Headlines

  • Tigers Place Riley Greene On Injured List Due To Stress Fracture In Fibula
  • Braves Select AJ Smith-Shawver, Designate Lucas Luetge
  • Orioles Sign Aaron Hicks, Place Cedric Mullins On IL
  • Brewers Designate Luke Voit For Assignment
  • White Sox To Activate Liam Hendriks From Injured List
  • Royals Release Hunter Dozier
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2023-24 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Arbitration Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Pirates, Ryan Borucki Agree To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | May 11, 2023 at 12:22pm CDT

The Pirates and left-hander Ryan Borucki have agreed to a minor league deal, per the team’s transactions log at MLB.com. Borucki elected free agency earlier in the week after the Cubs passed him through waivers unclaimed.

Borucki, 29, has logged big league time in each of the past five seasons — the vast majority coming as a member of the Blue Jays. He posted a 3.87 ERA in 17 starts as a rookie back in 2018 but has pitched almost exclusively out of the bullpen since, due in large part to elbow surgery that wiped out most of his 2019 season. Since returning, the left-hander has posted a 4.66 ERA in 65 2/3 big league innings, fanning 22.3% of his opponents against a 12% walk rate.

Borucki opened the 2023 season with the Cubs’ top affiliate in Iowa, where he was roughed up for a dozen runs on 13 hits and six walks with 11 strikeouts in nine innings. In need of a fresh arm for the bullpen, the Cubs selected Borucki’s contract in late April, but he was designated for assignment before even getting into a game.

It’s been a tough few years for Borucki, but even when struggling to a 5.68 ERA in 25 1/3 innings between Toronto and Seattle in 2022, the southpaw averaged 95.1 mph on his sinker and posted a strong 12% swinging-strike rate. He’s moved away from his changeup and begun to rely primarily on his sinker and slider over the past two seasons, which has helped him up his ground-ball rate to a hefty 54.3% in that time.

The Bucs currently have lefty relievers Jarlin Garcia and Rob Zastryzny on the injured list. Garcia, notably, is on the 60-day and does not have a timetable for his return. Rule 5 pick Jose Hernandez has been the only left-handed option in manager Derek Shelton’s bullpen for the past couple weeks. Borucki won’t immediately be added to the mix, but he gives the Pirates an experienced option to take a look at in Triple-A.

Share 0 Retweet 8 Send via email0

Pittsburgh Pirates Transactions Ryan Borucki

Yankees Select Ryan Weber
Main
Ken Giles To Hold Showcase For Interested Clubs
View Comments (8)

Comments

  1. TheMan 3

    3 weeks ago

    how about signing a hitting coach who can actually produce results?
    The players struck out 13 times in yesterday’s game, that should be unacceptable but they’re only concerned about signing a pitcher to a minor league contract.

    Haines has proven he’s not up to the task as the hitting coach, end of story

    Palacios is another bust, swung at pitches out of the strike zone yesterday, and his other 2 ABs created weak contact.

    So it’s either our players are no good or the hitting coach isn’t doing his job

    Reply
    • ElGaupo77

      3 weeks ago

      Have you looked at any other team? offense is so down. Plus the Pirates play in a pitchers park.

      Reply
      • Buuba ho tep

        3 weeks ago

        He keeps posting the same old dribble… obviously HE THINKS he knows what he’s talking about. But ofviously he doesn’t

        Reply
    • alwaysgo4two

      3 weeks ago

      A hitting coach can help with a hitters comfort level and maybe make small adjustments, but none are miracle workers. Yhe Pirates now are going through a funk where they’re not seeing the ball, which causes the chasing out of the zone. Reynolds has been chasing, Hayes’ swing has gotten long, and he’s chasing too. There has to be credit to the opposing pitchers who are exploiting those weaknesses, and it’s up to the hitter to adjust.

      Reply
  2. harrycarey

    3 weeks ago

    Smart move. Can’t make in on a bottom division team or two and jump to an organization that leads in the division.

    Reply
  3. Grumpofm

    3 weeks ago

    Looks like an extra lefty to keep in the minors until needed, or cut. Most fans are saying who cares

    Reply
    • Goku the Knowledgable One

      3 weeks ago

      he’ll be up. they need a LHP

      Reply
  4. PiratesFan1981

    3 weeks ago

    Fill up the minors! It’s going to be a hard season for any position. Injuries are killing the squad and it’s tough to be compassionate through some of the worst baseball we have seen from them to date. They need to sign a SS/2B and continue to weed through the scraps for pitching. Then add a catcher to a minor league depth option while bring up Endy! Yup, I am on that ship right now.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.
Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Tigers Place Riley Greene On Injured List Due To Stress Fracture In Fibula

    Braves Select AJ Smith-Shawver, Designate Lucas Luetge

    Orioles Sign Aaron Hicks, Place Cedric Mullins On IL

    Brewers Designate Luke Voit For Assignment

    White Sox To Activate Liam Hendriks From Injured List

    Royals Release Hunter Dozier

    Yankees Release Aaron Hicks

    Brewers Sign Julio Teheran To Major League Deal

    Red Sox Move Corey Kluber To Bullpen

    Athletics Reach Tentative Stadium Funding Deal With Nevada Lawmakers

    NPB Watch: May Edition

    Yankees Designate Aaron Hicks For Assignment

    Cubs Designate Eric Hosmer For Assignment

    Mets Select Gary Sanchez, Place Tim Locastro On 60-Day IL

    Astros To Activate Jose Altuve

    Rays Recall Taj Bradley, Plan To Keep Him In Rotation

    Kumar Rocker To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Anibal Sanchez Announces Retirement

    Willson Contreras To Return To Catching Duties On Monday

    Rockies Place Antonio Senzatela On 15-Day IL Due To Elbow Sprain

    Recent

    Mets Acquire Tyler White From Twins

    Michael Conforto To Undergo MRI And X-Ray On Heel

    Padres Re-Sign Jose Iglesias To Minor League Deal

    Tigers To Promote Reese Olson

    Rockies Re-Sign Fernando Abad To Minor League Deal

    Tigers Place Riley Greene On Injured List Due To Stress Fracture In Fibula

    MLBTR Trade Rumors Podcast: The Wide-Open NL Wild Card Race, Returning Pitchers and Cast-Off Veterans

    The Opener: Padres, Tigers, Hitting Streaks

    Yankees Place Harrison Bader On Injured List

    Diamond Sports Group Bypasses Payment To Padres, MLB To Take Over Local Broadcasts

    ad: 300x250_5_side_mlb

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Shohei Ohtani Rumors
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • 2023-24 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
    • MLB Player Chats
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version