Today was the day for Major League teams to get down to 40 players on their 40-man roster. With five players on the 60-day injured list, the Pittsburgh Pirates needed to clear at least five spots. That became six spots when they acquired Ji-Man Choi from the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Pirates announced that pitchers Peter Solomon, Beau Sulser, , Blake Cederlind and Eric Stout, catcher Jason Delay and 1B/C Zack Collins were all removed from the roster and cleared waivers. They were all sent outright to Indianapolis. Collins and Stout both became free agents.
Delay spent the most time with the Pirates this year and he will probably have a chance to win a roster spot out of Spring Training, unless the catching situation drastically changes. He hit .213/.265/.271 in 57 games and played slightly above average defense. The offense dragged him down to -0.4 WAR for the season. He will be 28 years old before Opening Day.
Sulser was with the Pirates early in the year, then lost on waivers to the Baltimore Orioles mid-season, before returning as a waiver claim. He had a 3.63 ERA in 22.1 innings, with a 1.48 WHIP, 4.50 FIP and 19 strikeouts in 2022. He turned 28 back in May.
Cederlind hasn’t pitched at all in two years due to Tommy John surgery and setbacks during his rehab this year. He played briefly for the 2020 Pirates after showing massive improvements in the minors in 2019. If he can regain that form, he will have a chance to win a bullpen job during the 2023 season. He turns 27 years old in January.
Solomon was a waiver pickup in September, who pitched four games for Triple-A Indianapolis. He has 14 innings of big league experience at 26 years old, playing briefly for the 2021 Houston Astros.
Stout had a 5.79 ERA in 18.2 innings over 18 appearances with the Pirates after joining the team mid-season from the Chicago Cubs. He had a few stints with the Pirates and a few with Indianapolis. He will be 30 years old on Opening Day in 2023.
Collins was another mid-season pickup. He went 1-for-25 with three walks with the Pirates after putting up a .682 OPS in limited time with the Toronto Blue Jays. He turns 28 in February.
