overall, only two former Pirate relievers on the market played at least one season with the team. Many others, though, made at least a few appearances in Black and Gold, like Heath Hembree, Keone Kela, Manny Banuelos, and Derek Holland.

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