The Pittsburgh Pirates added one left-handed pitcher on Monday and got rid of another. Dan Runzler was sent outright to Indianapolis and became a free agent. Earlier today, the Pirates picked up Nik Turley off waivers from the Minnesota Twins.
Runzler spent the 2017 season with Indianapolis, where he had a 3.05 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP over 41.1 innings in 40 appearances. He was a surprise addition to the 40-man roster in mid-September after Indianapolis was eliminated from the playoffs. The Pirates got a decent look at Runzler during his short time with the team, using him in eight games. He gave up two runs on seven hits and two walks over four innings. The 32-year-old Runzler pitched four seasons for the San Francisco Giants, then went five years between big league appearances.
The Pirates now have four open spots on their 40-man roster. That includes the spot Josh Harrison will take when he’s activated from the 40-man roster this week.