The Pittsburgh Pirates, along with the Colorado Rockies, have shown interest in Minnesota Twins right hander Kevin Slowey, according to Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports. Slowey is currently on a rehab assignment with Minnesota’s AAA affiliate, with a 2.45 ERA in 7.1 innings. He posted a 4.91 ERA in 14.2 innings with the Twins this year, working out of the bullpen.
Slowey, who is a 27 year old right hander, hasn’t fit in to the Twins plans this year, and has been available the whole season. He would be a good gamble for the Pirates to take, thinking long term. He’s only 27, and in 2008 put up a 3.99 ERA in 160.1 innings, along with a 6.9 K/9 and a 1.3 BB/9 ratio. He’s always kept his walks low, and his strikeout rates have been decent as a starter.
Slowey pounds the strike zone, usually hitting it in 55% of his pitches, which is at least 5% more than the league average. He would be a good gamble for the Pirates to take, as they could use him in relief this year, replacing Chris Leroux for the short term, and could consider him as a starter for the long term. He’s only 27 years old, so there’s a chance he could pull a Paul Maholm and rebound to the strong performances that he put up in previous years.
