The Pittsburgh Pirates have designated Vance Worley for assignment to create a spot on the active roster for newly acquired Joe Blanton. So essentially, Blanton comes in to upgrade the long-relief role on the team, which leaves the Pirates still seeking an upgrade for their seventh inning.
I’d still expect Worley to stick around. He’s making $2.45 M this year, and I don’t think another team will be claiming him. He also doesn’t have enough MLB service time to decline an outright assignment without forfeiting his salary. That salary pretty much buys the Pirates a chance to bring him up and send him down at will.
I could be wrong on this, as another team (especially a non-contender) could take a risk on Worley for nothing more than the price of his 2015 contract. The upside is that they’d have three more years of control if he works out. Otherwise, I’d expect him to stick around in the system and be back up when rosters expand in September.
