The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that they have claimed left-handed pitcher Williams Jerez off waivers from the San Francisco Giants. To make room on the 40-man roster, Kyle Crick has been placed on the 60-day injured list.
Jerez was with the Los Angeles Angels this Spring Training before being traded to the Giants for pitcher Chris Stratton, so the Pirates ended up with both players involved in the trade. The 27-year-old Jerez made six appearances for the Giants this year, posting a 2.70 ERA in 6.2 innings. That’s a nice ERA, but he had a 6.66 FIP and a 1.95 WHIP, with more walks (6) than strikeouts (4). He also pitched with the Angels during the 2018 season, posting a 6.00 ERA in 15 innings over 17 appearances. He actually pitched better during this stint, despite the difference in ERA. Jerez had a 5.36 FIP, 1.67 WHIP and 15 strikeouts.
Jerez got a late start to pitching. He was an outfielder during his first three seasons of pro ball, switching to the mound in 2014. Over 363 minor league innings, he has a 3.60 ERA, with a 1.35 WHIP and 383 strikeouts. He will join the Pirates this weekend in Chicago.
If you somehow missed it, Crick was injured in a clubhouse fight and needed surgery, which is why he is out for the rest of the season.
