The Pirates announced today that they have selected the contract of right-hander Yohan Ramírez. Infielder Jared Triolo was optioned to to Triple-A Indianapolis as the corresponding active roster move. First baseman/outfielder Matt Gorski was designated for assignment to open a 40-man spot.
Ramírez, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Pirates in the offseason. He recently opted out of that deal but was quickly re-signed. He’s having a strong season, with a 3.19 earned run average over 31 Triple-A innings. His 29.3% strikeout rate and 52.7% ground ball rate are both strong marks, while his 8.6% walk rate is around par.
His previous big league work has been passable. Over the previous five seasons, he threw a combined 169 innings for various clubs with a 4.58 ERA, 22.8% strikeout rate, 11.3% walk rate and 44.6% ground ball rate.
With his strong results in the minors this year, the Bucs have called him up to see if he can carry it forward at the major league level. He is out of options but could be retained beyond this season via arbitration if he can hang onto his roster spot until season’s end. The Pirates are going to be sellers at the deadline and could move relievers such as David Bednar, Dennis Santana or Caleb Ferguson in the coming weeks, opening opportunities for others. It’s also possible Ramírez himself garners some trade interest if he looks good in the coming weeks.
Gorski, 27, has shown some pop and some speed in his career but also with a penchant for strikeouts. Last year, he hit 23 home runs at the Triple-A level and stole 15 bases but also got punched out at a 28.6% pace.
Despite that yellow flag, the Bucs gave him a major league tryout, selecting his contract in late April. In 42 big league plate appearances, he struck out 16 times, a 38.1% rate. His batting line was .195/.214/.390. He was optioned to the minors in the middle of May. Shortly after getting optioned, he landed on the minor league injured list and hasn’t played in a game since May 23rd. Injured players can’t be placed on outright waivers so he will either be traded or released within the next week.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images