The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed veteran right-handed pitcher Juan Minaya to a minor league deal. The 32-year-old pitched six games for the Minnesota Twins in 2022, his sixth season in the majors.
Minaya originally signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2008. It took him eight years to make his big league debut with the 2016 Chicago White Sox. In four seasons with Chicago, he compiled a 6-4, 3.93 record in 128.1 innings, with 142 strikeouts and a 1.43 WHIP. He saw some work as a closer during that time, picking up ten saves.
Minaya didn’t pitch during the 2020 season, though he played winter ball before and after that shortened season. He spent half of 2021 in the majors with the Twins, where he had a 2.48 ERA, 43 strikeouts and a 1.18 WHIP in 40 innings over 29 appearances. His big league time in 2022 was limited to 9.2 innings over six games in the middle of the year.
Minaya had an outstanding winter performance this year. He had a 1.26 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 14.1 innings over 15 appearances in the Dominican, where the league was loaded with talent this off-season.
