Philadelphia Phillies Lose Triple-A Lehigh Valley Reliever to Pittsburgh Pirates

Just like Brian Gordon earlier this season, the Philadelphia Phillies lost a Lehigh Valley IronPigs pitcher to a major-league team when he chose to opt out of his contract. Jason Grilli, a 34-year old journeyman reliever who was having a fantastic season for the IronPigs, will now be pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Grilli was 4-1 with a 1.93 ERA and 43 strikeouts in just 32.2 innings pitched in Triple-A. Last year, Grilli had knee surgery and didn’t pitch in the major leagues. Assuming he passes a physical, Grilli will become a veteran reliever for a Pirates team looking to make a rare run to the postseason.