Earlier today, Dejan Kovacevic heard that Brendan Donnelly could be the mystery pitcher the Pirates' have been close to signing. Shortly after, Kovacevic confirmed this, and reported that the Pirates and Donnelly have agreed to the terms of a one-year contract. Donnelly's deal is a major league deal, pending a physical, which means a corresponding move will need to be made to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
There hasn't been anything confirmed about the salary amount, although Jerry Crasnick reports that the deal could be for about $1.5 M, with incentives that could drive the deal up to $3 M. There's also no word on who will be removed from the 40-man roster, although I'd expect it to be Anthony Claggett. With Donnelly, D.J. Carrasco, and potentially Octavio Dotel added to the mix, plus minor additions like Vinnie Chulk and Chris Jakubauskas, there's little need for Claggett to take up a 40-man roster spot.
Yesterday I took a look at the mystery reliever possibilities, and had this to say about Donnelly:
Last year he bounced between three teams, and eventually settled with the Florida Marlins. In 25.2 innings at AAA with the Houston Astros, he posted a 1.75 ERA with a 8.1 K/9, a 3.29 K/BB, and no homers. In 25.1 innings with the Marlins in the majors he put up a 1.78 ERA, with an 8.9 K/9, a 2.78 K/BB, and a 0.4 HR/9.
In thinking about the signing further, the major league deal made sense for Donnelly. Donnelly expressed a desire for a major league deal, but said that this year was shaping up to be just like last year, which probably means he was only seeing minor league offers. Donnelly is a guy who has had past success, and showed that he was still capable of that in 2009, although there are still questions since that was only a small sample size. I'm sure Donnelly would have had a lot of suitors under a minor league deal. By offering a major league deal and guaranteed money, the Pirates made themselves a top option, and the risk they're taking isn't considerable when you factor in what Donnelly can bring to the bullpen.
If Donnelly's 2009 bounce back was legit, the Pirates suddenly have a very strong bullpen. Assuming Octavio Dotel signs, they'll have Dotel as the closer, and three quality set up relievers in Joel Hanrahan, Evan Meek, and Donnelly. The Pirates may not take many leads in to the seventh inning, but any lead that does make it that far suddenly feels safe with the bullpen the Pirates have built.
The 40-man roster/payroll page will be updated when Donnelly's salary information is confirmed, and when we hear who will be removed from the 40-man roster.
There hasn't been anything confirmed about the salary amount, although Jerry Crasnick reports that the deal could be for about $1.5 M, with incentives that could drive the deal up to $3 M. There's also no word on who will be removed from the 40-man roster, although I'd expect it to be Anthony Claggett. With Donnelly, D.J. Carrasco, and potentially Octavio Dotel added to the mix, plus minor additions like Vinnie Chulk and Chris Jakubauskas, there's little need for Claggett to take up a 40-man roster spot.
Yesterday I took a look at the mystery reliever possibilities, and had this to say about Donnelly:
Brendan Donnelly - Donnelly has signed a minor league deal in each of the last two seasons, and was released by two different teams last year before being added by the Florida Marlins. Donnelly pitched 25.1 innings, with a 1.78 ERA, an 8.9 K/9, a 2.78 K/BB, and a 0.4 HR/9 in the majors. Donnelly had to sign a minor league deal because he was coming off of Tommy John surgery, although he expressed his wish for a major league deal this off-season:
"The sense I'm getting this year is that it's similar to last year in general. But personally, I feel really different this year than last year, because last year I was coming off an injury," Donnelly said. "I feel like last year, when I finally got the chance, I showed people I'm back.
"In that way, I can't imagine having to take a Minor League deal this year. I think I've answered the questions that need to b answered on the field. If I had half a season in the NL with a 3.50-4.00 ERA, if the numbers weren't there -- especially the strikeout numbers -- then I might be singing a different tune."
It's possible that Donnelly could receive a major league deal from the Pirates. His numbers last year with Florida were in line with his career ratios, although it's a small sample size at just 25.1 innings.Donnelly has been a solid reliever in his career, with a 2.88 ERA in 315.2 innings from 2002-2007, and very strong ratios with an 8.8 K/9, a 2.82 K/BB, and a 0.7 HR/9. He had Tommy John surgery in 2007, and struggled in his return to the majors in 2008, with an 8.56 ERA in 13.2 innings with Cleveland.
Last year he bounced between three teams, and eventually settled with the Florida Marlins. In 25.2 innings at AAA with the Houston Astros, he posted a 1.75 ERA with a 8.1 K/9, a 3.29 K/BB, and no homers. In 25.1 innings with the Marlins in the majors he put up a 1.78 ERA, with an 8.9 K/9, a 2.78 K/BB, and a 0.4 HR/9.
In thinking about the signing further, the major league deal made sense for Donnelly. Donnelly expressed a desire for a major league deal, but said that this year was shaping up to be just like last year, which probably means he was only seeing minor league offers. Donnelly is a guy who has had past success, and showed that he was still capable of that in 2009, although there are still questions since that was only a small sample size. I'm sure Donnelly would have had a lot of suitors under a minor league deal. By offering a major league deal and guaranteed money, the Pirates made themselves a top option, and the risk they're taking isn't considerable when you factor in what Donnelly can bring to the bullpen.
If Donnelly's 2009 bounce back was legit, the Pirates suddenly have a very strong bullpen. Assuming Octavio Dotel signs, they'll have Dotel as the closer, and three quality set up relievers in Joel Hanrahan, Evan Meek, and Donnelly. The Pirates may not take many leads in to the seventh inning, but any lead that does make it that far suddenly feels safe with the bullpen the Pirates have built.
The 40-man roster/payroll page will be updated when Donnelly's salary information is confirmed, and when we hear who will be removed from the 40-man roster.
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