Pirates claim former Braves first-round pick off waivers

The Pittsburgh Pirates have added some left-handed depth to their bullpen, claiming reliever Joey Wentz off waivers from the Detroit Tigers. The Pirates had an open spot on their 40-man roster, but they will need to make a corresponding move to add Wentz to the 28-man roster since he is out of options.

A first-round pick (No. 40 overall) by the Atlanta Braves in 2016, Wentz has since fallen on hard times. After being traded to the Tigers in 2019, he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2020 and saw mixed results splitting time between the majors and minors from 2021-23. He tossed 154 innings across four levels of Detroit's farm system during that stretch, posting a 3.97 ERA. He racked up an 11.4% walk rate, but managed to strike out 26.7% of batters faced.

Wentz's major league numbers during that same time frame, however, were less than stellar. He had a 5.99 ERA in 138 1/3 innings, striking out just 19.9% of batters faced in the big leagues. He was used primarily as a starter in 2023, going 3-13 with a 6.90 ERA in 25 outings for Detroit, 19 of which were starts.

Pirates will bank on Joey Wentz's pedigree as they add the former first-round pick to active roster

The Tigers kept Wentz in their bullpen for the first few months of the 2024 campaign, where he was able to serve as a multi-inning reliever. He ate 55 1/3 innings for Detroit over 38 outings this season, going 0-2 with a 5.37 ERA before the Tigers designated him for assignment on Aug. 30.

The hope is that Wentz will be able to provide the Pirates with some left-handed depth behind deadline pickup Jalen Beeks and Ryan Borucki – the latter of whom just recently returned from a lengthy stint on the injured list – in addition to hybrid closer-setup man Aroldis Chapman.

With the Pirates now out of contention, they will likely use this stretch as an audition of sorts for Wentz. The 26-year-old will finish this season with under two years of major league service time, meaning he can be retained for five seasons after this one – which could be a major boon to the Pirates if this late-season waiver claim pans out.

More Pirates content from Rum Bunter