The Pittsburgh Pirates have outrighted left handed pitcher Brian Burres, right handed pitcher Kevin Hart, infielder Brandon Wood, and outfielder Steve Pearce to AAA Indianapolis, according to a team press release. All four players have the option of electing for minor league free agency.
Pearce was eligible for Super Two status, but had trouble staying on the field the last two years. Hart was eligible for a league minimum salary, but also had injury issues, including a shoulder injury that will keep him sidelined throughout the off-season. Burres was more of a roster filler/AAA veteran that was only on the 40-man roster to add an extra arm in September. Wood was eligible for arbitration, and I had him pegged as a non-tender candidate in my preview of the 2012 40-man roster.
The Pirates now have five open spots on the 40-man roster, which can be viewed here.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
