Former Blue Jay Ryan Borucki signs minor-leauge deal with Pirates

Borucki was drafted in the 15th round of the 2012 draft by the Blue Jays, making his big league debut in 2018 as a starter. That year, he had a 3.87 ERA and a 3.80 FIP in 97.2 innings pitched. After missing most of the 2019 season due to injury, Borucki returned in 2020 as a reliever where he had a 2.70 ERA and a 3.61 FIP in 16.2 innings pitched.

The left-handed pitcher’s 2021 season was rough, as he had a 4.94 ERA and a 5.66 FIP in 23.2 innings pitched. Borucki only pitched 6.1 innings with the Blue Jays in 2022, finishing with poor results. After being designated for assignment, Borucki was traded to the Seattle Mariners for prospect Tyler Keenan.

His 2023 season, Borucki’s first with the Pirates, went much better, posting a 2.45 ERA and a 3.50 FIP in 40.1 innings pitched, with a 21.7 K% and a 2.6 BB%. However, Borucki struggled again in 2024 with the Pirates, posting a 7.36 ERA and a 4.53 FIP in 11 innings pitched with a 25.5 K% and a 7.8 BB%.

More than likely, Borucki will get an invite to Spring Training. The left-handed pitcher’s stint in the minors last season wasn’t long, posting a 4.91 ERA and a 4.96 FIP in 14.2 innings pitched. There’s a solid chance he’ll be back up in the big league team, joining former Blue Jays Tim Mayza (who signed a major-league deal on Monday), Spencer Horwitz, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Josh Palacios, and hitting coach Matt Hague.

With the Pirates getting a full season of Paul Skenes, you have to imagine that they’ll be a bit better than they were in 2024 when they finished with a 76-88 record, the eighth worst in the league. Hopefully, it’s a good season for the former Blue Jay.