Former Pittsburgh Pirates utility man Connor Joe is nearing a deal with the San Diego Padres, according to a report from Dennis Lin of The Athletic. The signing marks a homecoming for the 32-year-old Joe, who is from Poway, Calif., and attended the University of San Diego.
Originally selected by the Pirates in the first round (No. 39 overall) in the 2014 MLB Draft, Joe has spent parts of five Major League seasons with the San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh. Last season he served primarily in a platoon role for the Pirates, splitting time between first base and the outfield corners. A right-handed hitter, Joe has a .254/.350/.415 slash line against lefties, compared to a .235/.329/.377 slash line against righties.
The Pirates could have hung onto Joe for 2025 via arbitration, but they decided to non-tender him and replace him with an older, more expensive version of his bat in Tommy Pham. The details of Joe’s contract with San Diego are not yet known.
Pirates sign former Mariners pitcher Jarod Bayless to minor league deal
Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reported Friday afternoon that the Pirates had signed right-handed relief pitcher Jarod Bayless to a minor league contract. Bayless, a 33rd-round pick by the Seattle Mariners in the 2019 MLB Draft, last pitched for the Arkansas Travelers, Seattle’s Double-A affiliate, in 2024.
Jarod Bayless’ sweeping slider was thrown for strikes at a rate of nearly 71%
The @Mariners prospect continued to impress during the Fall Leaguehttps://t.co/ZpBPPVjqN7 pic.twitter.com/U7aN2N1Bie
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) November 15, 2023
In 121 Minor League games in the Mariners’ system, Bayless has a 10-7 record, a 4.49 ERA and 14 saves in 156 1/3 innings pitched. After pitching in 19 games for Double-A Arkansas, Bayless was transferred to the development list last July before releasing him in August.
Pirates infielder Alika Williams clears waivers
Pirates infielder Alika Williams cleared waivers Friday and was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis, per a report from Alex Stumpf of MLB.com.
The 25-year-old infielder was booted off the Pirates’ 40-man roster Monday to make room for Tim Mayza. Williams slashed .311/.384/.396 with 13 RBI across 186 plate appearances in Triple-A last season, but his Major League numbers are far less impressive. In 208 plate appearances over 83 big league games, his slash line is just .202/.257/.271.
Williams has spent significant time at both middle infield positions, as well as some time at third base. With the Pirates backlogged with infield depth, he could become a trade chip in the coming seasons.
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