The Pirates have signed right-hander Yohan Ramírez to a minor league deal, in keeping with his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He’ll presumably obtain an invite to main league spring coaching.
Ramírez, 29, returns to the Pirates, considered one of a number of groups he has pitched for in his profession. The righty has logged 169 innings over the previous 5 seasons with a 4.58 earned run common, suiting up for the Mariners, Guardians, White Sox, Mets, Orioles, Dodgers and Purple Sox, along with his time as a Pirate.
When his profession began, he was on the wild aspect. He has reined issues in additional lately, however has sacrificed a number of strikeouts within the course of. Over the 2020 and 2021 campaigns, he struck out 29.3% of batters confronted but additionally gave out free passes at a 15.3% clip. Since then, he has solely punched out 20.3% of opponents however decreased his stroll price to 9.8%.
Ramírez spent most of 2023 with the Bucs however went to the White Sox through waivers in September of that 12 months. He was out of choices going into 2024, which led a really nomadic season. He bounced to the Mets, O’s, again to the Mets, then to the Dodgers and Purple Sox through small trades or waiver claims. Boston handed him by way of waivers in August and Ramírez elected free company a number of weeks in the past.
Round all these transactions, he tossed 45 innings in 2024 with a 6.20 ERA however average-ish strikeout and stroll charges of 21.6% and eight.2%. His .346 batting common on balls in play and 59.4% strand price have been each on the unfortunate aspect, which is why ERA estimators similar to his 4.26 FIP and three.84 SIERA paint a rosier image than his precise ERA.
The Bucs are about to lose Aroldis Chapman, Jalen Beeks and Ryan Borucki to free company, in order that they’ll rapidly add a little bit of non-roster bullpen depth by bringing again a well-known face. Ramírez nonetheless has lower than three years of service time and might theoretically be retained for a number of seasons, however his out-of-options standing will make it onerous for him to hold onto a roster spot if he will get one.
