Pirates sign reliever to minor league deal, but not the one you think

According to his MLB transactions page, right-handed reliever Noah Murdock has signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates and been assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Oh look — another 6-foot-8 project reliever with “intriguing traits” and “stuff you can dream on.”
Translation: the Pirates grabbed another guy who throws hard, walks everybody and maybe becomes useful if they unlock the secret cheat code in his delivery.

Classic Ben Cherington special.

But honestly? The name here isn’t the story. The timing is.

Everyone and their cousin assumed the Pirates designated Dauri Moreta for assignment as part of the “wink wink, he’ll clear waivers and re-sign in 48 hours” plan that this team has done roughly a thousand times.

Except… he hasn’t re-signed.

And now the Pirates go out and grab Murdock first? Yeah, we see what’s happening. This is a contingency plan (and frankly, not a very good one, considering Murdock's 13.24 ERA through 17 career MLB games).

What the Noah Murdock signing really means for the Pirates' bullpen depth

This feels like the moment the Pirates front office looked around and said, “Uh… what if Moreta actually got interest from other teams? What if he doesn’t come back on a bargain minor-league deal? Quick — find someone tall!”

So now Murdock is in Triple-A, ready to join the long list of Indianapolis lottery tickets the Pirates keep collecting like Pokémon cards. He might be something, he might be nothing. But he definitely isn’t solving the actual problem: This team still needs real MLB relievers who can get outs in the seventh, eighth or ninth innings.

David Bednar is gone. Dennis Santana might be gone. Colin Holderman flamed out. Moreta might not come back. And somehow, the Pirates think the answer can be found in waiver guys, minor league deals, hopes and prayers.

Murdock could be a fine depth guy. He could even surprise people if the Pirates’ pitching lab does its thing. But if this is the Pirates' “big bullpen addition?" If this is the replacement for a guy like Moreta? Then buckle up, because Don Kelly’s going to be squinting at the bullpen door all season like he’s waiting for someone who never shows up.