Mike Clevinger Granted Release By Pirates

Right-hander Mike Clevinger has triggered an opt-out clause and has been released by the Pirates, per Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He’s free to sign with any team.

Pittsburgh added Clevinger on a minor league deal shortly before Spring Training. He didn’t break camp with the team and opened the year at Triple-A Indianapolis. The veteran compiled a 4.74 ERA across 24 2/3 innings with the Indians. All but one of his 17 appearances came out of the bullpen.

The 35-year-old Clevinger pitched in parts of the past three seasons with the White Sox. He put together a respectable 3.77 ERA across 24 starts in 2023. Injuries and inconsistent performance limited him to 12 appearances over the next two seasons. Clevinger was used strictly as a reliever last year.

Clevinger has always had a wide arsenal going back to his days with the Guardians. Even after transitioning to a bullpen role, he’s maintained a diverse pitch mix. Clevinger used his four-seamer about half the time with Indianapolis. He complemented the heater with a changeup, cutter, and sweeper. Clevinger also threw a handful of curveballs and sinkers.

While the Triple-A numbers weren’t great, Clevinger’s velocity was up during his time in the Pittsburgh system. He sat at 94.6 mph with his four-seamer. That’s an improvement of more than a tick from his last two years with the White Sox. Clevinger had a strong 14.3% swinging-strike rate during his time in Indianapolis.