Pirates add to pitching depth, agree with 2
Pitcher José Urquidy and the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed Thursday to a $1.5 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.
A 30-year-old right-hander, Urquidy adds depth to the Pirates staff headed by NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and gives the team roster flexibility because he can be optioned to the minor leagues.
Urquidy had Tommy John surgery on June 5, 2024, while with Houston, signed a $1 million, one-year deal with Detroit last March and returned to the major leagues on Sept. 14. He made two big league relief appearances last year and had a 7.71 ERA over 2 1/3 innings.
A six-year major league veteran, Urquidy is 27-16 with a 4.00 ERA in 70 starts and 11 relief appearances for the Astros (2019-23) and Tigers. He was on the injured list with a forearm strain in 2024 before having surgery.
Urquidy has a 4.08 ERA in 15 postseason appearances, including eight starts.
On Wednesday, the Pirates signed right-hander Mike Clevinger to a minor league contract. He will attend big league spring training.
The 35-year-old is 60-44 with a 3.55 ERA across nine seasons with Cleveland, San Diego and the Chicago White Sox.
Clevinger has dealt with injuries in recent seasons and struggled with the White Sox last spring after being moved to the bullpen. He bounced back after returning to the rotation with Triple-A Charlotte. Clevinger went 7-3 with a 4.20 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 22 starts in the minors last summer.
Clevinger’s best days came with Cleveland from 2017-19 when he was 38-18 with a 2.91 ERA.